Another trip around the sun means another year full of celebrity shenanigans, shocking relationships, and endless drama. From Jamie Foxx’s health scare to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s whirlwind romance, we can say that this year was interesting.
2023 kicked off with a bang thanks to a pregnancy announcement from Chrisean Rock, whose entanglement with West Coast rapper Blueface has surrounded the media all year long. Their love triangle with Blue’s children’s mother, Jaidyn Alexis, was a continuous headline that ultimately annoyed everyone after an overload of toxicity and drama.
The year has also been a wild one for celebrity breakups. We can’t forget how headlines quickly turned from Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez’s divorce to Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater’s rebound romance. In addition to Grande’s romance fiasco, many were shocked after news broke that Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert were headed toward divorce. And the final blow came from Jada Pinkett Smith, who revealed that she and Will have been separated since 2016.
But before we officially say goodbye to 2023, let’s take a look back at this year’s biggest celebrity jaw-dropping moments. Here’s to hoping 2024 isn’t as messy (or maybe?).
Blueface and Chrisean’s whirlwind affair
Date: January–November
Blueface and Chrisean Rock’s toxic love affair ruled 2023. From Rock’s pregnancy announcement to Blue’s ex-finacé and mother of his children, Jaidyn Alexis, reentering the picture, the couple made a new headline every other week, much to our collective dismay.
Long story short, following their split and Rock’s pregnancy announcement in January, Blueface rekindled his relationship with Jaidyn, deeming himself as a family man. Even though Blueface and Chrisean were broken up, the twosome have thrown frequent shots at each other on social media, with pending allegations of Blue still sleeping with Rock.
In September, the “Vibe” artist gave birth to a baby boy, Chrisean Jesus Malone Jr., giving fans a glimpse of her birth experience on Instagram Live. Around the time of Rock’s birth, Blueface pinned all his focus on Jaidyn as she became the star of his music label, Milf Music.
The following month, the rapper proposed to Jaidyn at SoFi Stadium. Chrisean commented on the occasion and said, “Can I be honest? I think that whole shit was probably a publicity stunt...I feel like I don’t even have to say that. Never mind. Long story short, don’t believe the internet. A lot of muthafuckas is trolling right now. Just trying to take advantage of the limelight.”
Neither of Blue’s relationships lasted. There was speculation among fans that the rapper broke things off with Jaidyn after clearing out all photos of them together on his IG account. Breakup rumors continued after Jaidyn was seen linking up with Chrisean on Instagram Live.
The Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez TikTok Fiasco
When: January–March
It’s hard to believe that we weren’t all collectively hallucinating when the Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez drama took over every possible TL for a good three months of 2023. While it feels like it happened a lifetime ago, the Hailey and Selena feud single-handedly launched a thousand tweets, TikToks, and headlines, with everyone giving their two cents on the matter and questionably finding pride in which “side” they were on.
It all began when Hailey posted a TikTok in January of her and her friends Kendall Jenner and Justine Skye lip-synching to an audio that said, “I’m not saying she deserved it, but God’s timing is always right.” While Hailey was probably posting the TikTok for shits and giggles, fans believed that the model was shading Gomez after she received body-shaming comments on a recent bikini photo. Hailey then deleted the TikTok and commented that it wasn’t “directed at anyone” and she was just “having a girls night and did a random tik tok sound for fun.”
The drama should have wrapped there, but fans noticed that Gomez commented, “It’s OK! I don’t let these things get me down! Be nice to everyone!” underneath a viral fan theory video speaking of the situation—and all hell broke loose. Kylie Jenner and eyebrows got involved. Archives of Hailey allegedly “copying” everything Selena does were everywhere. Defending Taylor Swift somehow got into the mix. And it all bubbled into Gomez having to post an Instagram story that read, “Hailey Bieber reached out to me and let me know that she has been receiving death threats and such hateful negativity. This isn’t what I stand for. No one should have to experience hate or bullying. I’ve always advocated for kindness and really want this all to stop.”
Hailey then posted an Instagram story of her own, thanking Gomez for speaking out and encouraging others to carry themselves with more compassion. While the white flags raised from both sides calmed the drama down for a while, their fans seem to fight every other weekend despite their idols firmly standing against doing so. Here’s to hoping there isn’t a round two anytime soon.
Jonathan Majors’ trial
Date: March–December
Jonathan Majors’ domestic violence case involving his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, took center stage for most of this year. In March, the actor was arrested for misdemeanor claims of domestic abuse, strangulation, and harassment. Amid his trial, the Hollywood star’s future at Marvel Studios remained questionable due to the accusations.
In December, the court reached a verdict that found Majors guilty of one count of assault and one count of harassment. That same day, Marvel officially cut ties with the actor, ending his significant involvement as Kang the Conqueror in the MCU’s upcoming phase.
