The Victorian era left us feeling like sex scandals are a new thing. But our ancient ancestors actually put us to shame when it came to high-profile immorality. Their sex scandals were often interlaced with conspiracy, murder, and executions—raising the stakes for powerful ancients caught in compromising positions.

10Randy Egyptian Judges

Around 1155 BC, Pharaoh Rameses III of Egypt was murdered in a conspiracy led by his wife, Tiye. His successor Rameses IV set up a commission of 12 judges to investigate the plot. The judges discovered that Tiye’s conspiracy had included numerous court officials and concubines, all of whom were put to death.

However, the trial itself was soon disrupted by a sex scandal when it was revealed that three of the judges had been seduced by women linked to the conspiracy. According to the ancient trial records, “the women . . . found [the judges] where they were. They had a fine party down there with them.”

Of the three judges involved, May had his nose and ears cut off while Pabes “was punished by leaving him [to himself]. He took his own life.” Hori was only reprimanded, probably because he testified against Pabes and May.

9A Dark Temple And A Dog Mask

During the reign of Tiberius, Rome was rocked by a particularly strange sex scandal. According to Josephus, a nobleman named Decius Mundus had the hots for a married woman named Paulina. He even offered her 200,000 drachmas to spend the night with him, but the respectable Paulina refused.

Decius wasn’t going to give up that easily. He knew that Paulina was a devoted follower of the Egyptian gods. So he bribed the priests of Isis to tell Paulina that the god Anubis wished to appear to her. Paulina obligingly came to the temple at night, where Decius was disguised as the dogheaded Anubis.

In the darkness, Paulina apparently bought that Decius was Anubis and “performed a night-long service for him.” A few days later, Decius told her the truth, bragging that he had saved 200,000 drachmas. Horrified, Paulina complained to the emperor. The priests were crucified, and the Temple of Isis was burned down. But Decius was only exiled.

8The Scandal That Ended A Country

In ancient China, a notorious sex scandal destroyed the state of Chen. According to the Commentary of Zuo, the married Xia Ji was having affairs with Duke Ling of Chen and two of his ministers, who frequently wore her underwear under their clothes. All three openly bragged about the relationship, which enraged Xia Ji’s son Xia Zengshu.

In 599 BC, the three men were drunkenly partying at Xia Ji’s house when Xia Zengshu appeared. Duke Ling turned to one of his ministers and joked that the young man looked suspiciously like the minister. “He also looks like you,” the minister joked back. At which point, Xia Zengshu snapped and murdered the duke.

In the chaos, the two ministers escaped and fled to King Zhuang of Chu, who used the incident as an excuse to conquer Chen. Xia Zengshu was executed, and all China learned a valuable lesson about “your mom” jokes.

7The Crush That Destroyed A Tyrant

The brothers Hippias and Hipparchus became co-tyrants of Athens after their father died in 527 BC. But trouble broke out when Hipparchus became infatuated with the handsome youth Harmodius. Of course, in ancient Greece, this was no scandal. What was shocking was that Harmodius was already in a relationship with a man named Aristogiton; Hipparchus was trying to use his power to split up the couple and become Harmodius’s new lover.

With no other options, Aristogiton and Harmodius decided to go out in a blaze of glory. During the crowded Panathenaea festival, they approached Hipparchus and stabbed him to death. The tyrant’s guards cut down Harmodius, while Aristogiton was tortured and executed. The Athenians later erected a statue of the lovers, honoring their blow against tyranny.

6The King Who Wanted People To Ogle His Wife

Candaules was king of Lydia, a powerful kingdom in what is now western Turkey. According to Herodotus, Candaules was a bit of a creep who was always bragging about his hot wife. In 718 BC, he asked his bodyguard, Gyges, if he wanted to see the queen naked.

Gyges sensibly declined. But Candaules insisted, telling Gyges to hide behind the door of their bedroom so that he could watch the queen get undressed. Unfortunately, she spotted Gyges. And she was furious.

Learning what her husband had done, she gave Gyges a choice: Kill Candaules and marry her, or she would publicly accuse Gyges of spying on her, forcing Candaules to execute Gyges. Unsurprisingly, Gyges chose the first option. That night, Candaules entered the bedroom and was stabbed to death by Gyges—who had been hiding behind the door again.

5China’s Fake Eunuch Scandal

An unusual scandal broke out early in the reign of Qin Shi Huang, who would become the first emperor of all of China. His mother, Queen Zhao, had a long-term affair with the minister, Lu Buwei. However, it was difficult for Lu Buwei to sneakily visit the queen, who became sexually unsatisfied.

So the pair tracked down a man named Lao Ai, who was known for his huge penis. (His party trick was putting a wheel on it like an axle.) After Lao Ai agreed to become the queen’s lover, Lu Buwei faked Lao Ai’s castration and plucked out his hair and beard so that he could pretend to be a eunuch.

Lao Ai was then sent to serve the queen. As a eunuch, he could enter the women’s quarters without suspicion, where he engaged in much “immoral behavior” with Queen Zhao. The ruse was eventually discovered, and Lao Ai was executed, along with three generations of his family. Lu Buwei and Zhao got off with banishment.

4An Extremely Jealous King

Gadatas had a problem we can all sympathize with: He was just too sexy. According to Xenophon, Gadatas was a hot young nobleman who served Nabonidus of Babylon. One day, one of the king’s concubines started flirting with Gadatas, saying that his fiancee was lucky to be marrying such a handsome man. To make matters worse, Gadatas started flirting back.

This was a bad move. The king immediately ordered that Gadatas should be castrated for his insolence, making him unlikely to flirt with any more concubines. Gadatas later got revenge by defecting to Cyrus the Great and handing key fortresses over to the Persians.

3Crassus And The Virgin

Marcus Licinius Crassus was one of the richest men in history and one of the most powerful figures in Rome. So when he got caught up in a sex scandal, it was big news. It was a particularly juicy scandal, too. Crassus was accused of trying to seduce a Vestal Virgin.

The Vestals were an order of priestesses who swore chastity, so trying to get one into bed was a major crime. Fortunately for Crassus, he had the perfect alibi. He explained that the Vestal in question owned a really nice villa. The only reason he was always hanging around and flattering her was because he wanted her to sell it to him cheap.

Since Crassus was famously greedy, the court bought the story and acquitted him. As Plutarch put it, “It was his avarice that absolved him from the charge.”

2Some Shocking Graffiti

Of course, it’s hard to know for sure what people thought of sex scandals in the ancient world. One interesting example comes from the reign of Hatshepsut, the most famous female pharaoh of Egypt. It was rumored that Hatshepsut was having an affair with her courtier Senenmut.

Apparently, the rumor was popular at the time since a worker seems to have graffitied it on a wall at Deir el Bahri. The graffiti depicts a figure who may be wearing pharaonic headdress being penetrated. The figure is somewhat androgynous, having no breasts or penis. This might suit Hatshepsut, who was often depicted with a fake beard.

1Elagabalus

The Roman Emperor Elagabalus’s whole life was a scandal. Levered into power at age 14 by his grandmother, the teen soon spiraled out of control. Over the next few years, he married at least five wives and one husband, a charioteer named Hierocles.

Cassius Dio claims that Elagabalus set up a mock brothel in the palace where he stood “nude at the door of the room . . . while in a soft and melting voice he solicited the passers-by . . . men who had been specially instructed to play their part.” He enjoyed letting Hierocles catch him at this so that Elagabalus could “be violently upbraided by his husband and beaten until he had black eyes.”

Dio also claims that Elagabalus often referred to himself as a woman and offered a reward to any surgeon who could give him a vagina. It’s hard to be sure how many of these stories are true, but accounts of the time agree that Elagabalus was plagued by sex scandals. Sensing that public opinion was souring, his grandmother eventually orchestrated a coup and replaced him with his cousin.

Medieval Europe was theoretically pretty conservative on sex. One 13th-century bishop even put out a list ranking the five known sexual positions from least to most sinful. (If you’re curious: missionary, side-by-side, sitting, standing, and “dorsal.”) But just like any other era, the medieval period still had its share of sex scandals.

10Abelard And Heloise

In the early 12th century, Peter Abelard was the most famous philosopher in Europe. Huge crowds turned out to hear him speak, while students paid him handsomely to act as their tutor. He courted scandal when he started sleeping with one of his students, the beautiful and brilliant Heloise.

Heloise was the niece of Fulbert, canon of Notre Dame and Abelard’s landlord, who was enraged when he discovered the illicit affair. Fulbert demanded that the couple get married. Neither was keen, but they agreed so long as the marriage was kept secret. But after Heloise gave birth to a son named Astrolabe, Fulbert revealed the marriage—only for Heloise to publicly deny it. Fulbert was furious.

Abelard sent Heloise to safety in a nunnery, which only annoyed Fulbert more. In 1117, a group of men burst into Abelard’s bedroom and brutally castrated him. He survived to become a monk and remained in contact with Heloise.

9Katherina Hetzeldorfer

In the late 1400s, an unmarried young man moved to the city of Speyer in Germany. He soon developed a reputation as a real rogue, conducting several affairs and groping women during the carnival. Nobody cared until 1477, when it was revealed that the philandering youth was actually a woman named Katherina Hetzeldorfer.

According to the trial records, Katherina had built herself a prosthetic penis “half as big as an arm . . . with a red piece of leather, at the front filled with cotton, and a wooden stick stuck into it.” She used this to have sex with several women, all of whom insisted at trial that they had no idea it wasn’t real. Katherine’s one-night-stand Else Muter even claimed that it somehow produced “semen . . . beyond measure.”

Katherina was drowned in the local river. The court accepted that her lovers had been hoodwinked, and they were sentenced to exile rather than death.

8The Swedish King And His Sister-In-Law

Princess Jutta was the daughter of King Eric IV of Denmark. As a young woman, she was placed in a cloister, where she was expected to live out the rest of her life as a nun. Instead, she staged a daring escape to Sweden.

Jutta was welcomed by her sister Sophia, who was married to King Valdemar of Sweden. Unfortunately, Valdemar started a passionate affair with the beautiful Jutta. They even had a child together. Soon, all Sweden was in an uproar with rumors that the king was cheating on his wife with her own sister.

Valdemar eventually had to make a pilgrimage to Rome to beg the Pope for forgiveness. It wasn’t the PR triumph he had hoped since the Pope imposed a hefty fine. The Swedes were furious that they had to cough up extra taxes for this, and Valdemar was quickly overthrown by his brothers.

7The Naughty Nuns Of Littlemore

In 1517, the local bishop decided to inspect Littlemore Priory in Oxfordshire, England, and uncovered the scandalous behavior of the nuns living there. Apparently, the sisters “romped and played with boys in the cloister.”

Even the prioress had an illegitimate daughter by a priest from Kent. To make matters worse, she had stolen church property to give her daughter a dowry, selling off the nunnery’s “candilsticks, basynes, shetts, pelous, federe bedds, etc.”

The nuns weren’t particularly repentant. In fact, when one was put in the stocks as punishment, three others broke down the door and freed her. The four nuns then set fire to the stocks and smashed their way out through a window.

Such immoral behavior couldn’t be tolerated, and the nunnery was eventually shut down on the orders of Cardinal Wolsey.

6The Pervy Pope

John XII became Pope when he was just 18, entirely thanks to his powerful family. The teenager rapidly proved himself more interested in sex than religion, to the point that his official palace came to resemble a brothel. It was said that local monks actually stopped praying for his health and started praying for him to die.

Before long, the scandal had spread across Europe. The Holy Roman Emperor wrote to warn that “not just a few, but all . . . have accused you of homicide, perjury, sacrilege, [and] incest with some of your female relatives and two sisters.”

John died in AD 964, apparently while making love to a woman named Stefanetta. Some accounts say that he had a stroke from the exertion, while others say that Stefanetta’s jealous husband burst into the room and threw the Pope out the window.

