Best & Worst 2008: Most shocking headlines
The death of Heath Ledger:
He was perhaps one the most talented actors of his generation, which is why the death of 28-year old Heath Ledger on Jan. 22 shocked so many. Ledger, the star of such films as Brokeback Mountain and The Patriot, wasnt publically known as a party boy, a freeway drunk, or any other category of star on a train-ride to ruin, but there he was, found in his empty New York apartment apparently overdosed on six different prescription drugs. Months later, he riveted moviegoers with his penultimate performance as the maniacal Joker in the highest-grossing movie of the year, “The Dark Knight.” It was a final taste of what has been lost. (Dima Gavrysh / Associated Press)
Heath Ledger, Madonna, Britney Spears and Herbie Hancock topped the news this year.
Sienna Miller hooks up with a married man
Wait. Isnt there some kind of code among women whove been cheated on? After Sienna Millers beau, Jude Law, cheated on her with the nanny in 2005, Miller turned around and became the other woman in 2008 when she hooked up with married actor Balthazar Getty, left. (Ann Johansson / For The Times)
Anne Hathaways ex arrested on fraud charges
When it comes to Hollywood starlets making tabloid news, Anne Hathaway was always the exception to the rule. You wouldnt catch her table-dancing at Winstons; she was a serious actress, thank you very much!
All that changed in 2008, when Anne Hathaways mysterious ex, Raffaello Follieri, was arrested on charges of wire fraud and money laundering. “I broke up with my boyfriend, and two weeks later he was sent to prison for fraud. I mean, we’ve all been there, right, ladies?” Hathaway later quipped on SNL. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)
The Spice Girls sell out!
No one stays broken up in pop music these days. The Police? The Eagles? The Jesus Lizard? Indie or mainstream, few can resist the opportunity to get the band back together. So it wasnt a surprise that the
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American Idol adds a fourth judge
In 2008, mega-hit series “American Idol announced that a fourth critic would be joining
It’s hard to say “poor Tom Brady” when he’s dating Brazilian supermodel
While rehabbing, he probably spent more time with his son, John (with actress Bridget Moynahan), and more time with Gisele too. (Jim Davis / Associated Press)
Herbie Hancock tops Kanye West for album of the year:
After two prior chances, this seemed like the year
Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer was disgraced in March after the New York Times reported that he had patronized a prostitution service called Emperors Club VIP. Spitzer was linked to a young woman named “Kristen,” who was later identified as the 22-year-old Ashley Alexandra Dupré. The news conference where he was joined by his wife, Silda, had powerful imagery, not from him, but from his wife who stood silent in the background. (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press)
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Travis Barker & DJ AM survive plane crash
Musicians Travis Barker and DJ AM survived a tragic plane crash in September. Their four traveling companions, however, died in the accident. Barker and DJ AM will perform together for the first time since the crash on New Years Eve in
Mariah Carey bests Elvis
Music purists probably wouldn’t equate
Sci-fi loving “X-Files” fans were shocked when married family man David Duchovny released a statement on Aug. 28 saying that he had checked into rehab for sex addiction. Fans of Duchovny’s other roles, including the portrayal of a womanizing writer on “Californication” and a heart-broken man obsessed with reading about others’ love affairs on “Red Shoe Diaries,” probably weren’t as surprised. Rumors of sex addiction have dogged Duchovny for years, though he denied the rumors in a 1997 interview with Playgirl magazine. On Oct. 15, representatives for Duchovny and his wife,
AC/DC delivers NO. 1 album
In just two weeks, AC/DCs Black Ice topped the 1 million sales mark. It debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. pop charts this fall after selling 784,000 copies. It was only the second time in the acts career that it owned the No. 1 album, and first time it held such heights in nearly 30 years. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
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Madonna and
Madge’s split from husband
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Jennifer Hudson’s terrible loss
Hudson is a pop princess, an “Idol” favorite and an Oscar winner. The murder of her mother, brother and nephew, and the arrest of her brother-in-law for the crimes reminds us that domestic violence can strike anyone -- even American sweethearts. (Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press)
Britney’s (so far successful) comeback
For a while, it seemed that the former teen queen’s life would just keep sinking toward real tragedy: the hospitalizations and child custody battles seemed like par for the course. But her new single “Womanizer” is her first Billboard singles chart-topper in five years, and it’s renewed her credibility with the in-crowd: British ‘It’ girl Lily Allen’s just covered it. Britney’s back, for real, and that’s unexpected. (Peter Kramer / Associated Press)
Michael Phelps wins 8 gold medals
Michael Phelps is the fastest man alive in the water, but it’s the speed at which he became an international media darling that may be most impressive.
Of course, winning a record 8 gold medals in one Olympics is a feat, but he’s now been on “Entourage,” hosted “Saturday Night Live” and was a presenter on the MTV Video Music Awards 2008 . Besides being on every talk show imaginable, he’s also touring for his new book, “No Limits: The Will to Succeed.” Many Olympians get post-Games notice, but none on the scale of Phelps. (Gabriel Bouys / AFP/Getty Images)
