Sweet Celebs Who Married Awful People

Not all celebs are lucky in love. In fact, some of the sweetest stars have found their way into bad relationships with less-than-stellar people. Hey — it's happened to the best of us. After all, love is blind, so it can be pretty dang hard to tell when trouble's just walked into a person's life. Still, love must also be deaf, dumb, and delusional because that's the only way these stars didn't run away screaming when they discovered the truth about their significant others.

At least, that's the only way we can really explain how these otherwise delightful stars wound up tying the knot with alleged cheaters, gold diggers, control freaks, and not-so-better halves. And sure, there are two sides to every story, but the court of public opinion seems to have made up its mind about who's to blame for problems in paradise.

Keep reading to find out which celebs entered some seriously dark and twisted romances.

Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock is beloved by most movie-going audiences, so when she got teary thanking then-husband Jesse James at the 2010 Oscars, we all rooted for them. That also made it hurt twice as much when news broke that James allegedly cheated on America's sweetheart. He didn't just cheat, though—he cheated with a slew of women, at least one of whom had no issue rocking Nazi regalia. That may not have bothered James, though. He's reportedly been linked to Nazi-related art for quite a while, and some very unsettling photos of him in Nazi gear went public. Sources told Us Weekly that James is "into history...The swastika deal is to scare people. It's part of biker culture."

Bullock kicked him to the curb and told People (via the New York Daily News), "The photo shocked me and made me sad. This was stupid, this was ignorant. Racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, homophobia, anything Nazi and a boatload of other things have no place in my life."

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney's marriage to Heather Mills didn't seem terrible — until they divorced in March 2008. Justice Hugh Bennett, who presided over the split, wasn't impressed with Mills' efforts to snag $250 million from the former member of The Beatles. "I am driven to the conclusion that much of her evidence, both written and oral, was not just inconsistent and inaccurate but also less than candid," Bennett said (via People), noting that her requests for $400,000 annually for private flights, $80,000 for wine, and $250,000 for clothes were "ridiculous...unreasonable, indeed exorbitant."

As recently as March 2015, Mills was still insulting McCartney, despite being awarded $48.6 million in the divorce settlement. She told U.K.'s The Late Late Show that McCartney was irrelevant, saying "When I go down the street, I get kids coming up to me — half of them don't even know who he is — that's why he's got to do songs with Rihanna and Kanye West, so people remember." She added, "You know, I own the biggest vegan company in the world. [McCartney] is just someone I fell in love with who to me was a normal guy that happened to write a few cool songs in the '60s and a few in the '70s."

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey's first marriage to record exec Tommy Mottola was the stuff of Lifetime movies: rich, powerful, and allegedly very controlling. Vanity Fair reported that Mottola, who was married with kids when he met Carey, allegedly wouldn't let her leave their mansion alone and employed security guards to follow her 24/7 — even to the bathroom. He also allegedly dictated Carey's entire life, even telling her when to sit and stand. Mottola was also accused of sabotaging her 2001 album and film, "Glitter."

Though he denied any abusive behavior, he wrote in his memoir (excerpted by Billboard) that the relationship was "absolutely wrong and inappropriate" and that he is "truly sorry for any discomfort or pain that all of my good intentions inevitably caused her, and most of all for the scars it left on my two oldest children." Sure he is, but that still hasn't stopped him from talking about Mimi every chance he gets.

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez's first husband, Ojani Noa, probably seemed like a nice guy at the time, but once she became famous after they divorced, he reportedly tried selling her out. He dished about their relationship on "Million Dollar Matchmaker" in September 2016, complaining that she "chose her career" over their marriage. (It seems to have worked out pretty well for her, no?)

That was only the most recent of Noa's offenses. In 2006, Lopez sued him to prevent him from publishing a tell-all book about their relationship, alleging that it violated a confidentiality agreement. A year later, Noa was issued a permanent injunction forbidding him from "criticizing, denigrating, casting in a negative light or otherwise disparaging" his iconic ex. He was also forced to pay La Lopez about $545,000 and give her all hard copies and materials related to the book he'd been trying to sell, according to The New York Times.

In 2015, Noa reportedly tried to release an intimate video featuring Lopez that was filmed during their brief marriage.

