It’s no secret that Hollywood loves a scandal. Often, the scandals chosen for dramatization in film and television are epic enough to write themselves, with dramatic twists and major plot points seemingly already written for the big screen. While there’s no shortage of films and television shows based on criminal and corporate scandals, Hollywood has paid just as much attention to the skeletons in its closet.
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Spanning celebrity deaths, criminal trials, and ongoing feuds, films and tv shows based on scandals often seek to scrutinize the narrative and force viewers to question their role in feeding the salacious fire. Taking tabloid dramas to the nth degree, these movies and television shows based on real-life Hollywood scandals prove that sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.
The Mother of All Sex Tapes — ‘Pam and Tommy’ (2022)
Chronicling the theft and ultimate leak of thePamela Anderson(Lily James) andTommy Lee(Sebastian Stan) sex tape,Pam and Tommyis ripe with scandal in its titular characters alone. At the time, the blonde bombshell actress and Motley Crue drummer were tabloid fodder based on their whirlwind romance, but the proliferation of their intimate home video fanned the flames of their scandalous affair.
The 1990s leak became widespread just as the internet was getting its footing and is often credited with birthing online porn. While Anderson was long maligned for her involvement in the tape,Pam and Tommycasts a new light on the misunderstood actress, who was getting her start in Hollywood when the tape ruined her credibility.Pam and Tommyforce viewers to reflect on their previous perceptions of the actress, played to masterful effect by Lily James.
The Birth of Reality TV — ‘American Crime Story: The People VS OJ Simpson’ (2016)
In its debut season,FX’s anthology seriesAmerican Crime Storyset its sights squarely on the most infamous celebrity case of the 1990s, the murders ofNicole Brown SimpsonandRonald Goldman. Tracing the highly-publicized event from the very beginning,The People VS. OJ Simpsondoes well to include all the tabloid tidbits that piqued public interest at the time, from the police chase in Simpson’s (played byCuba Gooding Jr.) white Bronco to the wild theories argued by his so-called “Dream Team” of lawyers (led by actorsJohn Travolta,David Schwimmer, andCourtney B. Vance, among others).
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WhileThe People VS OJ Simpsondoesn’t shy away from the salacious aspects of the scandal (which single-handedly birthed the reality TV empire), it also offers a redemption arc for prosecutor Marcia Clarke (Sarah Paulson), who endured misogynist treatment throughout the case.
Celebrity Beef — ‘Feud: Bette and Joan’ (2017)
Taking his knack for melodramatic scandal to a different franchise,Ryan Murphyused celebrity beef as the basis of another anthology series, the first installment of which focussed on the infamous rift (documented byCollider)between actorsJoan Crawford(played byJessica Lange) and Bette Davis (played bySusan Sarandon).The showchronicles the rivalry the leading ladies developed in the filmWhat Ever Happened to Baby Jane?and even enlists gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (played byJudy Davis) on its main cast.
The tit-for-tat relationship spanned many years, which is retold in the show. The culmination of the real-life feud arrives inFeud’s finale when both stars are nominated forBest Actressat theAcademy Awards. Given Hollywood’s excess of celebrity feuds, it stands to reason that Murphy is set to releasethe series’ next seasontitledCaptoe’s Women,based on the betrayals of the titular author.
Revisiting The Manson Murders — ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ (2019)
Though it operates only peripherally inOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood,the murder of actressSharon Tate(played byMargot Robbie) at the hands ofCharles Mansoncult members remains a compelling element of theQuentin Tarantinofilm. Audiences are offered glimpses into the cult’s workings, though the focus is very much on washed-up actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double (Brad Pitt).
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Interestingly, Tarantino chooses torevise the true events of Tate’s murder, instead opting for a happier portrayal in which the cult members meet their gruesome end. Rick’s neighboring vicinity to Tate and her then-boyfriend directorRoman Polanskican be read as his desire to be among the Hollywood elite, culminating in his hero moment when he thwarts the Manson murderers.
House of Horrors — ‘House of Gucci’ (2021)
While technically focussing on an arena adjacent to that of Hollywood, the criminal trial ofPatrizia Reggianinonetheless holds all the trappings of high-society scandal. Portrayed byLady Gaga, Reggiani’s romance-turned-murder of her fashion designer husband, Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), captivated the world when it made headlines in the mid-90s.
DirectorRidley Scottdoesn’t shy away from the story’s more salacious elements, from Reggiani’s hiring of a hitman to the recruitment of fellow designerTom Ford. Praising the film’s scandalous moments in areview forCollider,writer Matt Goldberg said the film “works best when it’s an overwrought soap opera.”
Uncovering the Mystique — ‘Blonde’ (2022)
Premiering just this week as of publication at theVenice International Film Festival,Blondeseeks to uncover the scandal-filled mystique that surrounded its biopic subject,Marilyn Monroe(played byAna De Armas). DirectorAndrew Dominik, who based the film onJoyce Carol Oates’ 2000 biography of Monroe, chronicles some of the controversies of the Hollywood icon’s life, from her rumored encounters with then-President JFK to the circumstances of her untimely death in 1962.
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Chronicling the life of a tabloid-friendly sex symbol is bound to entail its fair share of scandalous moments. On a meta-level, the film itself garnered its own Hollywood scandal, with prospective viewers criticizing itsNC-17 ratingin the lead-up to its premiere. In aninterview withCollider,Dominik spoke of the drama inherent in Monroe’s life, which bled into the film. “The whole idea of Blonde was to detail a childhood drama,” he said.
The Demise Of Hollywood’s Dressmaker — ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace’ (2018)
Evidently drawn to soap-operatic stories, Ryan Murphy again mined one of Hollywood’s most eye-popping scandals inAmerican Crime Story’s second season. Chronicling the killing spree ofAndrew Cunanan(played byDarren Criss), which led to the murder of the titular designer (Édgar Ramírez),The Assassination of Gianni Versacedoesn’t shy away from the source story’s pulpy details.
A major member of the glitterati at the time of his death in 1997, Versace rubbed shoulders with Hollywood’s elite and designed dresses for films alongside his sister Donatella (Penélope Cruz). Fans of the Murphy-verse will get equal doses of true crime and lavish excess, going beyond the titillating details of the headlines to explore themes of internalized homophobia.
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