With the advent of social media and all of the online gossip and paparazzi pictures, sometimes it can be easy to assume that we know all the juicy details about our favorite celebrities. But sometimes we think we have them all figured out and then they release a memoir that spills some fresh new tea, and we realize we only knew a tiny part of their story after all. The potential for shocking revelations is one of the reasons celebrity memoirs get so much attention and sometimes sell so well. We really are a nosy bunch!
There has been a bumper crop of celebrity memoirs released recently, and we are still shocked at some of the stories they spilled. From pop star abortions to accusations of royal baby racism, some major secrets were revealed in some of the best-selling memoirs of the year. We're all about sharing the best in celebrity gossip and revelations, so read on for some big time secrets and revelations.
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Britney Spears Teen Drinking
Anyone who has any awareness about Britney Spears already knew that she'd been through some pretty challenging stuff in her life. Although the revelation that she'd had an abortion while dating Justin Timberlake got a lot of attention, we were also shocked (and saddened) to read her revelation that she started drinking with her mother when she was only 14 years old. She really was forced to grow up way too fast.
Minka Kelly's Tough Childhood
Actress Minka Kelly got rave reviews for her candid memoir Tell Me Everything, which includes stories of her life growing up as the daughter of a stripper, including getting a job at a peep show and witnessing her mother doing drugs and exotic dancing. Kelly had a far more complicated path to her breakout roll in Friday Night Lights than anyone realized.
Julia Fox Spills the Tea on Kanye
Julia Fox's memoir Down the Drain is filled with story of a wild life that includes drugs, sex work, and way too many terrible boyfriends. Fox, who has never struck anyone as the shy type, was a little coy about her relationship with Kanye "Ye" West, refusing to identify him by name, but readers were still able to figure out she was talking about the troubled rapper. She describes him as controlling and revealed they never had sex, partially because she felt that being with him was like having to take care of a difficult toddler.
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Megan Fox Writes Poems About Abuse
Even though she might not have received rave reviews for the quality of her poems in her book Pretty Boys Are Poisonous, nobody can argue that Megan Fox held back when it came to talking about her past experiences with abusive relationships. She even revealed she suffered from a miscarriage and suggests that her current partner, rapper Machine Gun Kelly, also is physically abusive.
John Stamos Reveals History of Sexual Abuse
In addition to grappling with his history of problem drinking (including getting a DUI and doing press events while intoxicated), Full House star John Stamos also bravely revealed that he'd been sexually abused by a babysitter when he was a child.
Prince Harry's Frozen Penis
We have to say, although it might not have been the biggest bombshell, we really weren't expecting to read about Prince Harry's penis in his memoir Spare (which ended up being one of the most successful books of 2023)! Harry got a little TMI by sharing that he'd gotten frostnip on his penis that took weeks to heal and resulted in him trying to get a specially made penis mitten to protect it in the future.
Jill Duggar: Conned by Her Own Father
The truth about the Duggar family has been leaking out for years, but even more secrets were revealed in Jill (Duggar) Dillard's memoir Counting the Cost. In the book, Jill shared that she no longer has one-on-one contact with her father, Jim Bob Duggar. This is partially due to his history of withholding reality show money from his daughters and because Jill feels he conned her into signing a contract on her wedding day that obligated her to five more years of filming but without fair compensation.
Paris Hilton's History of Abuse
Paris Hilton had a big year in 2023. Not only did she become a mother to two babies (born via surrogacy) but she also released her memoir. The book included both vapid details about her life (does anyone really care where the phrase "That's hot" came from?) and heartbreaking stories about being abused at boarding school and being groomed and kissed by a middle school teacher.
Jada Pinkett Smith's Marriage Revelations
So, does anyone feel clear on what exactly is going on with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage? Jada shared in her bestselling memoir Worthy that she and Will have been separated "every way but legally" since 2016. The pair still did red carpets and interview together and, of course, Will famously slapped Chris Rock for not keeping his "wife's name" out of his mouth. It looks like they don't plan to divorce but might get back together or maybe just keep living separate lives. Who knows with this pair and their flexible definition of marriage?
Pamela Anderson Tells Her Own Story
Unlike many celebrity authors, Pamela Anderson didn't use a ghostwriter to craft her memoir Love, Pamela. In the book she revealed that she'd had several shocking encounters with famous men, including walking in on Jack Nicholson having a threesome in a bathroom and being sexually harassed by Tim Allen on the set of Home Improvement.
Patrick Stewart Might Have Missed His Most Famous Role
Although Sir Patrick Stewart has been acting for decades and is classically trained for the stage, he is best known for his iconic role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation. In his memoir, Making It So, he explains that came close to not ever having that part, first because he bombed his first audition and then because some of his theater acting peers almost convinced him that the role would kill his career. Trekkies everywhere are glad they were wrong!
Elliot Page Verbally Assaulted by a Major Star
One of the scary revelations in actor Elliot Page's memoir Pageboy was that he was verbally attacked by a famous actor (whom he declines to name) who threatened to rape him in order to make Page realize that he wasn't "gay." Page recounts this an example of the ways that many trans people experience threats and violence, even if they are famous.
Leslie Jones on the Hard Parts of a Funny Life
We love Leslie Jones and how big and bold her personality is. Even though there are plenty of laughs in her 2023 memoir, she also doesn't shy away from sharing some of the harder moments of her life, including experiencing sexual abuse as a toddler and dealing with tons of racism and mean comments about her looks and skin color throughout her life.
Henry Winkler Struggles With a Learning Disability
Henry Winkler was the epitome of cool for many people, especially when he was playing the Fonz on Happy Days. Behind the scenes, however, Winkler was dealing with a severe learning disability that wasn't diagnosed until he was in his 30s. As he explained in Being Henry, he grew up thinking he was dumb because he "was the kid who couldn't read, couldn't spell, couldn't even begin to do algebra or geometry or even basic arithmetic. If I bought a slice of pizza with paper money, I had no idea how much change I was supposed to get – nor could I add up the coins in my hand."
Anne Heche's Posthumous Memoir
When actress Anne Heche died in a 2022 car accident, she'd already completed a manuscript for her second memoir. That book, titled Call Me Anne, was released in January 2023 and includes stories of her love at first sight romance with Ellen DeGeneres and horrifying glimpses into her childhood growing up with parents who were involved in a sex cult. The words "sex cult" are always going to seem like a shocking revelation, right? We hope Anne found some peace before she died as it is clear she had a complicated life.
