Stars Whose Dark Secrets Were Exposed This Past Decade

The early 2000s saw the rises, arrests and falls of stars like Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Lindsay Lohan, and Britney Spears — some of whom have come back in a big way, others not so much. The 2010s were no less rife with celebrity drama, and often from unexpected parties. The scandals extended beyond the typical cheating, divorce, and feud allegations.

Thanks to the rapid proliferation of the #MeToo movement via not only social media, but also mainstream media coverage, the 2010s saw the downfall of some of Hollywood's most powerful players, people who were once convinced they were untouchable. From accusations of abusing wealth and privilege, to abusing others (and often both), a handful of stars had their dark secrets exposed this decade. If there's anything this decade proved, it's that what goes around comes around and that a reckoning is always coming ... even if it takes a few years to actually get there. 

Charlie Sheen had a widely publicized meltdown in 2011 that he concealed with a public tour of hedonism and an insistence that he was "#WINNING." In 2015, Sheen revealed he was HIV positive and that his self-destructive behavior was largely in response to his diagnosis. He explained on Today, "I was so depressed by the condition I was in, I was doing too many drugs, I was drinking too much."

Sheen admitted on Good Morning America that he was suicidal following the news. "The day I was diagnosed, I immediately wanted to eat a bullet, but my mom was there," he said. "I wouldn't do that in front of her, or let her find me to clean up that mess. But then, something else came over me. They gave me a handful of pills and said, 'You can go home now, and you're going to live.' If I was there with, you know, brain cancer or, or, a stomach thing, or some meningitis, we wouldn't be sitting here right now."

The Hot Shots star reportedly underwent somewhat questionable treatments for the disease and some of Sheen's former partners ("goddess" and porn star Bree Olson and former fiancee Scottine Ross) accused him of hiding his HIV status from them. Sheen claimed he'd been extorted by previous partners for massive financial settlements that left him near broke despite at one point being the highest-paid actor on television.

Stranger Things star Charlie Heaton was busted for alleged cocaine possession at LAX in October 2017, causing him to be temporarily detained and barred from entering the U.S. and to miss the premiere of Stranger Things season 2. Heaton apologized for the mishap, and his mother denied to the Daily Mail that he ever used drugs.

In March 2018, he recalled the incident in Flaunt magazine, explaining, "It was hard. Everything happened so fast, and I hadn't come to terms with the fact that I was famous. When something steps in from the work you are doing and breaks into your personal life...you feel kind of vulnerable. All of a sudden it becomes a very big story and it gets really blown out of proportion."

That wasn't the only major Heaton revelation: In 2017, The Sun reported that Heaton has a secret love child with ex-girlfriend Akiko Matsuura. "Charlie became a dad when he was just 20. He met Akiko when he was just a teen and fell head over heels in love," a source told the outlet. "They're no longer together but they have an amicable relationship for the boy's sake." The source added that at the time Heaton, who's currently dating Stranger Things co-star and onscreen love Natalia Dyer, was too busy with work to see his baby. "Right now Charlie's career is his priority," the insider said, "but he hopes to see more of his son once filming commitments calm down."

Jersey Shore star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro revealed to Us Weekly in February 2019 that he spent time in rehab in West Palm Beach, Fla. "I decided to go to treatment because I wanted to be a better person, a better father for my daughter," he said, adding that he checked in to cope with depression and alcohol abuse. "You stop and you start up again, and it's worse than when you stopped. You're just like, 'Wow, I thought I had this under control,' but at the end of the day, it has full control over you."

It wasn't just his addiction issues that got out of control. Ortiz-Magro and ex-girlfriend Jen Harley feuded for eons, making up and breaking up constantly, with each earning rap sheets for their alleged bad behavior in their disputes throughout their toxic relationship. Harley was busted in June 2018 for allegedly dragging Ortiz-Magro with her car. Ortiz-Magro was arrested in October 2019 for allegedly striking Harley and chasing her with a knife, Fox 11 Los Angeles reported. Page Six reported that he pleaded not guilty to seven misdemeanor charges in the case: domestic violence, child endangerment, brandishing a weapon, criminal threats, false imprisonment and two counts of resisting arrest.

The last half of the decade was not kind to Johnny Depp. Once one of Hollywood's most bankable heartthrobs, Depp's crimonious divorce from Amber Heard — starting in May 2016 when she filed not just divorce papers, but also for a restraining order and finalized in December 2017 — revealed a much darker side than the world had ever seen of the Pirates of the Caribbean star. Heard accused Depp of domestic violence, including one incident in which she alleged he injured her eye with his iPhone, as well as psychological and emotional abuse. Depp denied the claims, and when the pair settled their divorce, they released a carefully worded joint statement saying (via TMZ), "Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love. Neither party has made false accusations for financial gains. There was never an intent of physical or emotional harm." Depp later sued Heard for $50 million for defamation, alleging that she abused him and that her claims against him were a hoax. 

It was just the tip of the iceberg for Depp's tough decade: Two former security guards sued Depp, as well as a crew member from the set of City of Lies who accused Depp of attacking him in April 2017. The crime thriller was later pulled from its scheduled release date in September 2018. In addition, his Depp's exorbitant spending habits (and drying up work) have rendered him near broke.

Harvey Weinstein had a reputation as a bully in Hollywood, but there was an even unimaginably darker side to the former film mogul that was exposed this decade. In October 2017, the disgraced Miramax and Weinstein Company head was accused of decades of sexual misconduct, ranging from harassment to rape, in a series of bombshell reports from The New York Times and The New Yorker that were effectively the first domino to fall in the #MeToo movement. His reported 87 accusers included Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lupita Nyong'o, Asia Argento, Rose McGowan, Ashley Judd, Paz de la Huerta, Léa Seydoux, Cara Delevingne, Kate Beckinsale, Heather Graham, Rosanna Arquette and Mira Sorvino, many of whom alleged that Weinstein threatened to sideline their careers for rebuffing his advances.

Since the reports emerged, he and then-wife, Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman — whose gowns he reportedly pressured starlets like Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Chastain to wear on red carpets — have split, and TMZ reports that he's been to rehab for sex addiction. Weinstein has only been criminally charged in one alleged case, which will reportedly go to trial in January 2020. In December 2019, The New York Times reported that he'd reached a tentative $25 million settlement with dozens of his accusers.

Weinstein has vehemently and repeatedly denied any and all claims of sexual assault, harassment, rape, and other alleged criminal behavior. His downfall is largely credited with survivors coming forward with allegations against Kevin Spacey, Mario Batali, James Toback and others.

NBC fired Matt Lauer from Today on Nov. 29, 2017, after they'd "received a detailed complaint from a colleague about [Lauer's] inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace" (via CNBC). Variety later reported that multiple women accused Lauer of sexual misconduct and that the anchor was "known for making lewd comments verbally or over text messages" and that, for him, "work and sex were intertwined." In one reported alleged incident, Lauer once revealed himself a female coworker, then "reprimanded her for not engaging in a sexual act." On another occasion, Lauer allegedly sent a female colleague a sex toy with a note describing how he'd like to use it on her. The New York Times also reported that one woman had accused Lauer of sexually assaulting her in his office.

Lauer issued a partial apology, but added, "Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly." He also denied any and all allegations of "coercive, aggressive or abusive actions" actions to the Washington Post. Variety later reported that former NBC employee Brooke Nevils accused Lauer of rape and sexual assault, which Lauer denied. Since the scandal broke, Lauer has laid relatively low...and divorced his wife, Annette Roque.