The Biggest Celebrity Scandals Of 2023

There have been more than few scandals in the entertainment industry this year.

From affair admissions to bombshell lawsuits, we’ve listed some of the biggest scandals celebs have been embroiled in over the past twelve months.

Take a look:

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby’s This Morning drama

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby were the subject of a lot of media attention this year.

The spotlight initially landed on the telly duo in May, when rumours swirled of a “feud” between them.

In a statement released in mid-May, Phillip responded to rumours that his friendship with Holly had “cooled” in recent months, and that they “weren’t as close as they once were”.

A source close to Holly later told The Daily Mail that she was “blindsided” by Phillip’s statement, and didn’t know about it until she saw it online.

On May 20, Phillip announced his departure from This Morning with “immediate effect”.

In a statement shared to his Instagram story, the 61-year-old wrote: “I have always been proud to cover fascinating stories on This Morning. But recently, This Morning itself has become the story.”

“Throughout my career in TV – including the very difficult last few days – I have always done my best to be honourable and kind. I understand that ITV has decided the current situation can’t go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love.”

“So, I have agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect, in the hope that the show can move forward to a bright future. I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me – especially This Morning’s amazing viewers – and I’ll see you all for the Soap Awards next month.”

Holly responded in a statement of her own, saying: “It’s been over 13 great years presenting This Morning with Phil and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for all of his knowledge, his experience and his humour. The sofa won’t feel the same without him.”

Just days later, Phillip subsequently shocked the world by announcing he had lied about having an affair with a younger man, who worked on This Morning.

The 61-year-old confessed that he lied about the relationship to ITV, his colleagues, his friends and his agents at YMU.

The TV personality also confessed to lying to The Mail on Sunday, which published the story earlier in the month.

His statement read: “I am making this statement via the Daily Mail to whom I have already apologised personally for misleading, through my lawyer who I also misled, about a story which they wanted to write about me a few days ago.”

“The first thing I want to say is: I am deeply sorry for having lied to them, and to many others about a relationship that I had with someone working on This Morning,” Phillip continued. “I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning.”

“Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than just a friendship. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over.”

“When I chose to come out I did so entirely for my own wellbeing. Nobody “forced” me out. Neither I nor anyone else, to my knowledge, has ever issued an injunction, super or otherwise, about my relationship with this colleague, he was never moved on or sacked by or because of me.”

“In an effort to protect my ex-colleague I haven’t been truthful about the relationship.”

“But my recent, unrelated, departure from This Morning fuelled speculation and raised questions which have been impacting him, so for his sake it is important for me to be honest now,” Phillip continued.

“I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife.”

“I have therefore decided to step down from the British Soap Awards, my last public commitment, and am resigning from ITV with immediate effect expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me,” he stated.

“I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it.”

“To protect his privacy, I am not naming this individual and my deepest wish is that both he and his family can now move on with their lives free from further intrusion, and that this statement will enable them to do so. I ask the media now to respect their privacy. They have done nothing wrong, and I ask that their privacy should be respected.”

Phillip’s affair admission led him to part ways with ITV and his agents of 35 years, YMU.

ITV were later forced to respond to claims they knew about Phillip’s affair in a statement, which read: “Further to our statement last night, ITV can confirm that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in early 2020 ITV investigated.”

“Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip’s then agency YMU.”

“In addition, ITV spoke to a number of people who worked on This Morning and were not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour.”

“Phillip’s statement yesterday reveals that he lied to people at ITV, from senior management to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others over this relationship.”

On May 27, Holly finally broke her silence on Phillip’s affair admission, telling her Instagram followers: “It’s taken time to process yesterday’s news.”

“When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not. It’s been very hurtful to find out this was a lie. Holly x.”

ITV’s Dame Carolyn McCall later instructed a barrister to carry out an external review of the facts surrounding their handling of Phillip’s affair.

On June 1, Phillip broke his silence for the first time since admitting to the affair in an interview with The UK Sun.

During the interview, the 61-year-old explained that he worked with the man for a short period of time and they had become friends.

“Then one day something happened that just changed it. That is the moment I look back on, and regret so deeply,” he confessed.

“It was in my dressing room in 2017, it was a consensual moment, it was mutual. It was not a love affair, it was not a relationship, we were not boyfriends; we were mates.”

“It wasn’t feelings (I was getting), it was more like mates: excitement,” Phillip continued. “I was really struggling with my sexuality at that time in the build up to what happened.”

“But over a period of time it happened maybe five or six times,” he said. “We just didn’t think anyone knew, there was no lying, we thought, stupidly, that nobody knew.”

“You look at yourself. I was unprofessional, one time, in a 41-year career. I know I did that. And there is no excuse. I won’t put forward an excuse. No one did anything wrong apart from me.”

Phillip also denied claims he “groomed” the man in question, after photos emerged of their first meeting when he was a teenager, saying: “I did not, I did not [groom him].”