Zsa Zsa Gabor

Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband, Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt, seemed to capitalize on her December 2016 death as much as he could. According to The Hollywood Reporter, von Anhalt made much of his speech at her memorial service about Hollywood and about himself, even admitting that he met her because he paid a photo agency $5,000 to snap him with a star to establish himself as a celebrity—and that star was Gabor. 

He also used his platform to call Elizabeth Taylor fat when she was wheelchair-ridden at the end of her life, because, you know, he's classy. 

Robert Kardashian

The late Robert Kardashian married Kris Jenner in 1978, but according to her own daughter, Jenner "destroyed" his life. Khloe Kardashian said in March 2016 (via Us Weekly) that she's committed to remaining faithful in relationships because "I saw what it did to my dad, so I don't want to do that. I also saw the regret from my mom."

Jenner has said cheating on her husband was her life's biggest mistake. She had an explosive affair with Emmy-nominated animator Todd Waterman, who says they were still hooking up after she got together with her second husband, Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner).

Kim Kardashian

Before Kanye West, Kris Humphries, and Reggie Bush, Kim Kardashian married Damon Thomas. Kardashian was 19 when they eloped in 2000, and by February 2004 they'd split. Court documents obtained by Daily Mail paint a terrifying picture of the marriage. Kardashian accused Thomas, who was 10 years her senior, of "poisoning" her against her friends and family, urging her to drop out of college. She also claimed he was violent and slammed her into walls, pulled her hair, and punched her in the face. Kardashian alleges that Thomas encouraged her to get plastic surgery in order to become "perfect."

He denied the claims to In Touch and alleged that Kardashian was trying to get more money out of him in their divorce settlement, claiming she cheated on him with Jennifer Lopez's second husband, Cris Judd. 

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Bethenny Frankel

Bethenny Frankel's divorce proceedings from ex Jason Hoppy lasted longer than her two-year marriage. The pair tied the knot in 2010 but were separated by 2012, and by Frankel's account, the split was very ugly. However, it was Hoppy's alleged behavior after their divorce that was most unsettling.

TMZ reported that in November 2016, Frankel's boyfriend, Dennis Shields, had his lawyer send Hoppy a cease and desist letter after Hoppy allegedly sent him more than 100 harassing emails about Frankel.

In January 2017, Page Six reported Hoppy was arrested for allegedly threatening Frankel when she picked up their daughter, Bryn, from school in New York — and it was revealed that he allegedly sent more than 150 emails of various insults and threats to her and Shields, allegedly calling her "ugly," "old," and "irrelevant." 

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley married Peter Cook in 2001, but by 2007, he got sloppy with his alleged cheating. Around 2005, Cook supposedly began hooking up with an 18-year-old assistant, Diana Bianchi, behind Brinkley's back. Bianchi's stepfather reportedly learned about the affair and spilled the beans to Brinkley, who quickly filed for divorce. They had a bitter custody battle over their daughter, Sailor, and a nasty battle over money — and he lost, taking home only $2.1 million of Brinkley's estimated $60 million fortune.

Cook's subsequent wife, Suzanne Shaw, faced similar infidelity. After their split in 2014, she publicly apologized to Brinkley for ignoring her warnings about Cook, who later was accused of allegedly photographing women without their knowledge. Shaw even wrote him an email leaked to Page Six that read, "To think you fought Christie, the mother of your children, for custody, knowing what you were, knowing what you did...trolling the internet...filming your prostitute. Covertly photographing...and so much more." Yikes.

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway wasn't married to Italian businessman and alleged swindler Raffaello Follieri, but he said he'd bought her an engagement ring and was getting ready to ask for her hand when their world came crashing down. In 2008, four years into their relationship, Follieri was arrested for money laundering.

According to the Daily Mail, authorities seized personal photos and even Hathaway's diaries from his Trump Tower apartment as evidence in the crimes. The tabloid claimed relationship problems surfaced days earlier when news broke that Follieri's charity organization was being investigated by authorities, prompting Hathaway to resign from its board.

"I was devastated," Follieri lamented (via the Daily Mail). "I knew as soon as I was arrested that our relationship was over because this situation was not comfortable for her. That was it."

