From beloved Hollywood stars to major historical figures, I genuinely had no idea just how problematic some of these incredibly famous people might be. Here are some of the most surprising:

Edison was a lot more ruthless than the friendly "inventor of the light bulb" many of us learned about in school. He aggressively protected his patents, repeatedly sued competitors, and often got the public credit for work done alongside teams of researchers. He also fought to make his direct-current (DC) electrical system the standard over competing alternating-current (AC) systems — a rivalry known as the War of the Currents — even backing a campaign that used animal electrocutions to convince the public that AC was dangerous.

And as the commenters mentioned, his patent battles extended to the early movie industry, where Edison and other patent holders tried to control who could use key filmmaking technology. Those legal battles were one of several factors that helped push independent filmmakers away from the East Coast and toward Southern California.

"Basically, he thinks any affair child is the responsibility of the woman involved, and not his problem whatsoever. Actors who have worked with him have commented that he has some pretty sexist views. It's a pity because he seems so wholesome. He's got great PR. A few years ago, his utter disinterest in his daughter came to light, and it caused enough of a stir that he has made a few very public statements about how he wants to reconcile with her. Again, good PR."

—FrankSonata

"He’s also a cheerleader for CCP authoritarianism, and while complimenting Jaden Smith’s work ethic and talent, talked about how disappointed he was with his own son."

—Sashapatu

Jackie Chan, the legendary Hong Kong action star, has publicly acknowledged having an affair with former beauty queen Elaine Ng while married, which resulted in the birth of their daughter, Etta Ng Chok Lam, in 1999. But Chan and Etta have reportedly remained estranged, and Etta has said he was never part of her life. In 2018, she and her then-partner posted a video saying they were homeless and had been sleeping under a bridge, though reports that she specifically asked Chan for help are less clear. Chan has spoken about the affair publicly, but notably left Etta out of his 2018 memoir.

Chan has also faced major backlash for his political views. In 2009, he questioned whether having too much freedom was a good thing and said he was beginning to think Chinese people “need to be controlled”; years later, he publicly praised the Chinese Communist Party and said he wanted to become a member. And the commenter is right about Jaden Smith: while filming The Karate Kid, Chan praised the 11-year-old’s discipline and martial-arts skills, saying Jaden “put my son to shame” because he’d never been able to convince his own son, Jaycee, to train.

Joel Osteen, the celebrity pastor who leads Houston’s massive Lakewood Church, faced huge backlash during Hurricane Harvey in 2017 when the church initially remained closed as thousands of people were displaced by flooding. Lakewood said the building had flooding and accessibility issues and wasn’t safe to use as a shelter, but critics questioned why such a massive facility wasn’t immediately opened to people in need. After days of criticism, the church did open its doors and began taking in evacuees.

Osteen has also long faced criticism for his enormous personal wealth and his association with the “prosperity gospel,” a controversial strain of Christianity that emphasizes faith and financial success. That criticism intensified when Lakewood received $4.4 million in federal PPP loans during the pandemic, though the church said the money went toward employee salaries and benefits.

Coco Chanel, the legendary French fashion designer behind the Chanel brand, had some seriously disturbing ties to Nazi Germany. During the occupation of Paris, she had a relationship with German intelligence officer Hans Günther von Dincklage, and historical records indicate that she herself was registered as an agent for German military intelligence. She also expressed antisemitic views and tried to use Nazi-era laws targeting Jewish-owned businesses to gain full control of the Chanel perfume company from her Jewish business partners, the Wertheimer family.

Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, has a long history of controversial comments about women and sex. In 2010, he wrote that women wearing skinny jeans “kind of deserve to be raped,” which he later defended as a joke.

A year later, Barstool published paparazzi photos of Tom Brady’s naked 2-year-old son alongside Portnoy’s commentary about the size of the child’s genitals, something he also publicly defended. He’s faced years of criticism over similar comments, while maintaining that his humor is intentionally provocative and often taken out of context.

Roald Dahl, the British author behind beloved children's books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, has a well-documented history of making antisemitic remarks. In a 1983 interview, he made comments blaming Jewish people for antisemitism and suggested there was a “reason” Hitler targeted them. In a 1990 interview, Dahl explicitly said he had “become antisemitic.” In 2020, Dahl’s family and the Roald Dahl Story Company formally apologized for his antisemitic statements.

Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India's independence movement, did express racist views about Black Africans during his early years in South Africa, though his later writings indicate his views evolved significantly. The second claim about his niece is also rooted in fact: Late in his life, Gandhi conducted controversial experiments testing his commitment to celibacy, which included sleeping naked beside young women, including his 19-year-old grandniece Manu. However, describing this specifically as a test of his ability “not to rape her” isn't exactly inaccurate; Gandhi described it as a test of his sexual self-control.

