We’re obsessed with celebrities. We love to watch them love, hate, fall, and crawl their ways back to the top—or just out from the bottom.
Wondering what are the best—er, worst—moments these professional stalkers have ever recorded? Here are 15 of the most scandalous (you’re welcome!).
Princess Diana Right Before Her Crash
In the early hours of August 31, 1997, Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris. She was with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed; their driver, Henri Paul; and their bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones. Unfortunately, Rees-Jones was the only one to survive the accident. Many assumed they were trying to escape the paparazzi surrounding her hotel.
This shot was taken ironically, by paparazzi, just before they fatally crashed. Princess Diana is pictured looking nervously back at the photographers. What she doesn’t realize is that in the next few moments, her driver will have crashed into the tunnel wall, sending her to her death.
In 2008, evidence found that Diana and Fayed were victims of an “unlawful killing” by Paul, who was “grossly negligent” for driving over the speed limit and under the influence. guilty of driving over the speed limit. Neither Diana nor Fayed were wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision. According to the Daily Mail, “Eight photographers were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and failing to assist, but all were formally cleared in 1999.”
Elizabeth Taylor Cheating
Even though Elizabeth Taylor had been married eight times, that didn’t stop her from continuing to try to find her one true love—which she claimed to have found in Richard Burton during the 1963 filming of the movie Cleopatra. Unfortunately, both were married to other people at the time.
This picture was taken of them on a yacht in 1962 and clearly shows them engaged in a romantic interlude with each other.
Their affair caused them to divorce their respective spouses and marry each other. After 10 years, they divorced, only to reconcile a year and a half later and re-marry (though that second marriage also failed less than a year later).
Amy Winehouse covered in blood
Amy Winehouse was known as being psychologically troubled and seemed to always be in the news for substance abuse and her tumultuous relationship with her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil.
In this shot, taken in 2007, Winehouse and Fielder-Civil are seen leaving a hotel looking pretty roughed up with bruises and blood-stained clothing.
It was rumored that the injuries were the result of a vicious fight between the two.
Nigella Lawson being abused by her husband
This is quite possibly one of the most upsetting images taken of a celebrity by the paparazzi. It shows English TV chef Nigella Lawson being assaulted and choked by her husband, business and advertising mogul, Charles Saatchi.
They were at a restaurant in London and it was reported that Saatchi grabbed Lawson by the throat at least four times.
He later backpedaled and claimed that he was “cleaning […] her nose”; but we’re not sure why that would involve grabbing her throat in a threatening way. Not surprisingly, the couple divorced soon after.
Kristen Stewart cheating
Everyone loved to love the love affair between Twilight co-stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. Unfortunately, things between them came to a cold, screeching halt when Stewart was photographed with Snow White and The Huntsman director, Rupert Sanders.
She was starring in the movie and during that time the two engaged in a romantic affair. These photos show Sanders and Stewart smooching, snuggling, and getting pretty personal in public. After the pictures emerged, Stewart and Pattinson broke up, as did Sanders and his wife, Liberty Ross.
Michael Jackson’s baby dangling
As Michael Jackson moved forward in years, it was common knowledge that he was mentally slipping. In 2002, well-known but controversial paparazzi shots show Jackson dangling his 9-month-old baby, with only one arm around the baby’s waist.
It was an apparent attempt to positively engage with his fans, but it left them frightened and worried—not only for the child’s safety but for Jackson’s, as well.
Tupac before his death
Minutes before his death, on the night of Sept. 7, 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur was photographed in Las Vegas in a black BMW. He was sitting next to his friend and business partner, Suge Knight, and just staring out the window.
Creepily, right after the picture was taken, Tupac was fatally wounded—he would die six days later from the injury.
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston pre-split
Everyone thought that Brad and Jennifer, relationship trouble rumors aside, were happily married. The picture shown here was taken in Anguilla in 2005 and portrays the couple in a loving embrace—relaxedly walking down the beach.
Unfortunately, this would be the last picture the paparazzi would ever have of the two together because what seemed like a romantic stroll was actually a farewell walk. The couple announced their separation soon after.
Nicole Richie in a bikini
Rumors were already spreading that Nicole Richie had lost a severe amount of weight and could be suffering from an eating disorder when this photo was taken on a beach in 2006.
Looking emaciated in a bikini, this shot served to prove that Nicole needed some serious help.
Heath Ledger buying illegal substances
This controversial image caused such an uproar that the public refused to believe that it and were convinced that Heath Ledger had been set up. A known substance abuser, Heath was photographed in 2006 at an after-party of an awards show before, during, and after engaging in illegal activity.
People were so outraged by the pictures that a lawsuit was filed against a Hollywood photo agency as a result, accusing two of its paparazzi photographers of supplying Ledger with more, just so that they could get it on camera.
Tim Burton cheating
Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter were believed to be the quintessential super couple so it was really unexpected to learn that one of them went astray.
Alas, in 2013 Burton was caught kissing an anonymous woman after they’d gone to the movies together. Somehow the whole issue went quickly away, and the couple went back to their perfect lives together—until they broke up in 2014.
Britney Spears flips out
This picture ranks as one of the most disturbing in paparazzi history to look at. In 2007, Britney Spears had a very public breakdown that caused her to shave her head and be confined to rehab.
Between stints in rehab, Britney was having custody issues with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, which was causing her to act erratically.
After shaving her head, she went to a nearby tattoo parlor and got two random tattoos. She claimed she was trying to take control of her life.
If the shaved head incident wasn’t bad enough, a few days later she went further and attacked a paparazzi photographer’s car with an umbrella.