5William The Conqueror

These days, William I of England is best known as William the Conqueror. But in his own lifetime, he was often derisively referred to as “William the Bastard” or “William the Tanner.” That’s because he was born from a teenage tryst between Duke Robert of Normandy and a tanner’s daughter from Falaise.

Since Robert never had other sons, William was legitimized, but the scandal of his birth continued to haunt him. When he besieged Alencon, the citizens dangled animal skins from the walls and shouted, “Hides, hides for the tanner! Plenty of work for the tanner!” An enraged William fired a bunch of their severed hands from a catapult.

William’s descendants had more of a sense of humor about the whole thing. Henry II was stitching a torn glove when a bishop shouted that he looked just like his relatives in Falaise, prompting Henry to “burst unto uncontrollable laughter.”

4The Demon-Kings Of England

Henry II had an even more disconcerting story in his ancestry. While his mother was William the Conqueror’s granddaughter, his father was Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou. The family had a reputation for cruelty, and it was said that they were descended from a demon.

According to the story, one of the early counts married the mysterious beauty Melusine but noticed that she always slipped out of church before the Eucharist. One day, he stood on her cloak to prevent her from leaving. As soon as the priest raised the Host, Melusine screamed, sprouted wings, and flew out the window, leaving behind two of her demon babies.

Of course, nobody buys that story nowadays, but the Plantagenets loved it. Both Henry and Richard the Lionheart often joked about being half-demon. Meanwhile, Bernard of Clairvaux summed up popular opinion of the family by declaring “from the Devil they came and to the Devil they will return.”

3The King, His Son, His Wife, And Her Brother

A more realistic scandal involved Henry, his son Richard the Lionheart, and Princess Alys of France. Alys and Richard had been betrothed as children, and Alys was sent to live with Henry when she was nine. But even when Alys passed the age of 16, Henry declined to actually let Richard marry her. Soon, sensational rumors leaked out that Henry had taken her for his own mistress.

The Pope threatened to excommunicate Henry’s whole kingdom unless he let Richard and Alys wed. King Louis of France demanded either a marriage or his daughter back. Henry begrudgingly agreed but didn’t name a date and continued to drag his feet for the next decade.

To make things even messier, some historians have suggested that Richard was having sex with Alys’s brother Phillip. In any case, Richard refused to marry Alys after his father died, alleging that she had already given birth to his half-brother.

2Heretical Spooning

In the late medieval period, the Church became increasingly worried about heretics, who were encouraged to admit to all sorts of disturbing sex acts on top of their religious crimes. In a famous case, a German heretic named Lepzet confessed that his sect met in a cave, where their bishop would insert the handle of a silver spoon into his anus and use it to hold an offering.

Then the congregation would kiss the bishop’s buttocks and a cat’s rectum before having an orgy—“men with men and women with women.” The confession was considered extremely shocking, although some killjoy historians suggest that Lepzet was probably making the whole thing up.

1Machiavelli, Da Vinci, And The Holes Of Truth

In the 1400s, the rulers of Florence placed several boxes known as “holes of truth” around the city. Citizens could write anonymous accusations and place them in the boxes to be investigated by the authorities.

It was a recipe for innuendo and rumormongering. Even Niccolo Machiavelli had to deny sodomizing a local courtesan known as La Riccia. He was presumably lying since he mentioned in a letter that La Riccia jokingly called him her “house pest” because he visited so often.

But the biggest scandal came in 1476 when multiple notes were left accusing Leonardo da Vinci and three other local notables of regularly having sex with a 17-year-old named Jacopo Saltarelli.

Soon all Florence was abuzz, and the artist found himself hauled in for questioning by the Officers of the Night, who weren’t nearly as cool as their name suggests. Fortunately, the charges were eventually dropped without damaging Leonardo’s career too much.

Classic Hollywood had about as many controversies, scandals, and seedy stories as it did guys in fedoras. And since the Academy Awards, or the Oscars to you and me, established themselves as the most prestigious and most coveted award ceremony in Tinseltown, it was natural that it would also garner a few of these controversies.  

10. A Coquettish Tea Party

It didn’t take long before the Oscars found themselves mired in controversy. In fact, it began with the second-ever ceremony thanks to an Academy Award of dubious distinction.

That year, Mary Pickford starred in Coquette. Known as “America’s Sweetheart,” Pickford had been one of the biggest stars of the silent era and this was her first talkie. Expectations were high, but the movie failed to make an impression on the critics or the public. Despite the flop, Pickford decided that she deserved an Oscar for her efforts and intended to convince the Academy of this, as well.

This was a lot easier back then. For starters, Pickford was a founding member of the Academy, as was her husband, fellow movie star Douglas Fairbanks. But more importantly, she only had to shmooze the five people who comprised the Board of Judges, since they were the ones who selected the winners. 

So one day, Pickford invited the judges over for a tea party at her lavish estate, Pickfair. Back then, this was probably one of the most glamorous locations in the country, described as “a gathering place only slightly less important than the White House… and much more fun.” An invitation there was one of Hollywood’s greatest honors so, unsurprisingly, the judges rewarded Pickford’s generosity with an Oscar.

Whether or not the judges were truly swayed by the tea party we cannot say with 100 percent certainty, but we do know one thing. Pickford’s Oscar win caused a big enough row that, the following year, voting was opened to all academy members.

9. The Two Franks

The Moonlight – La La Land mix-up for the Best Picture winner is one of the most noteworthy controversies in recent memory, but something similar happened all the way back in 1934. The ceremony was nowhere near as elaborate back then. The host of the show, Will Rogers, walked up to the podium and announced the winner for each category. When it came time to present the award for Best Director, Rogers simply proclaimed: “Come up and get it, Frank!” 

Just one problem – there were two Franks nominated for the award – Frank Lloyd and Frank Capra. Frank Lloyd was the actual winner but, as you might expect, both men got up and awkwardly made their way to the podium. But here’s how Capra himself described the experience:

“My table exploded into cheers and applause. It was a long way to the open dance floor, but I wedged through crowded tables…The spotlight searched around trying to find me. “Over here!” I waved. Then it suddenly swept away from me — and picked up a flustered man standing on the other side of the dance floor — Frank Lloyd! The applause was deafening as the spotlight escorted Frank Lloyd onto the dance floor and up to the dais, where Will Rogers greeted him with a big hug and a hearty handshake. I stood petrified in the dark, in utter disbelief, until an irate voice behind me shouted, “Down in the front!”

That walk back…was the longest, saddest, most shattering walk in my life. I wished I could have crawled under the rug like a miserable worm.”

8. The Write-In Winner

The Frank mix-up was not the only black eye of the 1934 ceremony. That year, the Academy was also heavily criticized for snubbing Bette Davis, who had received universal acclaim for her role as Mildred Rogers in the movie Of Human Bondage. Life Magazine even called it “probably the best performance ever recorded on the screen by a U.S. actress.” 

The Academy, however, did not feel like her efforts even merited a nomination. Many were angry, while others even suspected that Davis had been intentionally omitted because her role was that of a semi-villainous, selfish, and unsympathetic character, and the Academy did not want to encourage such roles for their biggest stars.

Anyway, in an attempt to quell the outrage, the Academy made an unexpected change to the following year’s awards – they allowed write-in votes. It’s pretty safe to say that they weren’t actually expecting any write-in to win, but Warner Bros. decided to take full advantage of this new rule and campaigned heavily for write-in nominations in every category where they didn’t already have a candidate. 

And they succeeded. Their guy, Hal Mohr, an industry veteran who previously worked on the iconic The Jazz Singer, won Best Cinematography for A Midsummer’s Night Dream. The Academy dropped the rule soon after, thus cementing Hal Mohr as the first and only write-in winner in Oscar history.

7. The First Refusal

Refusing an Oscar is a very rare occurrence, but it has happened. It’s not like the winners are legally obligated to receive the awards. The most famous example is Marlon Brando, who refused his Oscar for The Godfather in 1973 and, in one of the most infamous moments in the ceremony’s history, sent Sacheen Littlefeather in his place to highlight the protest organized by Native American activists at Wounded Knee. And not only was she almost universally booed but, according to her, John Wayne had to be restrained from rushing the stage to remove her.

The first-ever refusal, however, happened much earlier, back in 1935. Screenwriter Dudley Nichols won the Best Screenplay Oscar for The Informer but did not accept the award due to an ongoing writers’ strike. The Screen Writers Guild was boycotting the Oscars because, as you will find out shortly, the Academy was not a fan of unions. 

Ultimately, though, the matter got sorted and Nichols finally accepted his Oscar a few years later, during the 1938 ceremony.

6. The First Stolen Oscar

At the 1938 ceremony, Alice Brady won Best Supporting Actress for her role in In Old Chicago. The actress, however, was unable to attend the festivities and collect her prize because she was at home with a broken ankle. Instead, a mystery man walked on stage, accepted the award on her behalf, and promptly walked off. Neither he nor the award was ever seen again. That’s the story of the first stolen Oscar or, at least, that’s been the story for eight decades until one curious student decided to investigate it and get to the truth. 

The Academy is extremely tight-lipped when it comes to information regarding “mishaps” involving their awards, so they were no help. Alice Brady died of cancer the following year, so she had never given her version of events. But the intrepid student found an old newspaper photograph of Brady receiving the award post-engraving, so it did eventually make its way to her. 

And as far as the mystery man was concerned, there was no mystery about it – it was the director of In Old Chicago, Henry King. He accepted the award on Brady’s behalf, went out partying that night, and then returned it to the Academy to have it engraved. What exactly happened with it after Alice Brady died remains unclear, although it did make its way to auction in 2008. It was sold to an anonymous buyer so the only remaining mystery is the current location of the first stolen Oscar that was never actually stolen.

5. Marketing for Marty

Just a few years after the Academy Awards came into existence, studios learned that the tagline “Oscar winner” was a great way of promoting their movies and their stars, so they began actively campaigning for Oscar nods. The first film to get this treatment was 1936’s Ah, Wilderness! from Metro Goldwyn Mayer. The studio splashed out on an eight-page advertisement in the Hollywood Reporter, even depicting MGM mascot Leo the Lion in a tuxedo, getting ready to receive an Oscar. 

The campaign was a giant flop and the movie received zero nominations at that year’s ceremony. The failure put off other studios for a few years, but eventually, they came back in full force, and they probably culminated in 1955, with a little movie named Marty. Starring Ernest Borgnine, Marty had a modest budget of around $340,000. However, the studio then spent between $350,000 and $400,000 to promote the movie, thus turning it into the first film where the marketing costs outweighed the production costs. And their strategy panned out – Marty won four Oscars, including Best Picture.

4. Hattie Makes History

The 1940 edition of the Academy Awards featured a landmark moment in American history when Hattie McDaniel became the first Black person to win an Oscar for her supporting role in Gone with the Wind. However, the circumstances surrounding this momentous occasion served to remind everyone of the racist realities faced by the Black community, even those who were celebrated.

It started on December 15, 1939, when the film premiered in segregated Atlanta. McDaniel wasn’t there for a simple reason – she was not allowed inside the theater where her movie was playing. Then the same problem arose at the Oscars, which were taking place at the swanky Cocoanut Grove nightclub inside the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. The hotel had a “no-Black people” policy and it was necessary for MGM bigwig David O. Selznick to call in a few favors to even get McDaniel accepted inside the venue. And even when he did, McDaniel could not sit at the same table as her white co-stars. Since Gone with the Wind had garnered 13 nominations, it was the heavy favorite, and, unsurprisingly, the stars of the film and O. Selznick himself were seated at a place of honor, front and center. Hattie McDaniel, on the other hand, stood at a small table against the far wall, alongside her escort and her manager.  

McDaniel’s historic win didn’t even help her career. She got typecast in domestic roles and received heavy criticism from the Black community for perpetuating a negative stereotype. As a final insult, her wish to be buried in Hollywood Cemetery was also denied because they, too, had a whites-only policy.

