In the current pop culture era, you would think you’ve seen the wildest and strangest scandals take place. Yes, there have been an odd couple that took us all by surprise, but when I came across the scandals from the ’70s, I simply had no words. From kidnappings to whirlwind romances, ’70s pop culture witnessed a lot of scandalous events that will forever be etched in history. If you are not aware, let me enlighten you.

Here are nine wild celebrity scandals from the ’70s that show how different pop culture was back then:

1. Tim Allen’s 1978 Cocaine Arrest

Tim Allen was arrested in 1978 for cocaine possession. The popular actor and comedian we all love had a bumpy start to the path of stardom. When he was 11, he had lost his father in a car accident, and he had started drinking alcohol soon after the incident. In his 20s, he had started to deal cocaine, even after he became a successful comedian. When he was 25, he had set up a $42,000 drug deal at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek airport in Michigan. He got the idea from a film—to put the drugs in a locker at the airport and give the key to the buyer. However, he did not realize that when the buyer opened the locker and found the drugs, he would not be paying for them, but rather arresting Tim. It turned out that the buyer was actually an undercover police officer, and had been keeping an eye on Tim Allen since a few months.

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At the time, Michigan lawyers had passed a “650-lifer law,” which stated that anyone who was convicted of carrying 650 grams of cocaine (like Tim had) would face life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was charged with drug trafficking, and he pleaded guilty. He even gave the names of other drug dealers to the police, resulting in his case being taken to the federal court rather than the state court, leading to him dodging life in prison. Luckily for him, he served two years of a 3-7-year sentence and was released from prison in 1981.

This mugshot would follow Tim for his entire career, with the media labeling it as his most “infamous” moment. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter in 2021, the actor spoke on his time in prison and said, “It was the first time ever I did what I was told and played the game. I learned literally how to live day by day. And I learned how to shut up. You definitely want to learn how to shut up.”

2. Patty Hearst’s Kidnapping and the SLA

Patty Hearst’s kidnapping and how she joined the Symbionese Liberation Army in 1976. Patricia Campbell Hearst is the granddaughter of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. Her grandfather created the largest newspaper, magazine, and film business in the world, called Hearst Communication. The Hearst family wielded immense political influence and had opposed organized labor and communism before World War II. In 1974, when she was 19, Patty was kidnapped from her Berkeley apartment by a small urban guerrilla left-wing group called the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). After a few days of the kidnapping, SLA members delivered cassette recordings to media outlets demanding that the Hearst family fund a massive food distribution program for the poor in California.

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The SLA leader, Donald DeFreeze, stated that he was “willing to carry out the execution of the daughter to save the lives of starving men, women, and children of every race.” Also heard on the tape was Patty’s voice, where she was telling her parents that she was with an armed group and that “they were perfectly willing to die for what they’re doing.” The family agreed to the food handout demand and paid $2 million. The shocking part of this ordeal, however, was a bombshell recording of Patty, a few weeks after the food donation. She stated in the recording, “I have been given the choice of, one, being released in a safe area, or two, joining the forces of the Symbionese Liberation Army and fighting for my freedom and the freedom of all oppressed people. I have chosen to stay and fight.” This recording came along with the picture (see above) of her in full combat clothing with a weapon in front of the SLA flag.

Her family refused to believe that their daughter would willingly change her principles and join them, whereas the media and public doubted if she was still being ‘brainwashed’ or if this was a conscious choice. While this shocking decision was still being absorbed by many, on 15th April 1974, Patty Hearst would become a fugitive as she was seen in CCTV footage aiding in a bank robbery while carrying an assault weapon. In a tape released a week later from the robbery, she seemed unrepentant, stating, “For those people who still believe that I’m brainwashed or dead, I see no reason to further defend my position…I am a soldier in the People’s Army.” She was on the run for over a year before she was arrested in San Francisco on September 18, 1975. When the officers asked for her occupation during her arrest, she replied, “Urban guerrilla.”

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During her trial for the bank robbery, her defense argued that she was threatened with death and was brainwashed through “coercive persuasion.” The prosecution countered with the recordings and photos of her participating in the crimes and speaking fluently in SLA rhetoric. On 20th March 1976, the jury found her guilty, and she was sentenced to seven years in federal prison. However, President Jimmy Carter commuted her sentence after 22 months, and in 2001, President Bill Clinton issued a full pardon. This kidnapping and shocking trial definitely took the media and the public by storm, gathering many eyes to this scandal.

3. The Infamous Studio 54 IRS Raid

The infamous and shocking IRS raid of the popular Studio 54 club in 1978. Studio 54 was a Broadway theater and a former nightclub in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It served as a CBS broadcast studio first, and then Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager opened the nightclub inside the venue in 1977 while retaining much of the theatrical and broadcasting fixtures. This disco club was infamous for its celebrity guest lists, entry policies, extravagant events, rampant drug use, and open sexual activities. After a month of the opening, the club saw an average of 2,000 guests per night. The club was known for its exclusivity, with the guests divided into four categories (the “No Goods” were those who could never be admitted, and the “No Fuck-ups” were those who were instantly admitted). It was clear that this club was the epitome of extravagance and eccentrism.

