These scandals were impossible to avoid in 2023. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most shocking celebrity scandals to dominate headlines in 2023.
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00:00 I mean, the only good thing about it is it's driven my poll numbers way up.
00:04 Can you believe this?
00:05 Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:07 And today we're looking at the most shocking celebrity scandals to dominate
00:10 headlines in 2023.
00:12 But I feel like I'm being attacked and plainly they are working very closely
00:16 together. Number 10, Fox fires Tucker Carlson.
00:20 Tucker Carlson is no stranger to controversy, but he seemed immune to
00:24 consequences. There was no justification for keeping the secret any longer.
00:28 Hosting his far right Fox News show for seven years, Carlson wasn't above
00:32 touting any conspiracy theory or excusing any conservatives poor behavior as
00:37 long as it demonized the left.
00:38 Fox showed no signs of keeping Tucker on a leash.
00:41 Then in April 2023, they finally sent him packing as the network was ordered
00:45 to pay $787.5 million to Dominion voting systems.
00:50 Fox made false claims that Dominion's voting machines were rigged to favor Joe
00:55 Biden over Donald Trump.
00:56 While Carlson was a prime player in the high profile defamation case, his
01:00 firing supposedly had more to do with hate filled texts and reportedly creating a
01:04 toxic work environment.
01:05 Tucker and his executive producer, Justin Wells, who was also fired, really were
01:10 responsible for breaking me and making my life a living hell.
01:15 Apparently, making offensive comments on the air at Fox News is acceptable, but
01:19 not behind the scenes, especially if it gets out.
01:22 Fox has not publicly provided a reason for getting rid of Carlson.
01:25 Number nine, Britney Spears talks about Justin Timberlake.
01:29 When a celebrity couple breaks up, the public tends to take sides despite really
01:33 knowing all the details.
01:34 In the early 2000s, many, including Diane Sawyer, were team Timberlake following a
01:39 split with Britney Spears.
01:40 He has gone on television and pretty much said you broke his heart.
01:45 You did something that caused him so much pain, so much suffering.
01:53 What did you do?
01:55 In recent years, there's been a reevaluation of how Spears was portrayed in
01:59 the media.
01:59 A lot of the times the press seems to build you up as a sex symbol.
02:04 You know, that I think would create a certain amount of pressure.
02:08 Does that does that does that bother you?
02:11 Spears shined a light on the relationship in her 2023 memoir, revealing that she
02:15 became pregnant.
02:16 Although Spears was open to starting a family, Timberlake insisted that they
02:20 weren't ready.
02:20 Had it just been her, Spears said that she would have kept the baby.
02:24 Since Timberlake had been adamant, though, Spears made the agonizing decision to
02:28 terminate the pregnancy at home.
02:29 At one point, Timberlake tried playing guitar to ease the pain.
02:32 It didn't help.
02:34 Number eight, Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater.
02:37 As long as you're mine.
02:38 In Wicked, Bach the Munchkin carries a torch for Glinda, although it's clear that
02:43 she'll never reciprocate.
02:44 It might not have happened over the rainbow, but a relationship would develop
02:47 behind the Emerald Curtain.
02:49 Grande and Slater were cast as Glinda and Bach, respectively, in the two-part film
02:53 version of Wicked.
02:54 Shortly after it was revealed that Grande's marriage to Dalton Gomez was
02:57 ending, news broke that she had entered a relationship with Slater.
03:00 At the time, Slater was still married to high school sweetheart Lily J, with whom
03:05 he had recently welcomed a son into the world.
03:06 By September 2023, Grande and Slater had filed for divorce from their spouses,
03:11 marking the musical world's most scandalous romance since Fiyero left
03:14 Glinda for Elphaba.
03:15 Number seven, Jimmy Fallon.
03:18 Funny man or phony?
03:20 Of all the late-night comedians, Jimmy Fallon is the least inclined to tackle
03:23 anything too controversial.
03:24 Wanting to keep The Tonight Show lighthearted, Fallon became the subject of
03:29 controversy in September 2023 when Rolling Stone released a piece in which
03:33 16 associates accused him of unprofessional workplace behavior.
03:37 Apparently, working on the show took such a toll on some staffers' mental health
03:41 that dressing rooms became known as "crying rooms."
03:44 A few employees defended Fallon, who apologized over Zoom, but he made no
03:48 mention of the scandal when The Tonight Show returned from the WGA strike in
03:51 October.
03:52 Fallon seems content with moving on, although it's hard for the internet to
04:11 let go of an old clip where Martin Short complimented his phoniness.
04:14 Jokingly?