Robin Wright and Madonna

Madonna and Robin Wright were both married to Sean Penn (Madge from 1985 to 1989, and Wright from 1996 to 2010), and he's been accused of treating both of them horribly.

People and the Daily Mail reported that Penn's jealous rages during his relationship with Madonna led him to allegedly physically attack not just her, but also some of her friends and business associates... you know, when he wasn't in jail for other myriad legal offenses.

As far as his relationship with Wright, well, look at everyone he dated during their marriage—some while on "breaks;" celebs Jewel, Petra Nemcova, Elle Macpherson, Jessica White, and Natalie Portman all allegedly became notches on his belt before he and Wright divorced. Is it any surprise Charlize Theron got out while the going was good?

Tina Turner

Ike Turner helped propel Anna Mae Bullock to superstardom when he took her under his wing and changed her stage name to Tina Turner. Unfortunately, with his tutelage and musical genius came reported domestic abuse, which Tina detailed in her memoir, I, Tina, and which was dramatized in the film "What's Love Got to Do With It" (1993). 

Before divorcing Ike in 1976, Tina claimed his abuse was so severe that at one point, he broke her jaw.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse was reportedly in a toxic relationship with husband Blake Fielder-Civil before her death in 2011. She married Fielder in 2007, which many fans point to as the beginning of her downturn into the drug and alcohol addictions that led to her death. Winehouse's former manager, Nick Shymansky, told The Guardian, "It was horrible to see her going from someone so tender and brilliant and warm to being kind of derelict and lost. I've been very angry with [Fielder-Civil] in the past, but at the end of the day he wasn't a grownup, he was a lost kid who had his own issues."

Fielder-Civil denies responsibility for Winehouse's issues. He told The London Sunday Times (via The Guardian), "I don't think I ruined her, no. I think we found each other and certain people need to realize that she did have other addictions before she met me. She wasn't a happy, well-adjusted young woman...and I find it disrespectful to imply I was some machiavellian puppet master."

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Robin Givens

Robin Givens was a star on the rise when she met heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in 1987. The couple tied the knot after a year of dating, but this marriage was far from a knockout. During a joint 1989 interview with Barbara Walters, Givens explained that she loved Tyson because "He's smart. He's gentle. He's got an incredibly gentle side. He loves me more than anything in the world. I feel like he needs me, which I like."

However, when asked about Tyson's alleged domestic abuse, she was equally forthcoming. "[He has] an extremely volatile temper...He's got a side to him that's scary. Michael is intimidating, to say the least. I think that there's a time when he cannot control his temper, and that's frightening to me, and to my mother, and to anyone around. It's scary...He gets out of control, throwing, screaming...He shakes, he pushes, he swings. Sometimes I think he's trying to scare me. There are times when I thought I could handle it, and just recently, I've become afraid...Michael is a manic depressive..."

She explained why she stayed with him: "Number one, because you love the person, and number two, because you get accustomed to being treated poorly, so behavior that you wouldn't normally accept becomes everyday behavior." Tyson and Givens divorced shortly after that interview. He accused Givens and her mother of conspiring to swindle him for his money.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Britney Spears

Britney Spears may have dodged a bullet when she annulled her ultra-brief marriage to childhood friend Jason Alexander. They were husband and wife for just 55 hours in 2004, but by 2012, he still wasn't over it "[The annulment was] bulls**t. That was probably the hardest part about it. I had obviously got my feelings involved," he said. "Nice guys finish last. Look out for yourself. If you are going to really get involved into a relationship with a celebrity and you are just an average Joe, make sure you are thinking business!" Of Spears' engagement to then-manager Jason Trawick, which ended in 2013, Alexander said, "I think it's fake and I think people are afraid to say it."

In February 2016, court documents obtained by Us Weekly revealed that Alexander spent four months behind bars on domestic violence charges in 2015, pleading guilty to a count of felony assault.

Melanie 'Mel B' Brown

Former Spice Girls member Melanie "Mel B" Brown filed for divorce from estranged husband Stephen Belafonte after more than a decade together. 

Belafonte reportedly had quite the rap sheet before they got together. In 1994, he was charged with receiving stolen property after allegedly pleading down from burglary and theft. In 2000, he was accused of assaulting two men in a road rage incident; that charge was reduced to vandalism. In 2003, Belafonte pleaded no contest to allegedly battering his then-common-law wife while he was drunk. He also admitted to bludgeoning a duck to death with a brick outside of his New Jersey home when he was a teenager. He reportedly fled to Los Angeles and never paid his court fine for that incident. 

