The Year in Scandals

Good morning.

Every year, a few stories are so wild, so juicy, we can’t look away. To close out the year, we took a trip down memory lane to revisit the moments that had us hooked (we’re still not over the chaotic #MomTok drama and not-so-sweet Willy Wonka experience), disgusted (who can forget the poop in the Seine?), or speechless (holding space for Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo). From politics to pop culture to business, 2024 left us no shortage of did-that-just-happen? moments (honorable mention to the French pole vaulter’s bulge). Join us for a trip down scandalous-headline lane…

— Maria Corpus / Editor / Madison, WI

Politics

Lawmakers Needed Olivia Pope in 2024

The devil works hard, but political comms teams worked even harder this year. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), and short-lived AG nominee, allegedly paid multiple women — including a 17-year-old girl — for sex, and bought and used illegal drugs, according to congressional ethics investigators. (Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.) Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) really went for the “wow” factor when she wrote about shooting her 14-month-old puppy in her memoir. A former New York magazine correspondent left her job after not revealing her “personal relationship” with noted bear carcass disposer and Trump cabinet pick Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But is that worse than allegedly calling yourself a “Black Nazi” on a porn site? That might be a question for former North Carolina GOP gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson. (He’s since claimed he was hacked, denied the allegation, and filed a lawsuit.) Then there were the Supreme Court justices, with their lavish vacations from GOP megadonors and upside-down American flags. We’re still waiting on that ethics code. Someone they may not want to consult? New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D), whose ethics also proved questionable after he was indicted for allegedly accepting foreign campaign donations and bribes. And who could forget the clips of journalists saying “guilty” 34 times after now-President-elect Donald Trump became the first president in history to be convicted of a crime? Last but definitely not least, Republicans and Democrats alike were upset when President Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, after months of saying he wouldn't.

Pop Culture

These Celebrities Would Love for Us to Forget, but We Will Always Remember

Let’s start with a story that is frankly more than a scandal: Sean “Diddy” Combs was indicted for sex trafficking and racketeering following allegations of coercion, threats, and sexual abuse — quickly followed by headlines about over 1,000 bottles of baby oil. Quiet on Set showed us the dark side of ’90s Nickelodeon. Also notable this year? There was so much beef that celebrities could’ve opened their own cattle farm. But it was the Kendrick Lamar-Drake feud that had us in a chokehold for weeks. While the internet debated over whether or not Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter is country music, the CMAs made their stance known. We also still have lingering questions after watching Bennifer’s The Greatest Love Story Never Told, mainly, how did we go from this to breakup in 60 seconds? We still need help detangling the Brianna Chickenfry-Zach Bryan break up. Meanwhile, the It Ends With Us drama came to a head when Blake Lively filed a legal complaint accusing costar Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and an alleged smear campaign. (Complete with eyebrow-raising texts between Baldoni and his PR firm.) And speaking of controversies, Katy Perry received plenty of backlash for working with Dr. Luke.

Business

These Companies Proved Not All Press Is Good Press

Either CEOs let the interns take the wheel or they threw caution to the wind, because what in the Excel sheet was happening. Costco made the risky decision to put its rotisserie chicken in plastic bags, and people lost their minds. Kyte Baby denied a new mother’s request for remote work while her newborn was in the NICU. Maybe reread that mission statement. Bumble might want to do the same after it celibacy-shamed people in a billboard ad. Ticketmaster couldn’t handle the pressure (again), fumbling sales for the Oasis reunion tour in the UK. It’s no surprise that the US wants to tear Live Nation, Ticketmaster's parent company, apart. TikTok and Universal Music Group almost broke up, but stayed together. Of course, there were also the food recalls we’d rather forget (looking at you, Boar’s Head).

Game Time

Start your Tuesday off right with Typeshift, a fun new game that challenges you to create words from a set number of letters. Warning: It’s very addicting. Start playing.