04:15 Question mark?
04:17 I mean, no one captures phoniness the way you do.
04:19 It's a gift.
04:20 Number six, what did Diddy do?
04:23 By the end of November 2023, Sean "Diddy" Combs had been confronted with three
04:27 separate lawsuits regarding sexual assault.
04:29 One of those lawsuits, involving his ex-partner, Cassie Ventura, was settled
04:33 out of court for an undisclosed amount.
04:35 The end of this is money.
04:37 That's what a civil suit is.
04:39 So no matter what he did to her, in a civil suit, the end is always going to be
04:44 money.
04:45 Then in December, just over a week after Combs resigned as chairman of Revolt TV,
04:49 a fourth lawsuit was filed.
04:50 The most recent alleged victim to come forward claims that Combs and two others
04:54 assaulted her in 2003 when she was in high school.
04:57 Among the others being accused is Harv Pierre, the former president of Bad Boy
05:01 Entertainment.
05:02 Combs denies the claims against him, calling this a case of character
05:05 assassination.
05:06 Combs responded with a statement through his representative, writing that he,
05:10 quote, "did not do any of the awful things being alleged."
05:14 Whatever the authorities uncover, Combs' connection to those Tupac conspiracy
05:18 theories suddenly seems like an afterthought.
05:20 Yeah, yeah.
05:20 No, I mean, we wouldn't even get into nonsense like that.
05:23 Number five, rumors featuring Lizzo and Bananas.
05:26 Lizzo became the poster big girl for body positivity.
05:29 After August 2023, however, people began to question if the Grammy winner was
05:33 truly practicing what she had been preaching.
05:35 But I chose to be undeniable and I chose to be loud and I chose to be great.
05:41 And I'm still here.
05:44 Lizzo and dance captain Shirlene Quigley found themselves at the center of a
05:47 lawsuit brought on by a trio of former backup dancers.
05:50 Along with weight shaming, unwarranted firings and creating an uncomfortable
05:54 environment, the allegations of harassment against Lizzo ranged from
05:57 racial to religious to sexual.
05:59 I just had this feeling that they had a problem with the way I was gaining weight.
06:04 The latter involved asking cast members to touch nude performers and eat
06:07 bananas out of a personal area.
06:09 Lizzo called these stories sensationalized as a second lawsuit surfaced.
06:13 While fellow celebs like Beyonce have shown support, those who felt wronged
06:16 by Lizzo were left saying.
06:18 Number four, Jonathan Majors, the man who almost conquered Hollywood.
06:23 On the heels of acclaimed performances and film festival hits and shows like
06:27 Lovecraft Country, Jonathan Majors landed the role of a lifetime as Kang the
06:32 Conqueror.
06:32 Built up as the MCU's next Thanos, Majors' road to superstardom seemed assured.
06:37 She didn't tell you about me.
06:39 I guess that's not a surprise.
06:45 But you know what they say, the higher they climb, the harder they fall.
06:49 Majors' future in the MCU and Hollywood derailed into uncertainty when the star
06:53 was arrested for assault and harassment in March 2023.
06:57 Police say Jonathan Majors called 911 himself from an apartment here in the
07:01 Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.
07:03 He reportedly told police that his girlfriend was having an emotional crisis.
07:08 But when cops arrived, she told them a different story.
07:11 This would be the first of multiple allegations of abuse directed at Majors.
07:15 In addition to being dropped from various films and ad campaigns, Majors lost his
07:19 talent manager, Entertainment 360 and PR firm, Lead Company.
07:23 While some projects could easily recast Majors, Marvel may be another story.
07:28 You made him sound like this terrifying figure.
07:30 Yes.
07:33 Number three, Russell Branded Problematic.
07:36 Comedian and actor Russell Brand has been a figure of controversy, notably for his
07:40 promotion of conspiracy theories.
07:41 If you care about democracy so much, do it in your own bloody country.
07:45 In September 2023, Brand faced further challenges when he became the subject of
07:50 sexual misconduct allegations.
07:51 Initially, four women accused him of physical and emotional abuse, followed by
07:56 a fifth woman who alleged that Brand had exposed himself.
07:58 They sort of allow you to behave in a certain way, don't they?
08:01 Oh yes.
08:01 You are allowed, you're enabled to.
08:03 Enabled is a good word.
08:05 Yes, I suppose if you're in a position of some success, people will let you be a
08:10 nutter as long as they're making money out of it.
08:12 Among the accusers, one was reported to be a teenager at the time of the alleged
08:15 incident.
08:16 Following these allegations, Brand's agency, Tabastock Wood, ceased their
08:20 representation of him and YouTube restricted his ability to monetize videos on
08:23 his channel.