His behavior reportedly didn't improve after marrying Brown. In 2010, he was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with three men at a London hotel, leaving one hospitalized, but he was never charged in relation to that incident. As if all that wasn't bad enough, there's everything that happened post-split from Brown. She accused him of physically abusing her throughout their marriage, alienating her from her family, cheating on her with their nanny (who he allegedly got pregnant and forced to get an abortion), and sexually exploiting her for money. Belafonte denied all of those claims. Their contentious divorce was finalized in December 2017.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Kathy Griffin

Before she made headlines for her controversial Trump beheading stunt in 2017, Kathy Griffin was a pretty well-liked comedian, and when she married software entrepreneur Matthew Moline in 2001, it seemed like a cute match. That is, until they split. 

Griffin filed for divorce in 2005, and the alleged reasons for the breakup were sad and sketchy. "My ex-husband, without my knowledge, was sneaking into my wallet when I was asleep in the mornings and taking my ATM cards of my own private accounts and withdrawing money," the former "My Life on the D-List" star told Larry King in 2006 (via People). "He admitted it and apologized and...we went to couples therapy. I really wanted to make it work. Unfortunately, we [were not] able to get beyond the trust issue. Griffin said she eventually decided to cope by "putting everything in the act. I kind of turn tragedy into comedy and I find that that's a great way for me to deal with it."

Ali Landry

Mario Lopez may be charming on TV, but he seems like a bit of a cad in real life — at least he did when he was married to model and actor Ali Landry. Lopez confessed to cheating on Landry during his bachelor party just days before their wedding in 2004. He told Howard Stern in 2011 (via Us Weekly), "It was spring break...everybody was hanging out. That was a situation where I was not mature enough and not man enough. I had no business of being in that position."

Their marriage was annulled after just two weeks, but in his memoir, "Just Between Us," Lopez poured salt on the would by writing that he never loved Landry in the first place. He claimed "lightning hit me with the truth" during that scandalous bachelor party. "I wasn't in love. But I walked down the aisle [anyway]."

Lana Turner

Old Hollywood screen siren Lana Turner wasn't married to Johnny Stompanato Jr., but she was trapped in an abusive relationship with him — and she claimed that, when she tried to leave him, he held a razor to her face and threatened to kill her. 

In the book "Lana Turner: Hearts And Diamonds Take All" (via Daily Mail), it's claimed that the sweet celeb caught Stompanato, who was allegedly affiliated with The Mob, in bed with her 14-year-old daughter, Cheryl Crane. When she confronted him and told him it was the last straw and she was leaving him, he allegedly got violent and shook her. Crane rushed to her mother's defense and stabbed Stompanato in the stomach, killing him. It would be ruled justifiable homicide, but insiders later claimed Turner killed Stompanato herself and had Crane take the fall for the crime.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

John Legend

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen were considered a golden couple, but in spring 2021, reports resurfaced about past online bullying from Teigen. Her most frequent target was model Courtney Stodden, who was groomed to marry Doug Hutchinson when they were underage. Some public tweets Teigen directed at Stodden included wishing they would take a "dirt nap," but it didn't end there: Stodden revealed in an interview with The Daily Beast that Teigen also sent them direct messages urging them to kill themselves. Teigen also blasted Lindsay Lohan and Farrah Abraham on the platform. Most of her mean tweets, which reportedly may have cost her some endorsements, were from 2011. She and Legend tied the knot in 2013.

Teigen took a break from social media after Stodden's allegations went viral, and posted a public apology to Stodden in May 2021 via Twitter. However, Stodden told TMZ that Teigen never actually reached out to them or their team privately at all — and pointed out that Teigen actually blocked them on Twitter, so they couldn't even see the model's message.

