Celebs Who Blackmailed Tabloids to Bury Their Affairs

Scandals are the lifeblood of the tabloid industry but sometimes celebrities manage to turn the tables on the publications that hunt them. High-profile figures often use their immense wealth and legal power to silence damaging stories before they ever reach the public eye. These strategies range from obtaining controversial super-injunctions to striking secret backroom deals that trade exclusive access for privacy. The following individuals allegedly used aggressive tactics to ensure their extramarital indiscretions remained hidden from the world.

Tiger Woods

The legendary golfer famously protected his squeaky-clean image for years before his 2009 downfall. Reports later surfaced that Woods struck a secret deal with American Media Inc to bury a story about an affair with a waitress. He reportedly agreed to appear on the cover of ‘Men’s Fitness’ magazine in exchange for the National Enquirer killing the scandalous piece. This “catch and kill” arrangement kept his infidelity secret until his car accident triggered a global media firestorm.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

The action star and former Governor of California managed to keep a major secret under wraps during his political rise. It was revealed that the National Enquirer bought the exclusive rights to a woman’s story about an affair with Schwarzenegger only to never publish it. This effectively silenced the accuser and protected his gubernatorial campaign from a potentially career-ending scandal. The publisher later testified about this arrangement which successfully hid the existence of his love child for over a decade.

Donald Trump

The real estate mogul turned politician utilized similar methods to suppress stories that could damage his reputation. Publishers friendly to him allegedly purchased the rights to stories from women claiming to have had affairs with him. These stories were then buried in the company’s safe to ensure they never saw the light of day during critical moments. This practice of purchasing silence became a central point of discussion during later legal investigations into campaign finance violations.

Ryan Giggs

The Manchester United star took legal action to an extreme level by obtaining a super-injunction to hide his affair with Imogen Thomas. This court order not only banned the media from publishing the details but also prohibited them from revealing that an injunction even existed. The secret eventually collapsed when a Member of Parliament used parliamentary privilege to name him as the footballer behind the order. His aggressive attempt to silence the press ultimately resulted in the Streisand effect where the suppression attempts drew more attention than the affair itself.

John Terry

Another English football captain sought a super-injunction to prevent the reporting of his alleged relationship with a teammate’s ex-girlfriend. The judge initially granted the gag order to protect the star’s sponsorship deals rather than his privacy. The injunction was famously lifted after a judge ruled that freedom of speech outweighed the footballer’s commercial interests. The failed attempt to bury the story led to widespread public ridicule and the loss of his captaincy.

Jeremy Clarkson

The former ‘Top Gear’ host obtained an injunction to prevent his ex-wife from sharing details about their relationship. He managed to keep the allegations of an affair out of the British press for some time by threatening severe legal consequences. Clarkson eventually abandoned the gag order himself after realizing that social media had rendered it completely ineffective. He later admitted that trying to use the law to silence gossip was a futile and expensive endeavor.

Andrew Marr

The respected political journalist took out a super-injunction to suppress reports of an extra-marital affair and a child he believed was his own. He argued that the legal move was necessary to protect his family and the privacy of the child involved. Marr eventually confessed to the injunction publicly after concluding that the legal secrecy was becoming embarrassing and hypocritical. His case highlighted the use of privacy laws by public figures to curate their moral image.

Rio Ferdinand

The football defender sued a newspaper for invasion of privacy after they published a story about his affair. He argued that the publication had no right to reveal details of his text messages and meetings with a woman. The court ultimately ruled against him by stating that his image as a family man made the story a matter of public interest. His failed legal battle served as a warning to other celebrities attempting to use the courts to scrub their records.

Hugh Bonneville

The ‘Downton Abbey’ actor successfully used a super-injunction to prevent a newspaper from identifying him in a story about a solicitous encounter. He argued that the publication of the story would infringe on his rights to a private life under European human rights laws. The press was barred from naming him for a significant period even as details circulated online. His case demonstrated how effectively the British legal system could be used to shield actors from tabloid exposure.

