2020 has been a wild ride, and not even celebrities have been immune to it. Over the past 12 months, there have been a lot of celebrity scandals that have totally rocked our worlds — or at least Hollywood. Despite the fact that everyone's staying home more than usual, our favorite celebs have still managed to stir up plenty of drama to keep us entertained, including (but not limited to) Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, of course.
After all, this was the year that many people spoke up about being mistreated and had more time on their hands than usual to share on social media what they were doing, so controversy was bound to happen. And happen it did, as there are so many big celeb moments this year that we will never forget.
Between prison sentences, whirlwind engagements that crashed and burned, and totally unexpected Twitter rants, here are all the biggest celebrity scandals that unfolded in 2020. And with another year on the horizon, we can't help but think that even more are coming our way in 2021. What will they be up to next?!
The Reports Against Ellen DeGeneres
After a Twitter thread about Ellen being mean went viral, the backlash against her was real, especially because employees claimed they weren't being kept up to date about when the show would resume filming earlier this year. The scandal continued after a BuzzFeed report about the toxic work environment on The Ellen Show was published. Eventually, Ellen apologized on her show, promising to do better in the future.
Harvey Weinstein's Conviction
After sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein came to light and the long court battle that followed in March, Weinstein was finally sentenced. He has already begun his 23-year term in prison after he was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape.
Kanye West's Twitter Meltdown
Amid Kanye's controversial run for president, there were also a few instances where he hit Twitter to vent about his life — including his wife and kids. Then, there was the time that he revealed he wanted to abort his daughter, North, when he found out he and Kim were expecting their first child, but shared his relief that he hadn't. Later, Kim took to Instagram to talk about Kanye's bipolar behavior.
"He is a brilliant but complicated person who on top of the pressures of being an artist and a black man, who has experienced the painful loss of his mother, and has to deal with the pressure and isolation that is heightened by his bipolar disorder," she wrote at the time. "Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understands his words sometimes do not align with his intentions."
Lori Loughlin's Prison Sentence
2020 was the year that the college admissions scandal finally came to a close. In August, Lori was sentenced to two months behind bars — along with community service and a $150,000 fine — for her involvement in bribing daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose's way into USC. Her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, was also sentenced (he got five months and a $250,000 fine) and the couple has already begun serving their prison sentences.
Megxit
In January, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced that they would be stepping down from royal life, revealing in a statement on Instagram their plans to become "financially independent" and spend their time in both the UK and North America. After fulfilling the last of their royal obligations in March, Meghan and Harry are now living in California with their son, Archie, full-time.
Prince Andrew's Scandal Continued
Speaking of the royal family … following Prince Andrew's interview about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein at the end of 2019, the next year wasn't a good one for him, especially after he'd stepped down from his royal duties. More and more details about Andrew's alleged connection to Epstein continued to come to light, and it seems like this scandal is far from over.
Justin Hartley & Chrishell Stause's Divorce
After Justin Hartley filed for divorce from Chrishell Stause in November 2019, fans watched the drama play out on Selling Sunset when new episodes hit Netflix in 2020. According to Chrishell's point of view, she'd been totally blindsided by the filing, and it led to a lot of debate among fans over who was in the wrong.
Kelly Clarkson's Messy Divorce
In June, Kelly Clarkson surprised fans when she filed for divorce from Brandon Blackstock, and so far, the breakup has turned out to be a very messy one. Her former father-in-law, Narvel Blackstock, is suing Kelly for millions of dollars as he claims that she never paid his talent agency for representing her, though Kelly has disputed those claims legally. In December, Kelly was awarded primary custody of their kids, River, 6, and Remington, 4.
Kim Kardashian's Birthday Party
Despite the fact that social distancing and staying home have been major themes of 2020, Kim Kardashian went all out for her 40th birthday, and that included traveling to a private island with her family and closest friends. After sharing photos from the massive birthday trip, Kim came under fire for traveling during a pandemic and putting workers on the island at risk.
Jada Pinkett Smith's Entanglement
After rumors of infidelity, Jada Pinkett Smith was joined by husband Will Smith on her Red Table Talk Facebook Watch show in July. During the episode, she admitted that she had been involved in an "entanglement" with singer August Alsina. At the time, she shared that it had been years since they'd been involved, but it made headlines anyway. In the end, though, she and Will seem all good.
Vanessa Hudgens' COVID Comments
Back in March, Vanessa came under fire for her comments about the COVID-19 pandemic, and as USA Today reports, she wrote on her Instagram story at the time, "Even if everybody gets it, like yeah, people are going to die which is terrible, but inevitable?" Those comments got her a lot of backlash, which led to her apologizing to her followers.
"I realize my words were insensitive and not at all appropriate for the situation our country and the world are in right now," her apology said. "This has been a huge wake up call to the significance my words have, now more than ever. I'm sending safe wishes to everyone to stay safe and healthy during this crazy time."
Lea Michele's 'Glee' Behavior
Over the summer, Variety reported Glee star Samantha Ware accused Lea Michele of making her life "a living hell" while they filmed the show. Other former co-stars (including Heather Morris) seemingly confirmed Lea was unpleasant to work with. This led to Lea apologizing on social media, writing, "I listened to these criticisms and I am learning and while I am very sorry, I will be better in the future from this experience."
Alison Roman's Feud With Chrissy Teigen
In a May 2020 interview with New Consumer, foodie and writer Alison Roman said that what Chrissy's done with her career in the food world was "horrifying" to her, and accused Chrissy of running a "content farm." As a fan of Alison's, Chrissy admitted in a tweet that she was hurt by her comments. Later, Alison did apologize, but it seemed to be too little, too late for many.
Lily James & Dominic West's Affair
After Lily James was spotted kissing Dominic West — who has been married to Catherine Fitzgerald for a decade — a major controversy unraveled. Dominic and Catherine posed for photos outside of their home, sharing a note that assured the world that their marriage was just fine … though fans certainly have their doubts.
Demi Lovato's Engagement
Fans were surprised when Demi Lovato announced her engagement to actor Max Ehrich after just four months of dating. But after rumors that Max was using Demi for fame (and that he was actually interested in her former BFF, Selena Gomez), Demi ended things in September. Since then, Max has continued to post about the split on social media, though Demi seems to have moved on.