Ja Morant suspended after two gun incidents
Date: March–April
Ja Morant made headlines after a recording of him waving a handgun on Instagram Live at a Denver nightclub surfaced. In March, he was suspended for eight games, followed by a temporary stay at a counseling facility.
A couple months later, the Memphis Grizzlies star was seen posing with a handgun again. The NBA took further action with a 25-game suspension during the 2023–24 season. He was lifted from his temporary ban in December, scoring a game-winner against the Pelicans.
Jamie Foxx’s health scare
Date: April
In April, Jamie Foxx had a major health scare that shook the Black community. The Burial actor was hospitalized for a “medical complication.” His family released a statement on his behalf that read: “We wanted to share that my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday. Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery. We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers. The family asks for privacy during this time.”
The news led to an outpour of love from entertainment favorites like LeBron James and Martin Lawrence. After three weeks of no updates on the star’s condition, outlets reported that Foxx’s family and friends were asking for prayers as he remained in the hospital. Jamie responded to his fans with a post on IG, saying, “Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed.”
Not much has been said about the singer’s condition. But Foxx appeared in good spirits in July, smiling and waving at fans who spotted him on a boat in Chicago.
Foxx has yet to disclose specific details about his medical condition, but he appears to be doing well after recently giving a speech at the Critics Choice Celebration of Cinema & Television event.
Ariana Grande’s divorce from Dalton Gomez and new romance with Ethan Slater
Date: July
In July, news regarding Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez’s separation hit the fan, sending social media into a frenzy. TMZ disclosed that the couple had been separated since the beginning of the year, with Grande more or less confirming the split after deleting the couple’s wedding photos from her IG account.
Shortly after, the situation torpedoed out of control when news broke that Grande was dating her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater. Why did everyone care, you may ask? Well, Slater was not only married to his high school sweetheart, Lily Jay, but the pair welcomed their baby boy only last year, and filed for divorce after 10 years of marriage around the same time he reportedly began dating Grande. Social media was quick to label the singer as a homewrecker after the ordeal, pulling up the not-so innocent receipts from Grande’s past relationships.
Slater’s estranged wife spoke to multiple outlets about the affair, sharing, “[Ariana’s] the story really. Not a girl’s girl. My family is just collateral damage.” According to US Weekly, Jay was blindsided when Slater revealed his relationship with Grande in addition to wanting a divorce.
Over the next few months, news regarding Slater and the vocalist seemingly calmed down as the new couple kept things low-key. The star was recently seen supporting Slater at the opening of his new Broadway show Spamalot.
In September, Gomez and Grande officially ended their two-year marriage. The two settled their divorce, resulting in a big payout to Gomez of $1.2M. As for Slater and Jay, their divorce is still ongoing.
Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson’s major fallout
Date: July–November
After Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson welcomed their first child together, Leodis Andrellton Jackson, in February, the pair’s relationship seemed to be going strong. That is, of course, until Palmer attended Usher’s Las Vegas residency.
In July, a viral video surfaced of Usher singing “There Goes My Baby” to Palmer. Keke, purely having fun, proceeded to wrap her arms around the singer and sang along.
The outing left such a distaste in Darius’ mouth that he took to Twitter to criticize Palmer’s outfit. “It’s the outfit tho… you a mom,” Jackson body-shamed. His unwarranted comment had Twitter in a chokehold as many Keke devotees defended her. Throughout the following months, the couple’s relationship status remained a mystery until a slew of bombshell revelations dropped in November. The pair had not only split, but Keke filed for primary custody of their baby Leo and a restraining order against Jackson.
In documents obtained by People, Keke’s filing read: “Darius trespassed into my home without my knowledge or consent, threatened me, then physically attacked me—lunging for my neck, striking me, throwing me over the couch, and stealing my phone when I told him I was going to call the police.”
Palmer attached photos of a home-security recording of Darius’ abusive actions, which was later released to the public. She was quickly granted temporary sole custody of her son and a restraining order after the filing. Since then, the pair’s custody battle took a turn after Darius issued a counterclaim that said that the 30-year-old mother “repeatedly engaged in abusive conduct” and “acted as the primary aggressor” during their relationship.
Lizzo’s dancers speak up
Date: August
In August, Lizzo was the target of multiple employee lawsuits. The legal filing states that the star’s dancers were “subjected to a severely toxic work environment that included ‘debauchery’ and racially biased taunts of being ‘lazy’ and ‘snarky.’”
The former dancers were employed by the Grammy winner’s Big Grrrl Big Touring company. The dance team captain, along with three other dancers, accused the singer of discrimination, assault, and false imprisonment. Later, fashion designer Asha Daniels also filed a lawsuit against the pop star.
