The top celebrity news stories of 2017

It was easily the biggest flub in award show history: Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway stood on the stage at the Academy Awards on Feb. 26 and announced the wrong best picture winner. Warren opened the card first and looked at it somewhat blankly. He then handed it to Faye, who announced that "La La Land" had won. Oops! The actual winner was "Moonlight." The duo had been given the wrong card — a backup envelope announcing best actress winner Emma Stone, who starred in "La la Land" — by a PricewaterhouseCoopers staffer who'd been tweeting backstage moments before. Faye simply saw the movie title next to Emma's name and announced it. Chaos ensued and the Oscar statuettes were literally taken out of the hands of the producers of "La La Land" and placed into the hands of the "Moonlight" producers once the mistake was realized. The accounting firm later issued a statement claiming "full responsibility" for the debacle. What a mess!

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A tragic and senseless act shook the entertainment world to its core on May 22. As fans exited Ariana Grande's concert inside the 21,000-seat Manchester Arena that evening, a suicide bomber blew himself up in the venue's rotunda, killing 22 — including an 8-year-old girl — and injuring more than 60 others. British authorities quickly ruled it a terrorist attack. It was reported that Ariana's mother helped rush several fans backstage after hearing the bomb go off. Several hours later, Ariana flew home to Florida and tweeted: "broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words." On June 4, Ariana returned to Manchester for a charity concert, which also included music heavyweights Coldplay, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams and the Black Eyed Peas. About $13 million was raised, with proceeds earmarked for victims and their families. "I love you guys so much, and I think the kind of love and unity you're displaying is the medicine the world needs right now," Ariana told the crowd of 50,000.

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George Clooney and Amal Clooney became parents to twins on June 6. The couple announced the birth of their son and daughter in a statement that, as usual, employed a little humor at the actor's expense. "This morning Amal and George welcomed Ella and Alexander Clooney into their lives. Ella, Alexander and Amal are all healthy, happy and doing fine. George is sedated and should recover in a few days," the statement read. The twins, who both have dark hair, were born in London, where they will also be raised.

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It seemed like it took forever to happen, but on June 13, Beyonce and JAY-Z welcomed their twins, a boy and a girl. The couple named them Sir and Rumi. A few days later, TMZ reported that the babies were born premature and were "under the lights," which likely refers to the phototherapy that's used on babies who have jaundice. The kids, however, are fine. Beyonce finally confirmed the births herself with an epic Instagram post on July 13.

Country music will always remember Oct. 1, 2017. So will Las Vegas. On that day, while Jason Aldean was performing, capping off the three-day Route 91 Harvest country music festival in Vegas, a gunman began firing down onto the crowd of roughly 25,000 people. After a flurry of gunshots, which went on for more than 10 minutes, finally ended, 58 people were dead and over 500 were injured. It was the worst mass shooting in United States history. The gunman, who was firing from his room on the 32nd floor of the nearby Mandalay Bay hotel, took his own life. Afterward, Jason took to Instagram. "Tonight has been beyond horrific. I still don't know what to say but wanted to let everyone know that Me and my Crew are safe," he wrote. "My Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved tonight. It hurts my heart that this would happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what should have been a fun night. #heartbroken #stopthehate." A few days later, Jason and his wife returned to Vegas to visit with victims in the hospital. Just six days after the shooting, he performed on "Saturday Night Live," opening the show by stating, "This week, we witnessed one of the worst tragedies in American history. Like everyone, I'm struggling to understand what happened that night and how to pick up the pieces and start to heal. So many people are hurting. There are children, parents, brothers, sisters, friends — they're all part of our family. So I want to say to them: We hurt for you and we hurt with you. But you can be sure we're going to walk through these tough times together, every step of the way, because when America is at its best, our bond and our spirit, it's unbreakable."

This story is messy and terrible. Really, really messy, and really, really terrible. Dozens of women including several A-list actresses came out in force in October and November to blast studio executive Harvey Weinstein, claiming he sexually harassed or sexually assaulted them. Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Judd, Lupita Nyong'o and more said they were victims of unwanted advances. Rose McGowan accused him of rape. Within days, the Weinstein Company board fired Harvey amid the scandal. Hillary Clinton, Meryl Streep, Judi Dench, Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Mira Sorvino and Rosanna Arquette are among those who've denounced him. Ben Affleck said Harvey's actions are "completely unacceptable." George Clooney called his behavior "indefensible." Harvey admitted to some of the bad behavior — though his lawyers later claimed every encounter was consensual — saying, "I came of age in the '60s and '70s, when all the rules about behavior and workplaces were different. That was the culture then. I appreciate the way I've behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it. Though I'm trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go." On Oct. 10, things got even more serious when The New Yorker alleged that he raped three women, including actress Asia Argento. He's denied it. Harvey's wife also left him. He completed a week in outpatient rehab for his issues and reportedly plans to seek additional help. To date, more than 100 women have made accusations against Harvey. And it could get worse. New York City police have been investigating a claim that Harvey raped "Boardwalk Empire" star Paz de la Huerta in recent years. Detective Nicholas DiGaudio, who's leading the investigation, told Vanity Fair on Nov. 3, "I believe based on my interviews with Paz that from the NYPD standpoint, we have enough to make an arrest." Yet more dark news emerged in early November: Investigative reporter Ronan Farrow published a story in The New Yorker revealing that the mogul had hired private investigators and security firms to silence his accusers and suppress stories about his behavior before it came to light publicly.

