It was the Year of the Spat! There’s no doubt about it, 2008 was all about meltdowns and pressure.
In the past 12 months, we’ve seen Madonna celebrating her split from Guy Ritchie with a defiant middle-finger salute onstage, Batman Christian Bale finding himself on the wrong side of the law over assault allegations, Britney Spears going crazy, literally, and Amy Winehouse making regular drugged-up, boozy stumbles around London in the early hours.
And then there’s Heather Mills and her bitter battle with ex-husband Sir Paul McCartney.
It has just been one hurled jug of water after another! From fights to falling-outs, from Hollywood tragedies to pop explosions - and implosions - this year has been one to remember, for all the wrong reasons! Here, we take a look at the ten most shocking showbiz moments of 2008 - in all their grisly, toe-curling detail…
1. Britney Spears’ meltdown Spears shocked the world with her whirlwind romance and swift wedding to dancer Kevin Federline in 2004 and, after giving birth to two sons, the couple’s messy split two years later left the singer in a tragic downward spiral.
Images of Spears dramatically shaving her head in a Los Angeles salon sparked fears for her mental health. But on 3 January, 2008 shocking new images surfaced as the troubled star was rushed to hospital, strapped to a gurney following a stand-off with police at her Beverly Hills home. The pop superstar was at the beginning of a bitter custody battle with her ex-husband over Sean Preston, now three, and Jayden James, two, and she reportedly refused to hand both the children over following a supervised visit.
After locking herself in the master bathroom of her home, Spears was admitted to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and there she underwent two days of psychological evaluation. But the drama didn’t end there. Just three weeks later, under order of a court psychologist, Spears was once again admitted to hospital, this time on a 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold. She was finally released from UCLA’s psychiatric ward on 6 February (08), amid rumours she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, although the reports were never confirmed. The double meltdown led to a massive shake up for the star both professionally and personally. Her father, Jamie, was awarded conservatorship of Spears’ estate, and took control of both her legal and financial affairs, while dismissing one-time manager Sam Lutfi and several hangers-on. Meanwhile, Spears was stripped of visitation rights to her two sons. Spears remains under the careful watch of her father but appears to have used 2008 to piece her life back together, regaining the right to look after her boys three days a week and relaunching her career with new album, Circus, and an upcoming world tour.
2. The Golden Globe Awards are cancelled In January (08) one of the most prestigious events in the Hollywood awards calendar was scrapped following strike action by writers across America. The Golden Globe Awards, second in importance only to the Oscars, were due to take place on Sunday 13 January (08), but the event was cancelled and replaced by a televised press conference following industrial action by the Writer’s Guild of America. In late 2007, more than 12,000 members of the WGA voted in favour of a strike and on 5 November last year the walk out began, throwing the TV and film industry into chaos. The strike came in protest of rules set by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), a trade organisation representing the interests of some of the country’s most influential movie and TV companies. Key issues included disagreements over DVD residual payments, union jurisdiction over animation and reality programme writers, and compensation for material distributed over the internet. Although it had been initially hoped that the strike would be over by Christmas 2007, it rolled over into 2008. Late night talk shows all briefly went off air during the crisis, and scripted series including Desperate Housewives, Heroes, E.R., Lost and Ugly Betty were all forced to end their runs early. A string of other TV shows were axed altogether, including Anne Heche’s Men In Trees and Michelle Ryan’s Bionic Woman - all casualties of the strike.
Many movie projects also fell foul of the industrial action - Oliver Stone’s film about the 1968 My Lai massacre, Pinkville, was shelved, even though the crew had been hired and the sets built. And a number of films had their production schedules pushed back because of the action. These included movie musical Nine and Angels & Demons. By January 2008, the strike was starting to look as if it would affect Hollywood’s awards season, with both the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards under threat after Writers Guild of America chiefs refused to issue waivers for the ceremonies. Huge numbers of actors also spoke out about the situation, insisting they would not cross picket lines to attend the events, with the backing of their own union, the Screen Actors Guild. And on 4 January it was announced that the Golden Globes had fallen victim to the industrial action and the usually star-studded red carpet event would be replaced by a glamour-free TV press conference. Organisers of the People’s Choice Awards, which was also denied a waiver, were also forced to reformat and release a taped ceremony on 8 January.
However, negotiations were stepped up ahead of the upcoming Academy Awards. As tensions ran high, both sides reached a tentative agreement in early February. Union members finally voted in favour of the revised contract, bringing the strike to an end on 12 February - handing Oscars organisers a last minute reprieve for the 24 February ceremony. It was subsequently estimated that the cancelled award shows, including the Golden Globes, had cost the Californian economy millions of dollars in lost business.