3. The Blacklisted Winner

A unique situation arose at the 1956 Academy Awards ceremony when a writer named Robert Rich won the Oscar for Best Original Story for The Brave One, not to be confused with Best Screenplay. Robert Rich did not appear to accept the award for a simple reason – he did not exist.

The name was a pseudonym. On its own, this would not be too embarrassing. After all, artists use pseudonyms all the time, but this particular nom de guerre had been used by a man who had been blacklisted in Hollywood – Dalton Trumbo.

Trumbo was one of the most successful screenwriters from Classic Hollywood, responsible, among other things, for Roman Holiday and Spartacus. He was also the most prominent member of the Hollywood Ten, a group of writers and directors who had been blacklisted in 1947 for their Communist sympathies. 

Even so, someone of Trumbo’s talents could not simply be discarded, so studios continued using him under aliases or as a ghostwriter. This also meant they could pay him peanuts compared to what he was worth. But his win for The Brave One meant that the jig was up and, even though Trumbo started getting work as himself from 1960 on, it wasn’t until 1975 that the Academy officially recognized him as the winning screenwriter and presented him with his Oscar.

2. Hollywood’s Longest Feud

Some scandals are too big to be contained in a single awards ceremony. Case in point: the legendary feud between two of classic Hollywood’s biggest stars – Bette Davis and Joan Crawford – that lasted for over three decades and culminated at the 35th Academy Awards.

Supposedly, their rivalry started way back in 1933. Bette Davis had just starred in Ex-Lady, her first film where her name was prominently featured above the title. However, nobody in Hollywood cared because everyone was talking about Joan Crawford’s public divorce from Douglas Fairbanks Jr. This was enough to get the animosity started, but the two women officially became enemies in 1935, when Crawford married the man Davis had fallen in love with, her co-star in the movie Dangerous, Franchot Tone. 

Bette Davis ended up winning the Oscar for her role in that movie at the 1936 Awards, but Crawford still got the last laugh. She threw some vintage shade at Davis when they met following Bette’s big win. Instead of congratulating her, Crawford said “Dear Bette! What a lovely frock.”

The feud simmered for the next couple of decades, with occasional jabs and snipes in the press. In 1945, Joan Crawford won her only Oscar for Mildred Pierce, in a role which, to her delight, Bette Davis had turned down. Then, in 1962, the unthinkable happened – the two women signed on to star in the same movie – the seminal psychological horror What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

According to others involved in production, neither actress shied away from getting physical with the other when the occasion arose, but it was at the 1963 Oscars that their feud reached a climax. Davis had been nominated for her role in the movie. Crawford had not, but she still intended to steal her co-star’s thunder. She started calling up other nominees, offering to accept on their behalf should they not make it to the ceremony. According to Davis, Crawford also started campaigning against her.

Anne Bancroft took Crawford up on her offer. She was busy on Broadway and, as it happened, she was nominated in the same category as Bette Davis. And she won, thus forcing Davis to smile and clap while her arch-rival got on stage to accept the award.

1. No Unions in Hollywood

Nowadays, the Motion Picture Academy is chiefly known for the Oscars since that is its main responsibility, but that’s not why it was created almost 100 years ago. In fact, the Academy’s original goal was to stop actors, directors, and writers from unionizing. 

Officially, its stated goal was to act as a mediator and “help studios arbitrate contracts.” If any kind of dispute should arise between the talent and the studio, the Academy was supposed to intervene and find a reasonable solution so that there would never be a need for any of those pesky unions. They’ll even give the stars some shiny golden statues to make them feel validated.

Nobody bought it, though. Everyone in Hollywood knew that the Academy was the brainchild of MGM bigwig Louis B. Mayer and his executive cronies and that its true goal was to rubber-stamp whatever the studios wanted. That’s why actual unions in the form of the Screen Actors and Screen Writers Guilds appeared just a few years later, followed soon after by the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, despite the best efforts of the Academy and the studios.

YouTube is no stranger to controversy. In the last few years, some of the craziest things have happened on the platform that have sparked outrage in the entire world. With Logan Paul’s shenanigans in Japan, or Pewdiepie’s all out war with the Wall Street Journal, YouTube stars have definitely given their fair share of scandals to the world. But some of those scandals definitely stand out as being unusual and completely random, which make it all more surprising than your average internet frenzy. From backfiring anger and crazy plot twists, to unpredictable emotional outbursts and dark mysteries, here are 10 bizarre YouTube controversies that shocked people:

Top 10 Crazy YouTube Channels Where People Risk Their Lives

10 Lonelygirl15

14 years ago, in June 2006, a friendly 16 year-old girl named Bree Avery (more commonly known as Lonelygirl15) began to post videos to YouTube. In them, she is simply sitting in front of her webcam and talking to the audience. Nothing out of the ordinary (especially in 2006), but Bree’s likeable antics made her the very first viral YouTube stars. People loved her for her authenticity and relatable personality, and she seemed to have a great time exploring her world and talking about it in her videos. She was an absolute phenomenon in the early days of internet culture.

So imagine the shock when, a few months later, people found out that Lonelygirl15 did not actually exist.

The story of Lonelygirl15 is often said to be the first YouTube scandal ever. It turns out that Bree Avery was a fictional character played by 19 year-old actress Jessica Rose, and every single video she had posted had been written and meticulously directed by three California filmmakers to look like an authentic video diary. In a surprising event for the time, mainstream media picked up the story, with the New York Times even going on a special investigation to unmask the people behind it all, but the web series ended up continuing and even spawned a number of spin-offs, up until its end in 2008.^[1]

9 Kristian Harloff & The Collider Live Meltdown

Kristian Haloff is a YouTube personality behind a number of internet communities. He co-created Schmoes Know, the Collider Live daily show, and he even was a major part of the popular Collider Movie Talk for years. He is also a devoted Star Wars fan who solidified his place in the fandom with his weekly show “Jedi Council”, in which he broke down news about the franchise with a variety of co-hosts. But Kristian is also known for having a very strange temper and engaging in toxic behaviours against anyone who dared to criticize him, and it was made very clear when he had a completely random meltdown live on air during one of his shows.

When he found out that he wasn’t invited to an exclusive visit at the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge theme park in 2019, and later heard that another reporter at Collider was going instead of him, Harloff threw a literal fit and declared live on air that he would not be covering anything related to Galaxy’s Edge on any of his shows. He ranted about his status in the Star Wars community online with his Jedi Council show, claiming “I’ve been busting my ass being a Star Wars fan for five years.”

That did not fly with the producer of the show, Thadd Williams, who immediately grabbed a microphone and put Harloff in his place by reminding him that the show belonged to Collider and that he would be addressing Collider’s coverage of Galaxy’s Edge, wether he wanted it or not. Harloff immediately exploded on him in a full on temper tantrum, and the two proceeded to verbally attack each other for minutes on end, with everyone else in the show awkwardly sitting there in silence.

In the following days, Harloff was absolutely blasted by the entire world, and was even called out by Star Wars writers on Twitter, who accused him of acting like a “spoiled child who didn’t get his toy”. Some even accused him of being sexist for being angry about women being sent to Galaxy’s Edge instead of him, and he was essentially written off as a representation of everything wrong with the Star Wars fandom, and why Star Wars fans can’t ever be taken seriously. The backlash was so intense that Kristian had to apologize more than once on air, admitting that his reaction was immature, entitled and embarrassing.^[2]

8 Motoki vs Math Podcast

This particular controversy has been fascinating to many, because it involves creators from two different cultures. Motoki is an Asian-American creator, and Math Podcast is French. Both are very successful, but they seemingly have nothing to do with one another. They shouldn’t have anything to do with one another. But, in 2016, some fans discovered in the strangest way that they had more in common than anyone could’ve thought.

Over time, more and more people started to notice that Math’s videos were very similar to Motoki’s. A bit too similar even. In fact, they were the same. To the word, to the second, and sometimes, to the shot. People realized that Math had plagiarized every single one of Motoki’s videos by translating them to French and reshooting them the exact same way, giving Motoki no credit whatsoever and making his French audience believe that he was the creator behind it all. He would sometimes even steal shots from the original videos and seamlessly reedit them into his versions.

In February 2016, Motoki ended up speaking up about this, confirming that Math had never asked for his permission to remake his videos. Both American and French media took on the story, and condemned Math for his actions — he had built a highly successful career by stealing Motoki’s work, and he decided to take action. Naturally, Math’s career crashed before he could even say “oops”, and despite numerous apologies and attempts to reinvent his channel over the years, he never recovered from the scandal and has now completely vanished from YouTube.^[3]

7 Olivia Jade

At first glance, Olivia Jade is your average teenage social media influencer and YouTube star. She has had an audience for a while, her content is harmless, and nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. Except, of course, for the fact that Olivia is the daughter of the disgraced “Full House” star Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Gianulli, who were recently sentenced to 2 and 5 months in prison, after pleading guilty to charges of bribery fraud.

Olivia reportedly helped her parents forge an extracurricular file after they paid over half a million dollars in bribes to get their daughter accepted at the University Of Southern California, ahead of any other (more deserving) students who applied for admission. When the scandal was exposed and lawsuits started to rain, Olivia was promptly dropped by the major brands that endorsed her (including Amazon, Sephora and TRESemmé), and she was essentially been banished from the Internet, resulting in a year long hiatus that led her to a 2020 apology press tour that has been poorly received.^[4]

6 Tanacon: The Biggest Ego Trip in Internet History

Tana Mongeau is a creator that is known for her eccentric personality, having become famous for her crazy (and often proven to be fake) “story time” videos on YouTube. Just like many problematic creators on the platform, her ego is her primary drive in life, and that assessment was never made more clear than on the day Tana decided to create her own convention, Tanacon.

When the massive Vidcon event refused to invite her as a featured creator for their 2018 edition, Tana decided to get back at them by launching her own free convention on the same day as Vidcon, and across the street from them. The problem was that Tana widely underestimated the implications, and was incredibly unprepared for the challenge. What ensued was an absolute train wreck that left thousands of people waiting in front of a full venue in brutal heat, without food or water, even resulting in people having to be sent to the ER in ambulances. The police had to intervene and give numerous statements on the situation and, due to the catastrophe it had turned into, the 3-day event was cancelled before the end of its first day.

It was later revealed that Tanacon was also a scam, as Tana and her team had advertised the event as being free, except for people who wanted VIP tickets, but it then came to light that it was a lie, and that every person present at the event had been a purchased VIP ticket, due to the website showing that free tickets had been sold out. The fallout from the scandal created a frenzy that resulted in lawsuits, companies going bankrupt and a number of documentaries going back on the event, with hours of footage from people who were actually there on the day of the debacle.^[5]

10 Terrifying YouTube Videos That Will Keep You Awake At Night

5 The Brooke Houts Incident

Brooke Houts is a name that inspires immediate anger to those who know it. A creator on YouTube since 2014, Brooke became better known after adopting a puppy named Sphinx, who became the biggest attraction on her channel, bringing her thousands upon thousands of viewers. She was exhibiting a fun and cheeky lifestyle with Sphinx and people loved her for it. But that was until August 2019, when Brooke posted a seemingly normal video, in which she (unfortunately for her) did not realize that she had forgotten to edit out some disturbing images she clearly had not intended for anyone to see…

The uncut footage shows Brooke repeatedly punching Sphinx and shoving him around as he tries to play with her while she talks to the camera. As he accidentally interrupts her during her outro, she grabs him, pins him to the ground, yells at him to stop, before spitting on him. The part ends with Brooke slapping Sphinx one last time, prompting him to walk away off screen, audibly whining out of fear as she walks towards him.