“There are accusations of all sorts of things,” Phillip continued. “It never came across that way [an abuse of power] because we’d become mates. I don’t know about that.”

“But of course I understand that there will be a massive judgment, but bearing in mind, I have never exercised that anywhere else.”

“I assume somebody, somewhere, assumed something was going on, correctly, and didn’t say anything.”

“At the time I did not think about it possibly ruining my career. I really probably only thought about it when I saw the rumour mill, and saw it growing.”

“Then I saw the link with the drama school photo all those years before, and thought, ‘This looks shocking’.”

“But I didn’t lie to protect my career, he didn’t want his name in public. He wanted his own life.”

“The lies grew bigger and bigger and bigger. It was affecting both of us deeply. It got to the stage where it was out of control and for whatever cost, it had to stop.”

“I have massive guilt, and regret. I’ve made a mistake, I’ve had an affair at work.”

During the interview, Phillip apologised a number of times – including to his former This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby, and his wife of 30 years Stephanie; however, he said his “greatest apology” was to the man.

“I think my greatest apology must go to him. It has brought the greatest misery into his totally innocent life, his totally innocent family, his totally innocent friends,” he said.

“It has brought the greatest grief to them. I haven’t spoken to him since this s**t show kicked off, but when this was all beginning to get out of control, I paid for his lawyers to independently work on his behalf.”

“I am deeply sorry and I apologise to him because I should have known better. I should have acted the way I have always acted. I should not have done it. I’m sorry. And I will forever be sorry. I will die sorry. I am so deeply mortified.”

Phillip also denied a number of shocking claims that emerged since his affair came to light, including allegations the man received “hush money” or signed an NDA preventing him from speaking out.

The 61-year-old also shut down speculation he got him a job on This Morning.

He said: “I told him, ‘I think I can get you an interview but I can’t get you the job. If you get in and screw it up I can’t save you.”

“He got the job on his own ­merits and started working on the show.”

After taking a two-week break from hosting This Morning, Holly addressed the scandal surrounding her former co-host and best pal Phillip.

Speaking to viewers, the mum-of-three asked: “Firstly, are you ok? I hope so. It’s very strange indeed sitting here without Phil. ”

“I imagine that you might have been feeling a lot like I have. Shaken, troubled, let down, worried for the wellbeing of people on all sides of what’s been going on, and full of questions.”

“You, me, and all of us at This Morning gave our love and support to someone who was not telling the truth. Who acted in a way that they themselves felt that they had to resign from ITV and step down from a career that they loved. That is a lot to process.”

“It’s equally hard to see the toll that it’s taken on their own mental health. I think what unites us all now is the desire to heal for the health and wellbeing of everyone.”

“I hope that as we start this new chapter, and get back to a place of warmth and magic that this show holds for all of us, we can find strength from each other.”

“And from the heart, can I just say thank you for all of your kind messages and thank you for being here this morning. Myself, Josie, Dermot, Alison, Craig, and every single person who works on this show will continue to work hard every single day to bring you the show that we love,” Holly added.

Following Phillip’s departure, Holly continued to host This Morning alongside a rotation of guest presenters.

But everything changed in October when a plot to kidnap and murder Holly was revealed.

Gavin Plumb, 36, was accused of plotting to kidnap the This Morning presenter by allegedly contacting a hitman in the US to kill her.

It was also reported that Mr Plumb was found in possession of weapons – including chloroform, cable ties and a blindfold.

The police raid on October 4, came shortly after the Metropolitan Police had been tipped off about the alleged plot.

Holly was said to have been informed shortly before she was due on air, leaving her “distraught”.

Days later on October 10, Holly announced her shock departure from This Morning.

In a statement, the popular presenter wrote: “I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning.

“To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so so much. This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we’ve done together.”

“Thank you to everyone at ITV for being supportive. To every guest who has sat on our sofa, thank you.

“Most of all, thank you to the wonderful viewers. You’ve been so loyal, so supportive and the very best company every day,” she continued. “Richard and Judy said ‘we only look after this show, it will always belong to the viewers.’”

“It’s been an honour to just be part of it’s story and I know this story has many chapters left to go. Sadly, however, I now feel I have to make this decision for me and my family.  will miss you all so much,” she added, before signing off with, “Holly.”

ITV are yet to announce permanent replacements for Holly and Phillip, but a host of famous faces have been tipped for the roles – including Cat Deeley, Ben Shephard, Rylan Clark and Emma Willis.

Ryan Tubridy and the RTÉ payments scandal

RTÉ was plunged into chaos by the now-infamous payments scandal in June, just weeks after Ryan Tubridy finished up his 14-year tenure as host of The Late Late Show.

In a shock statement, the broadcaster confirmed that Ryan’s earnings had been publicly understated by €345,000 over the last six years.

The issue was identified during a routine audit of RTÉ’s 2022 accounts, prompting an independent review of the matter by auditing organisation Grant Thornton.

