10 Scandals That Shocked Hollywood To The Core

7. Mommie Dearest Mommie Dearest is both a memoir and a subsequent film that are based on Christina Crawford's allegations against her adoptive mother Joan Crawford. Hollywood was shocked that this celebrated actress was an alleged child abuser. Christina told the world that she and her adoptive brother were only welcomed into the Crawford family for good publicity for Joanie. She proclaimed Crawford was bisexual and had a constant procession of lovers. Joan was also a drunk who physically abused her adopted children. One of the first 'Tell All' biographies, enormous attention was paid to the book. Opinion was divided between Joan's film star friends. Approximately half of them said that this was not the woman they knew and the other half maintained that they knew a cruel, drunken, capricious woman who mistreated her children. Christina's brother Christopher stood by his sister and the allegations in the book. Some folk have postulated that Christina's book was a consequence of being taken out of Joan's will. Whether Joan was a child abuser or not, with the film version of Mommie Dearest, Faye Dunaway did a fantastic job of portraying an evil, self obsessed, callous drunken mother. Her performance was suitably over the top - "CHRISTINA!!! Bring me the axe!!" - and turned the film into a camp cult classic. The actress who plays Christina is not very competent and the character comes off as a whinging brat. You will be backing Joan all the way.