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That was until December 1978, when a tipster called the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) alleged that the owners, Rubell and Schrager, were skimming profits. This tipster was said to be an ex-employee who also alleged that cocaine was being illegally stored in the basement. Shortly after, the IRS raided Studio 54 and arrested both the owners. A federal grand jury indicted Rubell and Schrager on charges of tax evasion in 1979. The court found that the two men had skimmed $2.5 million over the past two years. They ultimately pleaded guilty in November 1979 after the New York magazine published a story describing the “party favors” that the two men gave to their friends. They were sentenced to three and a half years in prison in January 1980, and they attended a final party on the night of February 2-3, 1980. After the NYSLA took away Studio 54’s liquor license due to the criminal convictions, the club shut down at the end of March in 1980.

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4. The Theft of Charlie Chaplin’s Corpse

In one of the strangest events in Hollywood’s history, two men stole the corpse of the legendary actor Sir Charles Chaplin from a cemetery in Switzerland on March 2, 1978. Charlie Chaplin, an iconic actor, was known for his comedy films during the silent film era and in the transition to “talkies” in the late 1920s. He passed away on Christmas day in 1977, aged 88. Two months later, his body was stolen from the Swiss cemetery. When his widow, Oona, received a ransom demand of $600,000, the police began monitoring her phone calls. Oona refused to pay the ransom. The callers later made threats against her two youngest children. After a 5-week investigation, the police arrested two auto mechanics—Roman Wardas from Poland and Gantscho Ganev from Bulgaria—who then showed the police where they had buried Chaplin’s body.

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It was one mile from the Chaplin family’s home in Corsier. The two men were convicted of grave robbing and attempted extortion. Both were political refugees from Eastern Europe and had stolen the body in an attempt to solve their financial difficulties. Wardas was sentenced to four-and-a-half years of hard labor, while Ganev was given an 18-month suspended sentence, as he was believed to have limited responsibility for the crime.

5. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s Romance

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s rollercoaster romance fascinated the public. The two first met on the set of the iconic film, Cleopatra, in 1962. Richard was immediately captivated by Elizabeth, while the actress found him “swaggering and vulgar.” Regardless of this, the two connected on set. Rumors of their alleged affair were immediately deemed scandalous, as paparazzi photos of the pair on a yacht trip were published and more rumors spread. It was like they were the “Brangelina” of the ’70s. Elizabeth was reportedly unhappy in her marriage to Eddie Fisher and found love with Richard. This scandal didn’t just shake Hollywood; it reached the Vatican as well. The two married in 1964, nine days after Richard’s divorce was finalized.

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Their married years were a sight to behold for the public. Luxury cars, lavish gifts, and private jets—they truly were an iconic couple. However, there were headlines that reported on the heated arguments between the pair, with hotel staff and co-stars describing their fights and reconciliations. They divorced for the first time in 1974. Their demanding film schedules and other factors took a huge toll on their relationship. However, regardless of their divorce, they could not stay away from each other—which led to a surprise wedding in Botswana, just 16 months after their divorce.

Yet again, their marriage was unable to withstand the stress, and they ended up getting divorced again less than a year after their surprise wedding. The two went on to marry other people the same year. The actress faced harsh criticism for her sixth marriage, with many criticizing her unsuitability for life in Washington. The actress would get a divorce in 1982, the same year as Richard and his wife split. When Richard Burton passed away in 1984, the actress was asked not to attend the funeral, as it would ignite a media frenzy. She sent a single red rose and penned a heartfelt letter to the actor three years after his death. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s is one of Hollywood’s most legendary and scandalous love stories that captivated everyone.

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6. Roman Polanski Flees the U.S.

Roman Polanski fled the U.S. and went to France in 1978 to avoid his rape trial, where he was to be sentenced to prison for sexual abuse against a 13-year-old girl. This entire ordeal began in 1977, when he took the girl to Jack Nicholson’s home while the actor was out of town and sexually abused her. The next day, the director was arrested on a complaint filed by the girl’s mother. Polanski pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, and went to prison for diagnostic psychiatric tests. He was released on a $2,500 bond. Justice Laurence J. Rittenband of the Superior court issued a warrant for the director’s arrest and gave him 10 days to surrender.

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However, his lawyer told the court that he would not appear. Polanski, a French citizen, could have been imprisoned for a maximum of 50 years. And before getting this sentence in court, he fled to Britain first in 1978, and then to France, where he was protected by France’s limited extradition with the U.S. In 2009, the director requested the case be dismissed, but the U.S. court rejected it. During a visit to Switzerland the same year, he was arrested at Zurich airport and was held under house arrest for months, but he avoided extradition after the Swiss authorities ruled against it. Despite many attempts by the U.S. to extradite the director, they failed to have him on trial in the U.S.