3. Heath Ledger dies at 28 At the beginning of 2008, Heath Ledger, a prominent Australian actor was one of the fastest rising stars in Hollywood. After a handful of small but important roles in films like 2000’s The Patriot and Monster’s Ball, Ledger began to command lead roles with 2001’s A Knight’s Tale and 2003’s Casanova. But it was his performance in Ang Lee’s 2005 drama, Brokeback Mountain, which won Ledger critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination, shooting him to major international stardom. Ledger went on to land the role of notorious comic book villain The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, alongside Christian Bale. Hype about his performance was already beginning to build when news broke on 22 January 2008 that Ledger had been found dead in his New York apartment at the age of just 28. Ledger’s body was discovered by his housekeeper and masseuse and initial reports suggested he had succumbed to an accidental drug overdose. Controversy arose when it was revealed that his masseuse, Diana Wolozin, called his close friend Mary-Kate Olsen for help, before alerting police. The former child star was in California at the time, but ordered one of her Manhattan-based security guards to attend the death scene. Wolozin is reported to have performed CPR on the actor but medics later pronounced Ledger dead at the scene. In the weeks following Ledger’s death, officials confirmed that the star had died after taking an accidental overdose of prescription medications, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam - a cocktail of drugs used to treat symptoms of insomnia, anxiety and depression. Interviews with Ledger, detailing his longterm sleeping problems and ill health at the time of his death, surfaced, with many speculating that playing sociopathic murderer The Joker may have further aggravated his insomnia. Ledger’s The Dark Knight opened this year to astronomical box office sales and talk of a posthumous Oscar for the tragic star. Ledger’s final appearance on screen will come in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - a movie he was shooting when he died. Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell stepped up to complete the late star’s role in the Terry Gilliam film.
4. Patrick Swayze is diagnosed with cancer In January 2008 Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer but he left it until March to confirm health rumours in the form of a statement. This came after a series U.S. tabloid reports, which claimed the actor/dancer was close to death. Swayze’s doctor confirmed the 56 year old was battling the killer disease and revealed he had been diagnosed with a pancreatic tumour called Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm (IPMN). Swayze subsequently underwent a course of chemotherapy at Stanford University Medical Center in California and told the pubic that he was responding well to treatment. Despite growing speculation about his failing health, Swayze surprised the world when he announced he was going back to work. The actor landed the lead role in U.S. TV series The Beast, and defiantly stated he was determined to honour the commitment. In a revealing interview with the New York Times, Swayze admitted that he found returning to acting a therapeutic way to ride out his cancer treatment: "How do you nurture a positive attitude when all the statistics say you’re a dead man? You go to work. I do find myself, at the end of the day, riding home sort of catching myself with a smile on my face.
I’m proud of what I’m doing. It’s a battle zone I go through. Chemo, no matter how you cut it, is hell on wheels." Swayze has missed just a day and a half of work throughout his treatment and has vowed to carry on fighting the disease with the support of his wife of over 30 years, Lisa. However, recent weeks have seen a fresh surge in rumours surrounding Swayze’s health - with some U.S. tabloid reports suggesting his cancer may have returned and spread to his liver. These rumours remain unconfirmed.
Meanwhile, Swayze, who completed filming on The Beast in November (08), has hinted he will return for a second series of The Beast in a bid to prove his career is back on track.
5. McCartney & Mills settle multi-million dollar divorce Following a long and bitter divorce battle, Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills finally reached a settlement in March (08), which saw the former glamour model walk away with almost $50 million (£32 million) of the former Beatle’s fortune. But Mills left the court with her reputation in tatters following a string of scathing comments from the judge overseeing the divorce proceedings, who labelled the 40-year-old a "less than candid" witness. The former couple met at an awards ceremony in London in 1999, the year after McCartney’s first wife, Linda, died from breast cancer. They married at Castle Leslie in County Monaghan, Ireland, in June 2002. The following year (03), Mills - whose left leg was amputated below the knee after a motorcycle accident in 1993 - gave birth to the couple’s first and only child together, Beatrice, now four.