Liam Gallagher

The Oasis frontman engaged in a fierce legal battle to stop newspapers from reporting on a child he fathered with an American journalist. He sued the publication for harassment and sought to keep the paternity battle completely confidential. The story eventually broke when details of the lawsuit itself leaked to the international press. His aggressive litigation was seen as a desperate attempt to maintain his marriage while dealing with the fallout of the affair.

Simon Cowell

The music mogul found himself in a legal bind when he sought to keep details of an affair with a friend’s wife out of the headlines. He used his substantial resources to manage the fallout and restrict what could be reported during the initial breaking of the news. The scandal was particularly sensitive because it involved a pregnancy that complicated his personal relationships. Cowell eventually shifted strategies from suppression to damage control once the story became inevitable.

David Furnish

The husband of Elton John was at the center of a high-profile legal storm involving a celebrity threesome injunction. The couple aggressively enforced a ban on the English media identifying them in connection with the story. While the names were widely known in the United States and Scotland the English press faced contempt of court charges if they published them. The case became a landmark example of how privacy laws could create a two-tiered system of knowledge.

Howard Donald

The Take That singer obtained a super-injunction to stop an ex-girlfriend from revealing intimate details of their relationship. He successfully argued that the publication of the story would be a breach of confidence and misuse of private information. The gag order kept his name out of the headlines until he eventually won a permanent injunction. This legal victory allowed him to maintain his privacy while other bandmates faced public scrutiny for their own indiscretions.

Gavin Rossdale

The Bush frontman vehemently denied rumors and threatened legal action against outlets reporting on his past relationship with a cross-dressing singer. He maintained a strict wall of silence and denials for years to protect his image and his marriage to Gwen Stefani. The truth was only confirmed years later when he finally admitted to the affair in an interview. His early aggressive denials are cited as a classic example of using intimidation to delay the inevitable truth.

Jude Law

The actor engaged in extensive litigation against newspaper groups that hacked his phone to get details about his private life and affairs. While his affair with his children’s nanny became public knowledge he fought hard to suppress other intrusive stories. His legal team forced settlements and apologies from major publishers who had illegally accessed his voicemail messages. Law used the discovery of these illegal tactics to turn the tables on the tabloids that had tormented him.

David Beckham

The global superstar utilized a powerful legal team to fight allegations of an affair with his personal assistant. He issued strong denials and threatened writs against newspapers that printed the claims. His team worked tirelessly to discredit the stories and prevent further revelations from gaining traction in the mainstream press. The aggressive legal posture helped him weather the storm and maintain his lucrative brand image.

Charlie Sheen

The sitcom star reportedly paid millions of dollars in hush money to various partners to prevent them from selling stories to the tabloids. He negotiated non-disclosure agreements to ensure that his chaotic personal life remained private for as long as possible. These financial settlements were effectively a form of private blackmail prevention that kept his affairs out of the supermarket papers. The scale of his payoffs was only revealed when his financial situation deteriorated and he could no longer afford the silence.

Eddie Murphy

The comedian engaged in a bitter legal dispute to keep the details of his relationship with Mel B and the paternity of their child private. He demanded DNA tests and refused to publicly acknowledge the child while threatening legal action against defamation. The battle was fought largely through lawyers who attempted to control the narrative and minimize damage to his reputation. His handling of the situation was an attempt to bury the affair and the resulting child from his public biography.

Gordon Ramsay

The celebrity chef fought a publicized legal battle to deny and suppress allegations of a long-term affair. He used the courts to challenge the credibility of the accuser and prevent the publication of damaging private documents. His team worked to portray the story as a fabrication and threatened libel action against those who repeated it. The aggressive defense was designed to protect his family brand and culinary empire from moral judgment.

Sylvester Stallone

The ‘Rocky’ star was linked to the inner workings of tabloid deal-making where stories were allegedly killed to protect his reputation. Reports suggested that he had a relationship with tabloid editors who would suppress negative stories about him in exchange for other favors. This included burying allegations regarding his family members and his own past indiscretions. His ability to navigate the tabloid ecosystem allowed him to maintain a heroic public persona for decades.

What do you think about the lengths these stars went to hide their secrets? Share your thoughts in the comments.