15 Celebs Who Thrive Off Controversy

Much like pressure, scandal can either kill or fuel a celebrity career. Nothing feeds the 24-hour news cycle like drama.

photo: WENN

These 15 celebs that thrived off controversy found themselves in the midst of a few high crimes and misdemeanors, but instead of fading into obscurity they doubled down on their paper and fame.

—

Photo: WENN

photo: WENN

Kobe Bryant

After his 2004 sexual assault case, Kobe Bryant went on to become an Olympic medal gold winner, secured two more NBA championships, became the league’s highest-paid player, and passed Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list. Somehow, he even came out of a pending divorce and two injury-plagued seasons looking pretty good.

photo: WENN

Chris Brown

Between beating down Rihanna, a brief jail stint, faux gangbanging, his on/off relationship with Karrueche, and his “break baby,” Brown’s career has pretty much been in a constant state of controversy for the last six years.

Amber Rose

After high-profile relationships with Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa, Rose has emerged as an unlikely feminist. She goes hard on Instagram, fights slut shaming, and seemingly makes a point to court controversy at all times.

photo: WENN

Kim Kardashian

For someone who initially claimed to be distraught over a sex tape and a batch of leaked nudes, all Kim K seems to do is benefit from people seeing her in her birthday suit.

photo: WENN

Halle Berry

Do recall that one of Halle Berry’s highest-paid acting roles came from showcasing the goods in the god-awful movie Swordfish. She won an Oscar for playing Billy Bob Thornton’s love interest in Monster’s Ball, and she stays winning despite having the type of tumultuous relationship with her ex that usually lands people on WorldStar.

photo: WENN

Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs

He really won’t stop. Diddy had serious legal trouble in the form of a 1991 stampede at CUNY that he was held partially liable for. Add in the Death Row/Bad Boy feud, the death of Notorious B.I.G., nearly all of his artists living in struggle, the Shyne case, his baby mama drama, and you start to see the whole picture.

photo: WENN

Kevin Hart

The 2013 DUI that found Kevin Hart blowing twice the legal limit and a very public spat with his ex-wife could have been borderline career killers. Instead, Hart turned them into specials like Laugh At My Pain and Let Explain while laughing all the way to the bank.

photo: WENN

Lil Wayne

Neither jail, pulling at Jay Z’s cape, smashing or impregnating a solid half dozen of your favorite female starlets, a seizure or two, nor his beef with Birdman have stopped Lil Wayne yet.

photo: WENN

Kendra Wilkinson

When Kendra’s hubby allegedly cheated on her then subsequently got extorted, she mourned her way into two separate reality shows based on the scandal. Low key, she’s probably making more money off TV than Hank Baskett made in the NFL.

photo: WENN

Rick Ross

Maybe Rozay really is the “Teflon Don.” How else do you explain him surviving a drive by, a mid-air seizure, being exposed as a former correctional officer, and 50 Cent taking his baby mother shopping?

photo: WENN

Eddie Murphy

During the run that saw Eddie Murphy break his ex-wife off $15 million, get caught with a transgender prostitute, and possibly bust down Rocsi from 106 & Park, all he did was make a ton of bread for appearing in mediocre Shrek movies and Nutty Professor sequels. That’s not just surviving, it’s thriving.

photo: WENN

Floyd Mayweather

While remaining undefeated in the ring, Mayweather is dodging haymakers outside the ropes. He’s caught a domestic charge against his ex-wife, blasted his ex-girlfriend’s miscarriage in public, had a very public falling out with 50 Cent, and saw his friend and artist, Earl Hayes, commit a murder-suicide.

Game

The bad decision to record himself serving 40 Glocc the fade has kept Game in court. Beefing with the mother of his children, 50 Cent, and the LAPD only added to the Compton rapper’s drama.

photo: WENN

Donald Sterling

For a senile racist, Donald Sterling is really winning. His jumpoff secretly recorded him, and he was forced to sell the LA Clippers. Somehow, that fiasco ended with him pocketing $2 billion during the sale, and V. Stiviano had to give back the trinkets from Sterling’s tricking. God bless America.

photo: WENN

Bruce Jenner

It doesn’t get too much more scandalous than telling the world you’ve been secretly dressing up and hoping to be a woman for decades before electing to get reassignment surgery.