Hollywood is famous for its movies and glamour and equally infamous for its many, many shocking scandals. Counting down all the Hollywood scandals is almost a leviathan task however here are some of my picks.

1. It would be a sin not to begin with Michael Jackson whose whole life has been nothing short of a scandal. The King of Pop, a well deserved title, and Hollywood’s very own Peter Pan has been no stranger to controversy. From a peculiar affinity to sharing his bed with minors to disfiguring surgeries, from an abusive childhood to his recent tragic demise, the moonwalking superstar has been erased literally and figuratively. In 1993 he faced charges of child molestation which was settled out of court for a whopping $15 million and landed up in court once again in 2005 for the same charges. The recent death of Jackson caused even more controversy as the superstar’s addiction to prescription drugs was exposed. His physician Dr. Conrad Murray has been held responsible for his death and charges of involuntary manslaughter are to be brought up against him.
2. Roman Polanski, the critically acclaimed and Oscar winning director, is no stranger to scandal. His pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, was murdered by the Manson family in 1969. In 1977, the then 44 yr old Polanski took a 13 yr old girl to Jack Nicholson’s house for a photo shoot. He plies the girl with Champagne and part of Quaalude before engaging in non-consensual sex.  Two weeks later, Polanski found himself in front of the grand jury. Upon hearing he could face jail time of 50 years, Polanski bolted for France. Of course, that did not stop Hollywood from bestowing him with an Oscar award for direction for The Pianist. He was not able to receive it though since he is barred from entering the U.S.
3. Ingrid Bergman, the Oscar winning iconic actress who was considered to be a devoted mother and wife shattered her impeccable image in 1969 when news of her affair with Italian director Roberto Rossellini got out. Rossellini, then married and Bergman, mother of a 10 year old daughter became pregnant with his child. What followed was intense public condemnation and religious groups calling to ban her movies. The then Senator, Edward Johnson, denounced the actress as “a powerful influence for evil” and went to the extent of asking for banning her from the country for “moral turpitude”. The couple however wed after Rossellini gave birth to their child and had twins later before separating in 1956. Rossellini did however lose custody of her daughter with her previous husband during the divorce proceedings. All was forgiven when she received the Oscar for the best actress in the movie Anastasia.

Another one of the grossest and most famous scandals is probably when Woody Allen married his ex wife, Mia Farrow’s adopted daughter Soon Yi. Perhaps what these scandal’s say about Hollywood is that no matter what your crime is that as long as you rake in the money, people can learn how to forget.

Michael Jackson was secretly dating his children’s nanny, it has been reported.

The romance between the ‘Bad’ star-who died of a suspected cardiac arrest on 25th June-and Ugandan-born Grace Rwaramba was reportedly an open secret among the singer’s staff and his three children. Michael’s children, Prince Michael, 12, Paris Katherine, 11 and six-year-old Prince Michael II, even looked on her as their mother.

Ian Barkley, Michael’s personal photographer for three years, said, “Grace loved Michael and he loved her. The kids called her Mom.

Last week the ‘Thriller’ star’s former head of security, Matt Fiddes, admitted his ex-employer had a secret lover, but refused to name her, saying that the mystery woman was not famous.

However another bodyguard of Michael who refused to be named told Britain’s Sunday Mirror newspaper, said, “Matt was referring to Grace. They were more like a married couple than employer and employee.

“Grace was the closest person to Michael and the kids. She will be broken-hearted. The children were always their joint priority and like any couple they would row if they disagreed about how they were being brought up.

“But the different between Grace and other women in Michael’s life was that she had absolutely no interest in fame. It was something she actively avoided and Michael was determined to keep her and their relationship out of the public gaze.

“The romance was well-known among staff but it was made very clear to them that this was not something that should become part of the public domain.”

Grace began working as the singer’s secretary in 1991, was sacked and quickly reinstated several times by Michael during her stint and the children’s nanny, but was dismissed permanently in December and had quit America.

However, Grace returned to California last week and is expected to be among the chief mourners at the star’s funeral on tomorrow. (07.07.09)

The singer’s will gave full custody to his mother Katherine which saw the eldest two’s natural mother Debbie Rowe plan to stake a custody claim. Despite this custody claim, the former bodyguard believes they should be in the care of Grace.

He said, “Though I love Michael’s mum Katherine, she is 79 and if she passes on, the best place for the kids to go would be to Grace. She was with them day in and day out. She really loved them and they adored her as they would a mother. ”

The singer’s will also stated that close friend Diana Ross should become their guardian if Katherine dies.

Reports in 2007 revealed that Michael and his nanny had married, but Grace was quick to deny the comments and state that she is still married to her first husband Stacey Adair.