While Roman has been living in exile in France for the past years, more recent accusations have come to light against the director. Artist Marianne Barnard claimed that the director had molested her during a photoshoot in 1972 when she was only 10 years old. Then German actress Renate Langer also said that Roman had raped her twice when she was a child. Another woman, who went by the name “Robin M.,” came forward saying that the director had raped her when she was 16 years old. As of 2024, lawyers stated that Roman Polanski will no longer face a civil trial in 2025 after reaching an out-of-court settlement with his accuser that led to the dismissal of the lawsuit. The terms of the settlement were not immediately disclosed.

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7. The Cruelty of “Mommie Dearest”

Joan Crawford’s daughter, Christina, accused her of unspeakable cruelty in her memoir. In 1978, a year after her mother had passed away, Christina published what would be deemed an “explosive book,” her memoir named Mommie Dearest. This book would forever alter how the public viewed the Oscar-winning actress. Joan had adopted Christina, facilitated, as Christina claims, by the gangster Meyer Lansky since adoption by a single woman was illegal in California. Joan’s own childhood was bitter, and as the memoir states, and so was Christina’s. According to the book, Christina’s punishments were psychologically damaging.

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Once when Christina had ripped the wallpaper in her bedroom, Joan shredded her favorite dress and forced her to wear it for a week. But the most terrifying thing of all, according to Christina, were the night raids. Christina and her brother, Christopher, woke up to sounds of their mother destroying her closet and ripping Christina out of her bed. In the book, another incident recalls how Joan beat Christina with a can of Bon Ami after she failed to clean her mother’s bedroom properly. She was nine at the time of the incident.

Once the kids grew up, Joan perceived them as “bad seeds” according to the memoir. One time, when Christina had told her mother that she lied to her about being expelled, Joan was enraged and allegedly began to beat and choke Christina. Since the release of the book, people have sided with both Christina and Joan, looking at the disturbing relationship between the two.

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8. Jane Fonda’s Controversial Hanoi Visit

Jane Fonda’s 1972 visit to North Vietnam drew immense anger and controversy in the U.S. When she arrived in Hanoi on July 8, 1972, she told her welcoming hosts that she carried with her “greetings from revolutionary comrades” in America. She had visited hospitals where she reported experiencing air raids and noticed damage from bombs, and one hospital in particular that had been doing research on babies with birth disorders due to chemicals used in warfare. She also visited towns, schools, factories and other sites that were reportedly bombed by Americans. When she agreed to produce 10 Radio Hanoi propaganda broadcasts, she criticized U.S. involvement in the conflict, called American prisoners of war “war criminals,” and pleaded for the U.S. pilots and service members to return home.

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In particular, a picture of her sitting atop an anti-aircraft gun sparked controversy with the American citizens. After she returned from Vietnam, along with others, she created the national antiwar organization, Indochina Peace Campaign. These antiwar activities and speeches angered the crowd, who felt that her dealings in Hanoi were inappropriate. This turned into a major scandal for the actress. After a lot of pressure, she made a public statement regarding her actions in Hanoi. On ABC’s 20/20 broadcast of Barbara Walters’ interview “Healing Wounds,” Jane Fonda expressed some regrets. While some considered this to mark the end of the Vietnam era for her, many veterans and other supporters did not believe her apology. Through the years, the actress continued to make films and oppose war.

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9. John Lennon’s “Lost Weekend”

John Lennon’s “Lost Weekend” in 1974. In 1973, after Yoko Ono separated from John, he went to L.A. and lived there for 18 months with May Pang, who was a personal assistant to the couple. May had coordinated Ono’s art exhibition and even handled the wardrobe for the music video “Imagine.” May stated that John had charmed her, and while at first they were reluctant, Yoko told them to be “lovers” and live together. During this time in L.A., the singer started to enjoy and do ‘normal’ things like going to parks. It was then that he wrote the song “Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox)” for May.

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The “lost weekend” refers to the time where Lennon began to drink excessively and was notoriously thrown out of the Troubadour nightclub for drunkenly heckling the Smothers Brothers and Alice Cooper. Some eyewitnesses said that during a 1974 recording session in L.A. with Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Nilsson, they were too drunk to sing in tune or remember the words in time. This “lost weekend” period of John Lennon in the 1970s stuck in the public’s mind, as they saw it as the singer’s period of great excess and deep regret after the separation.

If these scandals took place in 2026, I’m pretty damn sure the internet would have collectively lost its mind. These just prove that the ’70s was, indeed, a wild and eventful era. Which other ’70s celebrity scandal was incredibly shocking to you? Let us know in the comments.