Cameroonian singer Denica also accused Teigen of shoving her at the 2016 Grammys, and more recently, Teigen beefed with comedian Heather McDonald in September 2021.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Anna Duggar

Josh Duggar of "19 Kids and Counting Fame" married Anna Duggar in 2008. In 2015, a police report surfaced from 2006, in which Josh admitted to being "extremely sorry" for "wrongdoing" — and the wrongdoing of which he was accused was particularly heinous: Molesting five young girls, including his own sisters, Jill Dillard and Jessa Seewald, per TMZ. The sexual abuse reportedly occurred in 2002, when Josh was 14 years old. He wrote in a since-deleted message on the family's Facebook account that he and his victims all sought counseling after he confessed to the incident.

Also in 2015, Gawker revealed that Josh had paid at least around $1,000 for an Ashley Madison account. For those uninitiated (or sweet, innocent, and faithful), Ashley Madison is a service where married people go to find sexual partners for extramarital affairs. According to People, Josh confessed to cheating on Anna and being addicted to pornography.

In April 2021, Josh was arrested for alleged possession of child pornography. Per People, pleaded not guilty to the charges and faces up to 20 years behind bars, if convicted. As of this writing, he is prohibited from living with any minors, and Anna must be present at all times that he is with their children.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj married Kenneth "Zoo" Petty in October 2019, and much like animals in an actual zoo, he's spent time behind bars. Petty was convicted of attempted rape in 1995 when he was 16 years old. According to prosecutors, Petty used a sharp object to force Jennifer Hough into sexual intercourse, which Hough recalled in a September 2021 episode of "The Real."

In addition to the trauma of the sexual assault itself, Hough also faced cyberbullying and threats from Minaj's fans, which she told The Daily Beast was so bad that she was forced to move three times in 2020 alone. She also accused Minaj and her associates of offering her money to retract her accusation against Petty. "I was so afraid of being found out. I was so afraid of being known as the person he violated, and I didn't want that. You know, it's Nicki Minaj," Hough said on "The Real," adding (via Yahoo!), "I didn't want that to reflect on my children." Hough sued Minaj for harassment over the ordeal, and the case is ongoing.

Meanwhile, Petty also pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2006 for a shooting death of a man four years prior. He served seven years in prison, commuted down from a sentence of 10, and was released in 2013.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Dita Von Teese

Dita Von Teese married Marilyn Manson in November 2005 after five years of dating, but by December 2006, the couple divorced. Teese later told Harper's Bazaar of the split, "Let's just say that it must have been something pretty bad for me to move out of the house after six years together and to pack up my stuff on Christmas Eve."

She didn't specify the reason, but it's speculated that Manson took up with actor Evan Rachel Wood. Manson and Wood went on to date from 2007 to 2010. In February 2021, Wood alleged on Instagram of Manson, "He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent."

According to Vanity Fair, at least four other women accused Manson of abuse, and "Game of Thrones" star Esme Bianco sued Manson for sexual battery in April 2021. The "Dope Show" singer has denied all allegations and maintained that everything that occurred in any of his relationships and encounters was "entirely consensual" in an Instagram statement.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Mia Farrow

Mia Farrow and her ex, late pianist André Previn, adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn in 1978. Farrow began dating Woody Allen in 1980, and they were together until 1992. Though they never married nor cohabited, they shared son Satchel (now journalist Ronan Farrow) and adopted daughter Dylan. Mia and Allen split when she found nude photos of Soon-Yi in Allen's home, which the filmmaker later claimed was no big deal.

"Soon-Yi had talked about being a model and said to me would I take some pictures of her without her clothes on," he told Time. "At this time we had an intimate relationship, so I said sure, and I did. It was just a lark of a moment. ... [Farrow] hit the ceiling [when she found out]. I said, 'Look, our relationship has been over for some time. We should go our separate ways. The important thing is that we do what is right for our children.'"

After their split, Mia accused Allen of sexually abusing Dylan; a prosecutor claimed there was "probable cause" to prosecute Allen, but reportedly declined to press charges in order to save Dylan the trauma of a trial, per CBS News. For his part, Allen has long denied the allegations, but Dylan, Ronan, and Mia stand by them to this day. Allen and Soon-Yi wed in 1997.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Sharon Tate

Roman Polanski married Sharon Tate in January 1968, but their union ended tragically when she and their unborn child were victims of the Manson Murders in August 1969.