The concert promoter for Michael Jackson’s concerts has demanded answers from the late star’s doctors.

Randy Phillips, CEO of AEG Live, who were staging his ‘This Is It’ 50-date London residency want to check over the results of the medical checks taken by the ‘Thriller’ star-who died of a suspected cardiac arrest last Thursday (25.06.09)

Michael was passed by medical experts as fit to perform and then died suddenly, amid rumours of a painkiller addiction.

Randy said, ”Maybe they didn’t do a good enough job. We want answers. We have poured millions of cash into Michael’s comeback.

“All the tests pointed to him being in fine physical shape. It is a complete mystery. The insurance company had an independent physician fly out from New York and give him a five-hour exam.

“We were told he passed with flying colours. Now I would like to see the results. If he was taking that amount of prescription drugs, wouldn’t that have been picked up in a blood test?

“We must know the results. I don’t know what our legal rights are.”

 The medical test was reported to have included over 50 different checks and tests. With the results stating Michael was fit enough to perform, AEG Live secured insurance cover for the first 22 concerts but were unable to convince insurers to cover the full 50 shows at a cost of £300 million.

The promoters now face multi-million pound payouts to every ticket-holder.

Randy also told of his last conversation with Jackson during rehearsals the night before he died.

He told Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper, “He did a three-hour rehearsal and we all finished up at 12.30am on Thursday morning. He was really excited.

“He was super-charged and did a group hug with the director Kenny Ortega and his manager. He was like a kid in the candy store-he was so up for it.

“I walked him out to the car and he put his arm around me and, speaking softly like always does, he said to me, ‘Do you know what-we are here, we are going to make it. I love you for doing this and now I know I can do it.”

There have been claims over the past few days that ABBA will perform some of Michael’s O2 arena concert dates.

The quartet have so far resisted offers to reform following their split in 1983 but AEG Live are hoping to get them to sign up to take on several of the vacant dates.

David Campbell, chief executive of AEG Europe, said, “There’s a little foursome out in Sweden we keep talking to.”

A source close to the ‘Super Trooper’ hitmakers warned a comeback would be tricky.

The insider said, “There are millions on the table. But there are many hurdles to overcome.”

Michael Jackson is said to be waiting to find out whether he requires radiotherapy to treat his alleged skin cancer.

Reports are claiming that Jackson, 50, had cancerous growths removed from his nose and chest in a shave biopsy operation in Beverly Hills on Thursday.

The ‘Billy Jean’ singer now faces a torturous wait for results to find out if the surgery was successful.

The Sun, have claimed that if the operation failed to eradicate all the diseased cells, the star will need weeks of grueling radiotherapy.

If this is the case, it is highly likely the treatment will effect his scheduled dates at London’s O2 arena.

Yesterday it was announced that Jackson is postponing the start of his ‘This Is It’ comeback shows.

The first concert of the 50-night run will now be on 13^th July, five days later than initially planned.

 Shows planned to take place on 10^th, 12^th and 14^th July have been put back to March 2010.

Friends of Jackson have said he is worried sick and plans to spend the next few days praying for his health.

A source said: “It’s about waiting and praying now.”

However Randy Phillips, president of AEG Live who are the promoters behind his forthcoming residency, has strongly denied Jackson has cancer and claimed the set backs are merely due to the show being “massive and technically complex”.

He also put an end to wild rumours surrounding the stars health saying that: “Michael is not sleeping with elephants and not suffering from skin cancer” adding, “He’s in great shape. I’d trade my body for his tomorrow.”

Fans who bought tickets for the postponed shows – including hundreds who live as far away as Australia and South America – are fuming over the changes.

Ticket holders who can’t make the new dates will be given full refunds, however AEG Live refuse to offer compensation for travel and accommodation.

An auction of Michael Jackson’s possessions has been cancelled.

The auction reported to sell around 2,000 of the stars belongings, was labelled a ‘misunderstanding’ and was abandoned last night (14th April) after Jackson filed a law suit to stop it going ahead.

Dr Tohme, the pop sensations, manager, said, “It was a misunderstanding. It was his personal property. It was never supposed to be sold.”

The auction was due to take place at Julien’s Auction House in Los Angeles next Wednesday, (22nd April) selling items from Jackson’s recently sold Neverland ranch in Santa Barbara, California – which included a customised Rolls Royce car, a single crystal white glove worn in the singer’s famous Billie Jean video and various stage costumes.

Darren Julien, organiser of the auction, said, “The auction is not going to take place. We wanted to reach an agreement with Jackson, and we have reached one today that is mutually acceptable and beneficial.”

MJJ, the 50-year-old stars production company, launched legal action against the auction last month, arguing that Jackson had not approved the sale of his goods in such manner, despite earlier co-operation with the organisers.

