Celebrity Scandals from the Past That Were Too Taboo to Print

Hollywood has always been a place of glamour and illusion where image is everything and reality is often hidden away. During the Golden Age of cinema the studio system wielded immense power to protect their investments by employing fixers to bury salacious stories. These powerful executives suppressed news of affairs and crimes that would have destroyed the careers of their biggest stars. The press often cooperated with these cover-ups to maintain access to the celebrities they needed to sell papers. Many of these shocking events only came to light decades after the fact when the studios lost their iron grip on the media.

Loretta Young

Loretta Young went to great lengths to conceal her pregnancy during the filming of ‘The Call of the Wild’. The father of the child was her co-star Clark Gable who was married to another woman at the time. Young secretly gave birth to a daughter named Judy and placed her in an orphanage before publicly adopting her own child months later. This elaborate scheme allowed her to maintain her wholesome Catholic image while keeping the truth from the public for decades. The true parentage of her daughter was one of the worst kept secrets in Hollywood circles but remained unprinted.

Rock Hudson

Rock Hudson was the ultimate leading man and a heartthrob for millions of women during the 1950s. His agent Henry Wilson arranged a marriage to Phyllis Gates to quell persistent rumors about the actor’s homosexuality. The studios worked tirelessly to keep his private life out of the tabloids to preserve his box office appeal as a romantic lead. It was not until he was diagnosed with AIDS in the 1980s that the truth about his life became public knowledge. His eventual disclosure helped change the public conversation regarding the epidemic and celebrity privacy.

Lana Turner

Lana Turner found herself at the center of a gruesome scandal when her boyfriend Johnny Stompanato was stabbed to death in her home. Her teenage daughter Cheryl Crane claimed responsibility for the killing and stated she was defending her mother from his violent abuse. The press went into a frenzy over the incident which exposed the dark underbelly of the star’s personal life. The inquest eventually ruled the stabbing as justifiable homicide. This event remains one of the most sensational stories in Hollywood history involving a major star.

Wallace Reid

Wallace Reid was known as “the screen’s most perfect lover” before his tragic decline exposed the drug culture of early Hollywood. He became addicted to morphine after a studio doctor administered it to him so he could keep working through an injury from a train wreck. His addiction spiraled out of control and led to his physical deterioration and institutionalization. Reid died at the age of 31 in a sanitarium while attempting to recover. His death shocked the public and forced the industry to address the substance abuse issues plaguing its performers.

Mary Astor

Mary Astor faced a custody battle that threatened to expose the most intimate details of her life through her personal diary. The “Purple Diary” contained explicit accounts of her affair with playwright George S. Kaufman and other industry figures. Press coverage of the trial was voracious as portions of the diary were leaked and hinted at scandalous behavior. The judge eventually sealed the diary to prevent further damage to the reputations involved. Astor managed to salvage her career despite the revelations and went on to win an Academy Award.

Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin faced immense scrutiny when his second wife Lita Grey filed for divorce. Her complaint was over 40 pages long and detailed allegations of cruel behavior and sexual demands that were shocking for the 1920s. Grey was only 16 years old when she married the 35-year-old Chaplin after becoming pregnant. The resulting settlement was the largest in American legal history at the time. Copies of the divorce complaint were sold on the streets and temporarily tarnished the comedian’s beloved public image.

Ingrid Bergman

Ingrid Bergman was denounced on the floor of the United States Senate as “a powerful influence for evil” due to her personal life. The Swedish actress began an affair with Italian director Roberto Rossellini while they were both married to other people. She became pregnant with his child and left her husband and daughter in America to move to Italy. The backlash was severe enough to exile her from Hollywood films for several years. She eventually returned to American cinema and won her second Oscar for ‘Anastasia’.

Spencer Tracy

Spencer Tracy was a devout Catholic who remained married to his wife Louise until his death despite living apart from her for decades. He maintained a long-term relationship with co-star Katharine Hepburn that was an open secret in the industry. The press respected Tracy and Hepburn enough to never print stories confirming their romance during his lifetime. MGM worked hard to protect the image of one of their most prestigious actors. The couple never publicly acknowledged their relationship until after Tracy passed away.

Merle Oberon

Merle Oberon spent her entire life concealing her mixed-race heritage to survive in a segregated film industry. She claimed to be born in Tasmania to white parents when she was actually born in India to a mother of Sri Lankan and Māori descent. Oberon used skin lightening makeup and invented stories about her background to avoid racial prejudice. Her nephew discovered the truth decades later and revealed the immense pressure she lived under. This deception was necessary for her to become a leading lady in the 1930s and 40s.