The world, the media and Brooke’s former fans erupted in a mighty rage, tearing her to shreds online and calling for her to be arrested for animal cruelty. The police actually listened and opened an investigation on Brooke, and she later attempted to apologize on YouTube, unsuccessfully. Her career completely vanished in less than 24 hours, and while she has tried many times to make a comeback following it all, she has been brutally rejected every single time, prompting her to disappear again.^[6]

4 JayStation: YouTube’s Ghostbuster

JayStation is considered to be the very worst of YouTube. He has been called out numerous times by other creators for being toxic, manipulative and creepy. YouTube even blacklisted his channel, and eventually deleted it, forcing him to migrate to a new one. Many people still wonder why he is allowed to be on YouTube at all. Why? All of that for one simple reason: in 2019, JayStation decided to fake his girlfriend’s death for views.

He actually tried to make his audience (which is mostly constituted of children) believe that his girlfriend Alexia Marano had died in a brutal car crash, and that he was grieving her loss. He even built a fake crash site on the side of a road to show where she died. The grim video series was leading towards Jay attempting to “talk to her spirit”, but he never made it there. Thousands of people called him out, eventually forcing him to admit he was lying.

Alexia later revealed to be a victim of domestic abuse, claiming that Jay regularly bullied her and forced her to do things for the sake of getting views and subscribers on YouTube. The allegations eventually led to Jay being arrested and charged for assault with a weapon. He has since returned to YouTube and posts regularly, but JayStation will always be remembered by the public as the creep who faked his girlfriend’s death for fame.^[7]

3 Jenna Marbles: The Last Pioneer

Jenna Mourey, better known to the world as Jenna Marbles, is arguably one of the biggest YouTube stars to ever be on the platform. She is the female YouTuber with the largest amount of subscribers ever, with over 20 million viewers on her channel. Jenna is considered to be a true pioneer and legend of YouTube culture, and a positive role model that people (kids and adults alike) have been glad to look up to. However, in 2020, Jenna became the greatest example of what happens when the toxicity of cancel culture backfires.

Despite the fact that Jenna is an extremely loveable human being with great values, some people took issues with jokes she made almost a decade ago, that were deemed by many to be racist and offensive. But, weirdly enough, that wasn’t the controversial part. The controversy that everyone talked about came a few days later when Jenna released an emotional video to acknowledge and apologize for the jokes, in which she explained that she never meant to hurt anyone and that there are no excuses for her jokes. And then, to everyone’s absolute shock, she announced that she was quitting YouTube for good, after 10 years of weekly videos.

No one saw this coming, and the internet went into a frenzy. Even the people who were actively cancelling her seemed to be distraught by her sudden departure, and while some thought that she would be back after a couple of weeks, Jenna’s channel is still abandoned today, over seven months later, along with all of her social media profiles. Nobody actually expected her to leave, and the sadness and scandal that came with the departure of one of YouTube culture’s original pioneers even peaked the attention of mainstream media outlets, who covered the story for weeks on end.^[8]

2 The Myka Stauffer Family Scandal

Family lifestyle channels have become their own genre of YouTube content over the years, and they are often subject to debates when it comes to the ethical choices of parents who willingly exhibit every aspect of their children’s lives (private or not) to millions of people. But no creators on the platform have ever made people question those morals more than Myka Stauffer, a mother of 5 with a successful YouTube channel, who completely destroyed her career in 2020 when the shady circumstances of an adoption blew up in her face.

When Myka and her husband decided to adopt a child from China, audiences were thrilled, and their channel got much bigger as they documented every single step of the adoption process for everyone to see. They eventually got to bring a young autistic boy home, and they documented his new life as well, and more and more people enjoyed watching Myka as she exhibited the difficulty of being a parent to a child with such a condition. It kept going for a while, until one day, some viewers started to notice that the child had suddenly vanished from the channel.

Despite acting like everything was normal in the videos, every member of the family kept appearing, except for the adopted child. People started to question Myka relentlessly, and, after weeks of speculation, Myka and her husband released a video where they confirmed to the audience that their adopted son had been re-homed after two years of living with them, because they were no longer capable of dealing with his autism.

An absolute outrage ensued, and Myka was accused of having adopted the boy for the sake of getting views online, and having abandoned her own son when he was no longer profitable for their channel. She was continuously blamed for using the child as a prop, with many pointing to her various sponsorship deals that had to do with the adoption. Myka later released a statement, in which she explained to have underestimated her son’s condition, and admitted to have been arrogant, naive and brutally unprepared to take care of a child with special needs.

Myka lost all of her precious brand deals, as she was dropped by every company she was working with. The police opened an investigation on the matter, and talks about potential lawsuits against the couple have been brought up. Myka’s YouTube channel has been completely abandoned since, and we have not heard from her since her official statement.^[9]

1 The Mysterious Case Of Marina Joyce

To this day, Marina Joyce is one of the biggest unsolved mysteries of YouTube, and there are still many questions hovering around her story. She started as a sweet and quirky fashion centred creator, at times touching on comedy with fun sketches. Marina was never exactly YouTube’s elite, but she had garnered a sizeable audience over the years, and her community seemed to thrive in her intimate world of light-hearted content. But then… things took a turn, and Marina Joyce quickly became a name that piqued the curiosity of the entire world.

In 2016, Marina’s content slowly started to change, in a way that began to make her fans ask questions. People noticed that she was losing weight at an alarming rate, and her mannerisms and body language became incredibly strange, almost robotic (frantic blinking, awkward hand gestures, broken speech patterns, etc). Her personality did a complete 180, going from friendly and bubbly to strangely formal and creepy. Her audience started to worry about her safety, some believing she was suffering from a serious drug addiction, but it all came to a head when she posted an especially disturbing video on July 2nd, 2016.

The creepy video, simply titled “Date Outfit Ideas”, sees Marina show off different outfits she likes for a first date. Innocent in concept, but everything about it feels incredibly off — Marina looks confused and lost, continuously rambling and repeating herself while twirling around to show her dresses. Her arms are covered in harsh bruises, as well as her back. Furthermore, there seems to be someone behind the camera telling her what to do, which often seems to distract her as she talks. And, in a final show of suspiciousness, we can hear her whisper “help me” in a quick musical passage.

The video instantly went viral all around the world, and the now famous #SaveMarinaJoyce became one of the most talked about stories in the media. Theories began to circulate about Marina’s situation for weeks on end, going from kidnapping scenarios to a hostage situation. But nothing came of it. On her end, Marina simply continued to post extremely disturbing videos, as if everything was fine, completely ignoring the millions of people commenting and tweeting about her. Many believed that she was leaving secret messages to ask for help, and thousands of people began to investigate and analyze every second of her videos.

Eight months later, after a quick hiatus from YouTube, Marina released a new video titled “Saving Marina Joyce”, in which she thanked people for being concerned about her well being, and explained that she indeed went through a traumatic event that changed her life and destroyed her mind, causing her to drastically change and lose herself in the process, even admitting “there was danger in her life” at some point. She also explained that she had been on a recovery path for a few months, and that life was much better for her now, which people were relieved to hear, as she indeed looked better and more “normal” in the video. While she never fully told what happened to her that triggered such a change, everyone seemed happy with her explanation, and the world moved on. But it wasn’t the end of it.

Two years later, on July 31st, 2019, at the age of 22 years old, Marina Joyce mysteriously went missing. The circumstances of her disappearance were extremely foggy. The police got involved, even asking for the public’s help to search, and Marina was found in London after 10 days, confirmed to be “safe and well”. The authorities did not give any explanation about the whole situation (despite her boyfriend claiming that Marina was never missing, which did not make sense), and, just like in 2016, the story eventually went away with very little information being revealed to the public.

Since then, Marina has returned to YouTube, regularly making videos with her boyfriend, and everyone seems to have left her story behind. Her community seems to have moved on as well, and people usually compliment her on seeming better and happier. But, to this day, no one knows what actually happened to Marina Joyce.^[10]

Top 10 Shocking Things Kids Are Watching On Youtube

There’s a thing adults tell kids sometimes – cheaters never win. That’s horribly untrue, of course. They win constantly because they cheated. Now, if they get caught, they may face consequences, but that’s sort of the same as crime. Crime never pays unless you get away with it. But we’re trying to keep the kids on the straight and narrow, so you get the idea.

In sports, doping stands out as one of the most egregious forms of cheating. Using a substance that gives you an advantage over other players is cut-and-dry cheating. But it’s also hugely popular and has happened in some remarkably weird ways.

10. Most Tour de France Winners Have Been Found Guilty of Doping

Thanks to Lance Armstrong, everyone in the world became aware of doping in the Tour de France. But for those who never followed the world of cycling before, and the Tour in particular, it may have come as a shock. Doping in cycling? Surely that’s an absurd outlier, right? How often can that happen? The answer is always. It always happens in the Tour De France and has always happened. 

Nearly every Tour de France winner has been guilty of doping at some point in their career. In 2022 it was shown that 42 winners of the Tour de France in the previous 55 years had been guilty of doping at some point. That’s over 75% of the winners. That’s a lot of doping. 

In recent years the Tour has tried to clean up their act, and the scandals have lessened. This is due to increased scrutiny, of course, and it’s hard to say if anything would have changed if not for Armstrong cycling too close to the sun.

In recent years the Tour has tried to clean up their act and the scandals have lessened. This is due to increased scrutiny, of course, and it’s hard to say if anything would have changed if not for Armstrong cycling too close to the sun.

9. A Belgian Bodybuilding Competition was Canceled When Everyone Ran From Anti-Doping Officials

Bodybuilders have long been associated with doping thanks to the steroid stereotype that still hangs over the entire sport. That’s not to say it’s necessarily undeserved as there have been several scandals and bodybuilders outed for using steroids and other muscle-enhancing products over the years, but it has painted the whole industry with the same brush.

Getting out from under the stigma, the way the Tour De France has been trying, isn’t easy. And stories like this one don’t make it any easier. In 2009, a Belgian bodybuilding competition was canceled when anti-doping officials made a surprise visit and every single competitor literally grabbed their stuff and ran away.

The event was a championship competition that had 20 competitors signed up and ready to go. That every single one took off the moment officials arrived was probably disheartening for any fans that had been in attendance.

Officials noted that the people who run such competitions have never actually invited them to an event so they have to make surprise visits and this event was actually being held in the Netherlands, which they felt was done explicitly to keep Belgian anti-doping officials away. Obviously, it didn’t work and officials were forced to conclude, as most rational people would, that everyone was using something illegally.

8. Russia Had Secret Pee Swaps At the Olympics

Russia has had a sometimes sketchy history when it comes to the Olympic games because they don’t always play fair. In 2019, Russia was banned from the Olympics for four years because of doping scandals, even though some individual athletes from Russia still had workarounds. So what exactly were they doing that was so egregious that it got the entire country banned?

Let’s head back to the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. Four years earlier the country had done relatively poorly, so they needed to up their game. Now that could have meant higher caliber athletes, but what it actually meant was smuggling pee through mouse holes. 

Officials drilled a hole through the wall of the anti-doping lab and swapped urine samples from their drug-enhanced athletes with clean urine samples so they could pass the tests. The Russians won 33 medals. Good job, drugs!

The former head of Russia’s anti-doping agency helped expose the scheme and Russia naturally denied there was any state-run doping afoot. That said, the country and its athletes are constantly being investigated and five different Olympic games since 2014 have been scrutinized. One athlete said about 99% of Russian Olympians are doping.

Russia has been banned from not just the Olympics but international track and field events. Every time they have been given latitude to compete on any level, new info emerges of tampered data and samples from labs. It’s like they can’t not do it at this point.

7. Over 50% of Athletes In Anonymous Surveys Admitted to Doping

Usually, you need to catch someone doping to prove doping because people don’t volunteer that information. It kind of ruins the point of cheating. Unless you give them a way out, like an anonymous survey. That happened in 2011 and the results were not encouraging for anyone who likes sports “pure.”

Info from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suggested maybe 2% of athletes were doping. But a pair of surveys that asked athletes about their habits over the previous year came up with results that said 57% admitted to it. 

