These celebs know how to spin a story! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at scandals that either earned celebrities profitable recognition or inspired creative and personal changes that benefited their careers.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 My contract says that starting November 2020, so next year, I can record albums one through five all over again.
00:07 So...
00:08 Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:09 And today, we're looking at scandals that either earned celebrities profitable recognition
00:14 or inspired creative and personal changes that benefited their careers.
00:19 You know, the man that you see today, um...
00:23 I'm my best self.
00:25 Coming out, Ellen DeGeneres.
00:27 I know what it feels like to try to blend in so that everybody else will think you're okay and they won't hurt you.
00:37 On April 14, 1997, comedian and TV star Ellen DeGeneres confirmed rumors that she's gay on the cover of Time magazine.
00:46 Soon after, the sitcom Ellen made history when her character also came out.
00:51 This watershed pop culture event was widely celebrated by progressives at the time.
00:56 Susan, I'm gay.
00:58 [laughter]
01:01 Nonetheless, the backlash prompted ABC to cancel Ellen the following year.
01:05 The upside is that DeGeneres was free to do more major projects as an LGBT icon.
01:11 This culminated in one of the most popular talk shows on daytime TV.
01:15 Sadly, the Ellen DeGeneres show ended its almost 20-year run amidst allegations of a hostile work environment.
01:22 Regardless of this more serious controversy, DeGeneres thrived by helping to dismantle the scandal and celebrity's sexual identity.
01:29 It was the hardest thing that I ever had to do in my life, and I would not change one moment of it because it led me to be exactly where I am today, standing in front of all of you.
01:39 Scandival. Ariana Maddox.
01:41 He was sleeping next to her. This was his life partner. If he can do that to her, there's something wrong with this person.
01:46 And a lot of other people have done that before.
01:48 Ariana Maddox has always been popular among reality TV fans as the star of Bravo's Vanderpump Rules.
01:54 But an especially wide audience witnessed her breakup with longtime boyfriend Tom Sandoval in 2023.
02:01 The media circus surrounding his affair with Maddox's friend and co-star Raquel Levis was dubbed "Scandival."
02:08 - I know you don't want to hear it. - Shut up!
02:10 - It's important that you know that. - I don't want to hear it because it's f***ing disgusting! Shut up!
02:14 But while both cheaters naturally suffered for this revelation, Maddox refused to hide from it.
02:20 She raised her profile with strong-willed interviews about this and other challenges.
02:24 This benefited her business ventures, including the best-selling cookbook, Single AF.
02:30 Never mind her entertainment ventures on Dancing with the Stars and Broadway.
02:34 Maddox's remarkable rise from Scandival is a true inspiration for betrayed women who refuse to be seen as victims.
02:41 - Why would somebody want to give their money to that man?
02:43 Rock bottom Rob Lowe.
02:45 - When they did leave the hotel room, they did have thoughts run into their mind about a setup.
02:50 But I'm not sure now, since everything's out in the open, they would ever think about that or say they thought about it.
02:55 Behind Rob Lowe's early bad boy image was a serious struggle with substance use disorder.
03:00 That image went too far in 1988 with the leak of a private tape Lowe made with a 22-year-old and a teenager in Georgia.
03:09 - It's one of the reasons why I got sober. I woke up one day and was like, "What am I doing with my life?"
03:14 While the latter was above the state's age of consent, it was illegal to film the act.
03:19 Lowe managed to get charges dropped in a settlement, but his star power was devastated.
03:24 That changed when the actor later revealed that the incident convinced him to turn his life around.
03:28 Lowe has been sober for more than 30 years, regaining popular stardom on an unexpectedly wholesome image.
03:35 Still, he takes responsibility for the very public discrepancies that pushed him to this point.
03:40 - To the future. - To the future.
03:44 - You have that in you. That is... - I don't.
03:50 - You do, Zara. You don't just do that out of nowhere.
03:52 Love Island lifted Zara McDermott from civil service to reality TV stardom.
03:58 But her stint on 'Maid in Chelsea' didn't need to frame tension in her romance with Sam Thompson.
04:03 In 2019, tabloids discovered that McDermott had an affair while on 'The X Factor Celebrity,' supposedly with a music executive.
04:11 ♪ She pulls me in enough to keep me guessing ♪
04:17 ♪ I... ♪
04:19 She had come under fire the previous year for rapping a racial slur on Instagram.
04:24 With all this bad press, McDermott was moved to take control of the narrative.
04:28 She openly reconciled with Thompson and began presenting documentaries on important social issues.
04:34 This renowned rebrand landed her on 'Strictly Come Dancing' in defiance of the show's ban on reality stars.
04:41 Now, the press recognizes McDermott's redemptive shift into a valuable pop culture figure.
04:46 I think having that hand to hold, having that support from others around you,
04:52 that was probably one of the most kind of liberating parts of the documentary, was seeing other people realize that they weren't alone.
04:58 Resituated. Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino.
05:01 Jersey Shore, one, I was totally clean. I was probably in one of the best shapes of my life. And then...
05:07 Just drinking?
05:08 Just drinking.
05:09 As Jersey Shore was making a household name of Mike Sorrentino, or at least 'The Situation,' he was struggling with substance use disorder.
05:17 In the two years following a public admission, he was convicted of assault, sued by his own lawyer, and charged with massive tax fraud.
05:25 It looked like 'The Situation' would end in controversy. Instead, he rebranded.
05:30 I was broke. I was unemployed. I was months behind on my rent. And I was depressed.
05:38 Sorrentino got sober in 2015 and married Lauren Pesci in 2018.
05:43 He then served an eight-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to tax evasion.
05:48 Afterward, one of reality TV's leading bad boys became one of its leading family men.
