Most Controversial Celebrities of the Decade
If there’s one thing celebrities are good at, it’s controversy and scandal. They make headlines for all the wrong reasons; sex tapes, famous feuds, heartache and run-ins with the law.
For some, the limelight fades and people move onto the next big story, but for others, problematic headlines rule their image, stay a stigma, and end up being victims of ‘cancel culture’.
To remind you of just a few celebrity dramas from the last decade, we’ve rounded up a list of the most controversial celebrities and how they’ve broken the internet…
1. Kim Kardashian
This Kardashian rose to fame when her sex tape with ex-boyfriend Ray J leaked, marking the first of Kim’s many controversies. Since then, she’s lived many fashion faux pas and a 72-day-marriage to Kris Humphries, before falling for Kanye West – and then divorcing him in 2020.
Her life has been far from plain sailing since then – Kim has engaged in public feuds with Drake and Taylor Swift; she’s broken the internet with nude photos, started a law degree and she’s continued to stun us with daring and revealing looks.
2. Rihanna
Often referred to as the ‘good girl, gone bad’, RiRi sparked headlines when she started molding into a much more provocative star. But it was Rihanna’s relationship with her first love Chris Brown which marked the beginning of a never-ending scandal for the Barbados-born singer.
Since the relationship went sour in 2009 with the brutal attack, Rihanna has been the topic of conversation. From giving Chris Brown a second chance, not being afraid to show off her birthday suit and being open about her drug habits, Rihanna hasn’t been shy to cause controversy in pop culture.
3. Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus has definitely put her Disney days behind her. From tongue-wagging VMA twerking to smoking marijuana on stage, the pop princess has definitely raised a few eyebrows. And let’s not forget her naked appearance whilst swinging on a wrecking ball or her public feud with Nicki Minaj!
Other than these shocking Miley moments, the star has also suffered through a public divorce following a eight-month marriage with Liam Hemsworth and has openly spoken about dating girls, too.
4. Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga doesn’t even need to open her mouth to cause a stir; her outfits alone spark backlash and interest (remember her meat dress and when she hatched out of an egg?!). That said, what really rocked the boat is when she covered herself with fake blood on stage during a 2009 VMA performance and engaged in a vomit performance with a model in 2014.
But the singer-turned-actress has moved on from controversial Gaga days, stunning us once again with an award-winning performance in A Star is Born, giving us much more reason to love her.
5. Kanye West
Ye isn’t shy of showing his real self to fans; from public outbursts about slavery to Twitter rants about Wiz Khalifa and even running for presidency, Kanye West had his fair share of controversies.
Having been diagnosed with bipolar disease and later blaming sleep deprivation, Yeezy may have found a new release by forming his own spiritual Sunday church, but as of late, the rapper went on more embarrassing rampages which ended in a divorce from Kim Kardashian. Kanye awkwardly revealed that his (ex) wife wanted to abort their first child, whilst also calling his mother-in-law “Kris-Jong-Un”.
6. Justin Bieber
Finding fame at such a young age took its toll on Justin Bieber. Growing up in the limelight, it was hard for him to make a single mistake without the press knowing about it. This explains why he’s had his fair share of run-ins with the paps, including an incident where he hit one with his car.
Bieber’s other controversies include famously egging his neighbor’s house, reportedly spitting on fans as well as getting arrested for drunk driving. For a few years now, though, the Changes singer has become a changed man and steers clear of any public disputes.
7. Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has weathered quite a few storms, from her on-going feud with Katy Perry over John Mayer, writing breakup songs about her exes to her bust-up with Nicki Minaj about award nominations.
But these aren’t the only celebs to argue with Taylor; after Kanye ambushed her VMA Award acceptance speech, he and Taylor have publicly feuded. But the pair seemed to put the bad blood behind them until Kanye was accused of releasing lyrics in his track Famous that weren’t approved by Taylor. The damsel in distress was called out for her ‘mistakes’ when Kim said she was faking this one. Turns out, according to Elle, Taylor was actually telling the truth!
8. Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner is one of the most popular celebs, almost earning more than the rest of the Kardashian tribe. Yet, her rise to fame and title of the ‘World’s Youngest Self-Made Billionaire’ has received much backlash. Many argue that she wouldn’t have built her beauty empire without the help of her family, while others applaud the 23-year-old’s success.
Other headline stories include getting lip injections at the mere age of 17, undergoing a massive beauty makeover and keeping her entire pregnancy under wraps for an entire nine months; stunning the world with a release of a very cute tribute highlighting her journey into motherhood.
9. Chris Brown
If you’ve followed Breezy from day one, you’ll remember his physical altercation with his then-girlfriend, Rihanna; a turning point in both their lives and careers. Since this famous scandal, Chris has been dubbed a ‘bad boy’, getting into countless legal trouble, doing community service, getting kicked out of rehab and doing jail time.
The talented star thought his bad boy image was behind him until he was accused of rape in Paris in January 2019. After being held in custody, the problematic celeb was found not guilty and took to Instagram to shed light on the horrific situation. Despite the bad press, Chris Brown continues to release hit after hit.
10. Cardi B
Since the moment loud-mouthed Cardi B landed onto the music scene with Bodak Yellow, she’s maintained a constant public appearance. While some relevancy is from new tracks, many headlines have been about her wild outfits, online rants, rocky relationships and feisty feuds.
But it was the infamous fight with Nicki Minaj at the Harper’s Bazaar ICONS party that went down in history! Cardi launched at Minaj, accusing her of speaking badly of her daughter, Kulture. After being pulled away, Cardi was then spotted with a massive bump on her head – probably due to the shoe falling back on her face! Let’s not forget the most recent outrage and shock surrounding her sexual track WAP which has been deemed inappropriate by many.