Joan Bennett

Joan Bennett found herself in the headlines when her husband Walter Wanger shot her agent Jennings Lang. Wanger suspected that Bennett and Lang were having an affair and shot him in the groin in a jealous rage. The scandal was huge but Wanger’s lawyers successfully used a temporary insanity defense. Bennett stuck by her husband during the trial and the subsequent prison sentence. The incident significantly damaged her film career and she eventually moved to television work.

Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis was a rising rock and roll star rivaling Elvis Presley until his arrival in London for a tour. British reporters discovered that his new wife Myra Gale Brown was only 13 years old and was also his first cousin. The revelation caused an immediate uproar that led to the cancellation of his tour and his deportation. American radio stations blacklisted his music and his fees for performances dropped firmly. It took over a decade for him to rebuild his career in the country music genre.

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe died of a barbiturate overdose in what was ruled a probable suicide. Theories have persisted for decades regarding her connections to President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert Kennedy. Rumors suggest that she had affairs with both men and possessed sensitive information that made her a liability. The delay in calling the police and the state of the crime scene fueled speculation of a cover-up. Her death remains one of the most debated and analyzed events in Hollywood history.

Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood drowned off the coast of Santa Catalina Island during a weekend boat trip on the ‘Splendour’. She was on the boat with her husband Robert Wagner and her co-star Christopher Walken. The initial investigation ruled the death accidental but many questions remained about the arguments heard that night. The case was reopened decades later and her cause of death was changed to drowning and other undetermined factors. The exact circumstances of how she ended up in the water have never been fully explained.

George Reeves

George Reeves was the face of Superman to a generation of children before his death from a gunshot wound to the head. The official finding was suicide but friends and family argued that he was in high spirits and had no reason to kill himself. Forensic evidence such as the lack of fingerprints on the gun and the trajectory of the bullet raised doubts. Some theorized that his death was linked to his affair with Toni Mannix the wife of a studio executive. The case remains a controversial topic among Hollywood historians.

Thelma Todd

Thelma Todd was a popular comedic actress known as “The Ice Cream Blonde” before she was found dead in her car. She died of carbon monoxide poisoning inside a garage that belonged to the ex-wife of her lover and business partner Roland West. While ruled accidental suicide suspicious injuries on her body suggested foul play. There were rumors that she was targeted by mobsters for refusing to let them use her restaurant for illegal gambling. The inconsistency of the evidence has led many to believe she was murdered.

William Desmond Taylor

The murder of director William Desmond Taylor is perhaps the most famous unsolved crime in early Hollywood. He was found shot in his bungalow and the investigation revealed a web of secrets involving major stars. Actresses Mary Miles Minter and Mabel Normand were implicated due to their close relationships with the director. The scandal destroyed Minter’s career and severely damaged Normand’s reputation. The studios worked frantically to manage the fallout as the press unearthed the director’s hidden past.

Errol Flynn

Errol Flynn was the ultimate swashbuckler on screen but faced serious charges of statutory rape in real life. Two teenage girls accused him of sexual misconduct aboard his yacht during the early 1940s. The trial was a media circus that coined the phrase “In like Flynn” due to his cavalier attitude. He was eventually acquitted on all charges but his image as a wholesome hero was forever altered. Flynn embraced his bad boy reputation and continued to live a life of excess until his early death.

Frances Farmer

Frances Farmer was a rebellious actress who refused to play the Hollywood game and was eventually involuntarily committed to mental institutions. Her erratic behavior was punished with harsh treatments including shock therapy and hydrotherapy. There were sensational posthumous claims that she underwent a lobotomy although evidence for this is disputed. Her tragic story highlighted the power studios and families had to control difficult women in the industry. She spent years in and out of asylums before attempting a comeback.

Montgomery Clift

Montgomery Clift was one of the most talented method actors of his time but suffered from severe personal demons. A horrific car accident during the filming of ‘Raintree County’ destroyed his face and led to a deepening addiction to pain medication and alcohol. He continued to work but his behavior became increasingly erratic and self-destructive. His slow decline was referred to by acting teacher Robert Lewis as the “longest suicide in Hollywood history.” The studios protected him enough to keep him working despite his unreliability.