The RTÉ Board issued an apology over the error, and Ryan later apologised for not questioning RTÉ over his published earnings.

On June 26, former Director General Dee Forbes resigned from RTÉ, and acting director general Adrian Lynch released a statement claiming she was the only one who could’ve known the publicly declared figures were wrong.

The issue was partly the result of a commercial deal which saw Ryan receive additional income from Renault, which was guaranteed and underwritten by RTÉ.

The commercial partner only paid €75,000 to Tubridy once in 2020, but RTÉ paid out for the years 2021 and 2022. The manner in which these payments were recorded led to an understatement of his earnings.

RTÉ labelled two invoices of €75,000 payments to Ryan as “consultancy fees”, and the now-infamous barter account was used to pay them.

Ryan and his agent Noel Kelly have maintained they didn’t know the payments came from RTÉ, and believed they came from Renault.

On June 28, members of the RTÉ Executive and the RTÉ Board made their first appearance before the Oireachtas Media committee.

In a viral moment, Chief Financial Officer Richard Collins initially refused to reveal his salary, claiming he couldn’t remember.

Details of discretionary spending from a barter account, which was dubbed a “slush fund”, were exposed – including nearly €5k on flip flops, tickets to rugby matches and trips to Japan.

Grant Thornton later discovered two more barter accounts, despite insistence from RTÉ that there wasn’t one.

On July 10, Kevin Bakhurst began his term as RTÉ’s Director General, and immediately stood down the executive.

Ryan Tubridy and his agent Noel appeared before the Public Accounts and Media Committees for more than six hours on July 11.

During this hearing, Ryan also revealed that he never received an undisclosed €120,000 between 2017 – 2019, as the statement issued by the board caused the public to believe.

Ryan claimed he had an entitlement to an end-of-contract payment of €120,000, but he decided not to seek the money amid pressure at the station to reduce payments to top earners.

RTÉ subsequently deducted the money from their statement of Ryan’s earnings from 2017 to 2019.

It’s understood RTÉ’s accountants broke down the uncollected €120k into amounts of €20,000, €50,000, and €50,000, and attributed them to the years 2017, 2018, and 2019.

They then reduced the presenter’s actual remuneration by those amounts for each of the three years.

RTÉ then issued a public statement that understated the amount Ryan had actually been paid for those years by those amounts.

The reversal of this accountancy decision is what led to the board’s statement in June, which caused the public to believe Ryan had received secret payments.

When the payments scandal hit headlines in June, Ryan was pulled from his RTÉ Radio 1 show. During this time, the presenter was negotiating a radio-only contract with the broadcaster.

While Ryan’s return to RTÉ seemed promising despite the payments scandal, Kevin Bakhurst ceased negotiations with the presenter after he released a statement addressing the second Grant Thornton report.

Ryan’s statement addressing the second Grant Thornton report read: “I welcome the findings of the Grant Thornton Report, published today. I also welcome the report’s findings that I did not claim €120,000 in fees which was due to me in 2020 and that I did not agree with how RTE proposed to account for this decision.”

“It is also clear that my actual income from RTE in 2020 and 2021 matches what was originally published as my earnings for those years and RTE has not yet published its top ten earner details for 2022.”

He added: “I repeat my offer to publish the details of any future RTE contract. I am committed to re-establishing the confidence and trust of my colleagues and listeners, and I hope that any fair assessment of the findings of today’s report will help in this regard.”

“Finally, I want to acknowledge the huge support that I have received in recent weeks from people across the country; many cards and letters, greetings on the street and words of support from people I bumped into meant an awful lot to me and I appreciate them all very much.”

The next day, RTÉ boss Kevin Bakhurst released a statement confirming Ryan wouldn’t be returning to his radio role.

“We went into negotiations with Ryan in good faith and in the hopes of reaching an agreement that would see Ryan return to his RTÉ Radio 1 show. I have decided not to continue with negotiations and, as such, there are no plans for Ryan to return to his presenting role with RTÉ at this time,” he said.

“Despite having agreed some of the fundamentals, including fee, duration and hours, regretfully, it is my view that trust between the parties has broken down.”

“Public statements made without consultation appear to question the basis for the necessary restatement of fees paid for services for 2020 and 2021.”

Ryan has since landed a huge new show with Virgin Radio in the UK.

Jonah Hill’s ex-girlfriend accuses him of emotional abuse

In July, Jonah Hill’s ex-girlfriend called him out on social media, sharing alleged texts from the actor.

Sarah Brady, who dated the Hollywood star for a year in 2021, shared several screenshots of their alleged conversations, in which he outlined his conditions for a “romantic partnership”.

The surfing instructor claimed Jonah was angry that she posted images of herself surfing, and alleged that he listed multiple “unacceptable behaviours” from her if they were to date.

