What a year 2016 has been! How did it go for you? Did you end up ticking stuff off your bucket list? Kept up to the resolutions you promised yourself? How about writing that book or recording that track you have on hold? Probably not. It’s ok. 2017 is just around the corner, and being human, you always have another year to screw-up all over again achieve your lofty goals.
Whether 2016 was your year or not, you can’t help but thank your stars (no, not the zodiac ones, but the pampered ones of Hollywood), for keeping it interesting. Other people’s lives have always kept us sipping our tea, and this year was no exception. From shocking break-ups, to scandalous hook-ups and robberies in between, let’s take a look at the top celebrity gossip countdown for 2016 –
Blac Chyna
Last year, we only knew her as the friend of Amber Rose and the feuding ex-partner of Tyga – the boyfriend of the youngest Kardashian sister. But she began 2016 with a bang (quite literally) when she posted an Instagram of her and what appeared to be the tattooed arm of the only “Kardashian heir” – Rob. The media went in a frenzy, along with the Kardashians, who apparently were as in-the-dark as we were about the budding romance. Fast forward to the end of 2016, and we have had our share of Kardashian shade towards Chyna, a new spin-off reality show called Rob & Chyna (produced, not surprisingly by the Kardashian “momager”, Kris Jenner) and a baby girl for the newest Kardashian couple – Dream! And ICYMI, just google the family tree of the Kardashian-Jenner family. Good God.
Taylor Swift
It should have been another successful year for Taylor Swift, and in the beginning it was. Known as the ultimate media manipulator, she always has us painting a pretty picture about her life – from her Swift Squad to break-ups-turned-into-songs and fashion perfection whenever she steps out. But, damn, was this a scandalous year for the Bad Blood singer. She was initially dating DJ Calvin Harris, and the next thing we know, she’s photographed on the beach over the July 4th weekend with heartthrob, Tom Hiddleston in an embarrassing “I <3 TS” t-shirt. Then Kim Kardashian’s snapchat blows up with secret recordings of a private conversation between Kanye West and Swift, over his song Famous where he infamously raps about him and TS doing the deed (you know what deed I’m talking about – the S word). After being called a liar by Kim, Taylor ended up dumping Hiddleston and taking credit for Harris’ song of the summer, This Is What You Came For. Oh, but she ended the year being crowned the highest paid artist in Hollywood. Yes, Taylor Swift always wins.
Kim Kardashian
The fact is, there are so many Kardashians going around that it’s hard to ever keep one out of the headlines, because another one pops up. And when it comes to Kim, she always has something interesting for the tabloids. Her mid-year calling out of Taylor Swift was hailed as her being that one person in Hollywood who could break the “good girl” image of T-Swift. She was drenching in the glory of her ultimate take-down of the year was shattered when she was robbed at gunpoint in Paris, with $10 million worth of jewelry, including a $4 million wedding ring from Kanye being taken in the process. She has been off social media since then (oh the terror), and is only an honorable mention in the news these days with her ranting-mental-breakdown rapper husband finally being institutionalized at UCLA. Even by the meticulous Kardashian standards, no one saw this downfall coming.
Divorces
Ah, what is Hollywood without its fair share of divorces? Every year, celebrity couples break our fragile hearts by announcing their typical “amicable” split with their significant other. But for 2016, oh no they didn’t! Let’s begin with the horrible Amber Heard-Johnny Depp divorce. She emerged with bruises to her face, filing a restraining order and claiming domestic abuse. Johnny never said a word to the media, but his cronies gave more than their 2 cents, calling Amber everything from being a “gold digger” to a “liar” and other demeaning adjectives often used to describe women. After a TMZ video conveniently emerged of Depp acting like a drunk idiot in their home, the divorce was quickly finalized, with Johnny still owing $7 million to Amber’s favorite charities as part of their settlement. He went on to star in Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them and she will be seen next in Justice League.
And another divorce that grabbed headlines – Angelina Jolie taking to TMZ to announce her separation from Brad Pitt after breaking up his marriage to Jennifer Aniston, being together for 12 years and bringing up 6 (7?) children together. When people were screaming foul play, reports emerged that Brad was the one at fault, having been abusive towards her children, coupled with a drinking and drug problem. Now at the end of this tiring year, we hear that he will get visitation rights, but only after he takes 4 random toxicology tests a month. As a completely non-related side-note, Jennifer Aniston has been killing it with her brand of feminism.
Break Ups and Hook Ups
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Yes, yes. Hollywood makes quite the place for scandalous, juicy couples coming together and breaking up. The one who takes the cake for the top break-up of the year is 90s pop princess, Mariah Carey. She was all over social media with her diamonds and dahlings, having gotten engaged to Australian billionaire, James Packer. And after envious posts of her luxurious time in Greece, we get to know that the engagement is broken, just days after her divorce with Nick Cannon was finalized. What the -? After a brave comeback on The Ellen Show, Mariah is heading for her docu-series, Mariah’s World, which once again advertises commercialism and opulence.
When Drake and Rihanna started appearing at each other’s shows on tour, with her twerking on him, fans went wild. They released their hit, Work together (which is nominated for a couple of Grammy Awards 2017, NBD). This, along with cheeky Instagram posts and matching tattoos. Now it looks like the couple have split (again!) and are keeping us waiting until another reunion.
Are there any other hot topics from Hollywood we missed? Comment below! And don’t forget to share this with your gossip-hungry friends!
