Celebrity Meltdowns and Scandals of 2013

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Amanda Bynes

Following months of erratic behavior, former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes was arrested in NYC after she heaved a bong out the window of her high-rise Manhattan apartment in May. Two months later, she was placed in a 5150 hold after she set fire on the driveway of a stranger. The hold was extended and Bynes’ mother assumed conservatorship over her daughter. The actress underwent treatment in L.A. since September and reunited with her family in December -- just in time for the holidays. 

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Paula Deen

The former Food Network star’s admission in a deposition that she had used the N-word was her ultimate undoing. Despite a number of taped apologies and a teary mea culpa during a sit-down interview with the Today show’s Matt Lauer, Deen was ultimately dropped in June by the Food Network and majority of her business partners. Yet in August, the embattled celebrity chef was cleared of racial discrimination claims filed by a former restaurant manager.

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Teresa and Joe Giudice

2013 was a real wakeup call for this Real Housewives of New Jersey couple. In July, Teresa Giudice and husband Joe Giudice were slapped with a 39-count indictment that included conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, bank fraud and bankruptcy fraud, as well as making false statements on loan applications. Despite pleading not guilty, the spouses were indicted on two more counts in November. If convicted, they could face more than 50 years behind bars.

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Justin Bieber

Call it a bad year for the “Bad Day” crooner. The singer’s transition from straight-laced pop phenom to a shirtless, controversy-mongering teen idol has been anything but smooth. Starting with his visit back in April to the Anne Frank House (“Hopefully she would have been a belieber”) to his tumultuous tour through South America in November, during which he was filmed sleeping in bed shirtless by a mysterious woman, Bieber’s 2013 was anything but tame. 

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Katharine McPhee and Michael Morris

Photos emerged in October of Smash director Michael Morris making out with former show star Katharine McPhee in a parking lot. (Both were married at the time, not to one another.) Morris’ wife Mary McCormack allegedly kicked her husband of ten years out of their L.A. home shortly before the scandal broke. Meanwhile, a source told Us Weekly that McPhee, who was estranged from her husband Nick Cokas, was "SO embarrassed she was caught."

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Nick Stahl

Rough year? The actor was busted with friends back in late June for alleged drug possession – about one year after he checked into rehab. In the weeks leading up to his arrest, the Terminator 3 star was placed on a 5150 hold following an undisclosed incident.

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Pauly D

The Jersey Shore alum discovered in October that he fathered a now 8-month-old daughter after a one-night fling in Vegas! In November, the fist-pumping father shared an “amazing” first meeting with his baby girl. “The second I saw the baby, her eyes just lit up,” he told Us. “It’s almost like she knew,” he gushed.

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Lamar Odom

Despite numerous attempts at repairing her marriage with the athlete, Khloe Kardashian filed for divorce from her husband of four years in early December. In late August, the NBA player was arrested for a DUI. The couple, meanwhile, had been estranged following revelations of Odom’s continual drug use and cheating behavior.

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Simon Cowell

As first reported by Us Weekly, the notoriously prickly X Factor judge learned in July that he was expecting a baby with Lauren Silverman, the estranged wife of his close friend Andrew Silverman. The pregnant NYC socialite, who was still married to her real estate mogul hubby at the time, ultimately left him to be with Cowell. "They seem to really be in love," said the same source, who first told Us of the baby news.

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Alec Baldwin

The 30 Rock alum’s MSNBC show was canceled in late November in the wake of his gay slur controversy. Baldwin made headlines in mid-November after a video surfaced of the outspoken star allegedly using the phrase “c—ksucking f-g” at a paparazzo in NYC. "We are jointly confirming that Up Late will not continue on MSNBC," reps said in a statement. MSNBC added, "This is a mutual parting and we wish Alec all the best."

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Jon and Kate Gosselin

The mother of eight filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against her ex-husband in August, accusing him of stealing her hard drive and hacking into her personal files to gather dirt for his tell-all book, Kate Gosselin: How She Fooled the World. The suit accused him of identity theft, wiretapping and invasion of privacy.

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Kevin Hart

The comedian was arrested for drunk driving back in April after he was stopped by police for speeding down the freeway at 90 mph – nearly running into a gas tanker truck at one point. He later took to his Twitter and frankly wrote, "When the cop asked me to take the sobriety test I said 'WHY WASTE OUR TIME ... I'M DRUNK MAN.'" After receiving backlash for his comments, Hart quickly eradicated his statement and wrote, "This is a wake up call for me."

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Jenna Jameson

Nearly a year after she crashed her car and was charged with a DUI, the former porn star was arrested for allegedly attacking someone inside her Newport Beach, Calif. home.

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Farrah Abraham

The Teen Mom alum made major headlines in 2013, after being arrested in March for a DUI. In late April, Vivid Entertainment confirmed the controversial single mom had landed a deal with the porn company over her sex tape with adult film star James Deen. In July, the Iowa native checked into rehab to deal with alcohol abuse. One month later, she created a very expensive Amazon Wish List for herself, asking for 30 gifts worth approximately $11,000.

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Lil Wayne

Fans feared the worst for the rapper after TMZ reported he was being read his last rites back in March. “Wayne is doing well,” his rep told Us Weekly in response to the health scare. A source, meanwhile, told Us, “He drank too much sizzurp to get a better high. He needs rehab but he's not close to death or anything.”

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Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi

In July, advertising mogul Charles Saatchi was photographed at a London restaurant with his hands wrapped around wife Nigella Lawson's throat. After first announcing plans to divorce after the incident, the celebrity chef filed her own divorce papers in late July. The former power couple is still duking it out in court with alarming revelations of Lawson’s alleged drug use and Saatchi’s verbal threats against the British culinary star.

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Adam Levine

The Maroon 5 frontman was captured on camera muttering “I hate this country” after two of his Voice contestants were shown the door back in May. The response on social media was immediate and harsh with fans questioning Levine’s patriotism.

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Gwyneth Paltrow

The Iron Man star allegedly tried to prevent Vanity Fair from publishing an unflattering, potentially damning story in early 2013. "Vanity Fair is threatening to put me on the cover of their magazine," she reportedly wrote to friends back in May. "If you are asked for quotes or comments, please decline. Also, I recommend you all never do this magazine again." The magazine’s Editor-in-chief Graydon Carter said Paltrow "forced [his] hand" after she allegedly emailed her friends.