On May 18, the music world suffered a devastating loss when Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell was found dead in a Detroit hotel room at the age of 52. A medical examiner's report said he committed suicide by hanging. His wife, Vicky Cornell, speculated that his death could actually have been the result of Chris taking too much Ativan, a mood-stabilizing medication. "I know that he loved our children and he would not hurt them by intentionally taking his own life," she said in a statement on May 19. Just hours before his death, Chris had finished a concert at the MGM Grand Detroit. Vicki said he seemed off when she spoke to him following that final show. Toxicology tests showed Chris, a recovering addict, had several prescription and over-the-counter drugs in his system at the time of his death including naloxone (Narcan), butalbital (a sedative), lorazepam (Ativan), pseudoephedrine (a decongestant) and barbiturates, according to TMZ. The coroner, however, stated that "drugs did not contribute to the cause of death."

The royal family is growing again. On Sept. 4, Kensington Palace announced that Prince William and Duchess Kate were expecting a sibling for Prince George and Princess Charlotte. "Their royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their third child," the palace said in a statement posted to Twitter. "The Queen and members of both families are delighted with the news." The statement also said that Kate was again suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, better known as acute morning sickness. While attending the National Mental Health and Policing conference in Oxford, England, on Sept. 5, Will opened up about the pregnancy. "It's very good news," he said. "There's not much sleep going on at the moment." In October, Kate made her first public appearance since announcing the pregnancy and was "bump shamed" over the size of her small belly.

Tom Petty, a rock icon whose career spanned five decades, died on Oct. 2. He was 66. His longtime manager shared the sad news on Tom's official Twitter page. "On behalf of the Tom Petty family, we are devastated to announce the untimely death of our father, husband, brother, leader and friend Tom Petty. He suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu in the early hours of this morning and was taken to UCLA Medical Center but could not be revived. He died peacefully at 8:40 p.m. PT surrounded by family, his bandmates and friends." At his post-funeral reception, friends received special T-shirts.

Just call it the royal-adjacent wedding! On May 20, Duchess Kate's sister, Pippa Middleton, married financier James Matthews in England. Kate's sister said "I do" in a custom Giles Deacon gown. As expected, attendees included Prince William, Kate and their kids, pageboy Prince George and bridesmaid Princess Charlotte, as well as Prince Harry. His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, later joined him at the reception at the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, England. Pippa and James celebrated their honeymoon in French Polynesia and Australia.

The downfall of Kevin Spacey began on Oct. 29. On that fateful day, the actor revealed on Twitter he has had sexual encounters with men and women, but he has chosen to "now live as a gay man." His coming out announcement was hardly taken as a bright moment for the LGBTQ community, though. In fact, many saw it as a distraction from a real issue. That's because a few hours before the announcement, actor Anthony Rapp alleged he was at Kevin's house in 1986 when the Oscar winner placed him on a bed, climbed on top of him and made sexual advances toward him. Anthony was 14 years old at the time. Kevin was 26. Kevin was slammed for his response to Anthony's claim — he said he didn't remember it and called it "inappropriate drunken behavior" — because he conflated it with his announcement that he's gay. As fervor grew — and more allegations about Kevin's behavior emerged — Netflix announced it would end Kevin's hit show, "House of Cards," once the current season was finished filming. It then changed course and said production was suspended. Kevin was also cut from Ridley Scott's "All the Money in the World" and replaced by Christopher Plummer less than two months before its December release. On Nov. 1, Kevin's publicist said the actor was seeking unspecified treatment (the publicist and Kevin's agent then parted ways with him). Then more people came forward. CNN reported on Nov. 3 that one former "House of Cards" production assistant accused Kevin of sexually assaulting him. Eight current or former employees of the show said Kevin made the environment "toxic" because of a pattern of sexual harassment. Also on Nov. 3, a report from The Sun claimed Kevin was being investigated by U.K. police over an alleged sexual assault that was said to have occurred in 2008. In November, his own brother even called him a "monster." On Nov. 8, a former news anchor says Kevin sexually assaulted her son last year. The Old Vic in London, the theater where Kevin was artistic director from 2004 to 2015, revealed in mid-November that it's uncovered 20 allegations of inappropriate behavior against him after hiring an outside firm to investigate. As of now, at least, it seems that Kevin won't be able to recover from this.

All has not been well for Lady Gaga. The singer revealed on Sept. 12 that she suffers from fibromyalgia, which has been suspected for years by others who have the same condition. In her documentary "Gaga: Five Foot Two," which she released in September, she detailed her battle with fibromyalgia, which is a disorder that causes widespread muscle pain and tenderness. "In our documentary the #chronicillness #chronicpain I deal w/ is #Fibromyalgia," she wrote on Twitter. "I wish to help raise awareness & connect people who have it." On Sept. 18, she announced that due to pain, she was postponing her European tour in the fall. She also canceled her Rock in Rio concert appearance, which was scheduled for Sept. 15. But things seem to be going well with her love life in 2017: In October, there were rumors that Gaga and talent agent Christian Carino — they first went public with their romance in January before her epic Super Bowl Halftime Show performance — had secretly gotten engaged.

On Nov. 4, Kate Upton and Justin Verlander got married in Italy, just three days after he won the World Series with the Houston Astros. The model and her husband both posted an image to their Instagram pages on Nov. 6 which showed them after exchanging "I do's." "I feel so lucky that I got to marry my best friend!!," Kate wrote. "Thank you to our family and friends for making this weekend so fun and magical!" Justin, who missed the Houston Astros championship parade for the wedding, wrote, "Happy wife happy life! What an amazing beginning to our journey together! @kateupton #justmarried."

Kendall Jenner found herself at the center of a controversy because of a Pepsi commercial/short film she starred in in April. In the video, she successfully achieves unity between police and protesters by offering a cop a can of Pepsi. Many felt the ad was completely tone deaf. The ad hit very close to home for some as protesters and police have been clashing in real life over the last several years, often with violent outcomes. Critics thought the ad was an example of exploitation for profit and took to Twitter to skewer Pepsi and Kendall. The soda brand ultimately took down the ad and apologized to Kendall.