Throughout the marriage, the couple was rocked by rumours that McCartney’s children from his first marriage - adopted Heather, 47, photographer Mary, 39, fashion designer Stella, 37, and musician James, 31 - disapproved of their new stepmother. The pair separated in 2006 after four years of marriage. At the time of the split both parties insisted the break-up was amicable, but as divorce proceedings began, the battle got ugly amid accusations of unreasonable behaviour" on both sides. Mills even accused McCartney of violent outbursts and using drink and illegal drugs to excess - claims which were vehemently denied by the star’s lawyers. The most shocking moment of the divorce battle came when Mills launched into a sensational rant on British TV in November (07), accusing the media of treating her "worse than a murderer or a paedophile" following her split from the rock legend. The case finally went to trial in April (08), with most of the proceedings taking place behind closed doors, under a blanket of secrecy. On 17 March (08) a judge at London’s Royal Courts of Justice announced a financial settlement had been made, awarding Mills $33 million (£16.5 million) cash with assets worth another $15.6 million (£7.8 million). The couple also agreed to share custody of their daughter. After the hearing, Judge Mr Justice Bennett, who was overseeing the case, published his findings and gave a scathing critique of Mills’ behaviour in court, where she famously threw a jug of water over McCartney’s attorney, Fiona Shackleton. Judge Bennett accused Mills, who represented herself after dismissing her legal team, of being a "less than an impressive witness" saying that her evidence was "not just inconsistent and inaccurate but also less than candid". The judge also called many of her demands of her estranged husband "unreasonable". The demands included her request for $998,000 (£499,000) a year to pay for holidays for herself and the former couple’s daughter - the figure included money to charter helicopters and private jets. McCartney is now dating American heiress Nancy Shevell, while Mills has been linked to a string of eligible men following the divorce.
6. Mariah Carey’s secret wedding After dating quietly for less than two months, the world was shocked when reports emerged that Mariah Carey had married Nick Cannon in secret in the Bahamas. The couple hadn’t even gone public with their relationship when they decided to tie the knot at the superstar’s Bahamian estate in a sunset, ocean-side ceremony. The 39-year-old singer first met rapper/actor Cannon, 27, in 2005 at the Teen Choice Awards in California but they only started dating in March 2008 after Carey invited him to star in the video for her single Bye Bye. The pair bonded during discussions over the shoot and began their romantic relationship after Cannon wrote Carey a note, asking her to be his girlfriend. Following six weeks of dating, Cannon proposed on the roof of Carey’s New York apartment, overlooking the Empire State building. Reports suggest he handed the singer a 17-carat pink-diamond ring. The couple preempted the marriage ceremony by getting matching tattoos before they applied for their wedding license. Telling only a close circle of friends and family of their real plans, they flew to the exotic destination under the pretense of shooting a music video, and, on 30 April (08) they became husband and wife. Rumours about the ceremony began to fly and, after a week of speculation, the couple confirmed the happy news in an interview with America’s People magazine, with Carey revealing she had found her "soulmate." Cannon also subsequently admitted that they decided to wait until after they were married to have physical relations. The couple have both since confirmed they are looking forward to starting a family together, with Carey insisting she changed her mind about wanting children since finding ‘The One’.
7. Christian Bale is arrested.
Fresh from the success of 2005’s Batman Begins, British actor Christian Bale threw himself into the role of the Caped Crusader a second time for The Dark Knight. The blockbuster’s opening this summer (08) had already been marred by the tragic death of Heath Ledger in January (08), leaving Bale to hit the promotional circuit with the movie’s other stars, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine. With rave reviews from most critics, the international movie premieres were the hottest tickets in town. But the campaign was once again hit by controversy when the film’s star was arrested in London following the British premiere. On 22 July 2008, the day after the movie’s U.K. debut, Bale voluntarily handed himself over to police. He was accused of assaulting his mother, Jenny, and his sister, Sharon, in a violent rage at a hotel following the screening.
The actor was quizzed for four hours over the incident and was later released on bail, pending further investigation. A representative for the actor issued a statement vehemently denying the allegations, admitting Bale co-operated fully with the police investigation and requesting privacy over this "deeply personal matter". Nearly a month passed before British authorities declared they would be taking no further action against Bale, but the star was left with a dark shadow hanging over his reputation and the film franchise which shot him to international superstardom. That said, The Dark Knight was still the biggest film of the year, smashing a series of global box office records upon its release.
8. Travis Barker & DJ AM survive plane crash Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and Adam ‘DJ AM’ Goldstein hit the headlines across the globe when they were involved in a fatal plane crash in September (08). Barker and Goldstein were passengers onboard a California-bound Learjet which crashed on take off at Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina. The bandmates were the only survivors of the 19 September tragedy, which claimed the lives of pilot Sarah Lemmon, 31 and co-pilot James Bland, 52, as well as Charles Still, 25, a close friend of both stars, and Barker’s personal assistant, 29-year-old Chris Baker. The aircraft is said to have crashed following an aborted take-off, with the plane’s tyres reportedly failing. The jet caught fire and slammed into a highway embankment. Barker and Goldstein managed to crawl from the flaming wreckage and were immediately rescued and taken to hospital in critical condition. Both men suffered second and third-degree burns and spent several days in intensive care before being transferred to specialist units to treat their injuries. Goldstein was released from the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, Georgia on 26 September, while Barker was able to go home three days later on 29 September. Barker, who subsequently underwent another month of treatment in California, has spoken of his devastation following the tragedy, insisting his life will never be the same again. In November (08) he filed a wrongful death and personal injury lawsuit against the owners of the wrecked jet, Clay Lacy Aviation, seeking compensation for the emotional and physical trauma he suffered as a result of the crash.