Spade Cooley

Spade Cooley was a successful Western swing musician and television personality who committed a horrific crime. He suspected his wife Ella Mae of having an affair and brutally murdered her in front of their teenage daughter. The violence of the act was shocking given his public persona as a jovial entertainer. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Cooley died of a heart attack backstage after performing at a benefit concert while on furlough.

Albert Dekker

Albert Dekker was a character actor known for his intense roles in films like ‘Dr. Cyclops’ and ‘The Killers’. He was found dead in his bathroom in a bizarre scene involving handcuffs and writing on his body. The coroner ruled the death as accidental autoerotic asphyxiation. The strange circumstances were hushed up to avoid embarrassing the industry and his family. It remains one of the most peculiar and whispered-about deaths in Hollywood history.

Barbara Payton

Barbara Payton was a stunningly beautiful actress whose career imploded due to her chaotic personal life. She was involved in a violent love triangle with actors Franchot Tone and Tom Neal that resulted in a highly publicized brawl. Her reputation never recovered and she was blacklisted by the major studios. She eventually drifted into prostitution and struggled with severe alcoholism. Payton died at the age of 39 in a tragic end for a woman once considered a future star.

Gene Tierney

Gene Tierney contracted German measles during her pregnancy after a fan broke quarantine to meet her. The illness caused her daughter to be born with severe disabilities including deafness and mental delays. Years later the fan approached Tierney and revealed she had sneaked out of the hospital with rubella just to see the star. The revelation devastated Tierney and contributed to her struggles with depression and mental health. This heartbreaking story exposed the unintended and sometimes tragic consequences of fame.

Gig Young

Gig Young was an Oscar-winning actor who charmed audiences for decades before a shocking end to his life. In 1978 he was found dead in his apartment alongside his wife of only three weeks. Police determined that Young had shot his wife before turning the gun on himself. The motive for the murder-suicide remains unknown as he left no note and friends were baffled. The violent end was a stark contrast to his sophisticated screen persona.

Bob Crane

Bob Crane was the star of the hit sitcom ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ and projected a family-friendly image. After his death it was revealed that he had a sex addiction and videotaped his encounters with women. He was found bludgeoned to death in an Arizona apartment with an electrical cord around his neck. His friend John Carpenter was tried for the murder years later but was acquitted due to lack of forensic evidence. The sordid details of his double life shocked his fans and tarnished his legacy.

Mae West

Mae West was a master of double entendres and challenged the moral boundaries of her time. She wrote and starred in a play titled ‘Sex’ which led to her arrest on charges of obscenity. She was sentenced to ten days in jail where she dined with the warden and claimed to wear silk underwear under her prison uniform. The publicity from her incarceration only served to make her a bigger star. She proved that scandal could be profitable if handled with wit and confidence.

Hedy Lamarr

Hedy Lamarr gained international notoriety for her role in the Czech film ‘Ecstasy’ which featured brief nudity. The film was denounced by the Pope and banned in the United States for years. Her husband Fritz Mandl tried to buy up every copy of the film to destroy it but failed. Later in life she faced legal troubles for shoplifting which confused the public given her wealth. Despite these scandals she is now also remembered for her brilliant invention of frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology.

Cary Grant

Cary Grant was the epitome of debonair masculinity but his private life was the subject of intense rumor. He lived with fellow actor Randolph Scott in a beach house for several years leading to speculation about their relationship. The studios released photos of them in domestic settings that were meant to show their bachelor lifestyle but ironically fueled the rumors. Grant was married five times but the stories about his time with Scott persisted. He aggressively protected his privacy and sued those who questioned his sexuality.

Tallulah Bankhead

Tallulah Bankhead was known for her husky voice and an uninhibited lifestyle that shocked conservative America. She was open about her vices and famously quipped that she was “pure as the driven slush.” Her fluid sexuality and drug use were well known in theatrical circles but kept out of mainstream papers. She refused to conform to the behavior expected of a lady in her era. Bankhead remains a gay icon for her refusal to apologize for who she was.

Ted Healy

Ted Healy is best known as the creator of The Three Stooges but his death was shrouded in mystery. He died shortly after a night of celebrating the birth of his son. Reports suggest he was beaten outside the Trocadero nightclub by three men who may have been associated with Wallace Beery. MGM executives allegedly covered up the incident to protect their valuable star Beery from manslaughter charges. The official cause of death was listed as nephritis but the rumors of a fatal beating have never gone away.

Tell us which of these historical cover-ups surprised you the most by leaving a response in the comments.