The music world was shocked when it lost another member to suicide, and it was eerily similar to the death of Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell. Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington died on July 20 after hanging himself. He was 41. Multiple media outlets reported that Chester's body was discovered at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California, on what would have been his close friend Chris's 53rd birthday. (Chris committed suicide by hanging in June.) Chester is survived by six children and his second wife. A day after his death, Linkin Park canceled its tour and on July 22, the band set up a tribute site for Chester. Celebrities from all walks of life reacted to the news with shock and sadness. Rihanna said he was "the most impressive talent I've ever seen live!" Jimmy Kimmel said Chester was "one of the kindest men I've had on my show." Ryan Seacrest said it was "devastating."

The world's most eligible bachelor is officially no longer available! On Nov. 27, Kensington Palace announced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got engaged. The wedding will be in May 2018 at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The day the engagement was announced, Harry and Meghan spoke together for the first time, telling the BBC that the proposal happened a few weeks ago at their cottage in Kensington Palace. "It was a cozy night," Meghan said. "We were roasting chicken. It was just an amazing surprise. It was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got down on one knee." Harry said, "It was a really nice moment — it was just the two of us. I think I managed to catch her by surprise." Meghan said, "Yes, as a matter of fact I could barely let you finish proposing! I said, 'Can I say yes now!'" Rumors of an engagement had surrounded the duo for months. The way they showed the world that they are serious about one another felt very carefully orchestrated. In early September, Meghan spoke publicly, for the very first time, about dating the prince. "I can tell you that at the end of the day I think it's really simple. We're two people who are really happy and in love," she said in a cover story for Vanity Fair. A few weeks later, they upped the ante when they stepped out for Harry's beloved Invictus Games in Toronto, where she shoots "Suits" — he even visited her on set. The couple initially sat apart at the beginning of the games, but they emerged on Sept. 25 holding hands as they walked to a wheelchair tennis event, which they watched sitting side by side. The palace had previously confirmed that Harry and Meghan were dating, but this was their first real "look at us" moment.

No one saw this coming. Bill Paxton, star of "Big Love," "Jurassic Park," "Weird Science" and more, passed away at 61 on Feb. 25 after suffering a stroke following heart surgery. He had gone in to have a heart valve replaced and an aortic aneurysm corrected when complications arose. The surgery was on Feb. 14. He died 11 days later.

In late May, comedian Kathy Griffin posed for a controversial and provocative photo in which she held up a bloody mask meant to resemble the decapitated head of President Donald Trump — a parody, she explained, of his headline-making blood-related 2015 comments about journalist Megyn Kelly. She felt backlash almost immediately and issued a heartfelt apology. But the damage was done: She was fired from her New Year's Eve hosting duties on CNN, lost an endorsement deal with Squatty Potty and saw venues cancel her comedy tour dates. A few days later on June 2, she held a press conference alongside her civil rights lawyer in which she accused the commander-in-chief and his family of bullying her and trying to "ruin" her life and her career after first lady Melania Trump made a rare public statement in which she questioned Kathy's mental health, Donald Trump Jr. called for Kathy to be fired from all her jobs and the president himself branded her "sick" on Twitter. "If you don't stand up, you get run over," Kathy said. "What's happening to me has never happened in this great country. A sitting president of the U.S. … is personally trying to ruin my life forever." The secret service launched an investigation into the circumstances of the photo shoot. In August, she said she was no longer sorry for the Trump pic.

Tragic. Chris Soules, who starred on Season 19 of "The Bachelor," was arrested on April 24 for his involvement in a fatal accident. Police reports indicate Chris was driving his truck when he slammed into a man driving a tractor, sending it into a ditch. The victim, farmer Kenneth Mosher, died from injuries sustained in the accident. Chris tended to him and called 911, but cops say he fled the scene before law enforcement arrived. He was later arrested at his home, several hours after the fatal accident (police had to get a search warrant to enter the home and bring him in). On April 25, Chris was released from jail after a judge set a $10,000 cash-only bond. There is speculation that he could have been intoxicated, but he was not charged with DUI. On April 27, his lawyers issued a statement explaining that Chris "acted reasonably and did everything in his power to provide aid to Mr. Mosher." As of now, he's only been charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident, which is a felony. He pled not guilty. A trial date is set for January 2018, and Chris is "staying positive."

On April 13 — almost two years after she and Ben Affleck announced that their 10-year marriage was ending — Jennifer Garner finally filed for divorce. The split, as expected, was totally amicable. There is no prenuptial agreement so they'll have to divvy up whatever they've earned during their marriage. Ben finally moved out of their family home in late April.

A few months after he and Jennifer Garner finally filed for divorce, Ben Affleck officially moved on. In early July, it was confirmed that the actor was dating "Saturday Night Live" producer Lindsay Shookus. People magazine reported that Ben and Lindsay's romance actually began few years ago while the two were still married to other people — and their spouses found out (she was wed to producer Kevin Miller). Ben went to the Emmys with Lindsay in September and they were seen house hunting together in October.

