Although actresses have a hard time being taken seriously following their tabloid woes, the misdemeanors of female stars in other fields seem to increase their popularity.
Supermodel Kate Moss was pictured snorting cocaine in 2005, but although fashion houses Chanel, Burberry and H&M cancelled their contracts with her in the wake of the revelations, a couple of years later Moss had featured in even more ad campaigns, her clothing line for Topshop was a best-seller and her earnings had tripled.
Soul singer Amy Winehouse’s notorious drug use hasn’t done badly for her profile either. Since releasing her Back to Black album in 2006, Winehouse’s drug binges, arrests, near overdoses, violent confrontations with fans and increasingly emaciated figure have filled tabloids, yet she won five Grammys, three Ivor Novellos and one Brit award despite her garbled acceptance speeches and increasingly lackluster performances.
Britney Spears’ personal woes have been well documented. The Baby One More Time singer and twice divorced mother of two had a meltdown in front of the cameras, and pictures of her shaving her own head, attacking photographers and driving erratically with her son on her lap raised concerns, yet her comeback album Circus sold over 4 million copies and the accompanying world tour was well received.
