Celebrity Scandals From The '80s That'll Go Down In History

deeksha.ahuja

It's no secret that many celebrity's lives are full of drama, controversy, and scandals.

The '80s were defined as a time of rock 'n roll and partying. It was also a decade marked by lots of drama.

This includes everything from Madonna's music video being denounced by the Vatican to Rob Lowe's sex tape to everything else in-between.

Here are 10+ celebrity scandals from the '80s that will go down in history.

1. Marvin Gaye's death

Giphy | Soul Train

Tragedy struck the Gaye family when the “Sexual Healing” singer was shot twice by his father, Marvin Gay Sr., just one day before his 45th birthday.

The murder happened at his parent’s L.A. home, which he had bought for them.

The argument had started over insurance.

Marvin Gaye rehearsing in the studio pose.
instagram | @thewellofsound](https://www.instagram.com/p/CH76ZFzlykW/)

Once a physical altercation broke out between Marvin and his father, his father went to his room and got his pistol.

He was eventually convicted of voluntary manslaughter.

2. Milli Vanilli's lip-syncing

Milli Vanilli's intense look pose.
instagram | @milli_vanillilovers](https://www.instagram.com/p/CFEk842Juk4/)

After getting to the peak of their stardom in 1989, it all came tumbling down with one live performance on MTV.

Since the backing track jammed, it exposed the fact that the pair were lip-syncing.

“I knew right then and there, it was the beginning of the end for Milli Vanilli,” Pilatus told the *Los Angeles Times* in November 1990.

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He said that when this happened, he panicked and ran off the stage.

The scandal was so bad, they even had to give back their Grammy!

3. Matthew Broderick's fatal car accident

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Back when Matthew was dating Dirty Dancing's Jennifer Grey, the couple had flown to Ireland for a romantic getaway.

While there, they rented a BMW 16 to drive and see the sights. But tragedy soon struck.

Since the weather conditions were so bad, they collided head-on with a car that had a 28-year-old woman named Anna Gallagher and her 63-year-old mother.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick posing together.
instagram | @sarahjessicaparker](https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYnxRZFQLb/)

Broderick was originally charged with causing death by dangerous driving and faced up to five years in jail.

But this later changed to a much lighter sentence: a careless driving charge and a $175 fine.

4. Rob Lowe's sex tape

When the sex tape was released, it was soon discovered that one of the two women in the video was underage.

One was 22 and one was 16 — something that Lowe claimed he didn't know at the time.

He had met the two women at an Atlanta nightclub in 1988. After they hit it off, he took them to his hotel room and filmed the sexual encounter.

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Despite the bad press, Lowe is thankful for the experience since it helped him get his life together.

5. Lionel Richie and Brenda Harvey's domestic dispute

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This all started after Harvey reportedly found her husband in bed with their friend, Diane Alexander.

Filled with outrage, Brenda kicked both of them in the stomach. Suffice to say, they soon got divorced.

6. Vanessa Williams' penthouse magazine nude scandal

The actress was on top of the world when she became the first African American woman to become Miss America.

But she didn't have the crown for long, as she was soon dethroned after the photos leaked.

7. Don Henley's delinquency of a minor charge

Don Henley posing in his car.
instagram | @abovetheb](https://www.instagram.com/p/CEr5vi0gJul/)

In 1980, the lead singer of the Eagles was arrested for giving a 16-year-old girl cocaine. This same young girl was booked for prostitution.

Police also confiscated large amounts of additional drugs.

8. Brooke Shields's controversial Calvin Klein ads

The actress was just 14 when she said this controversial line that insinuated she wasn't wearing underwear: "You wanna know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing."

The commercial was soon deemed inappropriate.

9. Paul McCartney's trip to jail

Paul McCartney eating chocolate pose.
instagram | @paulmccartney](https://www.instagram.com/p/CIibJrWnm29/)

The Beatles crooner was arrested in Japan for trying to go through customs at the airport with eight ounces of marijuana.

This offense ended up getting him thrown in jail in the foreign country for nine days.

“I was thrown into nine days of turmoil,” McCartney once said about the experience.

Giphy | Paul McCartney

“It was very, very scary for the first three days. I don’t think I slept much at all. And when I slept, I had very bad dreams," he said.

10. Todd Bridges attempted murder charge

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The Diff’rent Strokes actor was accused of shooting a man named Kenneth (Tex) Clay eight times for allegedly stealing his BMW.

The actor hired what would become O.J.'s lawyer and was acquitted of the charges in 1990.

11. Chuck Berry's bathroom camera scandal

Back in the '80s, the singer was also a restaurant owner. It was there that he was accused of filming women in his restaurant bathroom with a camera.

In the end, he paid out $1.3 million to the victims.

12. Ozzy Osbourne's bat drama

When a fan threw a bat on stage at Ozzy's live show in 1982, he assumed it was fake. It wasn't.

Since he had bit the head of the bat off, he was rushed to the hospital to get a rabies shot.

13. Jack Nicholson's love-children

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The actor's relationship to fellow actor, Angelica Houston, was quite the whirlwind. In addition to their on-again-off-again status, they were plagued with rumors of Jack's infidelity.

Soon, it came to light that he allegedly fathered several children.

14. Madonna's music video being denounced by the Vatican

Always one to push boundaries, the video featured things like white supremacists and a cross burning.

Because of this, the Vatican openly condemned the video. Pepsi also canceled their contract to use the song in a commercial.