Men and women — including many celebrities — of all races and backgrounds marched on Jan. 21 to protest President Donald Trump's personal and political views, which they perceive as anti-women, and advocate for legislation and policies promoting human rights, reproductive rights, positive immigration reform and civil rights. It was officially called The Women's March. Peaceful protests were held all over the world. Stars including Jessica Biel, Miley Cyrus and Kerry Washington marched in Los Angeles. Chrissy Teigen, Katy Perry and Emma Watson let their voices be heard in Washington. Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron and Chelsea Handler marched in Park City, Utah, during the Sundance Film Festival. After all was said and done, it was the largest single-day protest in United States history.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are having a third child, but this time it's different — they're using a surrogate. Kim confirmed the news in October on "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." In November, the reality TV star opened up about the woman carrying her child. "I love her. I have the best relationship with my surrogate. She's so nice. She is the perfect person to do this for my family. She's great. She's been amazing," Kim said on "The Real." When the woman decided to be a surrogate, she didn't know that she would be carrying a very famous baby-to-be. "You could do it totally anonymously. You could go that route and I just felt like I wanted whoever's carrying my baby, like what if they weren't a fan of me or my husband and what if they didn't want to be carrying our baby? I wanted to give them that choice and be like, proud and on the same page. I wanted a relationship with her."

Everyone assumed that Taylor Swift had been single following her September 2016 split with Tom Hiddleston. We were all wrong. In May, it was reported that Taylor had been secretly seeing a little-known English actor named Joe Alwyn for months. Taylor often saw her beau in London without anyone knowing, and he traveled to see her in the United States several times as well. "Taylor and Joe are the real deal, this is a very serious relationship," a source told The Sun as news of the romance broke. "But after what happened with Tom Hiddleston, they were determined to keep it quiet… Taylor has flown in via private jets and her security has made it a military-like mission to prevent her from being seen. She's been walking around with Joe in London using disguises, like scarves and hats, to keep her identity under wraps. Nobody has a clue they've walked past a music superstar — not even her new neighbors." In the fall, she began releasing singles from her latest album, "Reputation," and it was clear many were all about Joe. Perhaps that contributed to the album's wild success: Within four days, it sold 1.05 million copies. It's also the top-selling album of 2017.

Selena Gomez was pretty quiet over the summer, despite the fact that she had new music to promote. On Sept. 14, we found out why. Selena revealed that months earlier, she'd quietly had a kidney transplant. In an Instagram post, Selena shared an image from her hospital bed showing her holding hands with her best friend, actress Francia Raisa, who's also her donor. "I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering. It was what I needed to do for my overall health," she wrote in part.

Kylie Jenner is going to be a mom. That's right, the reality TV star is pregnant with her first child. On Sept. 22, media outlets and Twitter were sent into a tizzy when multiple outlets began reporting that Kylie was expecting with her boyfriend of five months, rapper Travis Scott. TMZ broke the news, and People magazine later confirmed it. "They started telling friends a few weeks ago. The family has known for quite some time. She is REALLY excited and so is Travis!" a source told the mag. Another insider, however, says the family has some concerns. "Kylie is very naive," the insider said. "Spending time with other people's kids is obviously completely different than being a mom 24/7. Kylie of course has no idea about all the hard work and sleepless nights." According to TMZ, Kylie, who stepped out in Las Vegas wearing a baggy T-shirt that hid her bump one day after the news broke, is said to be expecting a girl in February. According to People, Kylie threw herself a pajama party-themed shower at her home in mid-November.

It's a KarJenner baby boom! On Sept. 26, it was reported that Khloe Kardashian was pregnant with her first child too! TMZ, People magazine and Us Weekly all reported that the reality TV star was expecting a baby with her boyfriend of about a year, basketball star Tristan Thompson. She's reportedly due in early 2018. TMZ said the baby, a boy, was "conceived naturally." (Tristan's son with ex-girlfriend Jordan Craig, Prince, turns 1 in December.)

Olivia Newton-John announced on May 30 that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time. Because of her condition, she postponed her current tour in the United States and Canada. A statement on her Facebook page said, "The back pain that initially caused her to postpone the first half of her concert tour has turned out to be breast cancer that has metastasized to the sacrum." The statement added that the "Grease" actress would complete wellness therapies and "a short course of photon radiation therapy." Olivia battled breast cancer for the first time in the '90s.

The high-profile sexual assault trial in which Bill Cosby faced off against one of his dozens of accusers ended in a mistrial on June 17 after a Pennsylvania jury stayed hopelessly deadlocked, unable to come to a unanimous decision. The jury deliberated for six days before a judge announced the mistrial (reports claimed that two of the 12 jurors could not find him guilty). In the middle of all of this, the defense asked for a mistrial, but the judge refused to grant one and told the jury to keep talking it out to try to reach a "guilty" or "not guilty" verdict. The legendary funnyman, whose reputation is all but shot, was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea Constand. He now faces a retrial in spring 2018.

Television legend Mary Tyler Moore died on Jan. 25 after battling a number of health problems. She was 80. Just prior to her death, reports stated that she was in "grave condition" and that family members had already said their final goodbyes. She had been on a respirator for more than a week. The funnylady is responsible for one of the most iconic images in TV history. At the end of the opening credits of her eponymous show, Mary tossed a knit hat in the air while the theme song says, "We're gonna make it after all." In 1999, Entertainment Weekly said that the image was the second-greatest moment in TV history, right behind the assassination and funeral of President John F. Kennedy.

On May 27, Miranda Kerr tied the knot with Snapchat billionaire Evan Spiegel. The two got married in a very small, private ceremony at their Los Angeles home. About 50 guests attended the nuptials. Miranda's family flew in for the wedding from Australia. E! News reported that the couple honeymooned at the Laucala Island resort — a private getaway in Fiji that costs from $12,800 to $60,000 a night. In November, the couple announced that they're expecting their first child together. (Miranda also has a son, 6-year-old Flynn, with ex-husband Orlando Bloom.)

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner are gonna get hitched! The "Game of Thrones" star took to Instagram on Oct. 15 to share a post flaunting her new engagement ring. She captioned it simply, "I said yes." Meanwhile, Joe shared the same picture with the caption, "She said yes." Joe and Sophie dated for about a year before the engagement.

