From Kathy Griffin to Melania Trump, these celebrities saw more than their fair share of bad press in 2017 — click through to see the stories that made headlines
Hollywood Misconduct Scandals
Following two investigative pieces by The New York Times and the New Yorker in October 2017 accusing Harvey Weinstein of decades of sexual assault, many other of Hollywood’s biggest names having been accused of sexual misconduct including Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Piven, and Matt Lauer.
Kendall Jenner Pepsi Commercial
The Kendall Jenner Pepsi commercial that aired in April received major backlash from people accusing of it of exploiting the Black Lives Matter moment. In the two-and-a-half minute ad, the model, 21, ended a multi-racial protest by simply handing a police officer a can of Pepsi.
Pepsi quickly issued an apology and announced that they were pulling the controversial commercial from the airwaves. “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding,” the company said in a statement. “Clearly, we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are pulling the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position.”
La La Land Accidentally Announced as Best Picture
Moonlight took home the win for Best Picture at the 2017 Oscars — but the winning moment will go down in WTF Oscar history forever thanks to presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, who mistakenly announced La La Land as the winner in a colossal mix-up.
The entire cast of the musical romantic comedy took the stage and several members of the cast and crew gave their acceptance speeches before they realized there was an error. “I’m sorry, no, there’s a mistake. Moonlight, you guys won Best Picture,” La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz said. “This is not a joke. Moonlight has won Best Picture.” Horowitz held up the correct card for all to see and graciously handed the award over to Moonlight.
Kim Cattrall Refuses to Do Sex and the City 3
Sarah Jessica Parker confirmed in September that there would be no Sex and the City 3. “It’s over. I’m disappointed,” she told Extra. “We had this beautiful, funny, heartbreaking joyful, very relatable script and story. It’s not just disappointing that we don’t get to tell the story and have that experience, but more so for that audience that has been so vocal in wanting another movie.”
DailyMailTV reported the same day that Kim Cattrall allegedly gave WarnerBros. an ultimatum, telling the production company that she would only partake in the franchise’s third installment if they produced films she had in development. Cattrall shot down the claims on Twitter. “The only ‘DEMAND’ I ever made was that I didn’t want to do a 3rd film . . .& that was back in 2016.”
Bachelor in Paradise Investigation
Season 4 of Bachelor in Paradise was halted after a producer watched Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson getting hot and heavy in a pool and claimed sexual misconduct in the workplace. Both stars opted not to return to complete the season after a full investigation by Warner Bros. found no evidence of misconduct by any party.
Olympios and Jackson have since stepped out together several times, but insist the are just friends. “We’re extremely close. We talk, like, every day. We hang out. We do things that friends do,” Jackson exclusively told Us Weekly in October. He added that the reality star is “the most drop dead gorgeous girl in the whole world.”
Kathy Griffin Poses With Trump’s Head
Kathy Griffin’s controversial photoshoot featuring a decapitated President Donald Trump cost her endorsement deals, a hosting gig on CNN and her friendship with longtime pal Anderson Cooper.
Hours after the release of the gory picture on May 30, Griffin issued a video apology. “I’m just now seeing the reaction to these images. I’m a comic. I cross the line. I move the line then I cross it. I went way too far,” she said. “The image is disturbing. I understand how it offends people. It wasn’t funny. I get it. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career, I will continue. I ask your forgiveness.”
Griffin was interviewed by the Secret Service months after the photos were released. In July she confirmed on Twitter that she was no longer under federal investigation. “The case is closed,” she wrote. “I have been completely exonerated. Finally.”
Fyre Music Festival Leaves Thousands Stranded at Airport
The supposedly elite Fyre Festival, which “set out to provide a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience month on the Islands of the Exumas” in the Bahamas, was canceled after festivalgoers dubbed the event a mix between The Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies.
Tickets for Fyre Festival, which touted performances by Blink 182 and Daya, ranged from $1,000 to $12,000 and included a flight from Miami, a stay in a “geodesic dome,” cultural foods and activities such as jet skiing, snorkeling and kayaking.
But the reality was very different. According to tweets, robberies and food fights broke out due to a lack of accommodations, food and even electricity.
The festival, which was created by Ja Rule and tech entrepreneur Billy McFarland, then attempted to get everyone on flights back home, which left people waiting at the airport for hours.
Melania Trump Wears Hurricane Heels
The first lady came under fire for wearing a pair of sky-high Manolo Blahnik heels while en route to Houston to tour Hurricane Harvey damage in August. “Nothing says ‘disaster’ like stiletto heels,” tweeted one person. Added another: “How out of touch can you be?”
Blahnik himself came to her defense. “I don’t think she’s insensitive,” the designer explained to Harper Bazaar UK. “I think she’s working non-stop to make it work — possibly she was just wearing the shoes she left New York in. Yes, I think probably she could have worn Hunter boots but she was wearing what she was wearing.”
Abby Lee Miller Goes to Jail
Abby Lee Miller star was sentenced in May for bankruptcy fraud and brining $120,000 worth of Australian currency into the United States without reporting it. She reported to prison on July 12 in Victorville, California, to serve her 366 days behind bars. Leading up to her imprisonment, the former Dance Moms star told Us Weekly: “It’s surreal! I keep thinking someone’s gonna call and say, ‘Oh, it was a mistake!’”