The defendants’ lawyer, Ron Zambrano, stated, “The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing.”
In December, the “Good as Hell” singer’s lawyers filed a motion for the court to dismiss the lawsuit.
Tory Lanez sentenced to jail
Date: August
After three long years, Tory Lanez’s trial pertaining to the shooting of Megan Thee Stallion finally came to a close. On Aug. 8, the “Say It” singer was sentenced to 10 years in state prison after being found guilty by the jury.
Since his sentencing, Lanez has been desperately trying to clear his name. In late October, a judge denied Lanez’s request to be released from prison. According to legal reporter Meghann Cuniff, the singer is still in the process of appealing his conviction of shooting Megan.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s shocking relationship
Date: September–
Taylor Swift’s new relationship with Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce has quite literally taken over every corner of social media and the NFL. Their fling first sent Swifties into a frenzy in September when they hard launched their relationship. Since then, Taylor has been to quite a few games in support of her beau, whereas Kelce recently attended Swift’s concert in Argentina, where the couple were seen sharing a kiss backstage.
In an interview with Time as Person of the Year, the “Karma” singer broke her silence about her relationship with Kelce, saying that their romance “all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell.”
She continued, “We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I’m grateful for, because we got to get to know each other.”
Jada Pinkett Smith confesses seven-year separation from Will Smith
Date: October
Upon releasing her memoir, Worthy, Jada Pinkett Smith went on a headlining press tour that disclosed intimate details regarding her love life with Will Smith.
In an interview with Hoda Kotb, The Red Table Talk host confirmed that she and Will have been estranged since 2016. She continues to say that they are living “completely separate lives,” even though they appear together to the public.
“Why it fractured, that’s a lot of things,” Jada said. “I think by the time we got to 2016, we were just exhausted with trying. I think we were both kind of still stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be.”
When it comes to divorce, Jada admits that she and Will were unable to bite the bullet. “I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce. We will work through whatever. I just haven’t been able to break that promise.”
Throughout the press run, Jada also spoke about her husband’s notorious Oscars slap. The 52-year-old confessed that she was shocked that Will called her his “wife” during the incident.
“First of all, I’m really shocked, because mind you, I’m not there. We haven’t called each other husband and wife in a long time… I’m like, ‘What is going on right now? Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth?’ I’m really worried for Will because I don’t know what’s happening,” she said.
On The Drew Barrymore Show, the actress expressed that she has no interest in divorce, saying, “We’re staying together forever.”
Britney Spears’ bombshell revelations of past romance with Justin Timberlake
Date: November
Britney Spears’ memoir release came with major bombshells, including details regarding her romance with Justin Timberlake. The pair dated from 1998–2002, becoming an early aughts “it” couple.
In The Women in Me, the legendary pop star set the record straight about what happened between her and JT. Spears shockingly revealed that she became pregnant while they were dating. “It was a surprise, but for me, it wasn’t a tragedy. I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. This would just be much earlier than I’d anticipated,” she penned.
She went on to say that Justin wasn’t happy about the pregnancy and implied that they were not ready to be parents, ultimately resulting in an abortion. The “Circus” singer recalled her pain, saying that experience was “one of the most agonizing things I have ever experienced in my life.”
The global pop star also shared that Timberlake cheated on her throughout their relationship. “There were a couple of times during our relationship when I knew Justin had cheated on me. Especially because I was so infatuated and so in love, I let it go, even though the tabloids seemed determined to rub my face in it,” Spears wrote.
In 2002, Timberlake ended their relationship over a text message, leaving Spears heartbroken while the media deemed her as the “harlot who’d broken the heart of America’s golden boy.” She disclosed that the media had their split totally wrong as she recalls being “comatose in Louisiana, and he was happily running around Hollywood.”
Young Thug’s YSL Rico Trial begins
Date: November
Young Thug’s YSL Rico trial finally began on Nov. 27 after his 2022 arrest for conspiracy to be the head of an ATL gang that committed violent crimes such as murders, carjacking, etc. The rap star has pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
A total of 29 members of YSL were charged with criminal acts at the beginning of the trial. Six suspects are left, including Young Thug. The ATL artist remains in jail as the judge constantly denies Thug of house arrest eligibility.
The juror selection delayed the trial for 10 months after nearly 2,000 citizens were selected from the prospective jury pool. The court seated 12 jurors and six alternatives to begin the trial.
Soon after the court proceeded with the case, the judicial proceedings faced another setback after photographs of juror’s faces were released online, in addition to a co-defendant, Shannon Stillwell (a.k.a. Shannon Jackson), being stabbed in Fulton County Jail. The judge ordered that the trial be paused until Jan. 2 while the suspect recovers.