Sinéad O'Connor was hospitalized after posting a lengthy video in which she said she was depressed, suicidal and living at a Travelodge motel in New Jersey on Aug. 3. In her weepy 12-minute video, Sinéad said, "I'm all by myself. And there's absolutely nobody in my life except my doctor, my psychiatrist, the sweetest man on earth, who says I'm his hero, and that's about the only… thing keeping me alive at the moment, the fact that I'm his bloody hero, and that's kind of pathetic." The troubled singer added that she was fighting to stay alive because "I love the people that are doing this to me. I'm not staying alive for me. If it was for me, I'd be gone." On Aug. 9, a South Hackensack Police Department spokesman said the singer had been hospitalized. A few days later, she said she was out of the hospital and feeling great. A few hours after that, she returned to the hospital.

It was a whirlwind of a year for Janet Jackson, for better and for worse. On Jan. 3, she welcomed son Eissa, clearly a joyous moment in her life. However, a mere three months later in early April, it was reported that Janet and her husband of nearly five years, Wissam Al Mana, had split. "They separated shortly after the baby was born," a source told People magazine. "The cultural differences between her and Wissam became even more obvious [after Eissa arrived]. They come from very different worlds. For years, Janet tried to adapt to his culture. Since it's not a culture she grew up with, it's been challenging for her. She often felt she disappointed Wissam." Janet was raised in the Jehovah's Witness faith, while Wissam follows Islam. She started her "State of the World" tour in September.

On March 14, Ben Affleck announced that he had completed a stint in rehab. In a Facebook post, he said, "I have completed treatment for alcohol addiction; something I've dealt with in the past and will continue to confront. I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be. I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be a source of strength for anyone out there who needs help but is afraid to take the first step." He then praised his estranged wife, Jennifer Garner. "I'm lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I've done the work I set out to do. This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery."

Richard Simmons had enough. On May 8, the reclusive fitness guru filed a bombshell lawsuit against RadarOnline, the National Enquirer and parent company American Media Inc. claiming that they published stories about him "in a hurtful campaign of defamations and privacy invasions." The lawsuit claimed a former associate tried to extort Richard and sold false stories to the American Media brands. Since Richard retreated from the public spotlight a few years ago, all sorts of crazy allegations have emerged, from stories claiming he's being held hostage by his housekeeper to others insisting he's transitioning into a woman. In August, a judge ruled in favor of American Media and even ordered Richard to pay the company's attorney fees, which totaled more than $220,000.

Is love dead after all? On May 26, Ben Stiller and his wife of 17 years, Christine Taylor, announced their separation. "With tremendous love and respect for each other, and the 18 years we spent together as a couple, we have made the decision to separate," they said in a joint statement. "Our priority will continue to be raising our children as devoted parents and the closest of friends. We kindly ask that the media respect our privacy at this time." Everyone thought these two were in it for the long haul. Somewhere, Derek Zoolander is crying.

Kevin Hart found himself on the wrong end of a cheating scandal in September after he was accused of being unfaithful to his pregnant second wife, Eniko Parrish. Without admitting it, he implied it was true. "I made a bad error in judgement and put myself in an environment where only bad things can happen, and they did," he said in an Instagram apology on Sept. 16, admitting that he was "wrong." The whole thing went public after someone tried to extort Kevin out of $10 million to keep the cheating allegations — and a mysterious video — from seeing the light of day. According to TMZ, a video shot in Las Vegas in August showed Kevin and aspiring singer-actress Montia Sabbag embracing as well as unidentified people making sexually charged sounds. "At the end of the day, I gotta do better," Kevin said, "but I'm also not going to allow a person to have financial gain off of my mistakes, and in this particular situation, that's what was attempted." Montia gave a press conference to deny any involvement with the extortion plot — she claimed she's a victim just like the comedian. In a Sept. 25 interview with DailyMail.com, she further claimed she flew to Vegas on a private plane with Kevin and had sex with him in his hotel suite three times over three days. Kevin's wife has stood by his side.

On Feb. 8, Madonna confirmed a rumor that had been swirling for weeks: She had indeed adopted orphaned twin girls from Malawi, Estere and Stelle. "I can officially confirm I have completed the process of adopting twin sisters from Malawi and am overjoyed that they are now part of our family," she captioned a photo of herself holding hands with her daughters. "I am deeply grateful to all those in Malawi who helped make this possible." Two of Madge's four other children, David, 12, and Mercy, 11, were also adopted from the African country.

Hugh Hefner, the mogul who created the Playboy empire, died at 91 on Sept. 27 at the famed Playboy mansion. In a statement, his son Cooper Hefner said, "My father lived an exceptional and impactful life as a media and cultural pioneer and a leading voice behind some of the most significant social and cultural movements of our time in advocating free speech, civil rights and sexual freedom. He defined a lifestyle and ethos that lie at the heart of the Playboy brand, one of the most recognizable and enduring in history." According to his death certificate, Hef, a Hollywood fixture, passed away after going into cardiac arrest and suffering from respiratory failure.

After two years of marriage, Scarlett Johansson and Romain Dauriac split. The news was made public in January. The two, who share 3-year-old daughter Rose, are fiercely private and they've both said little about the breakup. ScarJo asked for primary custody of their daughter, which Romain challenged. "As a devoted mother and private person and with complete awareness that my daughter will one day be old enough to read the news about herself, I would only like to say that I will never, ever be commenting on the dissolution of my marriage," she said in a statement to People magazine. "Out of respect for my desires as a parent and out of respect for all working moms, it is with kindness that I ask other parties involved and the media to do the same." In September, she and Romain settled their divorce and custody fight, but the terms remain private. In May, she started dating "SNL" star Colin Jost.

