13 Dark And Disturbing Secrets Celebrities Tried To Bury, But The Truth Came Out

Kristen HarrisSun, August 23, 2026 at 3:16 AM UTC

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Warning: This post mentions rape, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, and murder.

Shocking allegations and horrific convictions can (rightfully) tank a celebrity's career. So, sometimes, they try to sweep their dark pasts under the rug.Here are 13 celebrities who hid disturbing secrets:1. Stephen Collins was famous in the late '90s and early '00s for playing a wholesome father and minister on the hit series 7th Heaven, but in reality, he was harboring a secret that was anything but wholesome. In 2012, his then-wife, Faye Grant, secretly recorded a confession he made during a therapy session — he admitted to sexually abusing three children. Two years later, TMZ posted an edited version of the tape (which protected the survivors' names). In part of the recording, he reportedly said, "I put her hand on my penis." The NYPD opened an investigation, and the LAPD reopened an investigation that had been closed in 2012. Collins was also fired from Ted 2.

©Aaron Spelling Prods/Courtesy Everett CollectionIn a statement to People, Collins admitted to "inappropriate sexual conduct with three female minors" between 1973 and 1994, and he said that he had "not had an impulse to act out in any such way [in the last 20 years]." He said, "Forty years ago, I did something terribly wrong that I deeply regret. I have been working to atone for it ever since. I've decided to address these issues publicly because two months ago, various news organizations published a recording made by my then-wife, Faye Grant, during a confidential marriage therapy session in January, 2012. This session was recorded without the therapist's or my knowledge or consent. On the recording, I described events that took place 20, 32 and 40 years ago."

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No charges were ever filed against Collins because of the statute of limitations. He has not acted since 2014. He and Grant finalized their divorce in 2015, and in 2019, he married Jenny Nagel, a woman 40 years younger than him, who Dr. Drew Pinsky described as a 7th Heaven superfan.

Albert L. Ortega / Getty Images2. In 2018, Smallville actor Allison Mack was arrested and charged with forced labor conspiracy, sex trafficking, and sex trafficking conspiracy for her involvement in NXIVM, a secret sex trafficking cult led by Keith Raniere. She pleaded not guilty. Then, the following year, she reversed her plea and pleaded guilty to one count each of racketeering conspiracy and racketeering. In 2021, she was convicted and given two 36-month prison sentences, which she served concurrently. Additionally, she was sentenced to three years of probation, 1,000 hours of community service, and a $20K fine.

©CW Network/Courtesy Everett CollectionIn her plea, Mack detailed her involvement in DOS, a women's sorority within NXIVM with a Latin name that meant "master over the slave woman." She said that she gave women in the group "seduction assignments." She was also a "first-line slave" reporting to Raniere, and she was encouraged to recruit "slaves" of her own. She was "master" over four "slaves," who had to regularly hand over nude pictures and other collateral. Speaking in court, Mack reportedly apologized for her actions and said she "fought" to find herself again after being in a "cloud of delusion." During a court hearing, Jessica Joan, one of the NXIVM survivors, said, "She is the Ghislaine Maxwell to Keith's Jeffrey Epstein."

Jemal Countess / Getty ImagesMack was released from prison in 2023. She got married and went on to pursue her master's in social work. She hasn't acted since her 2016 voice role in Lost in Oz.

DON EMMERT / AFP via Getty Images3. Jerry Lee Lewis was known as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man," but he was far worse than simply "wild." In 1957, when he was 22, he married Myra Lewis Williams, his 13-year-old cousin. He allegedly had a 20-something friend sign Williams's name to get a marriage license without her consent or knowledge. She told Investigation Discovery, "Jerry came back home. He said, 'Come outside. I want to show you something.' He pulled this paper out, and I looked at it, and it said, 'marriage license.' And I looked at it, and I said, 'You mean we're married?' And he said, 'No, no, no, no. We're not married. We're gonna get married.' And I said, 'What?' And he caught me by my arm, and he turned me around, and he said, 'Myra, I love you, and I wanna marry you.' I think I just melted..."

