With whirlwinds of messy pop culture moments, 2024 has been filled with jaw-dropping scandals, unexpected feuds and viral mishaps that had everyone gossiping to their friends. Specifically, the media has been buzzing with dramatic relationship entanglements between some of the most known names in the entertainment industry. These are the moments that have had us glued to our screens and endlessly refreshing our feeds, waiting for the latest update to talk about.
Zach Bryan and Brianna Lapaglia’s tumultuous romance has kept fans on the edge of their seats, waiting to hear the ups and downs of their breakup that are playing out in the public eye. The two started dating in July 2023, and Bryan controversially confirmed their breakup in an Instagram story post in October 2024. Despite his sweet words in the post, LaPaglia responded with one of her own Instagram stories, saying she was “really blindsided.” LaPaglia’s best friends, Dave Portnoy and Josh Richards, responded in her defense with a diss track against Zach Bryan, taking numerous jabs at his looks, past relationships he’s had, his alleged cheating, former rumors about his spreading STD’s and his arrest. Millions of people have watched the diss track and supported Richards, Portnoy and LaPaglia. In response to the messy breakup, many fans have said that Bryan is a great artist but a terrible person.
If you have checked social media since July, you definitely saw the drama revolving around rappers Ice Spice and Central Cee, and by relation, influencer Madeline Argy. Since the beginning of July, Ice Spice and Central Cee have kept the rumor mill going after being spotted together multiple times in the lead-up to the release of their collab, “Did It First.”
Madeline Argy had publicly dated Central Cee and inspired the rapper’s viral opening verse on his track “Doja.” Argy found herself in the middle of a love triangle as rumors began circulating on the internet. Argy was vocal about her disapproval, using her platform on both her podcast and TikTok to communicate her feelings.
“My ex-boyfriend kind of publicly violated me through the means of using me as a pawn in his PR stunt and also not informing me of his PR stunt, which was essentially to make it look like he’s sleeping with another girl,” Argy said in her Pretty Lonesome podcast. She then went on to clarify how she only found out about “Did It First” roughly 10 days before it was released.
TikTok and the media were the gateway to relationship drama this past year, and it doesn’t end with the love triangle between Argy, Ice Spice, and Central Cee.
When the breakup between Clinton Kane and Brooke Schofield, two content creators, became public knowledge, stories of the breakup swarmed the internet and quickly became the hottest news. The two had dated for three months prior to the breakup. Schofield is best known for co-hosting the podcast Canceled with YouTuber Tana Mongeau. In an episode posted on July 10, Schofield said Kane lied about his mother and brother being dead and faked his Australian accent. Many other claims were made against him, painting him as a master manipulator looking for attention.
Kane responded to her claims in a series of videos, prompting both sides to argue about the details of their relationship. Over multiple TikToks that received millions of views, fans of the celebrities tuned in to see each creator defend their side. Kane’s videos were met with backlash from viewers, as many noted he was making an argument over semantics rather than taking accountability for misleading people. Schofield then posted a second set of videos, which accumulated over 39.8 million views, addressing Kane’s posts and offering her opinions on them.
Early in 2024, Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj battled against one another using their favored form of fighting: song lyrics. The beef started when Megan released the song “Hiss” which was rumored to be a diss track at Minaj. Minaj immediately fired back with the song “Big Foot,” a definite jab at Megan. The battle between the Rap Queens eventually fizzled out, but that is not where the music industry’s drama ends.
Chappell Roan, a newer music artist who rose to fame overnight, claimed that she no longer wants to be famous after all due to the large increase in attention she has gained. At the end of September, Roan canceled a few of her festival performances in New York and Maryland, stating the need to take care of herself after struggling openly to manage the expectations, harassment and violation of privacy she had received from fans. With her hits “Good Luck, Babe!,” “HOT TO GO” and “Casual,” Roan disappointed many fans who were awaiting her performances before her last minute cancellation. Many claimed that if she could not handle the pressure of the career path she chose, she should not have invested in it, but others argue that Roan has the right to pull back when things become too overwhelming. The controversy still stands to this day, with some people defending her right to protect herself and others complaining that she was not made for the celebrity lifestyle.
Kendrick Lamar and Drake have feuded since the early 2010s, but throughout the past couple of years, their fight seems to have quieted down. On March 22, 2024, Lamar dissed J. Cole and Drake on “Like That” as a response to Drake and J. Cole’s 2023 song “First Person Shooter”, where Cole claims that he, Drake and Lamar are the “big three” in modern rap music. Most of Lamar’s diss tracks include accusing Drake of sex trafficking and pedophilia, while Drake’s entail allegations against Lamar of domestic abuse. Since then, many publications have announced Lamar as the winner of the feud and deemed the feud fruitless overall. Other commentators, however, have praised the rivalry’s spectacle and the significance it brought to modern hip-hop.
In the movie industry, there was one film that took gossip channels by storm. “It Ends With Us” is a book-turned-movie adaptation, and the excitement surrounding the film built up over the months leading to its release. Many book lovers complained after the film, stating that it did not justify the novel, while some fell in love with the world of Lily Bloom and her story. However, it was not just the movie content that created controversy. Lead actress Blake Lively, who played Lily Bloom, quickly made headlines for her poor promotion of the movie. Lively very easily turned the movie into her own personal promotion for her hair products. Some also say the film’s marketing and Lively’s approach to the press tour downplayed the film’s central theme of domestic violence. Lively avoided answering questions about domestic violence during the press tour, but would answer any question posed to her about cosmetics and fashion in the movie.
Along with Lively, two other female celebrities took the media by storm with their controversial takes. Jojo Siwa decided to “rebrand,” turning her once girly, bow-filled image into an alternative style that surprised everyone who has watched her since her time on “Dance Moms.” Siwa’s “Karma” music video was released on April 5, but due to the previews, it drew backlash well before its release. The general consensus was that Siwa was trying too hard to perform a raunchy caricature of her own queerness, and the actual video only seemed to confirm that view. Siwa, however, has continued to wear her new look and has become even more confident in herself as the hate builds.
This year overflowed with controversy from celebrities, ranging from public breakups, to movies and all the way to rap battles. One can only imagine what 2025 has in store for all the followers of online drama.
