Careers after controversy
What he did: In July, alleged recordings of Gibson berating and threatening his estranged girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva (pictured), with physical abuse were leaked on the Internet before the couple went to court over shared custody of their young daughter, Lucia. In addition to the attacks on Grigorieva, the recordings included racist rants.
This follows a 2006 incident in which Gibson was pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving in Malibu. A sheriff’s deputy said Gibson accused Jews of being responsible for all wars. Gibson also reportedly made a crude sexual remark to a female deputy. It was not the first time Gibson had sparked controversy.
What happened next: After the Malibu arrest, Gibson quickly issued an apology, offered to meet with Jewish leaders, agreed to enter an alcohol recovery program and did a confessional interview with Diane Sawyer. It’s unclear whether he’ll get off so easily this time: Legal battles for custody of Lucia continue, and the tapes are in the hands of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department while a domestic-abuse case is investigated.
Residual effects: Gibson’s “The Beaver” opens at South by Southwest film festival in March, but its wide release has been pushed back until May 2011, where it will have to do battle against Johnny Depp’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.” While this might put some more padding between the summer 2010 scandal and the film, it also offers a dandy excuse if the film tanks. (Jewel Samad / AFP/Getty Images)
Controversial character:
What he did: Late-night talk show host David Letterman announced he was the victim of a $2 million extortion plot threatening to reveal his sexual affairs with several female “Late Show” staffers.
What happened next: Officials charge CBS News producer Robert “Joe” Halderman with trying to blackmail Letterman for $2 million in the extortion case.
Residual effects: Letterman made an on-air apology and turned an unflattering sex scandal into a 22 percent ratings hike. (Photo by Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images)
Controversial character: Kanye West
What he did: West stormed the stage at the VMA awards on Sept. 13, to protest Taylor Swift ‘s win for “Best Female Video.” The rapper grabbed the microphone and announced that Beyonce, also nominated, should have won. A shocked and stunned Swift didn’t get to finish her acceptance speech.
What happened next: West apologized to Swift, her fans and her mother on his blog the next day.
Residual effects: Swift was able to recapture her moment when Beyonce won video of the year and invited the country music star back on stage to properly “have her moment.” West appeared on the new prime-time version of “The Jay Leno Show,” the following week. (Christopher Polk/Getty Images)
What they did: Ten days before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the band’s lead singer, Natalie Maines, publicly criticized President George W. Bush at a concert in England, saying the group was embarrassed that Bush came from their home state of Texas.
What happened next: Conservative radio talk-show hosts railed against them, the Chicks’ music was banned from some radio stations and angry protesters rounded up their albums in garbage cans. Their Accidents & Accusations tour in 2006 suffered from low ticket sales in the U.S., but did well in Canada, where their album “Taking the Long Way” went platinum several times over. Their greatest hits album, “Playlist: The Very Best of Dixie Chicks,” was released last June.
Residual effects: In 2007, the Chicks won five Grammys, winning every award for which they were nominated. They were also nominated for Country Music Assn.’s top vocal group award but lost to Rascal Flatts. Maines has since been seen as an interviewee in the documentary “Pete Seeger: The Power of Song,” in which she speaks of the singer’s own controversies. (Jason Janik / Associated Press)
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What she did: Technically, it’s what Justin Timberlake did, which was pull back Jackson’s shirt to reveal her right breast (partially covered by a nipple shield) at the end of his song “Rock Your Body” during the halftime show of the 2004 Super Bowl.
What happened next: Jackson apologized for the “wardrobe malfunction,” but she was told by CBS that she could not appear on its 46th annual Grammy Awards show. The singer was pulled from playing the starring role in a biopic of Lena Horne, by Horne’s request.
Residual effects: Jackson released her album “Damita Jo” one month after the incident and it sold 400,000 copies in one week. Her most recent album, “Discipline,” was released in 2008 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Her brother Michael’s death and her subsequent tribute appearances have made the Super Bowl slip-up a distant memory. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
What she did: In October 1992, Sinead O’Connor finished an a cappella performance of Bob Marley’s song “War” by tearing up a picture of Pope John Paul II and throwing the pieces at the camera.
What happened next: NBC’s switchboard was immediately jammed with complaints. O’Connor was banned from some radio stations, booed off stages, and verbally abused by audiences.
Residual effects: A lot of people hated her and still hate her. But she’s never made being likable a priority. Despite releasing several albums since the outburst, she has yet to reach her previous level of success. In 2007 she revealed on “Oprah” that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. (Jim Cooper / Associated Press)
