Sharon Stone's Flash of Fame
Who can forget the legendary leg-crossing, lady-parts-flashing police interrogation scene in 1992's Basic Instinct? Certainly not Sharon, who worked this smoking-hot going-commando scene into an ongoing career as a Hollywood sexpot. You go, girl!
Sinead O'Conner, Pope Shredder
The passionate singer took a lot of grief in 1992 when she tore up a picture of the Pope on Saturday Night Live to protest child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and said, "Fight the real enemy." She was denounced, vilified and denigrated. Revelations in recent years indicate that maybe a lot of people owe her an apology or two...million.
Tonya Harding & Nancy Kerrigan's Knee-Smashing Olympics
Tonya's hubby and her bodyguard tried to break Kerrigan's knee before the 1994 U.S. Championships, causing an explosion of publicity. Tonya later admitted trying to cover up the plot, but was still allowed on the Olympic team. Lady Justice intervened to whack Harding, however, who finished 8th (and was later banned from professional skating), while Kerrigan won the silver medal.
Rosie O'Donnell Ambushes Tom Selleck
Whodathunk an NRA TV ad pitchman would get ambushed by a show-tunes-spewing chat host? But Rosie cornered Tom into debating assault weapons in the wake of Columbine in 1999. To his credit, Tom didn't run for cover while both of them tried to keep it civil. Rosie's been in the cross-hairs of the right wing ever sense.
Julia Roberts: Is Her Wave Wearing a Weave?
Triviality is the pits. So let's talk about something really important (and we all did!): the Pretty Woman's underarm shrubbery at the 1999 Notting Hill premiere. Knotting Hair is more like it.
Tom Cruise: Dancing With the Sofa
The typically reserved actor chose a strange way to express his love for Katie Holmes on Oprah in 2005, by jumping up and down on her couch, falling to one knee and laughing maniacally. While some thought it was a case of "he doth protest too much," he and Katie are still together years later. So who cares if he soils some upholstery in the process?
Brad Leaves Jen for Angie
As other people's problems go, this one was huge. And we're still feeling the aftershocks from when Braddifer morphed into Brangelina in 2005. Was sexy Angie a homewrecker? Was girl next door Jen a pill? Was handsome Brad a hound dog? Yeah, we know, we should get a life. But this is so juicy!
Alec Baldwin's Answering Machine Rant
The digital age means that anyone's worst moments can become their defining moment, which in April 2007 was bad news for the hothead actor. We all heard Alec call his daughter Ireland a "rude thoughtless pig" among other choice words. And we've all got a pretty good guess which one of the kid's parents released it to the press. What a family!
Michael Jackson Makes a Dramatic Exit
In a suitably bizarre manner, the King of Pop ended his reign on June 25, 2009, getting by CPR from his dubious doctor who'd later be charged with manslaughter. Jackson was fondly remembered by a world of fans in a touching television memorial from L.A.'s Staples Center. But then it took more than two months to get him buried. Even after his death, it seems, Michael Jackson was a spectacular talent.
David Letterman Shows Stars How to Handle a Shakedown
Even Letterman fans aren't totally surprised he's kind of a jerk—it's part of his charm. Which he demonstrated on his show when he spent a couple of nights last October detailing how some less-charming jerk had tried to blackmail him over a dalliance with a former staffer. Dave went to the cops, went to his audience and went to his wife to apologize. We hope not in that order.
Balloon Boy Crash-Lands Into Reality
Scheming out on the outskirts of fame, Richard Heene hungered for another bite of the apple after his family's 15 minutes on Wife Swap by pretending his kid Falcon was a weather-balloon stowaway. After the resulting cable-news blanket-coverage apoplexy, Falcon spilled the beans on CNN that it was a hoax. And when he later spilled hurled his breakfast on the Today show, we were with him in spirit. Fly high with the truth, young Falcon!
Jay Leno & Conan O'Brien: Mud-Wrestling Over Tonight
Conan was too hip for the room on the Tonight Show, and Leno wasn't even hip enough for prime time. It dragged everybody's ratings down, except the competition: David Letterman gleefully chucked verbal rotten veggies at Jay, while Jimmy Kimmel wore eerie Leno makeup for a whole show. Weeks of schadenfreude fun for everyone!
There's more fun in our 20 Years of Red-Hot Lovers gallery!