Abby Lee Miller will not be dancing anytime soon. The "Dance Moms" star was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison after pleading guilty to bankruptcy fraud. Prosecutors had alleged that Abby failed to disclose that she brought $120,000 worth of Australian currency into the country, and that she attempted to hide $775,000 of income from her Lifetime shows and other projects while going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. After her sentencing, Abby told "Good Morning America" about an interesting plan for how she'll spend her time in lockup. "I'm just going to pretend that I am shooting a movie, and we're on set, and I am there for 10 months," she said, "and that's the way it's gonna be." Day one of her sentence began on July 12. To prep for her time behind bars, she even hired a prison consultant, like in the movie "Get Hard."

As far as shocking splits go, this was a doozy. On Aug. 6, Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced that they had split up after eight years of marriage. Chris wrote on Facebook, "Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating. We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed. Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward. We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another." Anna released a similar statement on Instagram. Chris and Anna share son Jack, 5. There were reports that indicated that faith or lifestyle was to blame (she supposedly wanted to stay in Los Angeles, whereas he liked that his work took him all over the world for weeks or months at a time). Anna moved on quickly with a new man, cinematographer Michael Barrett, who she began dating in September.

Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk welcomed a daughter, Lea de Seine Shayk Cooper, on March 21 in Los Angeles. But they kept the happy news secret until the media finally got wind of it several weeks later — which makes sense, considering they were super-secretive throughout the pregnancy too. It's the first child for the couple, but likely not the last. "Bradley and Irina love each other so much and this is not gonna be the only kid — there will be a few more after this one," a source told E! News. "Both families are very happy." Both Bradley and Irina have been fiercely private about their daughter and their relationship.

It's hard to think of someone who had a more dramatic year than Rob Kardashian — and it was really self-inflicted. He went on a profanity-laced Instagram tirade on July 5 in which he accused his ex, Blac Chyna, of cheating and drug use. He also posted nude pictures of her online. Like, fully nude. (Twitter and Instagram took them down.) A few days later, Chyna was granted a restraining order against Rob. She still reportedly plans to go forward with a revenge porn case. In September, it was reported that she planned to file a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the brood, alleging they damaged her brand. That same day, it was reported that Rob filed a lawsuit against her, alleging abuse and vandalism during a drunken rampage. Then, in October, as promised, Chyna filed a lawsuit against not only Rob, but his whole family, though she later amended it to focus on Kim Kardashian West. There is no love lost between the KarJenners and Chyna.

Hollywood has been in the crosshairs of crooks of late. A slew of celebrities have been the victims of home burglaries in 2017. In February, $200,000 was taken from Nicki Minaj's home. A few weeks later, thieves made off with $2 million in jewelry from Alanis Morissette's home. In March, Kendall Jenner, Jaime Pressly and Emmy Rossum were victims. In May, it was Scott Disick and Michael B. Jordan on the wrong end of a burglary. And in June, David Spade fell victim to thieves as well.

"Dog the Bounty Hunter" star Beth Chapman was diagnosed with stage II throat cancer, it was revealed on Sept. 14. Husband Duane "Dog" Chapman confirmed the news on Facebook the following day. The reality star told friends about her diagnosis in a letter obtained by RadarOnline. "I've been dealt my share of unexpected blows over the course of my almost fifty years but nothing as serious as the one I heard from my doctors two weeks ago when they uttered those dreaded three words, 'You have cancer,'" she wrote. "After months of a nagging cough, a routine checkup resulted in a diagnosis of stage 2 throat cancer. I have what is referred to as a T2 Tumor in my throat that is blocking my breathing. My doctors are suggesting immediate treatment and surgery before the disease progresses." She vowed to "fight every step of the way." On Sept. 16, the Honolulu Star Advisor reported that Beth had completed her first round of surgery. "Her doctor said we won round one," Dog said. "Mahalo to everyone for their prayers."

The dust from the Harvey Weinstein scandal still hadn't settled in Hollywood, and with the producer's actions in mind, two words began to dominate social media in mid-October: "Me Too." The #MeToo movement, which was started a decade ago by activist Tarana Burke, was given new life by actress Alyssa Milano in response to the former Miramax mogul's sexual misconduct scandal. On Oct. 15, the actress tweeted a message that read, "Suggested by a friend: If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote 'Me too' as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem." She then wrote "Me too" and tweeted, "If you've been sexually harassed or assaulted write 'me too' as a reply to this tweet." Within 24 hours, "#MeToo" had been tweeted half a million times. It's now appeared millions more. "A moment can create a movement. This is our moment. This is our movement. #MeToo," Alyssa wrote.

Less than a year after tying the knot, "The Hills" star Audrina Patridge split with Corey Bohan, alleging both emotional and physical abuse. The reality TV star was granted a temporary restraining order against her husband on Sept. 18. She also claimed in court documents that he was suicidal and she worried he could abduct their daughter Kirra and take her to his native Australia. On Sept. 25, TMZ reported that Orange County, California, authorities decided there wasn't enough evidence to pursue a prosecution of the BMX pro. The duo fought over everything, it seemed, and he even refused to leave the home they shared together. A judge intervened and required him to move since the home was solely in her name, but she was required to pay $35,000 to help with his move. In mid-October, the duo reached a custody settlement concerning their daughter. A few weeks after that, Corey decided he wanted spousal support and more custody of their daughter.

"The world just got a lot less funny and just when we needed it the most." Those were the words of John Stamos on April 6 upon hearing the news that comic legend Don Rickles had passed away at the age of 90 due to kidney failure. Don, one of the last links to the old Rat Pack days of Frank Sinatra, was beloved by fellow comics and celebrities alike. Billy Crystal called it a "giant loss." Jim Carrey called him the "comic Everest." Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, a close friend, devoted a full 13-minute monologue to the master of insults. "I know it sounds crazy to say he was too young, but he was," Jimmy said during his tearful tribute. "Because he was youthful and funny and sharp and generous."

