Hollywood, the land of dreams and bright lights, has always had a dark side where powerful people and studios hide scandals to protect their reputations and profits. These cover-ups have been going on since the Golden Age and still happen today. They often involve abuse, exploitation, and lies that stayed hidden for years or even decades until brave people or investigations brought them to light.

1. The Reign of Terror by Harvey Weinstein

For more than 30 years, film mogul Harvey Weinstein is said to have used his power to harass, assault, and silence dozens of women in the industry. He did this by using non-disclosure agreements, financial settlements, and even private investigators to bury accusations.

The scandal broke in 2017 with shocking articles in The New York Times and The New Yorker. This sparked the #MeToo movement and led to Weinstein's conviction in 2020 on charges of rape and sexual assault. He is still fighting legal battles.

2. Bill Cosby's secret attacks

Bill Cosby was once known as "America's Dad" for his wholesome TV persona. However, more than 60 women have accused him of drugging and sexually assaulting them, with some claims going back to the 1960s.

People in Hollywood talked about the accusations behind closed doors, but they mostly kept quiet about them until comedian Hannibal Buress's 2014 viral stand-up routine brought them back into the public eye. This led to Cosby's 2018 conviction (later overturned on a technicality in 2021) and a wave of civil lawsuits.

3. Judy Garland's Studio-Made Drug Addiction

As a teen star at MGM, Judy Garland had to take amphetamines to stay slim and energetic for long shooting schedules, then barbiturates to help her sleep. This created a cycle of addiction that ruined her life.

This abusive behavior, which she hid behind her famous roles like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, made her mental health worse and led to her overdose death in 1969 at the age of 47.

4. Errol Flynn's illegal activities with minors

In 1942, swashbuckling heartthrob Errol Flynn was accused of statutory rape of two teenage girls. This came out after it was revealed that he lived a hedonistic life full of drugs, alcohol, and what were said to be voyeurism through two-way mirrors in his home.

Even though he was found not guilty after a sensational trial, the scandal hurt his reputation, and studios downplayed his behavior to keep his box office appeal.

5. Rock Hudson's Secret Life

Main character Rock Hudson, who was known for romantic comedies, hid his homosexuality throughout his career to fit in with Hollywood's heteronormative mold. His studio set up fake marriages and threatened tabloids like Confidential with exposés.

His AIDS diagnosis in 1984 was kept secret for a long time, and it wasn't made public until just before he died in 1985. This shows how homophobic the industry was at the time.

6. "Adopted" by Loretta Young Daughter

Loretta Young, a devout Catholic actress, secretly gave birth to a daughter with co-star Clark Gable. Her family later said that the two had a non-consensual encounter while filming.

She hid the pregnancy, put the baby in an orphanage, and then "adopted" her back. She kept the lie going for decades to protect both stars' careers in the morally strict Golden Age.

7. Alfred Hitchcock's stalking of Tippi Hedren

During the making of The Birds and Marnie, master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock became obsessed with actress Tippi Hedren. He made unwanted advances on her, and when she turned him down, he retaliated by isolating her, letting real birds attack her on set, and blackballing her from future roles.

Hollywood knew about the harassment, but Hedren's story didn't get a lot of attention until years later.

8. Roscoe "Fatty" The Deadly Party of Arbuckle

In 1921, actress Virginia Rappe died at a wild hotel party in San Francisco, and comedian Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was accused of raping and killing her. The media went crazy and painted him as a monster.

He was found not guilty after three trials, but his career was ruined by an industry blacklist. This shows how studios and the press could bury or blow up scandals to keep control.

9. The Mysterious Death of Thomas Ince

In 1924, pioneering producer Thomas Ince died on media mogul William Randolph Hearst's yacht. The official cause of death was heart failure after a weekend of partying.

Rumors that won't go away say that Hearst accidentally shot Ince while trying to hit Charlie Chaplin, whom he thought was dating his mistress Marion Davies. The powerful Hearst empire is said to have quickly covered it up, even going so far as to quickly cremate Ince.

10. Roman Polanski's Attack and Exile

In 1977, famous director Roman Polanski admitted to drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl at Jack Nicholson's house. He fled the U.S. before his sentence and has been a fugitive in Europe ever since.

Even though he committed a crime, parts of Hollywood still supported him with awards and collaborations.

Tags
Celebrity scandals