Keystone-France / Gamma-Keystone via Getty ImagesThe marriage was not public knowledge. Williams, her mom, and her brother went to England with Lewis and his band. She told ID, "The press was gonna come on the plane and see Jerry and interview him, so I got off. And I'm walking around in the airport, and a man comes up to me. He says, 'Who are you, miss? You got off that plane, didn't you?' And I said, 'I'm not anybody.' He said, 'Well, who are you?' And I said, 'I'm Jerry's wife.' The guy asked me how old I was, and I said, 'I'm 15.' I figured I could lie a little bit. His face lit up like a Christmas tree, and he took off. I had no idea I was talking to a reporter, and I'm clueless that there could be a problem. I wish that somebody would have said, 'If people find out Jerry's married to a kid, it ain't gonna be pretty. Myra, you're a bomb.'"

Bettmann / Bettmann Archive / Via GettyThe press also discovered a second secret — Lewis was still married to his second wife, Jane Mitcham. After the truth came to light, his tour was canceled, and radio stations blacklisted him. However, Lewis continued making music and doing theater, and around 10 years later, he staged a comeback as a country singer. Williams was 14 when she gave birth to their son (who died in 1962) and 17 when she gave birth to their daughter. In 1970, around age 36, she filed for divorce, alleging Lewis had abused her and committed adultery.

Mirrorpix / Mirrorpix via Getty Images4. As a teenager, Josh Duggar began starring on several reality TV series, most famously 19 Kids and Counting, with his large Independent Baptist family. The show chronicled his 2008 marriage and the births of several of his seven children. To many conservative Christian viewers, he seemed like the embodiment of the virtuous life the Duggars preached. In reality, he was hiding something much darker. In 2015, In Touch obtained police reports that revealed, starting at age 14, Duggar sexually molested his younger sisters at least seven times. He went to his father, Jim Bob, "very upset and crying" and admitted to "sneaking into [his sisters'] room at night and had been touching [his sisters] on the breasts and vaginal areas while they were sleeping."

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In the wake of the reports, Duggar resigned as executive director of the Family Research Council Action. He, his parents, and his wife issued statements about how he'd behaved "inexcusably," and TLC canceled their show. Two of his sisters and abuse survivors, Jessa Seewald and Jill Dillard, addressed the abuse on The Kelly File, dismissing it as "a young boy in puberty and a little too curious about girls." However, in 2023, Dillard told Nightline that she and Seewald were forced to do the interview to "save face." She said, "I didn't want to be there. Like, I was doing it out of obligation."

Handout / Washington County Sheriff's Office via Getty Images5. Jimmy Savile was famous in the UK for hosting Top of the Pops, a music show, and Jim'll Fix It, a show where he granted kids' wishes. However, after he died in 2011, many allegations of sexual abuse came to light. Per the BBC, he reportedly used his fame to prey on hundreds of boys, girls, women, and men, whom he raped and assaulted in schools, hospitals, dressing rooms, his caravan, and the children's homes. He reportedly abused survivors from the mid-1940s (when he was a teenager or young adult) until 2009. The 2013 report Giving Victims a Voice described his crimes as "to the best of our knowledge unprecedented in the UK."

Michael Putland / Getty ImagesThe report said, "It is now clear that Savile was hiding in plain sight and using his celebrity status and fundraising activity to gain uncontrolled access to vulnerable people across six decades. [He was] a mainly opportunistic individual who used his celebrity status as a powerful tool to coerce or control them, preying on the vulnerable or star-struck for his sexual gratification." Another report, the Dame Janet Smith Review, found that, over five decades, the BBC's culture "was deeply deferential," and employees were hesitant to bring complaints to their managers because of an "atmosphere of fear."

Avalon / Getty Images6. In 2017, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that Danny Masterson, a That '70s Show actor and a Scientologist, was being investigated by their Robbery Homicide Division, Sexual Assault Section. A statement said, "Three women have come forward and disclosed that they were sexually assaulted by Masterson during the early 2000s." At the time, Masterson's reps denied the allegations, claiming that "it was only after [alleged victim] was in contact with Leah Remini [an outspoken former member of the Church of Scientology] that she made allegations of sexual assault by Mr. Masterson." During the trial, one of the survivors said, "I didn't choose to be born into Scientology, just as I didn't choose to be raped by Danny Masterson."

TM and Copyright © 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved, Courtesy: Everett CollectionNetflix fired him from The Ranch. Then, in 2020, he was charged with three counts of rape by force or fear. In 2023, he was convicted on two counts of rape and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. In a statement, his lawyer maintained his innocence.