The surfer later shared a series of messages between her and a friend, in which she said it was “absurd” the actor held those opinions because he was “so so into the fact” that she was a “good surfer”.

The messages Sarah sent to her friend allege: “He expected me to take down pics of me surfing in one pieces which he called bikinis and thongs which were posted there way before he met me.”

“He knew when he met me that I did freelance work as surf talent and as a producer for photos hoots for women surf brands.”

Sarah continued to allege: “At the start he complimented me and flirted with me over the same surf pic he later called an a** shot, and was angry I didn’t take it down. Angry I didn’t read his mind.”

“bro you know what you signed up for”, she wrote, before saying that the worst part was Jonah allegedly “blaming it all on his mental health issues”.

On Instagram, she claimed that she was “empathetic” towards Jonah’s alleged mental health issues because she suffers from bipolar disorder, claiming he was “so fixated on psychotherapy and acted like the authority on the subject”.

Sarah’s social media tirade began with a screenshot which showed two messages, which she alleges were sent from Jonah on December 2, 2021.

The first text allegedly shows the actor listing “unacceptable behaviours” from her if they were to be romantically involved – including “surfing with men,” “inappropriate friendships with men,” and “posting pictures of yourself in a bathing suit”.

The alleged texts from Jonah also declare that if she “needed” to “model”, “post sexual pictures”, or maintain friendships with women who were part of her “wild recent past” then he wasn’t ‘the right partner’ for her.

Sarah also claimed that the actor only wanted her to socialise with people whom he had “personally approved”.

Jonah allegedly told her: “If these things bring you to a place of happiness I support it and there will be no hard feelings. These are my boundaries for romantic partnership.”

“My boundaries with you based on the ways these actions have hurt our trust.”

Sarah previously said she was “sharing this publicly now because keeping it to myself was causing more damage to my mental health than sharing it could ever do”, claiming she used to take the “blame” for his alleged actions when they’d speak with their therapist.

The surfer wrote online: “I hope my ex has a daughter, maybe she’ll turn him into a real feminist.”

“Because the fact that he calls himself a feminist now is laughable… If I could have one wish for him it would be that he is surrounded by feminist men who can hold him accountable to grow in the ways he has expressed he wants to.”

“I think fame can put people in an echo chamber of viewpoints, which can enable emotionally abusive behaviour,” Sarah alleged.

The downfall of Russell Brand

Russell Brand hit headlines for all the wrong reasons towards the end of this year.

Channel 4’s Dispatches special, titled Russell Brand: In Plain Sight, detailed serious allegations against him in September.

The allegations were made as part of a joint investigation between the Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches.

Four women have accused the comedian of sexual assault for the years between 2006 and 2013.

At the time of the alleged assaults, Russell was a BBC Radio 2 presenter, Channel 4 presenter, acting in Hollywood films, and presenting his own late night talk show Brand X.

Other allegations made as part of the investigation include claims of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour.

One woman, named Nadia, alleged that Russell raped her against a wall in his LA home. According to medical records, she was treated at a rape crisis centre that same day where she was given antibiotics and emergency contraception.

Nadia sought therapy after the ordeal, and detailed being “scared” to go to the police for fear of the toll it would take on her and her family because of his fame.

Russell’s former personal assistant Helen Berger appeared in the documentary. She branded the comedian a “narcissist” and alleged his “favourite subject was him”.

Helen claimed he was “only ever in his underwear”, which she now deems inappropriate, and revealed she “wouldn’t accept” from a prospective employer.

In the 2010s, Russell was “awarded” ‘Shagger of the Year’ by the UK press three years in a row.

Helen revealed she was “never worried” that Russell’s sex life may have lacked consent, as she saw women “willingly walk into his bedroom” because of his fame and status.

A second woman, named Alice, claimed Russell assaulted her when he was 31 and she was 16 and still in school.

She alleged he referred to her as “the child” during an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship that lasted for about three months.

Alice revealed Russell made her feel “giddy” and “special”, and alleged he “engaged in the behaviours of a groomer” often trying to “drive a wedge between her and her parents”.

A third woman claimed Russell sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in LA, and that he threatened to take legal action if she told anyone else about her allegation.

The fourth woman claimed she was also sexually assaulted by the comedian, and alleged he has been physically and emotionally abusive towards her.

Viewers branded the Dispatches special “shocking” on social media, with one writing: “Big up the brave women that came forward to tell their stories and shame of the weirdos who are making excuses for him.”

In a video, Russell pre-emptively denied the allegations against him, and despite his “promiscuous” days, his relationships have always been “consensual”.

“Now, this isn’t the usual type of video we make on this channel where we critique, attack and undermine the news in all its corruption because in this story, I am the news.”

“I’ve received two extremely disturbing letters or a letter and an email,” Russell explained. “One from a mainstream media TV company, one from a newspaper listing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks, as well as some pretty stupid stuff like community festival should be stopped, that I shouldn’t be able to attack mainstream media narratives on this channel.”