Pablo Picasso, the legendary Spanish artist and one of the most influential figures in modern art, also had a notoriously dark personal life. Women who were close to him described controlling, cruel, and sometimes physically abusive behavior, including his longtime partner Françoise Gilot.

His granddaughter Marina Picasso also wrote about the damage he inflicted on his family, describing how her father, Paulo, struggled financially despite Picasso’s enormous wealth and how her family sometimes had to beg him for money. Picasso died extraordinarily wealthy, but his relationships with several of his children and grandchildren were deeply troubled.

There's definitely a case for this criticism. Oprah gave a massive platform to Jenny McCarthy, who used a 2007 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show to promote the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. And her questionable health-advice legacy doesn't end there: Oprah also helped turn Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz into household names, both of whom later faced major criticism for "their politics or their views."

To be clear, that doesn't mean Oprah endorsed every claim her guests made — but critics have long questioned her role in giving questionable medical advice to such an enormous audience.

Shaquille O’Neal, the NBA legend turned TV personality, has definitely been accused of taking locker-room “pranks” to some truly horrifying extremes. Former teammate Gary Payton claimed Shaq would collect his pee and 💩 in a bucket for days before dumping it on rookies. Other former teammates have alleged that he peed in shoes and messed with a teammate’s mouthguard in particularly disgusting ways.

However, Shaq has denied some of the most extreme stories, including the shit-dumping allegation, and Devean George specifically denied a story that Shaq shat in his shoe. So: The stories about Shaq’s wildly inappropriate locker-room pranks are very real, but others of the specific viral claims aren't totally verified.

Alexander Graham Bell, best known for his role in inventing the telephone, really did hold some deeply troubling views about deaf people — despite both his mother and wife being deaf. Bell supported eugenics and warned against deaf people marrying one another because he feared the creation of a “deaf variety of the human race.” He was also a major proponent of oralism, which prioritized teaching deaf children speech and lip-reading over sign language, and he opposed its use in schools. So, while saying he believed deaf people were simply “inferior” is a broad characterization, the disturbing beliefs and policies being referenced here are well documented.

Chris Brown, the R&B singer who pleaded guilty to felony assault after attacking then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, has continued to maintain a successful career despite his history of legal controversies. That controversy came into the spotlight recently when Rep. Jasmine Crockett announced that she was entering Brown and Usher into the Congressional Record to recognize their musical contributions. It was a real ceremonial recognition, but not an award voted on or bestowed by Congress as a whole — and, unsurprisingly, honoring Brown sparked some serious backlash.

Conor McGregor, the Irish MMA star and former UFC champion, has faced a long list of controversies. Most notably, a civil jury in Ireland found him liable for sexual assault in a case where Nikita Hand accused him of rape; McGregor denied the allegation and was never criminally prosecuted. He's also faced repeated backlash for racially charged remarks, including telling Floyd Mayweather to “dance for me, boy.”

Steven Tyler, the Aerosmith lead singer, has openly written about having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old when he was in his mid-20s — and said her parents gave him custody so he could take her across state lines without getting arrested. Julia Misley, formerly Julia Holcomb, has since accused Tyler of grooming and sexually assaulting her during their relationship; Tyler has denied the allegations. Her civil case against him was allowed to proceed to trial in 2026.

Eric Clapton, the legendary British guitarist, really did go on an extraordinarily racist, anti-immigrant rant onstage in 1976. While endorsing anti-immigration politician Enoch Powell, Clapton repeatedly used racial slurs, including shouting, “Get the wogs out,” and repeatedly yelled, “Keep Britain white.” The incident was so notorious that it helped inspire the creation of the anti-racist movement Rock Against Racism. Clapton has since said he is ashamed of the remarks.

Before becoming famous, Home Improvement star Tim Allen was arrested in 1978 with more than a pound of cocaine and pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges. He served more than two years in prison after cooperating with authorities. Allen has since publicly identified as politically conservative and became famous for playing traditional family-man characters

Mark Wahlberg, the actor known for movies like Ted, The Departed, and The Fighter, has some seriously disturbing incidents in his past. As a teenager, he was involved in multiple racist attacks, including harassing Black children while using racial slurs and, two years later, attacking two Vietnamese men. Wahlberg pleaded guilty to assault and served 45 days in jail. He has since apologized for his past actions.

And finally:

Neil Patrick Harris, the actor best known for How I Met Your Mother, faced major backlash years later over a disturbing joke at his 2011 Halloween party. Just months after Amy Winehouse died, the party reportedly featured a meat platter designed to resemble her bloody, decomposing corpse, complete with a label identifying it as “The Corpse of Amy Winehouse.” Photos resurfaced online in 2022, prompting Harris to apologize and call the display “regrettable” and “distressing.”

Which of these "scumbag" allegations shocked you most? And what other famous people have seriously questionable pasts that more people should know about? Drop them in the comments... 👀