LUCY NICHOLSON / POOL/AFP via Getty Images7. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis were among the 50-plus people who wrote letters to the judge, requesting a lesser sentence for Masterson, Variety reported. Kutcher reportedly called him a "role model," and Kunis reportedly described him as an "outstanding older brother figure" with "exceptional character." They both praised his drug-free lifestyle.

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Kutcher wrote, "While I'm aware that the judgment has been cast as guilty on two counts of rape by force and the victims have a great desire for justice, I hope that my testament to his character is taken into consideration in sentencing. I do not believe he is an ongoing harm to society and having his daughter raised without a present father would [be] a tertiary injustice in and of itself. Thank you for taking the time to read this."

Phillip Faraone / Getty Images for Raising Cane'sKunis wrote, "I wholeheartedly vouch for Danny Masterson's exceptional character and the tremendous positive influence he has had on me and the people around him. His dedication to leading a drug-free life and the genuine care he extends to others make him an outstanding role model and friend."

XNY/Star Max / GC Images / Via GettyFollowing backlash, the couple apologized in a since-deleted Instagram video. Kutcher said, "We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson." Kunis added, "We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future."

Frazer Harrison / WireImage / Via Getty8. In 2020, two former students from James Franco's acting school (which closed in 2017) filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that they were victims of fraud and sexual exploitation. Speaking to NPR, they claimed that they were promised chances to audition for Franco's films. One woman said she paid extra for his "Sex Scenes" class, where students were allegedly expected to "get naked and do sex scenes and not complain and push the envelope." Franco denied their allegations. In 2021, the women agreed to drop their individual cases, and he settled the suit for $2.2 million.

NBC / NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesLater in 2021, Franco told The Jess Cagle Show, "I didn't sleep with anybody in that particular [Sex Scenes] class, but over the course of my teaching, I did sleep with students, and that was wrong. But...it's not why I started the school, and I wasn't the person that selected the people to be in the class. So it wasn't a master plan on my part, but yes, there were certain instances where...I was in a consensual thing with a student, and I shouldn't have been... I suppose at the time my thinking was if it's consensual, OK."

Pascal Le Segretain / Getty ImagesIn 2026, Franco told Deadline that he was cast in a "big studio movie" for the first time since 2017's The Disaster Artist. He said, "It won't be ready for this summer, but my guess is it will be end of this year or spring-summer 2027... It's not true I've been hiding out. I've been here [at the Cannes Film Festival] the last three or four years running, selling things, and they treat me well, and I get to go and see great movies... I just go forward and try to live a positive life... I just try to be the best person I can be… I think I was put on this planet to make movies. I try to make movies the best I can, and it's kinda like all I can do."

Amy Sussman / Getty Images9. British historical detective novelist Anne Perry is famous as the best-selling author of the William Monk and Charlotteand Thomas Pitt series, but when she was 15, Perry and her best friend, Pauline Parker, created a fantasy world together in which they worshipped famous people. Perry's parents planned to move away from New Zealand after their divorce, so, in a bid not to be separated, the girls killed Pauline's mom, Honorah Mary Rieper, by striking her in the head with a half-brick wrapped up in a stocking. The sensationalized trial revealed more of the girls' intense friendship, including the fact that they both dreamed of becoming famous authors. Both girls were sentenced to five years in prison for murder. Upon their release, their names were changed, and they were ordered to never contact each other again, lest they be put back in prison for life.

Random House Publishing Group / Viaamazon.comPerry returned to the UK, where she was born. She lived under her assumed identity until 1994, when her crime was dramatized in the movie Heavenly Creatures starring Kate Winslet. That's when journalists uncovered her true identity. However, when the truth came to light, she told NPR, "I don't [remember how I felt], no. I was pretty shocked. And don't forget; I'd just discovered that my parents were separating. My father had lost his job. And it seemed to me that my best friend was on the brink of death as well... I don't explain it. I just say I was wrong. I mean, my motivation was that I thought it was one life or another, which may sound daft now, but that's how I felt at the time. I truly believed that — I believed that she would take her own life if I didn't do this."

©Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection10. In 2000, the UK's public record office released confidential files that exposed disturbing secrets about actor Tallulah Bankhead, a star of stage and Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat, 32 years after her death. MI5 had labeled her "an extremely immoral woman" who committed "indecent and unnatural practices" with five boys from Eton College (a prestigious boarding school for teenage boys). The Home Office even tried to throw the American actor out of the country. The survivors included a lord's son and a baronet's son, but all five had to leave school. There was a special branch inquiry, but the headmaster wouldn't cooperate. So, the scandal was buried.

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The MI5 report from 1928 read, "TB was seen at Eton frequently last term. I hear from another master that one or both of Sir M Wilson's older sons used to motor down with her to see the third son, who was then smuggled away for the afternoon under a rug in the car. It is said this was the start of a TB Eton boys' clique." The headmaster reportedly told the officer, "No information could be obtained at Eton, and no inquiry or action that the home office could make or take regarding TB could embarrass Eton." Detectives investigated the Hotel de Paris, where Bankhead allegedly took the boys, but they found no evidence proving the alleged "indecent and unnatural offenses." The headmaster denied expelling the five boys, but he said three were disciplined, and two were dismissed.

Horst P. Horst / Conde Nast via Getty Images11. In 2011, actor and UFC fighter Joe Son, who played Random Task in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, was convicted of one felony count of torture for gang raping a woman on Christmas Eve in 1990. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. While the survivor was walking home with her dog after seeing Christmas lights with friends, Son and Santiago Lopez Gaitan kidnapped her and raped her multiple times. Son also threatened to kill her. When they finally let her go, they left her naked with her pants as a blindfold. She got help from nearby homeowners, who called the police, but the case eventually went cold.

©New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett CollectionSon was finally caught after pleading guilty to felony vandalism in 2008. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail, then put on probation, but then, after failing to report to the probation office, he was sentenced to another 90 days of probation. He had to give a DNA sample as part of his original plea, and that DNA connected him to the 1990 crime. In court, the survivor said, "This sad excuse of a human fed off the terror he inflicted to my body, mind, and spirit that night."

ABC / Viayoutube.com12. Silent film actor Margaret Gibson allegedly confessed to murder in a decades-old case on her deathbed in 1964. Back in 1922, police were called to the LA home of director William Desmond Taylor to investigate a "natural death." However, upon their arrival, they discovered studio execs and stars rifling through Taylor's things as he lay on the living room floor with a bullet in his back. Two actors who'd been romantically linked to the director had their careers ruined by the scandal, but no murderer was ever convicted.

Courtesy Everett CollectionThen, 42 years later, Gibson — who made four short films with Taylor — had a heart attack at her Hollywood Hills home. She called for a priest, then cried out, "I killed William Desmond Taylor." However, the murder is still officially considered unsolved.

Courtesy Everett Collection13. And finally, Dutch crime novelist Richard Klinkhamer's wife, pediatric nurse Hannelore Klinkhamer, went missing in 1991. At the time, he was the top suspect, but police searches turned up nothing, and he denied being involved. Shortly after her disappearance, he walked into his publisher's office with a manuscript titled Woensdag Gehaktdag (Dutch for "Wednesday, Mince Day"). The gruesome story described seven possible ways he could've killed her, including putting her remains through a mincer to dispose of them. It was rejected by the publisher, but eventually, it made its way to the underground press. Klinkhamer gained some notoriety, giving TV interviews and partying with other literary figures. During this time, he moved to Amsterdam, which is what led to the family that bought the home he previously shared with Hannelore making a gruesome discovery.

Just Publishers / Viaamazon.nlIn 2000, the new family hired a crew to get rid of the old shed in the yard. While the workers were dismantling the concrete floor, they found a human skull buried in the clay below. Eventually, they uncovered the rest of the skeleton, and a forensic scientist used Hannelore's dental records to identify her. Klinkhamer was arrested that night, and he confessed to murdering her the next day. He beat her to death with a wooden implement, buried her in a hole in the shed, then poured concrete. Then, he let six days pass before he reported her missing. After his confession, he was reportedly sentenced to six years in prison but was released in 2003.

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If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website.

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If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.

If you are concerned that a child is experiencing or may be in danger of abuse, you can call or text the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453(4.A.CHILD); service can be provided in over 140 languages.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-800-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.

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