While the sale of Jackson’s possessions was expected to fetch around $12 million, a display of his items is still open to the public until the 25th April, after which the goods will be returned to Jackson.

Tohme said, “One day he will have a beautiful museum, like Graceland.”

Jackson is due to perform 50 sold out concerts at the O2 Arena, billed as his last ever concerts in the UK, due to start in June this year.

Michael Jackson is selling personal items including his famous jewelled white glove and a robotic head, the world famous pop icon is planning to hold a five day public auction at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles in April 2009. 

More than 2,000 possessions and memorabilia from his career will go on sale, including sequined socks, a portrait of himself dressed as an Elizabethan king, a collection of Pope-mobile buggies with Jackson’s face painted on them and the glove featured in his ‘Billie Jean’ video.

The items included are so extensive, a six-volume book has been printed to detail every lot and US TV channel The Auction Network will broadcast the event live. Jackson is really going to town with this auction and even the entry gates, arcade games, fixtures, fittings and amusement rides from Jackson’s abandoned Neverland ranch will be available for purchase.

Michael Jackson was once worth £500 million but is now facing severe financial problems and is also said to be battling a potentially ”flesh-eating” superbug.

The 50-year-old singer reportedly contracted the skin infection – which is resistant to conventional antibiotics – while having surgery to reconstruct his nose, the infection is spreading through his body and there’s a chance it could turn into a flesh-eating disorder where it begins to kill off his skin, so he’s being very carefully monitored.

Bad plastic surgery happens when someone feels pressure to look good and they have more money than brains, and this pretty much describes the majority of celebrities out there. Most celebrities were genetically blessed to begin with, which makes you wonder why they would risk their good looks just to hold off from aging a tiny bit longer. And many of the younger celebrities have absolutely no excuse at all, as good diet, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle would have fixed most of any flaws they felt they had.

Celebrity – Tara Reid

Surgery botched – Boob Job and Stomach Lipo, Tara Reid’s stomach looks to be about forty years older than the rest of her.

Celebrity – Lil Kim

Surgery botched - Boob Job, Face Work, Skin Lightened, Lil Kim is heading down the same path as Michael Jackson, can’t wait to see what she looks like in twenty years.

Celebrity – Janet Jackson

Surgery botched – Breast Implants, never good when you have a giant dent in your boob, Janet needs to get it sorted straight away and you think she would with the money she has!

Celebrity – Jessica Simpson

Surgery botched – Lips, it was lucky for Jessica not all bad plastic surgery is permanent, Jess talked about her lip enhancement, saying “I had that Restylane stuff … It looked fake to me. I didn’t like that. But… it went away in, like, four months. My lips are back to what they were. Thank God!”

Celebrity – Hilary Duff

Surgery botched - Veneers, Hilary’s veeners look more like the teeth of a horse than a famous celebrity.

Celebrity – Victoria Beckham

Surgery botched – Breast Implants, how convenient that it looks as if she’s had a couple of soccer balls implanted into her chest.

Celebrity – Donatella Versace

Surgery botched - Lips, Facelift, Donatella is beginning to loose all traces of humanity through her obsession with plastic surgery and she isn’t content to grow old in a graceful manner, instead she would prefer to make a mockery of herself.

Celebrity – Vivica Fox

Surgery botched – Breast Implants, Fox apparently shares a surgeon with Janet Jackson…

Celebrity – Pete Burns

Surgery botched – Lips, Facelifts, Face Enhancements, Pete Burns actually agreed and filmed a special documentary called Pete Burns’ Cosmetic Surgery Nightmares.

Celebrity – Michael Jackson

Surgery botched – Skin lightening, nose jobs, face lifts, eye lifts, eyebrow lifts

Michael Jackson is reportedly being sued for $7 million, for allegedly breaking a contract with a Bahrain-based record company. It is claimed that he failed to deliver a new album under a deal with the 2 Seas label, which was a joint venture between him and his brother Jermaine.  Bell Pottinger Group which is a UK based public relations firm said yesterday that the breach-of-contract case had been filed at London’s Royal Courts of Justice.

Rumour has it that the suit may be related to a song Jackson was due to record with 2 Seas to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina which devastated New Orleans in 2005. The case will open on Monday and it has all come only a week after the music icon gave up his title to his Neverland ranch in California.

Jackson’s career fell apart when he was arrested in 2003 on charges that he molested a 13-year-old boy at Neverland, he was cleared of the charges in June 2005.

Lawyers for Shaikh Abdulla say the money was given to Jackson as an advance on the album and joint recording project with the Shaikh, who is an amateur songwriter – Jackson has claimed the money was a gift.