“But amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks, often very serious allegations that I absolutely refute. These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies. And as I’ve written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.”

“And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question, is there another agenda at play? Particularly when we’ve seen coordinated media attacks before, like with Joe Rogan, when he dared to take a medicine that the mainstream media didn’t approve of, and we saw a spate of headlines from media outlets across the world using the same language.”

Russell continued: “I’m aware that you guys have been saying in the comments for a while, watch out, Russell. They’re coming from you. You’re getting too close to the truth.”

“Russell Brand did not kill himself. I know that a year ago there was a spate of articles. Russell Brand’s a conspiracy theorist, Russell Brand’s right wing. I’m aware of news media making phone calls, sending letters to people I know for ages and ages.”

“It’s being clear to me, or at least it feels to me like there’s a serious and concerted agenda to control these kind of spaces and these kind of voices. And I mean, my voice along with your voice.”

“I don’t mind them using my books and my standout to talk about my promiscuous consensual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very, very serious criminal allegations.”

“Also, it’s worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narrative that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently, in what seems to me to be a coordinated attack,” Russell continued.

“Now, I don’t wanna get into this any further because of the serious nature of the allegations, but I feel like I’m being attacked and plainly they’re working very closely together.”

“We are obviously going to look into this matter ’cause it’s very, very serious. In the meantime, I want you to stay close, stay awake, but more important than any of that, if you can, please stay free.”

Following the allegations made against him, YouTube suspended monetisation of Russell’s channel.

The BBC and Channel 4 also removed all content about Russell from their platforms.

The Metropolitan Police has since confirmed that they are investigating a number of sexual assault allegations against the comedian, who has not yet been charged with anything.

Separately, Russell is also being sued by a woman who has accused the actor of sexually assaulting her on set of the 2011 film Arthur.

The lawsuit, filed in New York, claims the comedian exposed himself to the woman on set before allegedly forcing her to perform sex acts on him in a bathroom stall.

This is the first accusation to be made against him in court.

The accuser, named only as Jane Doe, has stated she was hired as an extra for a scene filmed at Le Cirque restaurant in Manhattan in July 2010.

This would have been just three months before Brand married his now ex-wife Katy Perry.

The lawsuit alleges Brand was intoxicated during filming, and accuses him of exposing his genitalia while sat at a table staring at the woman.

The accuser has claimed he later followed her into a bathroom, where it’s alleged he forced her to perform oral sex.

Britney Spears makes bombshell revelations in her memoir

Britney Spears’ tell-all memoir, titled The Woman in Me, was released on October 24.

In the book, the singer revealed she had an abortion during her relationship with Justin Timberlake – whom she dated from 1999 until their high-profile split in 2002.

In an excerpt, the 42-year-old said her pregnancy in late 2000 was “a surprise” but not “a tragedy,” explaining: “I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. This would just be much earlier than I’d anticipated.”

“But Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young.”

“I’m sure people will hate me for this, but I agreed not to have the baby. I don’t know if that was the right decision.”

“If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it. And yet Justin was so sure that he didn’t want to be a father.”

Britney also accused her ex Justin of “cheating” on her with “another celebrity”.

TMZ reported that the singer doesn’t want to name the other woman in her memoir because she “now has a family [Britney] doesn’t want to embarrass”.

By the same token, Britney admitted to cheating on Justin.

Their high-profile split inspired the NSYNC star’s hit song Cry Me A River, which alluded to infidelity.

The lyrics of Cry Me A River read: “You don’t have to say, what you did / I already know, I found out from him.”

In her memoir, Britney admitted she was loyal to Justin for years “with one exception”.

The singer revealed she kissed Australian choreographer Wade Robson on a night out in Spain, writing: “We were out one night and we went to a Spanish bar. We danced and danced. I made out with him that night.”

Britney claimed she told Justin about her kiss with Wade and they were able to move past it and stay together.

Elsewhere in the memoir, the singer revealed that she was “devastated” and considered quitting the music industry when Justin ended things with her via text.

She wrote: “I was comatose in Louisiana, and he was happily running around Hollywood.”

Director Chris Applebaum later recalled being with Britney on set of the Overprotected: The Darkchild Remix music video.

The California native claimed the singer suddenly went missing for about 20 to 40 minutes, which was a “long time” because it cost “20 grand to sit around”.

Chris claimed that when he arrived at her trailer, he saw Britney sitting cross-legged on the floor, with her makeup smudged from tears.

In The Woman in Me, Britney also opened up about her “passionate” fling with Colin Farrell.

The singer had a brief, two-week romance with the Irish actor in the early 00s, following her split from Justin.

In an except of her memoir, Britney revealed she was set up with Colin in 2002 by a “club promoter friend”.

Britney claimed she visited Colin on set of 2003 action-thriller S.W.A.T before they began a “two-week brawl”.

