2017’S GOOD, BAD AND UGLY
Hollywood had us so abuzz throughout 2017. Now that we can catch our breath, we picked out the biggest celebrity stories, so you can see exactly what went down in pop culture this past year. Enjoy.
• Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual misconduct by more than 80 women. After The New York Times and The New Yorker published separate exposes on the movie producer, the floodgates have been opened, with countless people stepping forward with their own accusations against major celebrities, including Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Russell Simmons, Al Franken, Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer and
Mario Batali.
• Prince Harry proposed to an American, Meghan Markle, and the “Suits” star said yes to a May wedding. Since the betrothal was announced earlier this month, the media have been in a state of Markle-mania. We’ve already been treated to the couple’s official engagement photos, along with snaps of the pair enjoying the holidays at the queen’s Sandringham estate.
• “La La Land” was accidentally named best picture at the Oscars instead of the true victor, “Moonlight.” A painfully awkward envelope mix-up led to presenters Faye Dunaway and
Warren Beatty announcing the wrong winner. “La La Land” producers were already onstage giving their thank-you speeches when the show’s staff started scrambling to fix the mistake.
• Kendall Jenner controversially resolved our country’s racial tensions with a can of Pepsi. In a disastrous ad, Jenner abandoned her photo shoot to join a protest, making everything A-OK by handing a police officer some cola. “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize,” the soda giant stated after pulling the ad. “We did not intend to make light of any serious issue.”
• Three separate members of the Kardashian clan are allegedly expecting a baby. Kim Kardashian confirmed in September that she and hubby Kanye West are expecting a baby girl via surrogate. Meanwhile, Khloe Kardashian confirmed via Instagram that she and her Cleveland Cavalier boyfriend Tristan Thompson are expecting their first child. And that darn Kylie Jenner hasn’t confirmed a thing about her alleged baby with rapper boyfriend Travis Scott.
• Let’s not forget the
Fyre Festival fiasco. What was supposed to be a luxurious, two-weekend music festival on the Bahamas’ Exumas turned into a disaster reminiscent of “Lord of the Flies.” Its hosts, entrepreneur Billy McFarland and musician Ja Rule, promised headliners like Blink-182, Migos and Major Lazer, along with opulent amenities. Tickets started at several thousands of dollars and, when guests arrived, they found a makeshift tent city with abysmal conditions.
• Jelena is back. Singers Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber have yet again reconciled. The couple has been on-again, off-again since 2010, taking a break the past couple of years. During their love hiatus, Gomez — who also surprised us in September when she shared she had a kidney transplant — dated Zedd and The Weeknd, while Bieber was tied to stars like Hailey Baldwin, Sofia Richie and Barbara Palvin. As of October, Jelena has been back in action.
• Acts of mass violence hit a couple of concerts. A suicide bomber killed 22 people and injured more than 500 others at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on May
22. Then, on Oct. 1, a gunman opened fire on concertgoers while
Jason Aldean played the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas, leaving 58 people dead and 546 injured.
• Twins were trending. In February, Madonna announced she adopted daughters, Estere and
Stella, from Malawi. George and Amal Clooney were next, welcoming son
Alexander and daughter
Ella on June 6. And last but definitely not least, Beyonce and Jay-Z had daughter Rumi and son Sir on June 13.
• Taylor Swift released her most recent and socalled edgy record, “Reputation,” on Nov. 10. She allegedly used this sixth disc to diss rivals, such as Kanye West and Katy Perry, and somehow boost her street cred. The Grammy-winner also won a countersuit against former radio host
David Mueller, whom she accused of groping her during a 2013 meet-andgreet.