Talk about a complicated love life. On Oct. 30, it was reported that Selena Gomez and The Weeknd had called it quits after 10 months of dating. "Everyone wants love, but his focus is the business," a source told Page Six. "He's building a legacy. He's young and successful with money and can have any girl he wants. Their relationship kind of came out of nowhere." Almost immediately after the split, Selena turned to a familiar face — her off-and-on ex Justin Bieber — and they began hanging out constantly. According to widespread reports, he was eager to win her back — and it seemed to be working. After weeks of speculation about whether or not they were officially back on, Selena was photographed kissing the pop star at a hockey game on Nov. 15.

Scott Disick sure seemed back to his old ways earlier in the year. The reality TV star had been well on his way to cleaning up his act but in January, he was reportedly partying till the lights came on at the Sundance Film Festival. Then, a week after that, he allegedly flew a girl to Costa Rica to be with him during a Kardashian family vacation — and called himself a "sex addict." After that, he was seen with three different women in Miami. Then in May came the kicker: Scott headed to Cannes, France, with teen actress Bella Thorne. He then proceeded to flirt his way through the city and was seen partying with eight different women over the course of about a week. Bella headed home early and was said to be enraged and humiliated. In June, friends told Us Weekly that they were "concerned" for Scott, saying he was partying way too much, citing his late nights and heavy drinking in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Cannes, Monaco and London. Ex Kourtney Kardashian's family was also worried about him. Many believed Scott's behavior was all because his baby mama, Kourtney — whom he's called "the love of my life" — had started dating a new man, young boxer-turned-model Younes Bendjima. After Kourtney moved on, it looked like Scott did too. He started dating Sofia Richie, who is 15 years his junior.

Former Spice Girl Melanie Brown called time on her marriage to Stephen Belafonte in March and it got ugly quick. She alleged that during their nearly 10-year marriage, he abused her and sexually exploited her. She even claimed that Stephen got their nanny pregnant and convinced the woman to have an abortion. Stephen has denied it all. Mel B initially filed for joint legal and physical custody of their 5-year-old daughter, Madison, but later changed her mind and said she wanted sole custody. Mel has two other kids from previous relationships and has said she doesn't want Stephen to have any contact with them whatsoever. In November, Mel reached a settlement with Stephen and dropped her restraining order against him. Days later, it was revealed she'd also settled her restraining order case with former nanny Lorraine Gilles at the 11th hour before a trial over the matter was set to begin.

E! News host Maria Menounos revealed on July 3 that she'd been diagnosed with a brain tumor. The "Dancing With the Stars" alum shared the news with People magazine amid her mother's battle with stage 4 brain cancer. Maria's tumor, which was removed in June, was not cancerous. Her doctor told her there was a six to seven percent chance that they'd see her tumor come back, "but I'll take those odds any day," Maria said. Her fiance, Keven Undergaro, has been helping her through everything. "I don't have my balance fully yet but as long as I'm holding on to Keven, I'm sturdy and fine," she told the mag. "My face is still numb. This is something that takes at least a month of healing, but I'm getting stronger and stronger every day and I'll be back to normal very soon." She also confirmed that she had stepped down from her position at E! and indicated that she and Keven want to start a family. In late July, she even called her tumor "a gift," telling NBC, "I think that this was a gift, because I needed to change my life. I needed to change the way I did everything."

As far as odd stories went, this one was a gold medalist! R. Kelly is holding women against their will and running an abusive sex "cult," according to a strange investigative report by BuzzFeed News. The music star denied the claim. On July 17, a story was published alleging that R. Kelly, no stranger to bizarre stories, is housing half a dozen young women in properties in Chicago and Atlanta as part of a sex cult. Several women, supposedly the singer's former inner circle, spoke to Buzzfeed about the strict rules they say are in place. "Mr. Robert Kelly is both alarmed and disturbed by the recent revelations attributed to him. Mr. Kelly unequivocally denies such accusations and will work diligently and forcibly to pursue his accusers and clear his name," his rep said in a statement. One of his supposed hostages, Joycelyn Savage, spoke to TMZ after her dad said she was being held against her will. Although she wouldn't say where she was or if she was alone, she insisted she was not being held hostage and told her father to stop speaking about her.

The victory was, well, swift! In August, a Denver jury ruled in favor of Taylor Swift in her groping case against a DJ. The jury deliberated for four hours before handing down the decision on Aug. 14. The singer had accused former DJ David Mueller, whom she sued for a symbolic $1, of groping her at a meet-and-greet event in June 2013. In a statement, Taylor thanked the judge and her legal team for "fighting for me and anyone who feels silenced by a sexual assault." "I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this," she said. "My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard. Therefore, I will be making donations in the near future to multiple organizations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves." The former radio host — he was fired after Taylor's then-private accusations — still maintains he didn't grope her.

Fergie and Josh Duhamel announced on Sept. 14 that they had split after eight years of marriage. "With absolute love and respect we decided to separate as a couple earlier this year," the stars said in a joint statement. "To give our family the best opportunity to adjust, we wanted to keep this a private matter before sharing it with the public. We are and will always be united in our support of each other and our family." The duo share a son, 4-year-old Axl. "I wanted to stay married forever," she told Wendy Williams a month later, adding that divorce "wasn't my plan." She continued, "I love Josh, he's the father of my child, we forever have that project together and we're doing the best we can."