“Brawl is the only word for it — we were all over each other, grappling so passionately it was like we were in a street fight,” the singer writes, per the publication.

The 41-year-old recalled not feeling healed from her split from Justin when she attended the premiere of Colin’s 2003 film The Recruit.

“As I had before when I’d felt too attached to a man, I tried to convince myself in every way that it was not a big deal, that we were just having fun, that in this case, I was vulnerable because I wasn’t over Justin yet.”

At the premiere of The Recruit, Colin told reporters that he and Britney were “not dating”.

Britney revealed she doesn’t recall the end of her fling with Colin, but admits that “for a brief moment in time,” she “did think there could be something there.”

“The disappointments in my romantic life were just one part of how isolated I became,” she wrote. “I felt so awkward all the time.”

Ariana Grande strikes up romance with Ethan Slater after split from husband Dalton Gomez 

Ariana Grande and her husband Dalton Gomez officially filed for divorce after two years of marriage in September.

News of the couple’s split broke back in July.

The singer’s lawyer Laura Wasser filed legal documents citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their divorce.

Dalton immediately followed suit and filed for divorce from Ariana.

Their date of separation is listed as February 20, 2023.

The news came amid Ariana’s rumoured romance with Ethan Slater.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accused of sexual assault and abuse by ex Cassie

In November, rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs settled a federal lawsuit with his ex-girlfriend Cassie who accused him of alleged rape and abuse – just one day after it was filed.

The rapper had vehemently denied the allegations against him.

Diddy and Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, dated on and off for over a decade, before they separated for good in October 2018.

A report by The New York Times had revealed that the R&B singer had accused the rapper of alleged rape and repeated physical abuse.

Wife of Huw Edwards names him as BBC presenter facing allegations he paid a teenager for sexually explicit images

In July, the wife of Huw Edwards named him as the BBC presenter facing allegations he paid a teenager for sexually explicit images.

The allegations were first reported by The UK Sun, who interviewed the alleged victim’s mother.

The well-known figure, who wasn’t named in the original story, was accused of paying over £35,000 (€40,944) to the person, who is now 20 years old.

It was alleged the anonymous star began the payments when the person was 17.

Following days of speculation, Huw’s wife Vicky Flind named his as the presenter facing the allegations in a statement shared on his behalf.

Vicky said: “In light of the recent reporting regarding the ‘BBC Presenter’, I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family.”

“I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental wellbeing and to protect our children.”

“Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues. As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years. The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future.”

The 61-year-old’s wife said once he is well enough he “intends to respond to the stories that have been published”.

She added: “In the circumstances and given Huw’s condition, I would like to ask that the privacy of my family and everyone else caught up in these upsetting events is respected.”

“I know that Huw is deeply sorry that so many colleagues have been impacted by the recent media speculation. We hope this statement will bring that to an end.”

Edwards is a well-known newsreader, and has fronted BBC’s News At Ten programme for the last 20 years.

Ms Flind’s statement came after the Metropolitan Police said “there is no information” to indicate that a criminal offence had been committed by the presenter.

In a statement, they said: “Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command have now concluded their assessment and have determined there is no information to indicate that a criminal offence has been committed.

“In reaching this decision, they have spoken to a number of parties including the BBC and the alleged complainant and the alleged complainant’s family, both via another police force. There is no further police action. As such, the Met has advised the BBC it can continue with its internal investigation.”

“We are aware of media reporting of further allegations against the same individual. No specific details or information about these allegations have been passed to us and therefore there is no police action at this time.”

The news comes after a lawyer for the young person at centre of the scandal claimed the allegations made by their client’s mother are “rubbish”.

Lizzo accused of sexual harassment and weight-shaming in bombshell lawsuit

In August, Lizzo was accused of sexual harassment and weight-shaming in a bombshell lawsuit by three of her former dancers.

Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez claim the singer created a “hostile, abusive work environment”, and that they faced sexual, religious and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault and false imprisonment.

The dancers also suing Lizzo’s Big Grrrl Big Touring production company and dance captain Shirlene Quigley – who they claim often preached about her Christian views while also sharing “luridly detailed stories about her masturbatory habits and sexual fantasies, occasionally taking breaks to publicly practice her oral sex skills on bananas” in front of the dance crew.

According to the complaint, which was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by E! News, Lizzo made the dancers feel uncomfortable during a trip she organised to Amsterdam’s Red Light District in February.

The dancers accused the Truth Hurts singer of “inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers” at an adult club.

The lawsuit alleges: “The main event of the night was a club called Bananenbar, where patrons are allowed to interact with completely nude performers. While at Bananenbar, things quickly got out of hand.

“Lizzo began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas.”

“Lizzo then turned her attention to Ms. Davis and began pressuring Ms. Davis to touch the breasts of one of the nude women performing at the club,” the lawsuit claims.

Hailey Bieber reignites “feud” with Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez took a break from social media in February, amid “silly” online drama with Hailey Bieber.

