1Tubman's Visionary Quest
Harriet Tubman suffered a violent head injury as a child, which caused her to frequently slip into sleep-like states that produced vivid dreamlike hallucinations. Tubman interpreted these as messages from God and devoted her life to freeing Southern slaves through the Underground Railroad. She carried a gun with her and used opium to keep small children quiet while smuggling them. If a runaway slave threatened to go back to the plantation, she would threaten to shoot them dead.
2. Isaac Newton was deeply religious and is considered an anti-trinitarian monotheist. He was also a heretic for his belief that worshipping Jesus as God was unholy. Although he is widely regarded as one of the greatest scientists of all time, he also studied the Bible and supported the doctrine of immanence. He also studied the occult and predicted the end of the world to happen around 2060, followed by an era of divinely inspired peace.
3. In 1987, Axl Rose, the lead singer of Guns N' Roses, recorded himself having sex with the girlfriend of the band's drummer, Steven Adler, and used the recording in their hit song "Rocket Queen." When Adler found out, he was understandably upset. To cope with the guilt, the woman involved turned to drugs and alcohol, developing an addiction. Axl Rose was also known to have brutally beaten his girlfriend, Erin Everly, on multiple occasions. He even brought a gun when proposing to her, threatening to kill himself if she declined.
4. Jerry Seinfeld began dating a 17-year-old high schooler named Shoshanna when he was 38. He met her in a park and pursued a relationship with her despite the significant age gap. Later, his current wife, Jessica, was married to theatrical producer Eric Nederlander in 1998. Shortly before the wedding, Jessica met Seinfeld and began dating him after returning from her honeymoon with Nederlander. Nederlander filed for divorce just four months after marrying.
5. Mother Teresa's view on 'suffering' was controversially criticized by the medical press. She believed it was beautiful for the poor to accept their lot and that the world was helped by their suffering. She also secretly baptized dying patients of other religions and asked them if they wanted a 'ticket to heaven'. Her nuns were also forbidden to express themselves or buy new things, and those who left often reported psychological distress.
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6Henry Ford's Anti-Semitism
Henry Ford, who revolutionized the automobile industry and made cars more affordable for Americans, held anti-Semitic views and supported Nazi Germany. He used his company, money, and influence to spread and legitimize these views, blaming Jews for national problems ranging from strikes to depressions. He was even awarded Nazi Germany's Grand Cross of the German Eagle in 1938, which was given to foreigners sympathetic to Nazism.
7. Marlon Brando, a legendary actor known for his performances in films such as "The Godfather," had a history of abusive behavior towards women. He admitted to assaulting his co-star, Maria Schneider, during the filming of "Last Tango in Paris." Brando was also once sued for $40,000 for punching a paparazzi photographer in the face, breaking his jaw and knocking out five teeth. The same photographer later attempted to photograph Brando again, wearing a football helmet to protect himself.
8. Prolific filmmaker, Woody Allen faced accusations of sexual abuse by his adopted daughter. Mia Farrow ended her 10-year relationship with Woody Allen when she found naked pictures of Soon-Yi Previn, in his room. He later married her when he was 56 and she was 21. They first met when she was 10. In 1992, Farrow also publicly accused Allen of sexually abusing their other adopted daughter, the 7-year-old Dylan Farrow. These incidents have led to widespread debate and controversy over his continued career and reputation.
9. Amelia Earhart, the famous pilot, likely survived her 1937 crash and sent distress signals for weeks. However, authorities immediately presumed them to be hoaxes and did not investigate further. A Florida teenager and her father may have overheard her post-crash distress calls on a shortwave radio for hours, writing them down in a notebook that is now with Earhart's crash investigators. Current evidence supports a theory that she crashed on a remote island and was eaten by coconut crabs.
10. In 1988, while married to Madonna, Sean Penn tied Madonna to a chair for nine hours and physically and verbally abused her. The incident only ended when she escaped to a police station. Madonna also accused him of hitting her with a baseball bat and forcing her head into an oven. In addition, he once shot at a paparazzi and hung another paparazzi by his ankles from a ninth-floor balcony.
11Ted Kennedy's Chappaquiddick Incident
Ted Kennedy was involved in a car accident in 1969, in which his car plunged off a bridge into a channel, resulting in the drowning death of his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne. Kennedy left the scene of the accident and did not report it for several hours, which has led some to question his actions and motives. While he eventually pleaded guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident, Kennedy's role in the tragedy remains a subject of controversy and speculation.