The surveys covered over 2,000 runners. One was conducted at the world championships where 29% admitted to doping and then 45% at the Pan-Arab Games admitted to using in the prior year. That data first came to light in 2013, two years after the surveys, and it was never officially published at all until six years later.  

That the reports were commissioned by WADA and came up with results they absolutely didn’t want to hear may have played a part in the delay. One author alleged as much, saying that there was a lot of pushback from professional organizations who didn’t like the results. 

6. Nike Alphafly Shoes Have Been Banned as “Technological” Doping

There’s more than one kind of doping in sports. Drugs are the obvious and most common one but you can also engage in technological doping. That’s when you use tools or gear that gives you an unfair edge. Like, imagine if you played basketball with those cool cartoon rocket shoes that let you fly across the court to dunk. Like that, but less cool. 

Shoes have been banned as technological doping before. They are called Nike Alphafly shoes, and they were banned from the Tokyo Olympics. The shoes have been used by runners to provide greater energy return and speed. And they work so well you can’t use them.

Eliud Kipchoge brought the shoes to light when he became the first person ever to run a marathon in under two hours. The shoes, it’s been argued, were the reason. The shoes enhance spring, have added cushioning, and all that performance-improving technology that governing bodies felt was against the spirit of the competition. 

5. In 1930, Tour de France Officials Had to Explain That Drugs Wouldn’t Be Provided

One last trip to France here and their infamous bike race. We already mentioned that many winners have been shown to have doped at some point in the past, but let’s go back further. The Tour de France has been around for over a century and even way back in the day it was shady.

In the early days, competitors drank wine and smoked cigarettes while they rode. Ether, nitro, and other enhancers were also par for the course. Things were so bad that, in 1930, the official race rule book had a section to remind racers that the Tour would not provide drugs for them. Imagine how bad it was that they needed to publish it. Competitors were so used to being loaded they expected the race to dope them up before it started.

4. Doping in Chess is Done With Ritalin

Doping isn’t necessarily a problem in sports, it’s a problem in competition. When two or more people go head to head in any way, there’s always a chance one might use something to give them an edge. That’s why even chess players need to be tested because you never know if someone’s after your bishop with the help of performance-enhancing substances. 

In 2008, a professional chess player had a public meltdown after he was asked to provide a urine sample. It was later decided he hadn’t fully understood the request because of language barriers but he was never tested. This still stands as the most public and well-known doping incident in chess, despite no one ever being found guilty of doping. 

The incident also proved that there is an anti-doping body in chess, and they do test. Sometimes even too much, as one player had to give three samples in a row because he drank too much water and it was diluted. 

Ritalin and modafinil are two drugs that are considered performance enhancers for chess players. Tests show players on the drugs are slower but better players overall. 

3. Racing Pigeon Doping is a Big Problem

Doping doesn’t have to be an exclusively human issue. Obviously, humans are the ones behind it, but even racing pigeons have to be monitored because there’s always someone out there willing to slip a pigeon a mickey to get ahead in this world.

If you’re not aware, pigeon racing is precisely what you think it is. People take homing pigeons up to 1200 km from their homes and let them go. Then they race home and whoever gets back first wins. Belgium is at the forefront of the sport and had its first race in 1818.

Like anything that races, a pigeon can be slipped various drugs that range from steroids to something like analgesic painkillers that can help it endure a race better than the competition. 

In 2013, six Belgian birds were tested and found to have been doped. Five of them had anti-inflammatories on board but the sixth one had been given cocaine. People are out there making birds into cokeheads to win races.

The reason for drugging pigeons is the reason for drugging anyone or anything in sport – money. One single racing pigeon was sold in May of the same year as the scandal for $430,000.

2. Esports are Subject to Doping Scandals

If you’re of a certain age, you probably smirk when you hear the term “esports.” Not everyone considers esports the same as other sports but you can’t deny two things. Esports are very popular and they are certainly competitive. There’s also a lot of money on the line and that’s the prime breeding ground for doping scandals.

Drug testing became a part of the esports world in 2015 after a massive Adderall scandal involving a championship Counter-Strike team who were all said to be using the drug. Because these guys don’t need steroids; they need focus. You play to your strengths in the doping world.

Since that time, many more accusations have plagued the gaming world and other drugs like Adderall have been brought up, things like Ritalin and other ADHD drugs believed to improve focus, concentration, and reaction time. Despite the promise that there would be some kind of regulation, little has come from it. 

1. There’s a Speedo That was Banned as Technological Doping

We covered technological doping briefly before but no technological doping reached the heights, or depths, of the banned Speedo swimsuit. Considered an unfair edge for competitive swimmers, the Speedo LZR Racer swimsuit has faced some hard times.

As silly as it might sound, there is evidence that technology, even simply technology, helps swimmers a lot. In 1976, once goggles were permitted, tons of records were broken. In 2008, nearly every record-breaking swimmer wore the LZR suit. In fact, 62 records were broken wearing this suit. 

Speedo used full-on NASA scientists to develop the LZR suit to offer as little resistance and drag as possible. The technology is actually very complex, and the result is a super microfiber suit that improves swimming efficiency by up to 5% while reducing drag by 38%.

Criticism of the suit is that it’s a device that helps you win. It costs $550 and you can only wear it 10 times before it loses that competitive edge. In 2009, the international body that oversees swimming banned the use of the suits because they “diminish natural ability.”

We’ve witnessed some jaw-dropping business scandals that raised eyebrows and sent shockwaves through financial corridors. Picture this as an economic rollercoaster with twists, turns, and a fair share of ups and downs. So grab your seat belts as we ride through ten business scandals so big they shook the economy.

Related: 10 Scandalous Pyramid Schemes

10 Deepwater Horizon

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster was an event that sent shockwaves through the business world, leaving an impact on the economy. In April 2010, an offshore drilling rig operated by BP suffered a blowout, leading to a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The incident resulted in the loss of 11 lives and caused damage to marine life and coastal ecosystems.

At the heart of the scandal were oversights and negligence in safety procedures. The blowout preventer, a crucial safety device, failed to activate, allowing millions of barrels of oil to gush into the ocean for 87 days before the well was capped. The environmental fallout was devastating, with damage to fisheries, wildlife habitats, and the livelihoods of communities along the Gulf Coast.

BP faced immense public backlash, legal battles, and a significant financial toll. The company eventually pleaded guilty to criminal charges and agreed to pay billions in settlements and fines. The Deepwater Horizon disaster reminds us of the importance of corporate responsibility and the consequences that can arise from negligence in the pursuit of profit.

9 Lehman Brothers

In the mid-2000s, a financial storm was brewing. Lehman Brothers, a giant in the banking world, was at the heart of it. The scandal that rocked the economy was none other than the subprime housing crisis.

Lehman Brothers got tangled up in the subprime mortgage mess like many others. Banks were lending money to people who couldn’t afford it, particularly for homes. These were called subprime mortgages. Lehman Brothers invested heavily in these risky loans, thinking the housing market was invincible.

However, in 2008, the bubble burst. People couldn’t pay their mortgages, and the value of homes plummeted. Lehman Brothers faced a mountain of debt and, shockingly, filed for bankruptcy in September. This wasn’t just any bankruptcy. It was the largest in U.S. history at the time.

The Lehman Brothers collapse sent shockwaves through the financial world, triggering a global economic crisis. Many lost their jobs, homes, and savings. The subprime housing crisis taught us about the dangers of risky financial practices, leaving a lasting impact on how we view and regulate the world of finance.

8 Turing Pharmaceuticals

Turing Pharmaceuticals’ price gouging is a notorious chapter in business scandals that left a lasting impact. In 2015, the company, led by CEO Martin Shkreli, gained infamy for increasing the price of Daraprim, a life-saving drug used to treat infections. The price skyrocketed from $13.50 to a staggering $750 per pill overnight, causing an uproar across the nation.

This scandal shed light on the darker side of the pharmaceutical industry, where profit motives sometimes overshadow humanitarian concerns. Daraprim, a medication vital for those with a compromised immune system, became unaffordable, leading to concerns about access to essential healthcare.

The public outrage prompted investigations, and Shkreli, dubbed “the most hated man in America,” faced legal consequences. Turing Pharmaceuticals’ actions sparked a broader conversation about the ethics of drug pricing and the need for regulations to prevent such exploitative practices.

This scandal highlights the importance of ethical business practices and the potential consequences when companies prioritize profits over people’s well-being.

7 Bear Stearns

Bear Stearns Companies Inc., known for its role in the investment banking industry, faced a tumultuous downfall in 2008. At the heart of the scandal was the subprime mortgage crisis. The housing market collapse triggered a chain reaction across the financial sector.

Bear Stearns, heavily invested in risky mortgage-backed securities, faced severe financial strain. In a desperate attempt to stay afloat, the company faced a liquidity crisis as clients and investors began losing confidence. The situation reached a critical point in March 2008 when Bear Stearns teetered on the edge of bankruptcy.

The Federal Reserve and JPMorgan Chase stepped in with a bailout plan to prevent a complete financial catastrophe. JPMorgan acquired Bear Stearns at a mere fraction of its market value, marking one of the most significant moments in the 2008 financial crisis. The Bear Stearns scandal shows risky financial practices and the far-reaching impact a single company’s downfall can have on the broader economy.

6 Valeant Pharmaceuticals

Once hailed as a rising star in the pharmaceutical industry, Valeant Pharmaceuticals faced a staggering downfall. Their demise was caused by a scandal that left investors and the public in disbelief. At the heart of the controversy was Valeant’s aggressive drug pricing strategy. The company would acquire existing medications and then hike prices, sometimes by astronomical percentages. This garnered widespread criticism and drew the attention of regulators and lawmakers.

As investigations unfolded, it was revealed that Valeant had engaged in questionable accounting practices, creating a web of complex relationships with specialty pharmacies to boost sales. These practices inflated the company’s revenues, leading to a false portrayal of its financial health.

The fallout was swift and severe. Valeant’s stock plummeted, erasing billions in market value. Executives faced legal scrutiny, and the scandal sparked debates about ethics and corporate responsibility. The Valeant Pharmaceuticals scandal shows us what happens when companies prioritize profits over integrity. It left a lasting impact on the pharmaceutical industry and prompted a reevaluation of business practices to prevent such issues.

5 Barclays Libor Manipulation

The Barclays Libor Manipulation scandal is a shocking episode that shook the economy. Libor, or the London Interbank Offered Rate, is a global benchmark interest rate. In 2012, Barclays, a prominent British bank, faced scrutiny when it was revealed that they manipulated Libor rates to benefit their trading positions.

Essentially, Barclays dishonestly reported lower interest rates to appear more financially stable than they were. This deceitful practice had far-reaching consequences, impacting the integrity of the global financial system. The scandal tarnished Barclays’ reputation and raised concerns about the trustworthiness of other financial institutions.

As a result of the scandal, Barclays faced hefty fines and legal repercussions. The incident shed light on the need for stronger regulations and oversight in the banking industry. It served as a wake-up call for businesses and regulators alike, highlighting the importance of maintaining transparency and ethical practices in the financial world.

4 Enron

In the early 2000s, Enron was an energy company that, at its peak, was considered a model of success. However, it all came crashing down when it was revealed that executives had engaged in widespread financial fraud. They manipulated accounting practices to hide debts and inflate profits, painting a rosy picture of the company’s health when, in reality, it was on the verge of collapse.

The scandal led to thousands of employees losing their jobs and retirement, and investors faced significant financial losses. Enron’s tale serves as a reminder that even the mightiest can fall when honesty and integrity are compromised. The Enron scandal prompted a reevaluation of corporate governance and financial regulations to prevent such catastrophic events.

3 Facebook Privacy

Imagine sharing your secrets with a close friend, only to find out they’ve been telling everyone. That’s what happened when Facebook, the social media giant we all thought was keeping our secrets safe, was mishandling our personal information.

In 2018, it was discovered that a political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, accessed data from millions of Facebook users without their knowledge or consent. This data included personal details, likes, and even friend lists. It wasn’t just a small leak—it was a floodgate opening to potential misuse of information.