Toward the end of July, it was reported that Usher paid a woman $1.1 million to settle a lawsuit after she claimed she contracted a sexually transmitted disease from him, according to legal documents. The legal papers claim Usher knew that he had herpes but still engaged in unprotected sex with a woman without telling her of his condition. Then, as news of that lawsuit made headlines, another lawsuit was filed by another woman for similar reasons. In that lawsuit, the woman claimed she had unprotected sex with Usher in April but didn't know that she was potentially getting exposed to an STD. She was seeking $10 million in damages for negligence, battery and emotional distress. Another woman also came forward claiming she and Usher hooked up in a hotel room, something he adamantly denied.

It was a bizarre year for Aaron Carter. First, on July 15, Aaron was arrested on DUI and marijuana charges in Georgia. Interestingly enough, the arrest was actually Aaron's second run in with the police that night. TMZ reported that the singer went to a Walmart in Commerce, Georgia, after blowing out a tire on his Chevy Suburban, and he arrived riding on the rims of the vehicle. Aaron, though, supposedly couldn't pay the bill for a new tire and the police were called (employees feared that he had a spare key and could leave without paying the bill.) But all was settled after a fan paid the $110 tab for him. Then, on Aug. 5, he came out as bisexual, and the next day it was reported that he and his girlfriend had split. His sexuality, he explained, was something that has weighed on him for more than half his life. September was a whole other ball of wax. On Sept. 5, the singer tweeted that he got into a car accident and totaled his BMW. Then, over a 24-hour period, police showed up to his Florida home three times, all because of anonymous phone calls. Later in the month, on an episode of the "The Doctors," the pop star tested positive for a slew of prescription drugs (but he was clean of hardcore drugs like meth, heroin and cocaine). He was then invited to enter rehab for free to get his life in order. He declined. It was around this same time that Page Six reported that his family was desperately trying to stage an intervention with him. Then, on Sept. 19, he abruptly canceled some October concerts and entered rehab. He briefly left, then returned in early October and has since chronicled his healthy weight gain since seeking treatment. "I went from 115 to 160 pounds in two months," he wrote on Instagram in November. "I feel amazing. 2018 I'm ready for you!!"

Rock icon Chuck Berry passed away at his home near Wentzville, Missouri, on March 18 at the age of 90. The "Johnny B. Goode" singer died of natural causes. Paramedics responded and attempted to resuscitate him, but it was too late. Chuck was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

Nick Cannon found himself at odds with NBC in February over race-tinged jokes at the network's expense that he'd delivered on his Showtime comedy special "Stand Up, Don't Shoot." Network execs were not pleased when Nick joked that they wanted him to lose his "black card," and they nearly canned him from "America's Got Talent." But on Feb. 13, Nick took matters into his own hands and quit "AGT." In a Facebook post, Nick said, "There is no amount of money worth my dignity or my integrity. I have loved hosting AMERICAS GOT TALENT for the last 8 seasons… but my soul won't allow me to be in business with corporations that attempt to frown on freedom of speech, censor artists, and question cultural choices."

"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Phaedra Parks was fired from the Bravo show after she confessed to being the source of a date rape rumor involving other cast members. The firing was reported on May 8. During a "Housewives" reunion, Phaedra acknowledged that she had spread a rumor that indicated that co-stars Kandi Burruss and husband Todd Tucker wanted to drug Porsha Williams and take advantage of her sexually. Bravo felt that her comments crossed a line. A day after the firing, Kandi said she was considering legal action against Phaedra.

"Paradise" became a mess! On June 4, production on ABC's "Bachelor in Paradise" was suspended amid reports of possible sexual misconduct involving DeMario Jackson and Corinne Olympios. Reports revealed both were inebriated and fooling around in a swimming pool. Staffers apparently filed complaints in the days following the incident, which lead Warner Bros. to investigate whether Corinne might have been too drunk to consent. Corinne maintained that she was a "victim" while DeMario insisted that video footage would vindicate him. After investigators viewed video of the events and interviewed witnesses, they determined that no wrongdoing had occurred. Claims have continued to surface alleging that Corinne was "fully engaged" and lucid throughout the incident. Corinne's lawyers said they are still investigating. ABC resumed filming the show in late June, and on June 26, E! News aired a bombshell interview with DeMario in which he told his side of the story. Then, something happened later in the year: Corinne and DeMario started hanging out.

Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander got married in October! Multiple media outlets confirmed that the actors wed at La Granja farmstead resort in Ibiza, Spain, on Oct. 14 after three years of dating. Both Alicia and Michael were seen wearing wedding rings the following day at what appeared to be a casual post-nuptial brunch with friends and family and in the days that followed were photographed on their honeymoon in Italy.

Ryan Phillippe's ex-girlfriend accused him of domestic violence, it was revealed on Sept. 18. Elsie Hewitt, a model who dated Ryan earlier this year, claimed she was assaulted on July 4 at his home. In court documents obtained by The Blast, she said Ryan "hit," "kicked," "punched" and "threw [Hewitt] down flight of stairs causing visible injuries to legs back, arms, shoulder and face." Ryan's camp released this statement: "As a staunch advocate for the health, well-being and equality of women, Ryan is completely devastated that these false allegations have been made and circulated. Domestic violence is an incredibly serious issue and fabricated and proven false claims should not be used to unjustly slander the falsely accused. The claims are false." The L.A. City Attorney declined to file charges following an investigation.

After 16 years together, Helen Hunt and her writer-producer boyfriend, Matthew Carnahan, split. The split, it seems, was less than amicable. "The breakup was very messy," a source told In Touch, adding that Helen "was convinced Matthew had strayed. She had been suspicious for a long time that something was wrong. But he insisted he didn't betray her." They share a 13-year-old daughter. A source later told E! News that they've had a rocky relationship for a while. "She has been split up with Matthew for several months. They had a rocky relationship and many offs and ons over the years. They stayed together as long as they did because of their daughter," a source told E! News. "They've split up before, but this time seems to be different."