08:24 For many, many years, women have been warning each other about Russell.
08:30 Despite these setbacks, Brand has continued to produce and share content on his
08:34 platform.
08:34 It's been clear to me, or at least it feels to me like there's a serious and
08:39 concerted agenda to control these kind of spaces and these kind of voices.
08:43 And I mean, my voice along with your voice.
08:45 Number two, Danny Masterson, 30 years to life.
08:49 Hey man, you missed your shift at the photo hut.
08:51 You better have a damn good excuse.
08:53 I got busted.
08:56 90s kids grew up on that 70s show.
08:58 Fast forward to 2023, Generation Alpha is growing up on that 90s show, albeit
09:03 without so much as a mention of Stephen Hyde.
09:05 It was always unlikely that Danny Masterson would reprise his role as Hyde.
09:09 His career has remained in limbo ever since the allegations of sexual assault
09:13 arose in 2017.
09:14 It's weird, but I feel kind of guilty.
09:16 I've never felt guilty before in my life.
09:18 Not even when the judge said you're guilty.
09:20 Some remain supportive of Masterson, considering him innocent until proven
09:24 guilty.
09:24 Come May, 2023, Masterson's courtroom appearances culminated in a guilty
09:29 verdict.
09:29 Now, prosecutors have said Masterson used his prominence in the Church of
09:33 Scientology to skirt any consequences for the attacks, and the women have blamed
09:38 the church for not going to authorities early on.
09:41 The Weinstein effect, as the media calls it, has seen several once revered names
09:45 face justice.
09:46 Masterson might be the most prominent example since Harvey Weinstein himself.
09:49 Where Weinstein is currently serving 39 years, Masterson won't be able to even
09:54 seek parole for 25 and a half.
09:57 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few not so honorable mentions.
10:01 Drew Barrymore crosses the picket line.
10:03 To add irony to injury, the WGA strike was resolved shortly after.
10:07 Nothing I can do that will make this OK for those it is not OK with.
10:13 I fully accept that.
10:16 I fully understand that.
10:18 Jada Pinkett Smith's memoir.
10:20 Is the Smith family still worthy of our attention?
10:23 I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce.
10:27 We will work through whatever.
10:30 And I just haven't been able to break that promise.
10:34 Dwayne Johnson and Oprah Winfrey's Maui fund controversy.
10:37 Their hearts might have been in the right place, but their wallets could have dug
10:40 deeper.
10:40 So if you send a donation, just click where you see below and send a donation.
10:46 That money is going to go to one of many residents who have been displaced in Maui.
10:53 Hashtag Scandaval.
10:55 When Tom Sandoval allegedly has an affair with Raquel Levis, hashtags write
10:59 themselves.
11:00 I just want to thank everybody for being.
11:03 Pull yourself together, man.
11:04 This isn't a.
11:04 We're not a victim.
11:05 You're not at the.
11:05 Not at all.
11:06 Not a victim.
11:07 The sad sack act is a.
11:08 Not a victim.
11:09 Bull****.
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11:24 Number one, Donald Trump from president to potential prisoner.
11:30 Over the course of five months, Donald Trump was met with four indictments with
11:34 the charges ranging from hush money to mishandling government documents to
11:37 conspiracy against the U.S.
11:39 to trying to overturn an election verdict.
11:42 As far as the joke of an indictment, it's a horrible thing.
11:46 It's a horrible thing for this country.
11:49 The Georgia indictment resulted in Trump's infamous mugshot, a first for a U.S.
11:53 president.
11:54 The most scandalous part of all, even with these four indictments, Trump has
11:58 managed to stay ahead of his Republican nominee hopefuls and President Joe
12:01 Biden in the polls.
12:03 The New York Times says this trend should be taken seriously.
12:06 Quote, the problem for Mr.
12:08 Biden isn't too few young Democrats, is that many young Democrats don't like
12:13 him. By 2024, Trump could either be in a jail cell delivering his election night
12:17 victory speech or delivering his election night victory speech from a jail cell.
12:22 In any case, Trump's legal troubles in 2023 are just a chapter in a seemingly
12:27 never ending saga.
12:28 We will route the fake news media right back there.
12:31 We're going to route them because they've got to learn, you know, they're doing
12:35 very poorly. They're all going out of business because nobody trusts them.
12:39 Nobody believes it anymore.
12:40 Which scandals overtook your news feed in 2023?
12:43 Let us know in the comments.
12:44 Screen captures of the experience that she had with him, it immediately
12:50 triggered.
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