The scandal raised concerns about user privacy and sparked a global conversation about the responsibilities of tech companies. Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, faced scrutiny as he testified before Congress, promising changes to protect user data. This incident prompted users to rethink what they share online. It led to increased calls for better laws to safeguard our digital lives.

2 Baninter

In the early 2000s, the Dominican Republic faced a financial earthquake. Baninter (Banco International), once a respected bank, crumbled under the weight of fraudulent activities. In 2003, it was revealed that bank executives had been cooking the books, creating a façade of financial stability while hiding debts. The scam reached a staggering $3.7 billion, leaving investors and customers in disbelief.

As the truth unfolded, panic rippled through the nation. People who had trusted Baninter with their savings faced financial ruin. The government had to intervene, injecting billions to stabilize the economy and restore confidence in the financial system.

The Baninter scandal shook the Dominican Republic’s economy and underscored the need for stringent oversight to prevent similar catastrophes. This chapter in financial history teaches us that trust and honesty are the pillars of a stable economy. When those crumble, the repercussions are felt by everyone.

1 Jerome Kerviel

Jerome Kerviel, a former junior trader at Société Générale, found himself at the center of a financial storm in 2008. He accumulated a staggering €70 billion of unauthorized trades, surpassing the bank’s risk limits. His actions shocked everyone, as the losses jeopardized the stability of one of France’s leading financial institutions.

Kerviel’s risky maneuvers included fictitious trades and deceptive practices to hide his activities. When the truth came to light, it led to panic in financial markets. It prompted a massive bailout operation by Société Générale. The scandal exposed flaws in risk management systems within the banking industry and raised questions about accountability.

This real-life financial thriller drives home the need for transparency, oversight, and ethical behavior in business. The Jerome Kerviel trading scandal remains a landmark event that shaped discussions on financial regulations and the need for stricter controls to prevent such economic scares.

Sex sells, so it comes as no surprise that sex scandals are a hot topic across the country. From high-profile politicians, celebrities, and even presidents, no one is safe from a sex scandal-hungry media outlet. Here are the top ten biggest sex scandals in recent history.

10 Jeffree Star and Kanye West

In 2021, the American people combined two of our very favorite things—conspiracy and sex scandals. Eager fans on social media began circulating rumors that the then alleged divorce between Kanye West and Kim Kardashian resulted from a torrid love affair between the rapper and beauty mogul Jeffree Star. With both men living in Wyoming— and in the same community in California at one point—it didn’t take much for online communities to start pulling theories out of thin air. This conspiracy even led to a direct response from the star himself, in which he debunks the theory. “Let me just say this one time… I like very tall men.” For the record, Kanye is only 5’8″.

9 Kim Kardashian’s Sex Tape

If you thought one sex scandal would be enough for any family, you haven’t heard of the Kardashians. In early 2007, Kim Kardashian was a blip on Hollywood’s social radar—until March of that year, when a now-infamous sex tape was leaked onto the Internet. From there, Ms. Kardashian launched herself into the reality tv stratosphere.

With her mother’s help managing the family’s brands and careers, the Kardashian’s are now one of the country’s most famous families. While some believe that it was none other than Kris Jenner—Kim’s mother—who released the tape to further her daughter’s career, there is no doubt that whoever it was, ushered the Kardashian’s into Hollywood royalty.

8 Pee Wee’s Big Cinematic Adventure

In July of 1991, Paul Ruebens, AKA Pee-Wee Herman, was arrested in an adult movie theater on the charge of indecent exposure. The arrest was scandalous, as Ruebens was best known for hosting a well-loved children’s television program. This scandal proved different than most. Instead of exile and ostracization, people held rallies in support of the actor. Ruebens refuted the charge that he engaged in any illicit activity in the theater but readily acknowledged his presence there that night.

At that time, the court sentenced him to a fine and community service. It wasn’t until 2004 when the actor was again sentenced on additional sex charges, this time for inappropriate content of minors. Claiming the photographs in question were part of a collection of historical, artistic images, Ruebens settled for a $1,000 fine, three years’ probation, and registration on the sex offender list. 

7 Arnold’s Secret Son

Although former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had been married to Maria Shriver for just over a decade, it made little difference to him. During his marriage and time in office, Mr. Terminator carried on with his family housekeeper, who would go on to have a son. This was kept quiet, even from his wife, for the duration of his tenure in office. It wasn’t long after leaving office that the LA Times dropped a scathing front-page article detailing the former Governors many indiscretions.

Schwarzenegger was apparently unaware of the paternity of the child. Upon discovering that he was the father, he began supporting the child financially. Both the article and the affair were the direct causes of Arnold’s divorce from Shriver. However, despite the scandal, public opinion of the bodybuilder and actor has changed little.

6 Eliot Spitzer and the Emperor’s Club

Following our theme of the press outing illicit Gubernatorial activity, the downfall of former New York Governor Elliot Spitzer came at the hands of the New York Times. In 2008 the New York Times published an article detailing Spitzer’s outings with an expensive call girl from a prostitution ring called the “Emperor’s VIP Club.” At $1,000 an hour, these forays did not come cheap, both financially and professionally.

He spent a total of $15,000 over six months at this so-called club, according to the information procured by a wiretap placed by the federal government. To avoid impeachment, Spitzer resigned from his position as New York State Governor on March 17, 2008. The fallout from the “bust” of the Emperor’s Club was international. A member of the British Ministry of Defense, who was also connected to the ring, resigned.

5 John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe

Perhaps the most memorable sex scandal in American history is between former President John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. The American public had a rabid appetite for gossip about the young, handsome president and the Hollywood bombshell. The rumors really began to fly after a televised birthday celebration for JFK. Marilyn came out on stage in a white fur coat, which she hastily removed to reveal a bedazzled gown. At the time, this gown was scandalously revealing.

After she all but undressed on stage, she sang a slow, sultry version of “Happy Birthday” directed at Mr. Kennedy (“Happy birthday, Mr. President…”). From there, the American public was hooked. This gave what many consider to be concrete evidence of the alleged affair and the only known photograph of the two together. Others say an affair between the two was impossible. They were rarely documented to be in the same location. Others refute claims that the affair was fiction. Some say that Monroe contacted Kennedy’s wife, Jackie, to discuss the affair.

While we know that Jackie was aware of other affairs JFK had, the rumors of the one between her husband and Monroe was the one that really upset her. Because of her celebrity, the relationship had the potential to ruin her family if proven true. 

4 Jerry Springer and His Bounced Check

While best known for his trash TV persona, Jerry Springer also had a political career—peppered with some questionable hobbies. In 1974, while on the Cincinnati City Council, Jerry frequented sex workers. *cue boos from the crowd* After a VICE investigation and a press release that alluded to an anonymous “Cincinnati politico,” Jerry shockingly resigned from his position. He essentially outed himself to the world. 

Jerry volunteered to testify in a Kentucky court, claiming that he was guilty of interacting with two women at two separate times, whose services he paid for with personal checks. Rumors have since flown that one of those checks bounced, adding insult to injury. Jerry denies these claims. I mean, come on, a bounced check? Please, stick with the sex workers. Jerry dealt with the aftermath quietly out of the political realm, but in a shocking move, ran to reclaim his seat on the council.

Jerry didn’t stop there. After regaining his seat on the city council in 1975, he ran for mayor and won that seat as well. In 1982, he won the race for Governor of Ohio. Perhaps it was this balance between his scandal and his ability to move and groove in the political scene in the aftermath that made him such an ideal talk-show host. Jerry went on to host the highly successful “The Jerry Springer Show” from 1991 to 2018.

3 Tiger Woods and Many, Many Women

Pro Golf golden boy Tiger Woods seemingly had it all. Wildly talented with an astoundingly successful career, large endorsements and brand partnerships, a loving family… But it just wasn’t enough for the young star. On November 27, 2009, his fortune came crashing down around him. You don’t know what you got, am I right?

It was this day that Woods crashed his Escalade just outside of his home shortly after taking pain medication. This crash brought out the press sniffing around for a scandal. Seek, and ye shall find, soon enough, an alleged mistress was releasing text messages and voicemails sent by the professional athlete. She wasn’t the only one coming forward with accusations of an affair, however. The women who revealed themselves were waitresses and nightclub staff, to models and adult film actresses. 

The once-revered golfer attempted to deal with the scandal behind closed doors but eventually released several statements in which he publicly acknowledged his indiscretions and apologized for his actions. Woods lost sponsorships and brand deals and ultimately stepped away from his career and public scrutiny to focus on therapy and repairing his marriage. While that worked for some time, the pro and his wife announced a divorce in 2010. That same year Woods returned to golf, but due to the resulting injuries of the car crash, he never again regained the height as in his early career.

2 NXIVM Cult or Self-Help Club?

NXIVM was originally founded in 1998 under the premise of being a self-help and fulfillment group for young, wealthy professionals. Touting secretive classes called “Executive Success Programs,” high-profile entrepreneurs, business people, and even children of political figures began flocking to the community. Using non-disclosure agreements, NXIVM was able to operate with utmost secrecy in terms of the content of its seminars and teachings.

It wasn’t until 2017 that allegations of an internal secret subsect called “Dominus Obsequious Sororium” surfaced. This internal group was comprised entirely of women. They were physically branded in a secret ceremony and operated under the premise that they were part of a mentorship program. The fake mentorship program’s premise was that senior women would take younger, dedicated female members under their wing. This was, in fact, a lie. The symbol branded onto these women’s skin was not simply a sign that they had been initiated, but rather the founder’s initials. This was unknown to the women involved at the time of their branding.

The women in the group were required to be on standby for founder Keith Raniere’s whims and desires. Some accusations against the group include weight requirements, sexual abuse, and waiting nude for the founder. They were made to film sexually explicit videos, and then the group held these videos against them as blackmail. Once exposed, Keith Raniere was arrested on charges of sex trafficking and sex trafficking conspiracy. They also snagged him for conspiracy to commit forced labor. He was sentenced to 120 years in prison for his crimes against women. NXIVM has since gone down in the books as one of America’s most notorious cults.

1 Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky

What would a list about sex scandals be if we left out the most famous sex scandal in American history? This scandal stands out against the political landscape because this is the first scandal where the Internet played a big role. Compared to today, the news was slower to circulate, and public opinion was relatively muted. But the Internet completely changed that.

Monica Lewinsky was a young intern serving in the Clinton administration. During this time, it became apparent that she was spending a great deal of time with the former president. As a result, she was transferred to work in the Pentagon. However, when Lewinsky began discussing her torrid affair with a coworker, that coworker began recording the conversations secretly (what a terrible confidante). They turned over the tapes to an investigator who was already working on a harassment case against the president. These tapes fueled media frenzy.

Once news broke, Clinton denied any affair with Lewinsky, famously stating, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.” It wasn’t until he faced impeachment and was under oath that he readily admitted his wrongdoings. In the following years, Monica faced intense backlash and scrutiny from the public. She has since turned become an advocate against cyberbullying and harassment.

Ever since Richard Nixon got busted for the whole Watergate affair, presidential scandals have become depressingly normalized. Reagan had Iran-Contra. Clinton had his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Biden plagiarized, and Trump seemed to commit an impeachable offense every 48 hours for four years straight, and that wasn’t even counting the guy’s personal life. But in all the chaos, multiple other historical affairs involving US presidents have been forgotten or swept under the rug. Let’s take a look at a few long-lost presidential affairs from yesteryear…

10. The Petticoat Affair

The Petticoat Affair, also known as the Peggy Eaton Affair, was a serious social and political scandal during Andrew Jackson’s administration in the early 1830s. At its core was the marriage of Peggy Eaton, a young widow, to John Henry Eaton, a prominent politician and close friend of the President.