In 1977, Polanski was arrested for sexually assaulting 13-year-old Samantha Gailey. He initially denied the charges, but later agreed to a plea bargain. However, the judge in the case reportedly planned to renege on the plea bargain and sentence Polanski to 50 years behind bars. Polanski fled first to London, then to France, where he evaded extradition for decades.

In 1988, Gailey sued Polanski and they agreed to a financial settlement, but by 1996, it was reported he still owed her over $600,000; they reportedly settled the matter by 1997, per the Los Angeles Times. In 2009, he was arrested in Switzerland and initially jailed, but then placed under house arrest in his sprawling estate. Then, according to The New York Times, Switzerland refused to extradite him to the United States. A Polish court also turned down extradition in 2015. Gailey later blasted the judge in the U.S. case, as well as the media, for extending and exacerbating her trauma from the rape (via Quillette).

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Aaliyah

According to The New York Times, an eyewitness alleged in court that Aaliyah, then 13 or 14 years old, had a sexual relationship with R. Kelly, then in his mid-20s. A year later, Kelly and Aaliyah illegally married, allegedly because he believed she was pregnant with his child. Kelly was accused of bribing a government employee to get Aaliyah a fake ID saying she was 18 years old. The marriage was annulled.

Aaliyah is one of the youngest girls that Kelly allegedly sexually abused; countless other women accused Kelly of sexually abusing them when they were minors. In September 2021, Kelly was found guilty of eight counts of sex trafficking and one count of racketeering, BBC reported. As of this writing, Kelly also has a trial pending in Chicago over alleged obstruction of justice and possession of child sex images, and he has been charged with sex abuse in the states of Illinois and Minnesota.

From 1996 through 2002, four women each sued Kelly for various sex offenses that allegedly occurred when the women were underage; the cases were settled out of court. In June 2002, he was charged with making videos depicting child sexual abuse, but was found not guilty. Separate charges of producing child sexual abuse images in Florida were dismissed between 2002 and 2004.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Ronnie Spector

Ronnie Spector of The Ronettes married music producer Phil Spector in 1968. The couple made beautiful music together literally, but outside of the studio, their relationship got ugly fast: Ronnie told The Telegraph that Phil held her hostage in their shared home and only let her leave the house once every month for just 20 minutes to purchase feminine hygiene products. She alleged that if she took more than 20 minutes, he'd allegedly send a bodyguard out to find her and that he often hid her shoes from her to keep her from going out and prohibited her from performing live at all.

She recalled, "The last year of my marriage I didn't talk at all, because if I said anything he'd yell at me, so why say anything? ... I cried every night I was married." She also revealed that Phil kept a gold coffin in their home and threatened to kill her if she ever left him.

In 2009, Spector was convicted of shooting and killing actor Lana Clarkson at his home in 2003, despite him maintaining his innocence and insisting that Clarkson had taken her own life. When asked about Spector's 19-to-life sentence, Ronnie told The Telegraph, "It feels wonderful! The more he tried to destroy me, the stronger I got. It made me think, 'How dare you? You don't own me.'"

When Phil died in January 2021, Ronnie wrote on Instagram that he was "a brilliant producer, but a lousy husband."

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller

Denise Richards began dating Charlie Sheen after guest starring on "Spin City" in 2001, and they married in 2002. Four years and two daughters later, they divorced, with Richards alleging that Sheen was using drugs while she was pregnant with their youngest child, Lola and that he threatened to kill Richards and her parents. They were amicable at first, but have since been at war in the press and in the courts over custody and child support, with Sheen frequently insulting his ex.

Sheen married Brooke Mueller in 2008. The couple welcomed twin boys in March 2009, but all was not well: That December, CNN reported that Sheen was arrested after Mueller accused him of threatening her at knifepoint and trying to strangle her. In 2011, he was arrested again for allegedly threatening to murder Mueller and the couple split.

Richards and Mueller weren't the only women to accuse Sheen of various forms of abuse: In December 2015, his ex-fiancee Scottine Ross alleged that Sheen was physically abusive and that he didn't disclose to her that he was HIV-positive before they had unprotected sex. His former "goddess," Bree Olson, also accused Sheen of not disclosing his HIV status before having unprotected sex, and another woman sued him for the same. Sheen denied all the allegations and said he's paid close to $10 million in settlements before publicly revealing his diagnosis.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.