The year 2018 was rife with celebrity drama, from stars going to rehab, going broke, or simply going off the deep end. From family feuds among the British royals and American rock royalty to cinema icons losing their millions, these are the biggest celebrity scandals of 2018.
JOHNNY DEPP'S MONEY MESS
If you thought Johnny Depp's divorce was dramatic, you haven't seen his checkbook.
In January 2017, Depp filed a $25 million lawsuit against his former managers, The Management Group, alleging fraud and mismanagement of his funds, claiming that they spent millions of dollars of his cash without his authorization for years. The Management Group filed a countersuit, claiming that Depp spent his own money recklessly against their advice.
Depp's lawsuit opened a massive can of worms about his finances: The Management Group alleged in papers that he spent $30,000 a month on wine (which Depp later told Rolling Stone was much lower than what he actually spent), $3 million to launch late friend Hunter S. Thompson's ashes from cannon, and millions of dollars on real estate.
The Management Group also claimed that Depp spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a sound engineer to feed him lines during filming; Depp acknowledged using a sound engineer but denied it was to feed him lines, explaining, "I've got bagpipes, a baby crying and bombs going off. It creates a truth. Some of my biggest heroes were in silent film. It had to be behind the eyes. And my feeling is, that if there's no truth behind the eyes, doesn't matter what the f—king words are."
The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star also owed back taxes, interest and fees to the IRS.
Depp is estimated to have earned $650 million throughout his career, and Rolling Stone reported that all of that cash is gone, with Depp having spent an estimated $2 million every single month.
The lawsuits were slated to go to trial in August 2018, but Depp and The Management Group reached a settlement in July.
"Johnny Depp is pleased to have achieved a settlement agreement with The Management Group following the legal action he took against the company in January 2017," a rep for Depp confirmed to Fox News.
"The lawsuit taken out against The Management Group – and the subsequent settlement — is a further demonstration that Johnny is determined to take firm action to protect his personal and artistic reputation in the interests of his family and his career."
MEL B'S SEX AND DRUG DRAMA
Mel B revealed that she entered rehab for post-traumatic stress disorder in July 2018 — but only after the former Spice Girl initially told The Sun she was getting treatment for alcohol abuse and sex addiction.
The move came just a month before she and ex Stephen Belafonte finalized their divorce in August 2018, with Mel being ordered to pay Belafonte a $350,000 settlement plus $4,800 a month in child support for their daughter, Madison.
In September, it was revealed that Mel B was ordered to undergo random alcohol and drug testing.
"I've been in therapy since my father got diagnosed with cancer nine years ago," she admitted. "My therapy changed a little bit because I was in a very intense relationship, which you can all read about in my book."
KHLOE KARDASHIAN'S CHEATING BABY DADDY
Tristan Thompson got busted cheating on Khloe Kardashian right as she was about to give birth to their daughter, True.
In April 2018, video footage surfaced of a man who looked a lot like the NBA star kissing another woman in a nightclub, as well as another clip of Thompson and yet another curvy beauty going to his hotel room in New York and the woman leaving the hotel the next morning. More footage emerged on TMZ of Tristan getting very close with two women in a club, reportedly from October 2017 — which would have placed it at about three months into Kardashian's pregnancy.
After the scandal, Kardashian didn't leave Thompson, but sources told Fox News that he limited his socializing in an effort to reconcile with his reality star baby mama.
"Khloe wants to show people the value of family and she just didn’t feel that moving on from Tristan was the best move for their daughter, True," the source said. "Tristan has been incredibly forthcoming with Khloe since the scandal, and he still works really hard to build the trust not only with Khloe, but her family."
“Kim and Kris are still his biggest critics, but they appreciate the efforts he is showing to prove that he’s matured," the source added. "Only time will tell."
ROSEANNE BARR GETS THE BOOT FROM 'ROSEANNE' REBOOT
In May 2018, Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet about former President Barack Obama aide Valerie Jarrett — and hours later, her hit reboot of "Roseanne" was canceled.
"Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show," ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey told Fox News.
Barr was also dropped from the ICM Partners talent agency.
"I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me — my joke was in bad taste," Barr tweeted at the time.
She would later say her tweet wasn't racist, but was "about the Iran deal" and blamed her posting on Ambien.
Despite John Goodman insisting Barr wasn't racist, "Roseanne" remained off the air, but her co-stars and crew were all rehired for "The Conners," a spinoff in which Barr's once-titular character was killed off courtesy of the opioid epidemic.
HEATHER LOCKLEAR'S HOSPITALIZATIONS
Heather Locklear was hospitalized and placed under psychiatric holds several times in 2018.