The scandal erupted due to the social snubbing Peggy received from Washington’s elite. Many of the cabinet members’ wives, led by Floride Calhoun (wife of Vice President John C. Calhoun), ostracized Peggy Eaton because of rumors about her allegedly improper conduct before her first husband’s death.

President Jackson, empathizing with Peggy’s predicament and drawing from his own experiences with his late wife Rachel, staunchly supported the Eatons. The scandal led to a reshuffling of Jackson’s cabinet, known as the “Kitchen Cabinet,” as several members, notably Vice President Calhoun, resigned over the issue.

9. The Teapot Dome Scandal

The Teapot Dome Scandal was another serious political scandal that unfolded in the early 1920s, during Warren G. Harding’s presidency. This one centered on the secret leasing of federal oil reserves, including the Teapot Dome in Wyoming and other locations in California, to private oil companies without competitive bidding.

Albert B. Fall, the Secretary of the Interior, played a central role in the scandal. He accepted bribes and loans from private oil companies in exchange for granting them lucrative leases to exploit the reserves. Harry Sinclair and Edward Doheny were prominent figures involved in this scandal, representing Sinclair Oil Corporation and Pan American Petroleum respectively.

The scandal came to light as investigations were conducted, revealing the corruption and bribery that had taken place. Fall became the first Cabinet member in US history to be imprisoned for crimes committed while in office. The Teapot Dome Scandal tarnished Harding’s administration and eroded public trust in the government, emphasizing the need for transparency and ethics in public office.

8. The Credit Mobilier Scandal

The Credit Mobilier scandal was a classic case of 19th-century American corruption, featuring intrigue, kickbacks, and even a railroad or two. Back in the late 1860s, during the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad, the Credit Mobilier construction company was formed. Sounds innocent enough, right? Well, not quite.

See, the insiders of Credit Mobilier were also high-ranking officials of the Union Pacific Railroad, which was awarded the contract for building the eastern portion of the railroad. Here comes the twist: Credit Mobilier drastically overcharged the government for the construction, making huge profits while Uncle Sam footed the bill. To keep things hush-hush, they generously greased the palms of various politicians with company stock at a bargain. A bribe disguised as a stock option — now that’s an innovative financial maneuver.

Predictably, this cozy arrangement didn’t remain a secret forever. Journalists got wind of it and blew the case wide open, leading to congressional investigations (among those investigated, but ultimately absolved, was Schuyler Colfax, the Vice President to Ulysses S. Grant) and a fair share of public outrage. 

7. The Whiskey Ring Scandal

Ulysses S. Grant was a great general and created the Justice Department to fight the KKK. But as President, he did oversee a lot of corruption. The Whiskey Ring scandal in particular was like a plot twist in a 19th-century political drama, blending tax evasion, bribery, and the allure of whiskey. During the post-Civil War period, the federal government imposed a hefty tax on distilled spirits, a significant source of revenue. However, some distillers and government officials had a different recipe in mind.

In the early 1870s, a group of distillers and government agents conspired to evade taxes by underreporting their whiskey production. The plan was audacious but effective: pocket the tax money that should have gone to the government and ensure friendly faces were placed in key positions to facilitate this scheme. President Ulysses S. Grant’s own private secretary, Orville Babcock, was allegedly implicated in the ring.

The party came to an end when an honest Treasury Department clerk, John McDonald, blew the whistle. The subsequent investigations exposed the ring’s operations, leading to numerous indictments and convictions, including Babcock’s. This scandal not only shed light on the pervasive corruption in the Grant administration but also highlighted the importance of enforcing tax laws and maintaining integrity within government ranks. 

6. Nixon’s Secret Bombing of Cambodia

In the tumultuous era of the Vietnam War, President Richard Nixon added a controversial chapter by secretly ordering the bombing of Cambodia. This covert operation, known as the Cambodian Incursion, commenced in 1969. The rationale behind it was to target North Vietnamese supply routes (the Ho Chi Minh Trail) and base areas that extended into Cambodia.

However, Nixon’s decision to conduct these bombings without the approval or even knowledge of the U.S. Congress triggered a storm of legal and moral debates. The executive branch had overstepped its constitutional authority, bypassing the checks and balances system. The lack of transparency only fueled public distrust in the government, already exacerbated by the ongoing anti-war movement.

Furthermore, the Cambodian Incursion escalated the conflict geographically and extended the duration of the war. The bombings also had devastating consequences for Cambodia, destabilizing the region and contributing to the rise of the Khmer Rouge, which later plunged Cambodia into the horrors of the genocide. 

5. Grover Cleveland’s Illegitimate Child

Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, found himself entangled in a scandal involving allegations of fathering an illegitimate child. In 1874, while he was a bachelor and a lawyer in Buffalo, New York, Cleveland supposedly had a relationship with Maria Halpin, a widow. The relationship ended, and Halpin gave birth to a son, Oscar Folsom Cleveland, in 1874. Cleveland, upon learning of the child, took responsibility and provided financial support.

This matter surfaced during the 1884 presidential campaign when Cleveland was the Democratic nominee. His opponents sought to tarnish his image by highlighting this scandal. Instead of denying the paternity allegations, Cleveland admitted to paying child support and acknowledged the possibility of being the father. He managed to weather the storm by being forthright and transparent about the situation, which helped to mitigate the scandal’s impact on his electoral prospects.

In a surprising twist, Cleveland was elected as the 22nd President of the United States. His handling of the scandal showcased his honesty and directness, qualities that appealed to the public. 

4. Warren G. Harding’s Extramarital Affairs 

Warren G. Harding, the 29th President of the United States, was involved in a scandalous series of extramarital affairs during his time in office. The guy was known for his charisma and affable demeanor, and clearly used that for some ill-gotten romantic gains. He soon became embroiled in several romantic relationships outside of his marriage to Florence Kling Harding. Notably, he was linked to women such as Nan Britton and Carrie Fulton Phillips.

One of the most infamous affairs was with Nan Britton, which began before Harding assumed the presidency. Britton claimed to have had a long-standing relationship with Harding, resulting in the birth of a daughter named Elizabeth Ann in 1919. Despite the affair’s scandalous nature, it came to light after Harding’s death, tarnishing his posthumous reputation.

Harding’s affairs were a poorly kept secret in political and social circles, but their full extent only came to light years later, helping him survive politically. 

3. Andrew Johnson’s Drunkenness

Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States, was known for his struggles with alcohol and instances of public intoxication. His fondness for getting wasted was embarrassingly evident during his time in the public eye, both before and during his presidency. Johnson’s behavior was often erratic and at times embarrassing, which raised concerns about his ability to govern effectively.

Reports of Johnson’s drinking habits date back to his years in Tennessee politics, where his penchant for alcohol was pretty well-known. This carried into his Presidency, and he was observed inebriated on several occasions during important events. 

Johnson’s alcohol consumption during a time of great national significance fueled criticism and speculation about his fitness for office. But honestly, given how awful he was as President, maybe this shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise. 

2. Nixon’s Enemies List 

Yeah, Nixon had more scandals than just Watergate. During his presidency, there emerged an infamous “Enemies List,” officially titled the “Opponents List.” This list was compiled by aides in the Nixon administration to track individuals whom they perceived as political adversaries or critics of the president and his policies. The list included politicians, journalists, activists, and various public figures who were seen as detrimental to Nixon’s administration.

The list was revealed during the Watergate scandal, which engulfed Nixon’s presidency. It became public knowledge after it was disclosed by Dean Butterfield, a former White House counsel, during Senate hearings on the Watergate break-in and subsequent cover-up. The revelation shocked the nation, as it indicated a systematic effort to undermine political opponents.

The existence of this list proved how psychotically paranoid Nixon was, and how far he was willing to go to suppress dissent and opposition. 

1.  Andrew Jackson’s Duels 

Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States, was involved in several duels during his lifetime. Maybe it shouldn’t be too surprising, since the guy was also known for his fiery temperament and unwillingness to let bygones be bygones in his personal life. 

One of the most infamous duels involving Andrew Jackson took place in 1806 with Charles Dickinson. Dickinson had insulted Jackson’s wife, Rachel, in a published letter. In their duel, Dickinson shot Jackson first, hitting him in the chest near the heart. Jackson, determined to defend his honor, took aim and fired, killing Dickinson. The bullet that struck Jackson remained lodged near his heart for the rest of his life.

Another notable duel was with Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton in 1813. In this duel, both men fired shots but missed, and they subsequently reconciled, forming a lifelong friendship. So that’s nice, we guess. But there really are better ways to make a pal than by failing to murder each other over petty grievances. 

Jackson’s willingness to defend his honor through dueling was a reflection of the societal norms and attitudes of his time, where pers

We trust the medical fraternity with our lives. Literally. We don’t have a choice, do we? They are the ones who know the names of the fancy drugs that make the pain go away, so there is trust.
Unfortunately, the industry is run and managed by humans, and as we know, humans make mistakes. Sometimes, in the worst-case scenario, those humans don’t even have the best interest of the public at heart. Regardless of whether the slip-up is intentional or because of negligence, a scandal is a scandal.

Here follows a list of 10 of the craziest medical scandals ever.

Related: 10 Social And Biological Experiments With Freaky Results

10 Thalidomide

The drug was first developed in Germany in 1954 and introduced to the market as a sedative and a treatment for morning sickness in pregnant women, cold flu, and nausea. But it was with pregnancies where it wreaked most of its havoc. When tested on animals, researchers found that it was virtually impossible to administer a lethal dose of the drug to animals and, therefore, deemed it safe for human use.

The first affected baby was born in Germany on Christmas Day in 1956, and the disabilities created were shocking. Disabilities of the drug included shortening or absence of limbs, malformed hands and ears, underdeveloped eyes, sensory impairment, and brain damage—the list goes on and on.

For five years, babies were affected by the drug before the connection between pregnant women taking the drug and the impact on their unborn children was made. An estimated 100,000 babies were affected by the drug.^[1]

9 Atherectomy for Peripheral Artery Disease

When the government changed the way doctors are compensated for atherectomies, the game changed, offering incentives to private practitioners for outpatient atherectomies as a means to relieve the pressures on the hospital system.

A low bar had been set for the treatment of arterial blockages, and the patients rolled in. From 2017 to 2021, $1.4 billion in Medicare atherectomy payments—about half of all payments made for the procedure—had gone to some 200 providers who did the procedure in volume.

What followed was a series of amputations caused by the risky artery surgery, which could have been avoided by similarly effective, cheaper treatments. Researchers and doctors uncovered excessive and inappropriate use of the procedure, and the lawsuits followed.^[2]

8 Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment

When government agencies experiment, they go all in. When the U.S. Public Health Service was trying to get a grip on syphilis, they were, in their madman opinion, in a prime position to subject their patients to a little experiment to test the disease’s full progression.

The year was 1932, and the location was Tuskegee, Alabama. When almost 600 African American men were recruited under the guise that they would be provided free medical care, they discovered 399 cases of latent syphilis. They told these poor souls that they had “bad blood” and that the other 201 candidates would form the control group.

In order to understand the disease, the men inflicted with syphilis were provided no effective care. One by one, they succumbed to the effects of the illness: going blind, tumbling into insanity, developing various ailments, and ultimately dying. In the end, 128 men died, 40 wives were infected, and 19 children were born with congenital syphilis as a result.^[3]

7 Soothing Syrup

When a patent medicine hit the markets, it promised to soothe small children and aid in cleaning their teeth, freshen their breath, and relieve constipation. Morphine will do that. In the 19th century, Mrs. Winslow was introduced to the market, but unbeknownst to its target market—mothers—each bottle of syrup contained near-fatal amounts of morphine and alcohol. It was, therefore, not surprising that the product did exactly as promised and worked like a charm.

Morphine, as an addictive pain reliever and even in small doses, can cause the death of infants. Some infants who consumed Mrs Winslow went to sleep and simply never woke up, which, as one could expect, caused quite a public uproar. The outcry over poisoning and contaminated foods ultimately led to Congress passing the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. Still, it wasn’t until the 1930s that the product was formally taken off the shelves.^[4]

6 Organ Racket

We have all heard the urban legend—you have a night out with friends, you black out, and wake up the next morning in a bath filled with ice and a note that your kidneys have been removed. It is the stuff of horrors.