It all started when the singer admitted she laminated her brows “too much” as she showed off her brushed brows in a video shared earlier this week.

Hours later, fans accused Kylie Jenner of throwing shade at the actress – after the reality star posted photos of her own brows on Instagram, and told fans she “accidentally laminated [her] eyebrows too much.”

The 26-year-old later fueled the feud speculation by posting what appeared to be a screenshot of her Facetime call with Hailey, that zoomed in on their eyebrows.

As fans will know, Hailey is married to Selena’s ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber, who she dated on-and-off for years.

Hailey Bieber and Kylie Jenner are bitter mean girls. Leave SELENA GOMEZ ALONE. Wake tf up pic.twitter.com/GaYUXKbP7X

— Jennifer Coolidge 🇵🇸 (@AJisMIZFT) February 23, 2023

Kylie later shut down claims she was throwing shade at Selena with the photos, accusing fans of “making something out of nothing”.

Selena replied: “Agreed @kyliejenner. It’s all unnecessary. I’m a fan of Kylie!”

Although Kylie and Selena shut down any speculation of a feud between them, the “drama” between Hailey and Selena continued.

A resurfaced video of Hailey “dissing” Taylor Swift went viral this week, and Selena rushed to the comment section of the post to defend her “best friend”.

In the TikTok video, Hailey pretended to gag when Taylor was mentioned by Drop the Mic co-host Method Man.

The social media user who uploaded the clip accused Hailey, who stuck her tongue out and rolled her eyes when Taylor was mentioned, of being a “mean girl” and “a bully”.

In a since-deleted comment under the video, Selena wrote: “So sorry, my best friend is and continues to be one of the best in the game.”

Amid the online drama, Selena announced she was taking a break from social media.

In a TikTok Live clip shared by fans, the 31-year-old said: “I’m going to be taking a second from social media, because this is a little silly. I’m 30 and am too old for this.”

“But I love you so much and I’ll see you guys sooner than later. I’m just gonna take a break from everything.”

Selena later returned to the social media platform, but deleted her comment defending Taylor.

In March, Selena pleaded with her fans to stop sending Hailey death threats.

Taking to her Instagram Stories, the singer wrote: “Hailey Bieber reached out to me and let me know that she has been receiving death threats and such hateful negativity.”

“This isn’t what I stand for. No one should have to experience hate or bullying. I’ve always advocated for kindness and really want this all to stop.”

The 31-year-old’s statement came after fans accused Hailey of “bullying” her on social media.

Just hours later, Hailey publicly thanked Selena, saying: “I want to thank Selena for speaking out, as her and I have been discussing the last few weeks how to move past this ongoing narrative between her and I.”

“The last few weeks have been very hard for everyone involved and millions of people are seeing so much hate around this which is extremely harmful.”

“While social media is an incredible way to connect and build community, moments like this only create extreme division instead of bringing people together,” she continued.

“Things can always be taken out of context or construed differently than they were intended. We all need to be more thoughtful about what we post and what we say, including myself.”

“In the end, I believe love will always be bigger than hate and negativity, and there is always an opportunity to meet each other with more empathy and compassion.”

Last October, Selena and Hailey appeared to quash rumours they were feuding over, as they posed for their first photo together at the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles.

Selena famously dated Canadian singer Justin Bieber on-and-off for eight years, before they officially called it quits in 2018.

Shortly after his split from Selena, Justin rekindled his romance with Hailey in 2018.

That July, the Canadian singer proposed to the model during a trip to the Bahamas, and they secretly tied-the-knot in September 2018.

One year later, the couple exchanged vows for the second time at a star-studded ceremony in South Carolina.

During her appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast in September, Hailey revealed she got a lot of hate from Selena’s fans for “stealing” Justin from her.

Setting the record straight on the claims, the model told host Alex Cooper: “When him and I started hooking up, or anything of that sort, he was not in any relationship, It’s not my character to mess with someone’s relationship, I would just never do that. I was raised better than that…”

“I think there are situations where you can still have back and forth with someone, but even that was not the situation,” Hailey continued. “I can say period, point blank, that I was never with him when he was in a relationship with anybody. That’s the end of it.”

“A lot of the hate comes from like ‘oh you stole him’, and I guess that comes from the fact that they wished he ended up with someone else. And that’s fine, you can wish that all you want, but that’s just not the case.”

“There’s a certain numbness that you get [from the hate]. It still happens to this day. If I was to go live right now, it would still be happening. You reach a point where you have to ignore it. If we have moved on, why can’t you?” she added. “It’s hurtful and it’s bullying.”

Scandoval

‘Scandoval’ rocked the reality TV world earlier this year.

Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Sandoval, 40, cheated on his longterm girlfriend and co-star Ariana Madix, 37, when he started hooking up with her close friend Raquel Leviss, 28, last summer.

But it wasn’t until this March when Ariana found out about their affair, after she discovered a video of Raquel on Tom’s phone.

