Buzz
Celebrities are not unlike us. They have their own hidden truths, and sometimes there are parts of their lives they choose to keep concealed for a variety of reasons. However, in Hollywood, secrets don't stay buried forever.
10. Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix earned widespread acclaim for his portrayal of the iconic rockabilly artist Johnny Cash in the 2005 biographical film Walk the Line. He truly embodied the 'Man in Black,' mastering the guitar and replicating Cash's smooth, distinctive voice. Phoenix’s dedication to the role was so intense that it even began to influence his personal life, enhancing his reputation for going to extreme lengths to immerse himself in his characters.
In 2012, Phoenix received further recognition for his portrayal of a troubled war veteran in The Master. His character is drawn into a cult led by a magnetic leader, portrayed by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. To prepare for the role, Phoenix tapped into his own past experiences with a cult that had a significant impact on his life for many years.
Joaquin Phoenix, along with his brother River, spent much of their childhood in the controversial religious organization known as the Children of God. The Phoenix family became involved with the group in the early 1970s and traveled extensively across South America during Joaquin's early years, as part of their affiliation with the church.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Phoenix shared his family’s fascination with the group: 'I think my parents thought they’d found a community that shared their ideals. Cults rarely advertise themselves as such.'
Eventually, the Phoenix family left the Children of God after becoming disillusioned with the organization. Joaquin has since moved on from this chapter in his life, focusing on his flourishing career as an actor.
9. Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren, a Swedish-born former male model, rose to fame in the 1980s as a quintessential action star. A black belt in karate, he initially made his mark in martial arts competitions while working as a club bouncer. It was during his time at a club that Lundgren met model-actress Grace Jones, sparking a relationship that ultimately led to a pivotal meeting with writer-director Sylvester Stallone. This encounter would propel him into the role of Ivan Drago, the fierce Soviet opponent in Rocky IV. This moment marked the beginning of Lundgren’s Hollywood journey, a dramatic departure from his original career ambition of becoming a chemical engineer.
Despite his tough-guy image in films, Lundgren is also known for his remarkable intellect. Before ever stepping into the ring against the 'Italian Stallion,' he had already gained recognition as a brilliant student and was regarded as a promising academic.
The actor showed a natural aptitude for science from a young age and was even extended a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Lundgren recalls the amusing moment he arrived to meet with the university staff on his motorcycle: 'The professors are waiting for the star student from Sweden and then they see me ride past outside all decked out in leather. They probably didn’t know what was going on.' Fortunately, Lundgren shifted gears and pursued a career in entertainment, gifting us with his action-packed performances in not one, but three editions of The Expendables.
8. Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson rose to stardom with his role in the 1956 epic film Giant, where he starred alongside Hollywood legends Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. With his striking looks and undeniable charisma, Hudson quickly became a beloved celebrity.
Actors with Hudson’s remarkable abilities don’t remain single for long, and in 1955, he married actress Phyllis Gates. However, unbeknownst to Gates, the union was orchestrated by her employer, Hudson’s agent Henry Wilson. The marriage was intended to maintain Hudson's public image as a ladies' man, even though he was secretly gay.
As expected, Hudson and Gates’ marriage ended swiftly, but societal pressures led Hudson to stay in the closet for several more decades. In 1984, Hudson took a bold step in revealing his sexuality, becoming one of the first openly gay celebrities in Hollywood and paving the way for future generations.
The following year, Hudson also disclosed his AIDS diagnosis. He used his fame and public persona to raise awareness about the disease, playing a crucial role in educating the public on its dangers. Tragically, Hudson passed away in October 1985 at the age of 59. As one of the first openly gay figures in Hollywood and an early advocate for AIDS awareness, his legacy endures to this day.
7. Chuck Barris
Barris rose to fame in the 1960s, initially serving as an assistant to Dick Clark. With a $20,000 loan from his father-in-law, Barris launched his first TV show, The Dating Game, which quickly became a massive hit. He later went on to create The Gong Show, a wildly popular show known for its quirky talent performances.