12. In 1970, Bill Murray was arrested at Chicago's O'Hare Airport for trying to smuggle 10 pounds of cannabis, which he had allegedly intended to sell. Murray was convicted and later sentenced to probation. He was a pre-med in college but had dropped out after being arrested. Later, he joined the National Lampoon Radio Hour with Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and Gilda Radner.
13. In 1980, Paul McCartney was arrested and deported from Japan for carrying half a pound of marijuana in his luggage. Even before gaining fame with the Beatles, McCartney and Pete Best were once arrested and jailed in Germany for arson after setting fire to a condom in a concrete corridor.
14. Ozzy Osbourne once shot and killed his 17 cats while heavily under the influence of drugs and alcohol. His wife found him under a piano in a white suit holding a shotgun and bloody knife. He also attempted to strangle his wife Sharon while under the influence of drugs in 1989.
15. In 2008, reports surfaced that Morgan Freeman had a romantic relationship with his step-granddaughter, E'Dena Hines, who was 50 years younger than him at the time. Freeman had been married twice before and had four children from previous relationships. Tragically, Hines was murdered in 2015 and had reportedly told her boyfriend that Freeman had been secretly sleeping with her.
16Joaquin's Cult Childhood
Joaquin Phoenix was born into a religious cult, Children of God, which later became known as The Family International. The cult practiced communal living and sexual liberties between adults and children. Joaquin's parents were members and traveled with the group, performing music and evangelizing in South America. Later his parents took his siblings and him out of the cult and renamed themselves Phoenix to symbolize a new beginning.
17. David Bowie had sexual encounters with two underage girls, one of whom was only 13 years old, in the 1970s.
18. Before he became famous, Duane Chapman (dog the bounty hunter) was convicted of first degree murder in 1976 in the death of a drug dealer named Jerry Oliver. However, the conviction was later overturned on a technicality.
19. NBA legend Karl Malone impregnated a 13-year-old girl when he was 20 years old. He initially denied paternity and only acknowledged his son after a DNA test confirmed it. Malone then challenged a court ruling for child support, stating that $125 per week was too high. He refused to have a relationship with his son, who later went on to play in the NFL. While playing for the Lakers, Malone repeatedly sexually harassed Kobe Bryant's wife, and despite being warned multiple times to stop, he continued to do so. Bryant even wanted to fight Malone over it, and the two had to be separated.
20. Phil Lewis, who played Mr. Moseby on The Suite Life, was convicted of manslaughter in 1993 for drunk driving and spent a year in jail.
21Hitchcock's Inappropriate Behavior
Alfred Hitchcock had a history of inappropriate behavior, including pranks that would now be considered workplace harassment or even criminal activity. For example, he handcuffed two actors who had just met and pretended to not have the key for an entire day. Hitchcock also once locked actress Tippi Hedren in a room with live birds that attacked her, leaving her bedridden for a week. He then sent Hedren's six-year-old daughter a lifelike wax replica of her mother in a coffin.
22. Boy George was convicted and jailed for 15 months in 2007 for holding a man captive in his flat, chaining him to a wall, and beating him with chains. He also attempted to assault the man with sex toys. The man escaped by wrenching the hook from the wall and fleeing in his just underwear. Boy George was convicted and jailed for 15 months.
23. In 1997, NBA broadcaster Marv Albert pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery for multiple biting incidents and forced oral sex with various women. He was convicted based on bite marks on their bodies and semen found at the crime scene. Another woman accused him of sexual assault, claiming she went to his hotel room to help him send a fax. He was fired from NBC but reinstated after 20 months.
24. In 1969, Samuel L. Jackson and several other students held members of the Morehouse College board of trustees hostage on campus, demanding reform in the school's curriculum and governance, including Martin Luther King Sr. Jackson was expelled from school and charged with unlawful confinement, a second-degree felony, which he was eventually convicted of.
25. Former Ottawa Senators player, Dany Heatley, was involved in a car wreck that killed his teammate. He faced up to 20 years in prison and $5,000 in fines if convicted. However, he plead guilty to four out of six charges, received three years' probation, and had to "deliver 150 speeches about the dangers of speeding." Despite this, he continued to play in the NHL.
