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Megxit, January - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle started the year off with a bang when they announced that they were stepping down from their royal duties. This raised much speculation about possible tension within the royal family.

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Megxit, January -

The couple have now relocated to California and are taking on "normal" jobs. Markle recently used her newfound freedom to write a heartfelt piece for the New York Times about her experience with miscarriage.

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Pamela Anderson's fifth marriage and divorce, January -

Pamela Anderson said "I do" for the fifth time in January. She married movie mogul Jon Peters, an ex-boyfriend from the past she had reunited with. Unfortunately the newlyweds split after just 12 days.

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Kobe Bryant, January -

Tragedy struck in January when basketball superstar Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter accident along with his young daughter Gianna and several other companions.

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Harvey Weinstein's sentencing, March -

Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual assault charges brought against him as a result of the Me Too movement.

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Ellen DeGeneres' toxic work environment, March -

Ellen DeGeneres' downfall began in March with a Twitter thread started by Kevin T. Porter. Ex-staffers began popping up making claims of poor treatment and a toxic work environment. The story continued to grow as more people came forward to substantiate the allegations, some even citing racism and sexual misconduct on set. DeGeneres made a public apology, but saw a 38% drop in ratings when the show returned for its latest season in September.

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Coronavirus hits Hollywood, March -

Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were two of the earliest and most famous victims of the coronavirus. It later spread to many others such as Idris Elba, Madonna, and Pink.

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Coronavirus hits the royals, March - Neither celebrities nor royals escaped the virus. In March it was announced that Prince Charles had contracted COVID-19, but luckily only experienced mild symptoms. Prince William later revealed that he had also had the virus but kept it private.

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That baby name, May -

Grimes and Elon Musk were already the ultimate odd couple. Then they welcomed their first baby in May and gave him quite an unusual name that no one can pronounce. Apparently even the parents disagree on how to pronounce X Æ A-Xii.

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Lea Michele in trouble, June -

'Glee' actress Lea Michele is another public figure who came under fire when co-stars began speaking out about her behavior on set. She was accused of isolating other actors and making their working life a "living hell." Several of her Black colleagues said they had felt particularly terrorized by her and found her outrage over racial injustice to be fake.

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Jimmy Kimmel's apology, June -

In the wake of the George Floyd murder and resulting protests, many comedians and actors had to apologize for offensive portrayals of Black people in their past. Jimmy Kimmel was one famous comedian and TV host who apologized for his past use of blackface and racist imitations.

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Kanye West's presidential run, July -

On the 4th of July, Kanye West surprised his Twitter followers by announcing his intention to join the 2020 US presidential race. His actions were considered a publicity stunt by many and, while they did generate much publicity, his campaign wasn't really taken seriously.

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Kanye West's presidential run, July -

During a bizarre rally in South Carolina, he cried on stage and made many strange statements, claiming his wife Kim Kardashian had considered having an abortion while pregnant with their daughter North, and also said that Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves. Kardashian made a statement asking for understanding for her husband as he was in the midst of a bipolar episode.

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Megan Thee Stallion's shooting, July -

In July, rapper Megan Thee Stallion was shot in the foot at a party in the Hollywood Hills. She required surgery to remove the bullets and took to Instagram Live to accuse hip-hop star Tory Lanez of shooting her. Lanez was charged with the offense in October.

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Naya Rivera's tragic death, July -

'Glee' actress Naya Rivera suffered a tragic death in July of this year. She and her four-year-old son had taken a boat out onto a lake in a California natural forest, but she was declared missing when her son was discovered on the boat alone. The rescue mission was widely publicized, but sadly her body was recovered five days later.

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College entrance scandal, August -

Actress Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli were implicated in a scandal involving bribery and fraud in college entrance exams. The pair had reportedly paid US$500,000 to ensure their daughters were accepted into a California university. Fifty individuals were charged by the FBI, and Loughlin and Giannulli were sentenced to jail time in August.

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College entrance scandal, August - Loughlin was ordered to serve two months behind bars, while Giannulli was given five months. Both had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and perform community service. You'll recall that Felicity Huffman also got caught up in this scandal, but she served her time in 2019.

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Chadwick Boseman's unexpected death, August -

The world was shocked in August when 'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman passed away. It was revealed that the actor had been privately battling cancer for several years and finally succumbed to the illness.

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#FreeBritney, September -

In September 2020, fans of Britney Spears used social media to draw attention to a serious issue in the star's life. It was revealed that Spears has been under conservatorship since 2008, meaning she is not considered fully fit to care for herself and the responsibility has been given to someone else.

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#FreeBritney, September -

After her struggles with mental illness, her father was made her conservator. Father and daughter are now engaged in a legal battle to decide whether Britney should regain full control of her finances and legal rights as an adult.

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The end of KUWTK, September -

In September, the Kardashian-Jenner family heralded the end of an era. Their family reality show 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' will finally come to end after its 20th season. But the good news for fans is that they've already signed a deal with Disney and Hulu.

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Chris Evans' explicit post, September - Chris Evans made headlines in September when he shared a photo in his Instagram story that probably wasn't meant for our eyes... His co-star Mark Ruffalo and brother Luke Evans were quick to roast him on Twitter for his saucy mistake!

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Chrissy Teigen and John Legend's devastating loss, September -

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend were expecting their third child this year, but sadly they announced the loss of their unborn son after 20 weeks due to a partial placental abruption. The devastated couple bravely shared some of their experience on social media and connected with others who have suffered similar losses.

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Jeff Bridges' illness, October -

As if 2020 wasn't already bad enough, Jeff Bridges took to Twitter in October to share that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma. He said that his prognosis was good and that he was profoundly grateful for all of the love and support coming his way.

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Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton get engaged, October - In a rare bit of good news this year, Gwen Stefani got engaged to her long-term boyfriend and fellow vocal coach on 'The Voice,' Blake Shelton.

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Pandemic parties: the Kardashians, October - While some celebrities used their platforms to promote mask use and self-isolation, others were accused of flaunting their disregard for health and safety guidelines. The Kardashian-Jenner family came under fire when they shared posts of a large family vacation and party for Kim's birthday in October.

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Pandemic parties: Cardi B, November -

Cardi B also shared pictures of her family Thanksgiving dinner on social media. She hosted more than 30 people in her home, but later apologized saying she had spent a lot of money to get everyone tested for coronavirus before the event.

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Pastor Carl Lentz's fall from grace, November -

Pastor to the stars Carl Lentz has many famous followers including Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin. In November, Lentz was ousted from his position in the Hillsong mega-church amid accusations of narcissistic and manipulative behavior, as well as an extra-marital affair.

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Elliot Page announcement, December -

The 'Juno' and 'Umbrella Academy' star came out as transgender in a heartfelt social media post at the beginning of December. He confirmed that he would now be known as Elliot Page and had adopted he/they pronouns.

Sources: (Wonderwall) (Variety)

See also: The trans celebrities blazing a trail to acceptance

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