For most, a successful career as a TV producer would be more than enough, but Barris had bigger ambitions. He was constantly on the go, and while juggling various projects, Barris claimed to be secretly working as a spy for the United States government.
In his 1984 memoir, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Barris made the astonishing claim that he worked as an assassin for the CIA during the 1960s and 1970s. While the authenticity of these allegations is questionable, and Barris provided no proof to substantiate his story, it captured enough intrigue for George Clooney to adapt it into a film in 2002. Barris went on to write numerous other books, including Della: a Memoir of My Daughter, which recounts the heartbreaking loss of his daughter to drug addiction.
The CIA has officially denied Barris’s allegations about his time as a spy—but then again, who wouldn’t expect them to?
6. Caitlyn Jenner
Bruce Jenner was born in 1949 in Mt. Kisco, New York. A standout athlete in high school, Jenner excelled in both football and basketball. In addition, he developed a passion for water skiing, eventually becoming the East Coast All-Over Champion in 1966, 1969, and 1971.
Following high school, Jenner earned a football scholarship to Graceland College. However, a knee injury ended his football aspirations, leaving him to focus on basketball and track instead.
In 1971, Jenner competed in his first decathlon, and by 1972, he was already taking part in the decathlon at the Munich Olympics, where he finished 10th overall. Four years later, in 1976, Jenner claimed gold in the Men’s Decathlon at the Montreal Olympics, earning the media title of the 'world’s greatest athlete.' All of these triumphs came while Jenner was secretly grappling with a deeply personal issue, a secret that would remain hidden for nearly four decades.
In 2014, Jenner publicly announced his divorce from his wife of many years, Kris Jenner. The following year, he stunned the world when he revealed that he had undergone gender reassignment surgery. At the age of 65, Caitlyn Jenner introduced herself to the world. In 2015, ESPN honored Jenner with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, and she remains one of the most prominent figures to publicly come out as transgender.
5. Sam Hurd
Sam Hurd was once a standout college football player at Northern Illinois, celebrated not only for his athletic prowess but also for his warm personality and strong Christian faith. In 2006, Hurd’s dedication paid off when he signed with his childhood dream team, the Dallas Cowboys. He had secured his spot in the NFL, but Sam had bigger aspirations beyond the field.
Just five years later, in 2011, Hurd was arrested outside a Chicago steakhouse. While many NFL arrests are drug-related, Hurd’s offense was on a much larger scale. He was caught trying to buy a kilogram of cocaine from an undercover officer.
Hurd allegedly told the undercover cop that he planned to purchase an additional 5-10 kilos of cocaine each week, as well as 1,000 pounds of marijuana. His goal was to distribute the drugs across Chicago in a scheme that would have rivaled the criminal empire of Walter White. To top it off, Hurd confessed he was already moving 4 kilos of cocaine per week.
If Hurd’s actions weren’t shocking enough, consider that at the time of his arrest, he had just signed a lucrative three-year contract with the Chicago Bears, reportedly worth $5 million. Instead of enjoying his newfound wealth, Hurd ended up in a courtroom in November 2013, where he was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for drug trafficking. His story serves as a stark reminder of how easily a promising future can be ruined. Don’t believe it? Just look up Aaron Hernandez.
4. Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel, the iconic Parisian fashion designer, was born in Saumur, France, in 1883. By 27, Chanel had already established a thriving clothing shop. Within ten years, she introduced her first perfume line and revolutionized fashion with the creation of the 'little black dress.'
However, by the 1930s, Chanel watched as Nazi forces invaded her homeland of France. While many French citizens chose to resist the German occupation, Chanel took a different path. She became romantically involved with Nazi officer Hans Gunther von Dincklage. What seemed like a brief and regrettable affair, however, may have had darker implications, according to journalist Hal Vaughan.
In his book, Sleeping With The Enemy: Coco Chanel’s Secret War, Vaughan suggests that Chanel’s indifference to the Nazi occupation was rooted in her own anti-Semitic beliefs. He even goes as far as to claim that Chanel acted as a Nazi Intelligence operative. Vaughan’s narrative paints a picture of Chanel as a globe-trotting celebrity, traveling with her Nazi lover while serving as an unofficial ambassador for the Nazi regime.
