On the fourth day of Perezmas, pop culture gave to us…
FOUR lusciously litigious legal scandals.
It was the year of the pig SCANDAL, with the juicy personal details of some of your favorite A-listers being splashed across front pages for months. A legal court may have their rulings handed down by a judge and jury, but the court of public opinion is far harsher.
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Let’s relive some of the most scandalous moments of 2019, shall we?
Operation Varsity Blues
To say the least, this one is a DOOZY. In March, an investigation and related charges were made public which implicated wealthy parents who had allegedly tried to influence college admissions decisions for their children. So, why did this make such big news? Two celebrities, Felicity Huffman Macy and Lori Loughlin, were accused of being involved with the scandal.
Following Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli‘s arrest, the 55-year-old was subsequently dropped from her role on Fuller House and programs on the Hallmark Channel. The indictment against the couple alleged they made a $500,000 payment so the University of Southern California‘s admissions department would believe daughters Isabella Rose and Olivia Jade would be joining the women’s rowing team. In actuality, neither of the young women had ever rowed for sport.
The couple pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them, and have continued to maintain their innocence. Olivia faced severe backlash online because of her prominent YouTube channel, specifically after one video was found in which she said she only planned to attend college for parties. In December, she made her return online after months of silence.
As for Felicity Huffman, her husband William H Macy was not charged in the scandal, which alleged that the Desperate Housewives star had paid $15,000 to have someone take the SAT exam for her daughter to bump her scores. In May, she formally pled guilty to the charges against her and was sentenced in September to 14 days in jail, one year of supervised release, a $30,000 fine, and 250 hours of community service. The Academy Award nominee only served 12 of her 14 days in October.
Kathryn Dennis & Thomas Ravenel
These Southern Charm stars tried their best to keep their custody agreement classy, but things were anything but! Before we get into what happened in 2019, let’s refresh on Thomas Ravenel and Kathryn Dennis‘ past. In 2016, Dennis lost full custody of her children after testing positive for marijuana and entered rehab. In October 2018, she began to seek primary custody of daughter Kensington and son Saint after her ex was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and battery.
The two kicked off the new year with a bang after the former state Treasurer accused the 28-year-old of purchasing drugs from producers of the series. In August, the Bravolebrities were awarded joint temporary custody of the kids, with Ravenel as the primary custodian. This came prior to the 57-year-old pleading guilty to the assault and battery charges, which were brought upon him after his children’s former nanny accused him of rape. Eventually, the two reached a $125,000 settlement, and the exes are amicable again (for now).
#FreeBritney
Following her HIGHLY public unfollowing in 2008, Britney Spears has maintained little control over her own affairs. The legendary songstress checked into a mental health facility in April 2019, and many became quickly skeptical of the reason given for her admission. Though many hardcore fans of the 38-year-old have been quick to defend her in the past, the movement came to a head this year with the creation of #FreeBritney.
As theories began to grow regarding what was actually going on behind closed doors, one string held it all together: the allegation that the mother of two was being silenced and manipulated for the better part of a decade at the hands of her father, Jamie Spears.
To clarify, papa Spears has maintained control of his daughter’s estate for over a decade. Though he recently stepped down temporarily (following reports he was involved in a physical altercation with Sean Federline, Britney and Kevin Federline‘s eldest son), a hearing took place shortly after to reevaluate his status as he’s expected to resume his duties in January 2020. For the time being, Brit’s longtime care manager Jodi Montgomery has stepped into the position of handling day-to-day details, while the 67-year-old continues to oversee her financial life.
Aaron & Nick Carter
In September, Nick Carter was granted a temporary restraining order against his brother Aaron Carter, after he allegedly threatened to kill Nick’s then-pregnant wife Lauren Kitt. Aaron’s twin, Angel Carter was also granted a domestic violence restraining order.
The Aaron’s Party (Come Get It) singer began to dredge up his big brother’s past, tagging singer Melissa Schuman, who published accusations of rape against Nick which allegedly took place in the early 2000s, and then accused his late sister Leslie Carter of raping him “from the age of 10 to 13.”
Much like with Miz Spears, many fans continue to remain concerned about the overall mental state of Aaron, who has continued to exhibit concerning behavior following the latest brotherly spat, including getting numerous face tattoos and going on various Twitter rants.
Which scandal was your favorite this year?! Sound OFF (below) in the comments with your take!!
[Image via WENN/Instar & Adriana M. Barraza/Dimitri Halkidis/FayesVision/WENN & Kathryn Dennis/Instagram.]
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