As the New Year begins, it is time for us to reflect on 2016; of course, that means revisiting the top celebrity happenings of the year.
One of the more recent shocking scandals that came as was the end of what was formerly known as “Brangelina.”
The couple, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, had a controversial beginning, but eventually became the standards of what some people believed “love” to be so their break up was met with astonishment by the public.
“They were together for a really long time, and everyone thought they were marriage ‘goals,’ so when they divorced it was kind of sad,” said sophomore Maria McGovern.
The breakup between the actors came as a shock to almost everyone, as there were not many signs leading up to the divorce in late September. Their split was one of many for the year; multiple of which had to do with Taylor Swift and her numerous beaus of 2016 including, Calvin Harris and Tom Hiddleston.
The Summer Olympics were met with scandal when USA swimmer Ryan Lochte—live with NBC anchor Billy Bush—reported that he and his fellow teammates had been robbed at gunpoint by Rio de Janeiro locals pretending to be cops. Shock and disbelief ensued, until video evidence surfaced that Lochte and company had drunkenly vandalized a bathroom of a gas station.
“I think that what he said and did was not right, but people kind of blew it out of proportion,” said senior Walt Tatera.
When this news broke, it flooded every news channel and was all over social media. It probably got more attention than the actual Olympic games did, making it one of the top scandals of the year.
Finally, there is what was perhaps the most shocking of all the scandals of the year, and that is Josh Duggar, the eldest child from TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting,” who admitted to sexually assaulting his younger sisters.
“I think the Duggar scandal was the biggest of 2016 because that family is viewed as a really great family and that just ruined their reputation,” said freshman Tony Muskett.
To the fans of this family, who have been on TV for nearly a decade, it was devastating to see their favorite TV family removed from the air.
Last year had its share of celebrity scandals: Kim Kardashiand her husband Kanye West,had too many to count. Although it felt like social media was full of celebrity news, 2016 might not have been as scandalous as years past.
“There’s been crazier stuff in past years, so this year was a mellow year for celebrities,” said senior Gila Manansala.