Most Controversial Celebrity Magazine Covers Of 2008
1. Miley Cyrus/Vanity Fair magazine photos: The Disney cash cow and teen pop star Miley Cyrus ran into controversy when she apologized to People magazine before her controversial Vanity Fair magazine photos hit stands. “I feel so embarrassed,” Cyrus said. Cyrus, age 15, who appeared semi-clothed in Vanity Fair magazine angered many parents over the revealing photos and spent weeks on the media circuit apologizing for her “mistake.”
2. Sarah Palin/Us Weekly magazine cover: Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin landed on the cover of celeb magazine Us Weekly under the headline “Babies, Lies and Scandal” and an outrage of readers and the media ensued. Critics pointed out that other celebrity magazines like OK! magazine and People used less inflammatory headlines like "A Mother's Painful Choice."
3. Madonna/Guy Ritchie Us Weekly magazine: Us Weekly broke the news that Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie were on the brink of divorce on a July cover story. The magazine speculated an affair between the pop singer and Yankees baseball player Alex Rodriguez although Madonna denied the allegations. However, in October 2008, Madonna’s rep confirmed to People magazine that the singer and Ritchie were divorcing after over seven years together
4. Britney Spears/Glamour magazine: On the day after her album release and birthday, the once-troubled pop star appeared on not one but eight Glamour magazines including international issues like Sweden, Greece and Russia. The pop star also appeared the same week on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Many critics question the singer’s comeback status.
5. Jennifer Aniston & Angelina Jolie feud/Vogue magazine: Celebrity magazines buzzed with stories of a feud when Vogue magazine quoted Jennifer Aniston on its December cover, “What Angelina did was very uncool.” Nearly four years after Aniston and Pitt divorced over rumors of a Jolie-Pitt affair, the topic remains a hot one.
6. Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt twins/People magazine: A few months after the Jolie-Pitt twins appeared on celebrity magazine People’s cover, media insiders alleged People magazine comprised their editorial practices to appease Angelina Jolie; the New York Times ran an expose and accused People magazine of submitting to Jolie’s requirement of “positive coverage” only.
7. Kate Winslet/Vanity Fair magazine: Actress Kate Winslet pitched a fit over claims her body was digitally altered for Vanity Fair’s December cover. A week later the actress was again infuriated when she learned she had worn real fur instead of fake fur in the magazine’s accompanying photo spread.
