On Jan. 16, it was revealed that the Notre Dame linebacker had lied about the deaths of two loved ones—his grandmother and his girlfriend—in the lead-up to 2012's National Championship Game. Though he learned about the hoax in December, Te'o insisted he was the victim of "sad and very cruel deception." A pal later admitted to luring Te'o into an online relationship with a nonexistent woman. During a Katie appearance on Jan. 24, the athlete played three voicemails from a woman claiming to be his "girlfriend," Lennay Kekua.
The disgraced cyclist admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs during a two-night Oprah's Next Chapter special that aired on Jan. 17–18. "Do you think it was it possible to win [the Tour de France] seven times in a row without it?" Oprah Winfrey asked Armstrong. "No," he replied. "I viewed it as very simple—oxygen boosting drugs that were incredibly beneficial for performance sports. And that's all you needed. My cocktail was only EPO [erythropoietin]—not a lot—transfusions and testosterone."
The singer performed used a prerecorded version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at President Barack Obama's second inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21. Beyoncé addressed the controversy at a Super Bowl XLVII press conference by singing the national anthem a capella and asking, "Any questions?"
Porn star James Deen confirmed on Apr. 8 that he had sex on camera with the former Teen Mom star. Abraham brokered a deal with Vivid Entertainment to release the X-rated home video the following month. She later defended the decision to sell Farrah Superstar: Backdoor Teen Mom, telling E! News that she was "happy with the seven figure settlement" she received. Abraham later designed a line of sex toys.
Jim Toth was pulled over in Atlanta on Apr. 19. A police officer repeatedly told Witherspoon to stay inside the car while he administered Toth's field sobriety test; she lied about being pregnant and needing to pee, all while continuing to badger him. "Do you know my name, sir?" the intoxicated actress asked. "You're about to find out who I am!" Witherspoon was charged with disorderly conduct, while the CAA agent was charged with driving under the influence. They both pleaded no contest in court, and several charges were dismissed. Witherspoon issued a public apology via her rep, saying she was "deeply embarrassed" by her drunken behavior. "The words I used that night definitely do not reflect who I am," she said. "I have nothing but respect for the police and I'm very sorry for my behavior."
Michael Jackson's daughter tried to take her own life on June 5. "She's been dealing with depression," a family source told E! News at the time. Debbie Rowe later revealed that Paris missed her father and "doesn't feel she has a life anymore." Two months after Paris first sought treatment, her grandmother Katherine Jackson told Hello! that the teen was "in a good place." Paris has not been seen in public since being hospitalized over the summer.
Today's Matt Lauer grilled Deen on June 26 over the racial slur incident that threatened to end her career as a celebrity chef. After admitting to previously using the N-word in a court deposition, Deen was fired by the Food Network and lost several endorsement deals. "There's been some hurtful lies told about me," she told Lauer. "The main reason I'm here today, it's important that I tell you and everyone out there how I live my life...I believe that everyone should be treated equal." On Aug. 12, a federal judge dismissed former restaurant manager Lisa Jackson's discrimination claims againd Deen and her brother.
The Easy A star was arrested on May 23 for allegedly throwing a bong out of her apartment window. She wore a blue wig in court on July 9, where she faced charges of reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence and marijuana possession. Less than two weeks later, she was put on a 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold after starting a small fire on a driveway in Thousand Oaks, Calif., near her childhood home. The next month, a judge agreed to extend Bynes' involuntary treatment to 30 days and granted her parents temporary conservatorship over her affairs. On Dec. 5, the family's attorney announced Bynes completed inpatient treatment and was "back home in the custody of her parents" in L.A.
The Glee star was found dead in his Vancouver hotel room on July 13. The news was especially shocking, given that the TV star had sought treatment for substance abuse addiction that spring. In October, a coroner's report revealed that Lea Michele's boyfriend "died of mixed drug toxicity, involving intravenous heroin use combined with the ingestion of alcohol." That same month, Glee paid tribute to the actor and his character in an episode titled "The Quarterback."
On July 29, in his 39-count indictment, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman charged the Real Housewives of New Jersey stars with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, bank fraud, making false statements on loan applications and bankruptcy fraud. Joe was also charged with failure to file tax returns from 2004 through 2008, during which time he allegedly earned nearly $1 million. The couple pleaded not guilty in federal court on Aug. 14. "We're good people," Teresa said on a Sept. 29 Watch What Happens Live special. "I don't understand why this is happening to us." The Giudices were indicted on two additional counts of fraud in November. They will stand trial in February 2014.
On July 31, E! News confirmed that Cowell was expecting a baby with Lauren Silverman. At the time, the socialite was still married to the X Factor creator's friend, real estate mogul Andrew Silverman; their divorce was finalized in December. Cowell is expecting a baby boy in February 2014. Asked if he'll name his firstborn Simon Jr., he cheekily told E! News in November, "You'll have to wait and see!"
At the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 25, Cyrus stripped to flesh-colored latex lingerie and joined Thicke for a show-stopping performance of his No. 1 hit, "Blurred Lines." The pop princess repeatedly stuck her tongue out, pretended to kiss Thicke's neck and played with a giant foam finger, shocking audience members and TV viewers alike. "We could have even gone further, but we didn't. I thought that's what the VMAs were all about!" Cyrus said in Rolling Stone's Oct. 8 issue. "It's not the Grammys or the Oscars. You're not supposed to show up in a gown, Vanna White-style. It's supposed to be fun!"
To celebrate Halloween, the movie star dressed up as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren from the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black on Oct. 25. Hough painted her skin darker to look more like actress Uzo Aduba—and it caused quite the controversy. "It certainly was never my intention to be disrespectful or demeaning to anyone in any way," the Footloose star tweeted. "I realize my costume hurt and offended people and I truly apologize." Aduba later told E! News she'd forgiven Hough, saying, "I think maybe it was an unfortunate event, but she apologized and I feel like we can all move on."
On Nov. 6, Brazilian bodybuilder Tatiana Neves Barbosa uploaded a 15-second clip of the pop star taking a snooze. After Bieber napping, she turned the camera on herself and blew the singer a kiss. Barbosa—a part-time go-go dancer—later implied that the two hooked up during Bieber's bash. Asked if they kissed, she replied, "What do you think, if I was sleeping in the bedroom, just me and him?" Bieber's reps had no comment on the video, which has been viewed more than 37 million times.
The reality show patriarch raised eyebrows after saying anti-gay remarks during a GQ interview, which led to Robertson getting suspended from the show by A&E.
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