In 2008, it came to light that a suspected 400 or 500 kidney transplants were done over almost nine years after the victims were lured with offerings of job opportunities, only to be prepositioned for their organs. The victims were primarily poor laborers from the villages near Delhi. Those who resisted were drugged and their kidneys taken against their will.

After the arrest of five culprits, two from the U.S. and three Greek, at a luxury guesthouse operated by a doctor running a very particular racket in the booming city of Gurgaon, India, the house of cards had begun to collapse.^[5]

5 Asthma Cigarettes

Just like we know the sun can cause sunburn and a bee can sting, we also know that cigarettes cause lung disease and cancer. Strange then to imagine a world where this was not common knowledge. It was early in the 20th century, and the world was still very ignorant about the effects bad habits might have on our bodies. Smoking is a perfect example.

When smoking took off, it wasn’t just cool; it was also prescribed as a treatment for certain respiratory illnesses, such as asthma. Page’s Inhalers were nothing more than medically prescribed cigarettes meant for the temporary relief of paroxysms of asthma, hay fever, and simple nasal irritation.^[6]

4 Defective Silicone

Just like you can’t take the crankshaft of an old Nissan Skyline, melt it down in the workshop, mold it into a bracket of sorts, and use it in hip replacement surgery, you can’t use whatever you find lying around to make silicone breast implants. In a nutshell, that was exactly what the French company Poly Implants Prothése did when they sold industrial-grade silicone to be used in breast enhancement surgery.

The implants were pulled from the market in 2010 after it came to light that the silicone was of low grade, causing a risk for rupture. It was also found that the non-medical grade silicone was contaminated with higher taxes of several cyclic siloxanes, which has led to investigations into possible toxicological consequences.

An estimated 30,000 women in France were fitted with the device. An inquiry after the withdrawal found the former owner, Jean-Claude Mas, guilty of aggravated fraud. He was sentenced to four years in prison and had to pay a €75,000 fine.^[7]

3 Cancer Injections

When Chester Southam proposed a continuation of a cancer study he had been doing for well over a decade, it seemed like a good idea at first. Southam proceeded to tell patients they were getting human cells in growing tubes with the concept of informed consent still far over the horizon.

Only after three of his colleagues refused to partake in the study and resigned from their positions did the scandal come to light. The accusation was that Southam was injecting liver cancer cells into patients at a hospital facility known for treating the elderly and those in need of physical care simply to further his cancer study.

In the end, 22 patients were injected with the cancer cells. Southam was never prosecuted but was placed under probation for one year. Fun Fact: Southam ended up as president of the American Association for Cancer Research just a few years after that.^[8]

2 HIV Blood

When hemophiliacs are injured, even with a relatively minor cut, it could be fatal as loss of blood, in many cases, could turn into a never-ending pour. For that reason, copious amounts of blood might be needed. When a tape leaked of Akihito Matsumura and his colleagues discussing the possibility that they were using non-heat-treated blood products in their patients, the scandal was exposed.

The government, in conjunction with the Red Cross, failed to halt the use of the products, which ultimately led to more than 1,800 hemophiliacs contracting HIV as a result of receiving HIV-contaminated blood during the 1980s, 400 of whom have since died from AIDS.

It wasn’t that the technology of treating the blood did not exist. But there was money to be lost should they have to discard the inventory of the untreated products. Years later, three top executives pleaded guilty and received varying prison sentences of two years, 18 months, and 16 months respectively.^[9]

1 Monster Stuttering Study

The theory was simple—calling attention to a child’s normal hesitations could cause stuttering. In an attempt to induce stuttering, researchers at the University of Iowa threw a bunch of normally fluent orphans (of course, they were orphans) into a test environment.

For six months, the orphans were shouted at, belittled, and threatened to test this theory in the hopes that they might stutter in panic or disillusionment. The study ended, and the conclusions were drawn—asking a child to be more fluent could, in fact, lead to stuttering.

What also became clear was that the children suffered from serious long-term psychological harm and were therefore awarded a settlement sum in order to avoid costly litigation, even though neither the University nor the government admitted to any wrongdoing.^[10]

We trust the medical fraternity with our lives. Literally. We don’t have a choice, do we? They are the ones who know the names of the fancy drugs that make the pain go away, so there is trust.
Unfortunately, the industry is run and managed by humans, and as we know, humans make mistakes. Sometimes, in the worst-case scenario, those humans don’t even have the best interest of the public at heart. Regardless of whether the slip-up is intentional or because of negligence, a scandal is a scandal.

Here follows a list of 10 of the craziest medical scandals ever.

Related: 10 Social And Biological Experiments With Freaky Results

10 Thalidomide

The drug was first developed in Germany in 1954 and introduced to the market as a sedative and a treatment for morning sickness in pregnant women, cold flu, and nausea. But it was with pregnancies where it wreaked most of its havoc. When tested on animals, researchers found that it was virtually impossible to administer a lethal dose of the drug to animals and, therefore, deemed it safe for human use.

The first affected baby was born in Germany on Christmas Day in 1956, and the disabilities created were shocking. Disabilities of the drug included shortening or absence of limbs, malformed hands and ears, underdeveloped eyes, sensory impairment, and brain damage—the list goes on and on.

For five years, babies were affected by the drug before the connection between pregnant women taking the drug and the impact on their unborn children was made. An estimated 100,000 babies were affected by the drug.^[1]

9 Atherectomy for Peripheral Artery Disease

When the government changed the way doctors are compensated for atherectomies, the game changed, offering incentives to private practitioners for outpatient atherectomies as a means to relieve the pressures on the hospital system.

A low bar had been set for the treatment of arterial blockages, and the patients rolled in. From 2017 to 2021, $1.4 billion in Medicare atherectomy payments—about half of all payments made for the procedure—had gone to some 200 providers who did the procedure in volume.

What followed was a series of amputations caused by the risky artery surgery, which could have been avoided by similarly effective, cheaper treatments. Researchers and doctors uncovered excessive and inappropriate use of the procedure, and the lawsuits followed.^[2]

8 Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment

When government agencies experiment, they go all in. When the U.S. Public Health Service was trying to get a grip on syphilis, they were, in their madman opinion, in a prime position to subject their patients to a little experiment to test the disease’s full progression.

The year was 1932, and the location was Tuskegee, Alabama. When almost 600 African American men were recruited under the guise that they would be provided free medical care, they discovered 399 cases of latent syphilis. They told these poor souls that they had “bad blood” and that the other 201 candidates would form the control group.

In order to understand the disease, the men inflicted with syphilis were provided no effective care. One by one, they succumbed to the effects of the illness: going blind, tumbling into insanity, developing various ailments, and ultimately dying. In the end, 128 men died, 40 wives were infected, and 19 children were born with congenital syphilis as a result.^[3]

7 Soothing Syrup

When a patent medicine hit the markets, it promised to soothe small children and aid in cleaning their teeth, freshen their breath, and relieve constipation. Morphine will do that. In the 19th century, Mrs. Winslow was introduced to the market, but unbeknownst to its target market—mothers—each bottle of syrup contained near-fatal amounts of morphine and alcohol. It was, therefore, not surprising that the product did exactly as promised and worked like a charm.

Morphine, as an addictive pain reliever and even in small doses, can cause the death of infants. Some infants who consumed Mrs Winslow went to sleep and simply never woke up, which, as one could expect, caused quite a public uproar. The outcry over poisoning and contaminated foods ultimately led to Congress passing the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. Still, it wasn’t until the 1930s that the product was formally taken off the shelves.^[4]

6 Organ Racket

We have all heard the urban legend—you have a night out with friends, you black out, and wake up the next morning in a bath filled with ice and a note that your kidneys have been removed. It is the stuff of horrors.

In 2008, it came to light that a suspected 400 or 500 kidney transplants were done over almost nine years after the victims were lured with offerings of job opportunities, only to be prepositioned for their organs. The victims were primarily poor laborers from the villages near Delhi. Those who resisted were drugged and their kidneys taken against their will.

After the arrest of five culprits, two from the U.S. and three Greek, at a luxury guesthouse operated by a doctor running a very particular racket in the booming city of Gurgaon, India, the house of cards had begun to collapse.^[5]

5 Asthma Cigarettes

Just like we know the sun can cause sunburn and a bee can sting, we also know that cigarettes cause lung disease and cancer. Strange then to imagine a world where this was not common knowledge. It was early in the 20th century, and the world was still very ignorant about the effects bad habits might have on our bodies. Smoking is a perfect example.

When smoking took off, it wasn’t just cool; it was also prescribed as a treatment for certain respiratory illnesses, such as asthma. Page’s Inhalers were nothing more than medically prescribed cigarettes meant for the temporary relief of paroxysms of asthma, hay fever, and simple nasal irritation.^[6]

4 Defective Silicone

Just like you can’t take the crankshaft of an old Nissan Skyline, melt it down in the workshop, mold it into a bracket of sorts, and use it in hip replacement surgery, you can’t use whatever you find lying around to make silicone breast implants. In a nutshell, that was exactly what the French company Poly Implants Prothése did when they sold industrial-grade silicone to be used in breast enhancement surgery.

The implants were pulled from the market in 2010 after it came to light that the silicone was of low grade, causing a risk for rupture. It was also found that the non-medical grade silicone was contaminated with higher taxes of several cyclic siloxanes, which has led to investigations into possible toxicological consequences.

An estimated 30,000 women in France were fitted with the device. An inquiry after the withdrawal found the former owner, Jean-Claude Mas, guilty of aggravated fraud. He was sentenced to four years in prison and had to pay a €75,000 fine.^[7]

3 Cancer Injections

When Chester Southam proposed a continuation of a cancer study he had been doing for well over a decade, it seemed like a good idea at first. Southam proceeded to tell patients they were getting human cells in growing tubes with the concept of informed consent still far over the horizon.

Only after three of his colleagues refused to partake in the study and resigned from their positions did the scandal come to light. The accusation was that Southam was injecting liver cancer cells into patients at a hospital facility known for treating the elderly and those in need of physical care simply to further his cancer study.

In the end, 22 patients were injected with the cancer cells. Southam was never prosecuted but was placed under probation for one year. Fun Fact: Southam ended up as president of the American Association for Cancer Research just a few years after that.^[8]

2 HIV Blood

When hemophiliacs are injured, even with a relatively minor cut, it could be fatal as loss of blood, in many cases, could turn into a never-ending pour. For that reason, copious amounts of blood might be needed. When a tape leaked of Akihito Matsumura and his colleagues discussing the possibility that they were using non-heat-treated blood products in their patients, the scandal was exposed.

The government, in conjunction with the Red Cross, failed to halt the use of the products, which ultimately led to more than 1,800 hemophiliacs contracting HIV as a result of receiving HIV-contaminated blood during the 1980s, 400 of whom have since died from AIDS.

It wasn’t that the technology of treating the blood did not exist. But there was money to be lost should they have to discard the inventory of the untreated products. Years later, three top executives pleaded guilty and received varying prison sentences of two years, 18 months, and 16 months respectively.^[9]

1 Monster Stuttering Study

The theory was simple—calling attention to a child’s normal hesitations could cause stuttering. In an attempt to induce stuttering, researchers at the University of Iowa threw a bunch of normally fluent orphans (of course, they were orphans) into a test environment.

For six months, the orphans were shouted at, belittled, and threatened to test this theory in the hopes that they might stutter in panic or disillusionment. The study ended, and the conclusions were drawn—asking a child to be more fluent could, in fact, lead to stuttering.

What also became clear was that the children suffered from serious long-term psychological harm and were therefore awarded a settlement sum in order to avoid costly litigation, even though neither the University nor the government admitted to any wrongdoing.^[10]