Ariana was “heartbroken” over their tryst and immediately dumped Tom, and the fallout of the affair unfolded on season 10 of Vanderpump Rules.

Appearing on the Call Her Daddy podcast in May, Ariana was asked what happened the night she found out about the affair.

Host Alex Cooper asked, “Is it just like a screaming war until you’re asleep?” and Ariana replied, “Essentially, yeah.”

During their revealing chat, Ariana also admitted she “turned a blind eye” to potentially inappropriate behaviour between Tom and Rachel prior to finding out about their affair.

“I trusted in him so much… that I trusted his perspective on things, and I think I was caught up,” she said. “I’m a smart girl and I could have dug deeper, but I didn’t.”

At another point, Ariana also addressed a longstanding rumour that she and Tom were in an open relationship.

“Honestly I think it came from him,” she claimed, explaining that she heard Tom told Raquel that they were in an open relationship.

When asked about the state of their relationship prior to her finding out about the affair, Ariana revealed that she felt her now ex-boyfriend had been choosing “random nights out” over her.

“He would want to be at [Tom] Schwartz’s for no reason,” Ariana continued, prompting Alex to respond: “Well now you know why.”

Shakira reaches settlement in Spanish tax fraud case

In November, Shakira was hit with a multi-million euro fine, as she reached a settlement in her tax fraud case with Spanish prosecutors.

The Colombian singer attended the first day of her Barcelona-based trial on November 20, after being charged with tax evasion.

Spanish prosecutors allege the mom-of-two failed to pay over €14.5 million between 2012 and 2014.

As part of the deal, Shakira accepted the charges and agreed to pay a fine of 50% of the figure – amounting to more than €7.3 million.

The Colombia native also accepted a fine of €438,000 to avoid a three-year prison sentence.

Judge José Manuel del Amo Sanchez asked: “Do you recognise the facts and conform with the new penalties that have been requested?,” to which Shakira responded: “Yes.”

In a statement to the PA news agency, the Hips Don’t Lie singer said: “Throughout my career, I have always strived to do what’s right and set a positive example for others.”

“That often means taking the extra step in business and personal financial decisions to procure the absolute best counsel, including seeking the advice of the world’s pre-eminent tax authorities PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited and Ernst & Young Global Limited, who have been my advisers during this whole process,” Shakira continued.

Danny Masterson sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for rape

In September, Danny Masterson was sentenced to serve 30 years to life in prison for raping two women.

Back in June, the actor, who famously played Steven Hyde in That ’70s Show, was convicted of two counts of forcible rape in 2003.

The actor was initially charged with raping a 23-year-old woman in 2001, a 28-year-old woman in 2003, and another 23-year-old woman the same year.

However, he was only found guilty of two counts of rape after a jury failed to reach a verdict on the third count.

All of the attacks, which he denied, are said to have taken place at his Hollywood home.

Los Angeles superior court judge Charlaine F Olmedo handed down the sentence to the 47-year-old on September 7, after hearing his victims read victim impact statements in court.

In court, one of his victims said: “When you raped me, you stole from me. That’s what rape is, a theft of the spirit.”

“You are pathetic, disturbed and completely violent. The world is better off with you in prison.”

Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky announce separation after she raises eyebrows with Morgan Wade

In July, a PEOPLE magazine report claimed Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky had separated after 27 years of marriage.

A source told the publication: “Kyle and Mauricio have been separated for a while now but are still living under the same roof. They remain amicable as they figure out what’s next for them and their family.”

Addressing the reports, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars released a joint statement via Instagram, which read: “In regards to the news that came out about us today… Any claims regarding us divorcing are untrue.”

“However, yes, we have had a rough year. The most challenging one of our marriage. But we both love and respect each other tremendously. There has been no wrongdoing on anyone’s part.”

“Although we are in the public eye, we ask to be able to work through our issues privately. While it may be entertaining to speculate, please do not create false stories to fit a further salacious narrative. Thank you for the love and support. Kyle & Mauricio.”

The statement appeared to address the speculation about Kyle’s close relationship with Morgan Wade – who she has been hanging out with since last year.

Fans had been searching Kyle’s Instagram for clues about her and Mauricio’s marriage problems, and many pointed out that she has been posting a lot of photos with Morgan recently – and not with her husband.

Kyle, 54, and Morgan, 28, attended the Americana Music Awards together in September 2022 and since then, they have been travelling the world together.

One eagle-eyed fan also pointed out that the pair have been wearing what appear to be matching rings.

Others spotted that Kyle and Morgan appear to have matching heart tattoos, and Morgan also has a ‘K’ tattooed on her inner elbow.

After denying rumours of a romance between them, Kyle appeared in the steamy music video for Morgan’s track Fall in Love With Me.

In the three-minute video, Kyle and Morgan play neighbours who admire each other from afar, before they strip down together for a bath.