Everybody and anybody breaking up
Date: All year and counting
2023 was full of messy breakups and divorces. Here are some of the most notable that had us shook.
Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas
Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas’ sudden split shocked many after the Disney alum filed for divorce in September. In the wake of their public split, the Game of Thrones actress filed a lawsuit against Jonas regarding a custody dispute, demanding the immediate return of their children. Things seemed to have calmed down after the two found common ground concerning their two children, Willa and Delphine, with a temporary custody agreement in place.
Cardi B and Offset
Cardi B and Offset appeared to have fixed their marriage throughout the year until recently.
The Grammy winner revealed that she and Offset have split up after six years of marriage. “I’ve been single for a minute now,” the rapper said on IG Live. “But I have been afraid to like—not afraid, I just don’t know how to tell the world. But I feel like today has been a sign. The last time I got on Live, I kind of wanted to tell you guys, but I didn’t know how to tell you, so I changed my mind. But it has been like this for a minute now. I just took it as a sign.”
This was followed by an emotional IG Live rant by Cardi after Offset celebrated his 32nd birthday. “You’ve really been feeling yourself…because of your bitch-ass album and shit,” she said, referring to Offset’s sophomore album, Set It Off. “And you really been doing me dirty after so many fucking years that I mothafucking helped your ass. Not even a fucking thank you that I got from your bitch ass.”
Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert
Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert’s divorce caught many by surprise. In September, the “Gonna Love Me” singer announced their split after Iman was spotted with another woman. Details of Teyana’s divorce filing surfaced, showing that the star intentionally filed in January but withdrew the petition the next day.
The legal documents stated that Shumpert continuously treated her “cruelly and [displayed] extreme narcissistic behavior throughout the majority of their marriage” while also engaging in “cruel treatment and selfishness” toward her. The filing mentioned that the former NBA star would exhibit narcissistic behavior following actions that would “intentionally dim her light for her husband to try to have a harmonious and peaceful marriage.”
The Kardashians’ flings, feuds, and new family additions
Date: All year and counting
The Kardashian-Jenner clan made multiple headlines throughout the year. Here were some of our favorites.
New Relationships
Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny sparked romance rumors in February after accompanying Justin and Hailey Bieber for dinner in LA. From then on, the pair were seen out on multiple occasions, sparking further speculation. In May, Benito and Jenner made their public debut at an LA Lakers game, confirming the relationship.
The couple were seemingly going strong until outlets reported that the supermodel and Bunny broke up, per an inside source from People.
New love was in the air for the Jenner household as Kendall’s sister, Kylie, also debuted her relationship with Timothée Chalamet. The makeup mogul and the Wonka star sparked relationship rumors after paparazzi photographed her black Range Rover parked at Chalamet’s Beverly Hills home.
The pair packed on the PDA at the Beyoncé Renaissance concert in LA, marking their first appearance as a couple.
The billionaire and Kris Jenner recently attended Chalamet’s LA premiere for Wonka. Sources said the couple looked “cozy” as they sat next to each other in the audience.
New Family Additions
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker welcomed their first child together on Nov. 1. The Lemme co-founder gave birth to a baby boy, Rocky Thirteen Barker. The reality TV star publicly announced her pregnancy at her beau’s Blink-182 concert, replicating a scene from the band’s music video of a female holding up a sign that read, “Travis, I’m Pregnant.”
Kourtney & Kim’s Family Feud Continued
Seasons 3 and 4 of Hulu’s The Kardashians highlighted Kim and Kourtney’s feud. In Season 3, Kourtney accused the Skims founder of sabotaging her wedding for a business opportunity with Dolce and Gabbana. “While we were at our wedding, I guess Kim was having these conversations with Dolce that I didn’t know about,” Kourtney told Kendall Jenner during an episode. “She wasn’t like, ‘Hey, I got this offer. How do you feel about it? I really want the money,’ or whatever it was.”
Shortly after the wedding, Kim collaborated with the fashion house as a creative director for their Spring/Summer 2023 collection. Kourtney mentioned that her sister was not happy at her wedding. Eventually, the two were able to move past their disagreement…until they saw the edits of the season.
Season 4 captured the aftermath of Kim and Kourtney viewing the edits from the previous season. Undoubtedly, Kourtney felt a way toward her sister, saying that the American Horror Story actress has an “egotistical, selfish mind.”
Over the phone, Kim revealed the existence of a “Not Kourtney” group chat and stated that Kourtney’s kids and friends often come to Kim to talk about Kourtney’s actions. “Is that helpful? You’re like, adding it into a fight to have a side like it’s you and my friends and my kids and everyone against me,” Kourtney said over the phone. “It’s like you’re just a fucking witch and I hate you.”
