In a celebrity world dominated by the media, gossip and rumours, how do we know what to trust when a scandal breaks? Some of our favourite celebrities have been caught out in a fall from grace. Here are 5 that could have done with taking a lie detector test to settle things once and for all!
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States. A clear speaking and popular president, he left office with an approval rating that equalled that of Ronald Reagan and Franklin D. Roosevelt. But his credibility as a moral upstanding pillar of society was tarnished when allegations and scandal erupted in 1998.
During his presidency, Bill Clinton lied about having an extra-marital relationship with White House employee Monica Lewinsky. The affair came to light when Miss Lewinsky testified that she did not have any sexual relationship with Clinton but recorded telephone conversations proved otherwise.
By the end of the month the media speculation had built to such a level that Clinton felt obliged to address them. On the 26th January 1998 in a public, televised statement he knowingly and categorically lied to the world, with the now famous words “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”
The scandal refused to be put to bed and things escalated as more evidence was brought forward until the improper relationship was confirmed by Clinton in a televised statement 6 months later. If he had been made to have a lie detector from day 1 the American public would not have been misled by their president for over half a year. Clinton was subsequently impeached becoming the second president to suffer that fate, however was acquitted of any wrongdoing.
The stain was left though and Clinton will always be defined by the loose morals and the deception over anything constructive he did in office.
David Beckham
David Beckham is an internationally recognised ex-football player. He is the face of many designer brands and his endorsements generate him revenue in the millions each year. In the 90’s David Beckham became the poster boy of football.
In 2004, the News of the World broke the story of an affair with Rebecca Loos, Beckham’s former personal assistant. She claimed that they had the affair in Madrid in 2003. Beckham claimed these allegations to be false, but by now the media was in a frenzy over the story.
Beckham continues to deny all allegations and Loos (now living out of the spotlight in Scandinavia) still says she has no regrets over going public with the story. Since then Beckham has faced other allegations that he paid for prostitutes, and again he claims these to be false. Perhaps the most telling thing is that the latter allegations Beckham fought by making legal challenges however he did not take any legal action when the Loo’s story broke. Is he telling the truth? A lie detector test would have found out!
Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong is a disgraced former professional American cyclist, known for winning the Tour de France 7 consecutive times and the doping allegations that followed.
Doping allegations come to light in 2004 and were always littering the background of what publicly was perceived as an extraordinary career. Armstrong always vigorously fought the allegations but when a federal investigation was launched it was not long before the façade crumbled and Armstrong was exposed as both a liar and a cheat. The US anti-doping agency investigation concluded that he had been doping for most of his professional career and was most likely a ringleader that enabled other cyclists in his team to dope undetected. As a result, all of his Tour de France titles were stripped from him along with several other awards over his career.
A year later in 2013, Armstrong admits to some of the doping allegations but still won’t confirm the extent of how prevalent it really was. Armstrong is a great example of why all athletes submit to a lie detector test along with their drugs tests.
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods is one of the most successful golfers of all time and through his endorsements he is by far the most financially successful golfer in history. The American has been a professional golfer since he was just 20 years old. He was exceptionally talented and rose through golfing ranks quickly, consistently picking up accolade after accolade along the way.
Unlike the celebrities above Woods didn’t lie to protect his reputation, instead he chose to remain silent on the matter in the hope that the media attention would diminish. The media storm only built up momentum and it wasn’t long before Woods made a statement confirming he had made “transgressions.”
Woods then made several statements apologising for his infidelity and retiring from golfing – despite this it’s not been confirmed how many of the infidelity allegations made against Woods are true. Presumably some were constructed for financial gain or perhaps Woods is really the prolific philanderer that the media would have you believe.
There is a web of deceit around Tiger Wood’s infidelity and only Tiger knows the true extent of it all. The shame with Wood’s personal problems is that they have forever tarnished the most remarkable golf career in history.
OJ Simpson
OJ Simpson, aka The Juice, is a former American footballer and in my opinion the best running back the NFL has ever seen. He later went on to presenting and acting, and if you believe the LAPD, murdering. He is currently serving time for armed robbery and known for an internationally publicised trial in 1994, named the trial of the century.
Simpson was a person of interest in the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her boyfriend. After an emotional few days which involved refusing to hand himself in, a suicide note with a smiley face in the O and a low speed pursuit in a white Bronco, Simpson was brought to trial for the murders.
The interesting thing is that OJ Simpson actually took a lie detector test, he failed miserably. It was at this point his legal team considered an insanity defence. The evidence at the trial was largely circumstantial, the DNA evidence the prosecution did have was certainly not handled in a way that DNA evidence should be. Failings of the LAPD and racial tensions eventually led the jury to a quick not guilty verdict. Jurors would later comment that the case against Simpson was not proven beyond reasonable doubt and a not guilty verdict was correct. He continues to maintain his innocence.
To this day everyone has an opinion on his guilt and it continues to generate interest including the dramatization starring Cuba Gooding Jr as Simpson. FX’s The People vs OJ Simpson: American Crime Story. Why don’t you watch it and decide for yourself?