After the war, Chanel fled to Switzerland (not suspicious at all), but in the following years, she managed to rebuild her career in France, thanks to the support of the wealthy Wertheimer family. The Wertheimers continue to hold majority control of the Chanel brand to this day, though they are hesitant to discuss Chanel’s activities during the war.
3. Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel is often portrayed as the quintessential tough guy, with roles in films such as The Fast and the Furious, Pitch Black, and xXx reinforcing his tough persona. However, this hardened image hides a secret so deep, so shrouded in mystery, that Diesel has kept it hidden for years. It wasn’t until the promotion of his movie The Last Witch Hunter that Diesel was compelled to reveal this long-concealed truth.
Vin Diesel is an avid fan of Dungeons and Dragons, though he keeps it somewhat under wraps. Despite this, there have been several indications of his enthusiasm for the game throughout his career.
In fact, Diesel has been pretty open about his fondness for Dungeons and Dragons. For example, in his portrayal of Xander Cage in xXx, Diesel made sure the character had a tattoo of 'Melkor' on his chest, a name that happens to be from his personal Dungeons and Dragons character.
Another subtle tribute to his love for the game occurred in 2004, when Diesel contributed a foreword to '30 Years of Adventure: A Celebration of Dungeons and Dragons'. Additionally, Diesel once shared a video on his YouTube channel showing him and others playing a round of Dungeons and Dragons, where he happily declared, 'I just played a game of Dungeons and Dragons...and I had so much fun!'
2. Patty Hearst
Patty Hearst had the odds stacked in her favor from birth. As the granddaughter of media magnate William Randolph Hearst—think of him as a 19th-century version of Rupert Murdoch—she stood to inherit the vast fortune amassed by her family through their media empire, which continues to thrive today. But by the age of 19, it seemed her good fortune might have turned on her.
The world was stunned when, as a freshman at Berkeley University, Hearst was taken from her dorm room by members of a domestic terrorist group calling themselves the Symbionese Liberation Army. The group’s goal was to extort a ransom from Hearst’s wealthy family. The plan could have worked, but sometimes plans—and loyalties—take unexpected turns.
Two months into her captivity, Hearst shocked the world once more by publicly pledging allegiance to her captors through audiotapes. While some believed she was coerced into supporting the group, any doubts were dispelled when she was caught on camera participating in a bank robbery alongside the SLA. Hearst was also implicated in extorting around $2 million from her father during her abduction.
In 1975, Hearst was apprehended by the FBI, convicted of bank robbery, and sentenced to 35 years in prison. However, President Jimmy Carter later commuted her sentence, leading to her release in 1979. Hearst’s actions during her abduction have been widely debated, with some attributing her behavior to Stockholm Syndrome, in which a victim begins to sympathize with their captors over time. Perhaps Hearst, frightened and young, did whatever she could to survive her harrowing situation. The truth may never be fully known, and Hearst has remained silent about her experiences with the SLA.
1. Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper, the iconic heavy metal frontman, has always known how to captivate an audience. Leading his band, which shares his name, Cooper revolutionized the genre with his creation of Shock Rock—a performance style influenced by horror and the grotesque. His onstage persona mirrored the band's wild music, over-the-top makeup, and outrageous behavior. One infamous stunt involved Cooper tossing a live chicken off the stage, unaware that it couldn’t fly. The chaotic crowd tore the helpless bird apart, cementing Cooper’s place in shock rock history. But few people are aware of his most startling transformation—his embrace of a more humble identity as a self-described 'prodigal son.'
Raised in a devoutly religious household, with both his father and grandfather serving as Evangelical pastors, Cooper’s early life was rooted in faith. After years of living the quintessential rockstar lifestyle—complete with heavy drinking—Cooper experienced a spiritual awakening. Embracing his new faith, he has lived as a devout Born-again Christian for several years now. While he continues to rock and retains his theatrical stage presence, Cooper now approaches his performances more as a character actor, leaving behind some of his more controversial antics, such as live animal stunts.