9. Jennifer Hudson’s family are murdered By 2008, Jennifer Hudson had become America’s latest sweetheart. Her rags to riches tale saw her rise from failure on reality TV talent contest American Idol to win gold at the Oscars. But this Dreamgirl’s glittering career was marred by tragedy when three members of her family were murdered in a brutal killing spree in October (08). After crashing out of American Idol in 2004, Jennifer Hudson went on to forge a high profile Hollywood career - landing the prized role of Effie White in movie musical Dreamgirls. The film was a turning point in Hudson’s career, garnering her a wealth of critical acclaim and a Golden Globe award. But it was Hudson’s triumph at the 2007 Academy Awards which saw her cement her place in history, becoming the first reality TV show contestant to win an Oscar. Hudson reached a high point in her career in 2008, with a role in box office smash Sex and the City: The Movie over the summer and the release of her self-titled debut album in September. But, just as Hudson was riding high on the success of her new LP, she found herself at the centre of an appalling tragedy when the news broke that her mother and brother had been murdered in a violent shooting at the home where she grew up in Chicago, Illinois. Darnell Donerson and Jason Hudson, were found dead at the family home on 24 October (08). Hudson’s seven-year-old nephew, Julian King, was reported missing following the incident and three days later an Amber Alert was issued to police across the country. After identifying the bodies of her loved ones, the singer-turned-actress launched a campaign for the safe return of her nephew, offering a $100,000 (£75,000) reward. But hopes of finding Julian alive were dashed when police announced that the body of a young African-American boy had been found in an abandoned SUV in the city. The car belonged to Hudson’s late brother, Jason, and had been missing since the shootings. The body was later confirmed to be that of Julian King. The youngster is thought to have been taken from the house alive and later shot dead in the car. The grisly murderers drew an outpouring of public sympathy for the star and her family, with many fans taking to the streets of Chicago on the day of the funerals to offer their condolences. Hudson has put her career on hold while she grieves, scrapping promotion and a scheduled tour for her album. She is also thought to have postponed plans for her upcoming wedding to fiance David Otunga.
The main suspect in the case, William Balfour - the estranged husband of Julian’s mother Julia, was taken into custody shortly after the slayings. Cops have been unable to gather enough evidence to charge him in connection with the murders, holding him instead on a parole violation. Balfour lost a bid for freedom on 10 November (08) after the Illinois Parole Board found "probable cause" for him to remain behind bars until December (08).
10. Madonna and Guy Ritchie split In 1999 pop superstar Madonna began dating British movie director Guy Ritchie.
By the end of 2000 the couple had welcomed son, Rocco, now eight, and married in a romantic ceremony at Skibo Castle in the Highlands of Scotland. In addition to Madonna’s daughter, Lourdes, 12, by personal trainer Carlos Leon, the couple cemented their relationship by expanding their family again, adopting tot David Banda form Malawi in 2006. But, after seven years of marriage, the cracks began to show in the high-profile union. In June 2008, rumours began swirling about an imminent split. However, the reports were consistently denied by Madonna’s publicist, Liz Rosenberg, and the couple carried on their professional duties, putting on a united front, despite the increasing speculation about the state of their relationship. Ritchie was by his wife’s side as she kicked off her Sticky & Sweet world tour on 23 August in Cardiff, Wales and the singer flew into London from touring in Europe to support Ritchie at the U.K. premiere of his latest film, RocknRolla, on 1 September (08). This was to be the last time the couple was seen in public together. Rumours about an impending split continued to grow, with Madonna even being linked to U.S. baseball player, Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez. Finally, the couple decided to put an end to the speculation - announcing on 08 October (08) that they planned to divorce. Just six weeks later the separation was finalised at a court in London. The hearing, which ended their seven-year marriage on 21 November (08), lasted less than a minute and granted the couple their decree nisi, meaning the union will be officially dissolved in the new year. Legal documents made available following the hearing revealed that they had lived apart for at least six months before they went public with news of the split. Although details of the settlement were not made public, the couple reportedly agreed to share custody of their three children, with Madonna’s daughter, Lourdes, living with her mother in New York and their sons splitting their time between the U.S. and Ritchie’s home in Britain. Madonna recently broke her silence on the split, admitting she "feels sad" about her personal life, but is throwing herself whole-heartedly into her work to keep her going throughout this difficult time. (LR/WN/KL) WENN - THIRD - SHOWBIZ FEATURE - 30 DECEMBER 2008 ————————————————————————–
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