"Yesterday, Heather was at her home with her therapist and lawyer and she simply had a mental breakdown. EMTs were called to her home and it was a medical call, not a criminal call," a source close to the "Melrose Place" star told Fox News after her latest incident. “The call was simply a mental health precaution and Heather's family and friends will continue to support her road to achieving a positive mental health state.”
Locklear was also arrested in February for allegedly attacking police officers after a confrontation with her boyfriend. In June, Locklear was apprehended after police responded to a disturbance call; Locklear was accused of kicking responding officers. She reportedly overdosed after the June incident and checked into rehab for alcohol and mental health treatment.
BEN AFFLECK GOES TO REHAB
Ben Affleck had a tough 2018. The "Batman V Superman" star split from his girlfriend of over a year, "Saturday Night Live" producer Lindsay Shookus, in August. Days later, he was spotted cavorting with Playboy model Shauna Sexton.
On Aug. 23, the actor checked into rehab, reportedly after an intervention from then-estranged wife Jennifer Garner after photos were published of the Oscar-winning actor having booze delivered to his Pacific Palisades, Calif., home. It marked Affleck's third time in treatment for alcoholism; his father and Oscar-winning brother Casey have also suffered from and been treated for the disease.
Garner and Affleck, who share daughters Violet and Seraphina and son Samuel, settled their divorce after he got help.
Sexton reportedly visited Affleck in rehab in September, but by October, they'd called it quits — just days after she posted snaps with Affleck on a vacation in Montana.
DEMI LOVATO'S OVERDOSE
On July 24, Demi Lovato suffered a harrowing drug overdose that reportedly nearly took her life.
While the drugs Lovato used haven't been revealed, reports indicated that she was revived with Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, before being transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Sources claimed that Lovato had been surrounded by enablers leading up to her overdose, and the singer admitted in June that she'd relapsed, releasing single "Sober" about falling back into her demons.
Lovato spent weeks in the hospital, then went to rehab for months. In late October, Lovato's mother revealed that the singer was 90 days sober, and Lovato posted a selfie at the voting booth on election day to celebrate her release.
"I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction. What I've learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet," Lovato said in a statement after her hospitalization. "I want to thank God for keeping me alive and well. To my fans, I am forever grateful for all of your love and support throughout this past week and beyond. Your positive thoughts and prayers have helped me navigate through this difficult time."
BRANGELINA'S CUSTODY DRAMA
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016, and more than two years later, the couple once known as Brangelina's custody battle raged on until late November 2018.
In August 2018, Jolie filed documents to finalize her divorce from the "World War Z" star, as well as to force him to pay child support. She had previously alleged that Pitt had not paid any "meaningful child support" for their six kids in their informal arrangement since their separation, though his legal team denied her claim.
On Nov. 30, Jolie's new attorney, Samantha Bley DeJean said in a statement, "A custody arrangement was agreed two weeks ago, and has been signed by both parties and the judge. The agreement, which is based on the recommendations of the child custody evaluator, eliminates the need for a trial. The filing and details of the agreement are confidential to protect the best interests of the children."
THOMAS MARKLE BAILS ON THE ROYAL WEDDING
On May 4, Kensington Palace announced that both of Meghan Markle's parents would be in attendance at her royal wedding to Prince Harry — but her father, Thomas, sent the royal world into a tizzy when it was revealed he'd staged paparazzi photos leading up to the event, and he canceled on the big day.
The next day, Thomas reportedly changed his mind and wanted to come, but then canceled again two days before the wedding, citing heart problems. Thomas and the Duchess of Sussex have been estranged ever since, much to the chagrin of royal-watchers and Meghan's own relatives.
TOMMY LEE AND SON BRANDON'S FAMILY FEUD
Brandon Lee, the son of Pamela Anderson and ex-husband Tommy Lee, got into a fierce feud with his father that wasn't reconciled until Thanksgiving.
In March 2018, Tommy accused Brandon of assaulting him, and Brandon didn't deny it, even posting social media images of Tommy unconscious on the floor after an alleged punch. The brawl reportedly occurred over Tommy's tweets insulting Anderson, while Brandon claimed it was spurned by Tommy's drinking.
For her part, the former "Baywatch" babe, who also shares son Dylan Jagger with Lee, said, "I stay out of it. The kids are adults, and they make all their own decisions. I look at the differences in their personalities and their fearlessness and their ambition and their clarity, and I'm just so proud of both of them."
In June, it was revealed that Brandon went to rehab on Tommy's dime and offered to return the favor. It wasn't until late November that Tommy and Brandon reconciled, with Tommy posting a photo hugging his eldest son.
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