05:54 Sorrentino now enjoys more clout than ever as the star of 'Jersey Shore Family Vacation,' as well as for his incredible redemption.
06:02 My life story might one day be somebody's survival guide.
06:06 Bad Blood, Taylor Swift.
06:09 ♪ 'Cause baby now we got bad blood ♪
06:12 ♪ You know it used to be mad love ♪
06:14 ♪ So take a look what you've done ♪
06:17 Taylor Swift is one of the most loved figures in pop music, and yet she's also known for many high-profile romances and feuds.
06:25 Working them into her songwriting has produced minor controversies and major hits.
06:30 The 2017 album 'Reputation' was most notably born from conflicts with celebrities and the media.
06:36 I'm sorry, the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now.
06:41 Why? Oh, 'cause she's dead.
06:46 But that was nothing compared to the Scooter Braun affair.
06:49 He and Swift shared hostilities long before his company, Ithaca Holdings, acquired her early music catalog in 2019.
06:56 Even fans got involved in her battle to regain her audio masters.
07:00 In the end, Swift re-recorded her early albums for the critically and commercially successful 'Taylor's Version' series.
07:07 With every scandalous relationship, Swift seems to only flourish as a star and artist.
07:13 Why is this so important to you?
07:15 Because I just think that artists deserve to own their work. I just feel very passionately about that.
07:21 Celebgate. Jennifer Lawrence.
07:23 It's really rare that you are faced with one decision that will change your entire life.
07:30 In 2014, an elaborate cyber attack leaked hundreds of private, sensitive photos of celebrities.
07:36 Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence was one of the victims, but wouldn't be treated as such.
07:42 She promptly called for legal action against sexual exploitation and websites that profit off of it.
07:48 This countered the tradition of celebrities shrinking from sex scandals that damaged their careers, even if they were the injured party.
07:55 Can you help me? What is your emergency, ma'am? They're stealing everything!
07:59 Lawrence asserted, quote, "It is not a scandal. It is a sex crime."
08:04 Her courageous statement helped increase sympathetic awareness of this age-old crisis.
08:08 She emerged from a potentially unfair controversy as the highest-paid actress in Hollywood, with greater credibility as a role model.
08:17 Meanwhile, five people have been convicted in relation to Celebgate.
08:21 Maybe it's supposed to be terrifying. And unsettling.
08:27 Please don't do that. And you should stay up all night, every night, crying.
08:31 More popular than Jesus, The Beatles.
08:34 Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Field.
08:43 By 1966, Beatlemania had invaded the whole world.
08:47 And then came the Beatles' profile piece for the Evening Standard, in which John Lennon remarked that they were, quote, "more popular than Jesus."
08:54 He later clarified that his rant at organized religion was lamenting society's sacrificing principle for pop culture.
09:01 Nonetheless, accusations of blasphemy tarnished the Beatles' wholesome reputation.
09:06 The intense backlash convinced them to retire from concert tours.
09:10 Hello! Hello! Hello! Hey! Hello! Hey! Hey!
09:15 But this exile would be the best thing for the artists and art overall.
09:20 The Beatles took the opportunity to experiment with some of modern music's most innovative and influential works.
09:26 Their rebrand captivated legions of true fans and continued into phenomenal solo careers.
09:32 Lennon's was particularly admired for his dedication to promoting his principles alongside his brand.
09:38 I was dreaming of the past. And my heart was beating fast.
09:49 Rebrand. Miley Cyrus.
09:51 Me! Hannah Montana!
09:54 The former star of Hannah Montana was one of the most wholesome teen idols of her day.
09:58 But after the end of the Disney Channel show, Miley Cyrus came of age with a vengeance.
10:03 The album "Bangers" marked a shift toward edgier pop music, accompanied by extremely provocative music videos and live performances.
10:11 We can't stop. And we won't stop.
10:17 Cyrus also became vocal about her sexuality, marijuana use, and political views.
10:22 She was suddenly one of the most controversial figures in pop and one of the most talked about.
10:27 "Bangers" sold gangbusters, while an increasingly meta-public image commanded public debates and clout with serious artists.
10:34 Cyrus even made a bold comeback to acting. Tongues may wag over her raunchy reinvention, but its success speaks for itself.
10:42 I didn't want to leave you, but had to. I didn't want to fight, but we did.
10:46 Started to cry, then remembered, "I just won my first Grammy!"
10:51 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
10:58 You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
11:02 If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
11:07 The Tape - Kim Kardashian
11:09 Everything that our family does is a reflection on the other people.
11:12 I mean, I've always been concerned about the family, humiliating the family, and that's what I did.
11:18 Kim Kardashian unfortunately faced a similar scandal as fellow socialite Paris Hilton, the friend who introduced her to the media.
11:26 The impact, however, was very different.
11:29 Shortly before the premiere of Kardashian's own reality show, an intimate tape she made with singer Ray J was leaked for profit.
11:36 She ultimately allowed its distribution to continue following a sizable settlement.
11:41 Why did you make a sex tape?
11:44 The high-profile incident sparked allegations that Kardashian and her famous family were complicit in the leak to promote their show.
11:51 Well, the results were undeniable.
11:53 Keeping Up With The Kardashians went on to be one of the biggest reality shows ever.
11:57 Kim alone is now a powerhouse brand and entrepreneur.
12:01 Considering her big break, she knows better than most celebrities how to thrive through a crisis.
12:06 I am just such a calm, different person, and my life isn't all about me.
12:12 What scandals only raised a celebrity star power for you?
12:16 Dish in the comments.
12:17 Check out these other clips from WatchMojo, and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
12:25 [MUSIC]
12:35 [BLANK_AUDIO]