Celebrity Lows 2005

There was no "Nipplegate" this year, but celebrities had plenty of low moments to keep us entertained.

War of the Weird

Tom Cruise tops the list of guys gone wild this year. From his PDA declarations of love for Katie Holmes (couch jump, anyone?) to his passionate defense of Scientology ("Don't be glib, Matt!") to his attack on Brooke Shields' use of antidepressants to treat her postpartum depression, it was one low after another for the Ray-Ban man this year. Yes, he did star in one of the highest-grossing films of '05 ("War of the Worlds"), but his recent purchase of a sonogram machine for pregnant fiancee Holmes caused controversy all over again. As Oprah said, "You're really gone, Tom."

Nannygate

Jude Law and Sienna Miller, engaged to be married, were quickly becoming an A-list "it" couple when word broke that Jude had slept with his children's nanny. After a rocky on-again, off-again period, Sienna appears to have taken Jude back, leaving many wondering why. Could it be that she has a new movie, "Casanova," to promote?

Ring Don't Mean a Thing

Jude and Sienna weren't the only ones in romantic turmoil this year. Hollywood stars had plenty of company in Splitsville in 2005.

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston kicked off a long year of Hollywood heartaches when they annnounced their separation in early January.

Renee Zellweger and country star Kenny Chesney met in January, tied the knot in May and were married four months before she filed for an annulment in September. Chesney compared the split in one interview to "having someone come in and take your big-screen TV off the wall during the big game, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Ken and Barbie look-alikes Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson filed for divorce this month, three years after their fairy-tale marriage and after about one year of lying about it.

Paris Hilton and Greek shipping heir Paris Latsis celebrated their love with a huge engagement ring, only to: 1. admit the ring was a fake and 2. call the whole thing off.

Paris and former best friend Nicole Richie also broke off their friendship; Richie recently split with her fiance, Adam "DJ A.M." Goldstein.

Denise Richards filed for divorce from Charlie Sheen as she was about to give birth to their second child, but now they're wearing their rings again.

"One Tree Hill" stars Chad Michael Murray and Sofia Bush ended their marriage after only five months.

Christina Applegate ended her four-year marriage to Johnathon Schaech.

Charlie Shanian filed for divorce from Tori Spelling after only one year.

Valerie Bertinelli and Eddie Van Halen announced they were divorcing after 24 years of marriage.

Rod Stewart's daughter Kimberly Stewart and "Laguna Beach" star Talan Torriero announced — and called off — their engagement in November after dating "a relatively short period of time ... in the category of weeks as opposed to months"

"Desperate Housewives" star Nicollette Sheridan and Swedish actor Niklas Soderblom called off their engagement.

And the tabloids are having a field day with Britney Spears and Kevin Federline's alleged marital woes. We predicted this would happen in last year's celebrity lows.

Too-Skinny Celebs

Stars who didn't have baby bumps appeared to be fading away this year. 2005 seemed to usher in a new wave of 1990s heroin chic, with young Hollywood "it" girls Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan shrinking down to nothing. The boho chic fashion trend of huge clothes, bags and sunglasses only made them look more skeletal.

Snowed In

But while Richie and Lohan were rising stars, the former poster girl of heroin chic, Kate Moss, didn't have such a good year. Moss lost several key modeling contracts and checked herself into rehab after a photograph of her using cocaine was published in a tabloid. Some, however, say the notoriety will only help Kate's career, as she's already picked up some major new gigs.

Jacko and Blake Go Free

The phrase "You can't convict a celebrity in California" got tossed around a lot this year after Michael Jackson and Robert Blake were acquitted of child molestation and murder, respectively. While the juries didn't find enough evidence to prove either man guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, others smell two rats.

Russell Crowe's Phone Rage: see 2005: The Year in Catch Phrases.

Paula-tics

Right before the big "American Idol" finale in May, ABC did an investigation with "explosive claims" about an alleged affair between host Paula Abdul and former contestant Corey Clark. FOX hired lawyers who found there was no evidence to corroborate Clark's claim of an affair and no evidence that she tried to give him an advantage when he competed unsuccessfully in 2003.

Seven months later, it seems even sillier.

Oprah Denied

Star of all stars Oprah Winfrey was barred from entering an elite Hermes store in Paris over the summer — leading some to suspect racism.

"My friends and I were standing inside the doorway, and there was much discussion amongst the staff as to whether or not to let me in — that was what was embarrassing," Winfrey told viewers on the debut episode of her show's 20th season. "They took my name, they had a discussion about it, then they came back and say, 'no.'"

Robert Chavez, the president of Hermes' U.S. division, said the store had been in the process of closing to host an event when Winfrey arrived. He told Oprah the woman who turned her away did it because, "Honest to God, she didn't know who you were."

Some, however, said Oprah is just unused to being treated like a normal person who can't get into stores after they're closed.

Clean Slate

N'er-do-well actor Christian Slater, 36, got in trouble with the law again this year — he was arrested May 31 and charged with forcible touching for allegedly groping a woman in Manhattan. Prosecutors dropped the charges in September, but threatened to reinstate them if he gets in trouble again within six months. Only three more months to go!

(Slater also filed a petition in February to end his five-year marriage to television producer Ryan Haddon.)

Cosby Case

There was nothing funny about the sexual assault civil lawsuit filed against comedian Bill Cosby in March. A former Temple University employee alleged that the "Cosby Show" dad drugged and fondled her; nine women who contend they were similarly assaulted agreed to testify. Prosecutors declined to file criminal charges in the case.

Her Show Got Whacked Anyway

Victora Gotti, the daughter of infamous Gambino crime boss John "Dapper Don" Gotti, told the New York Daily News in August that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer — just days before the premiere of the third season of her A&E reality show, "Growing Up Gotti."

But Matthew Rich, Gotti's publicist of seven years, quit soon after Gotti's revelation, reportedly outraged that Gotti would use such a tale to promote her show, a source told the New York Post's PAGE SIX gossip column. Gotti later said her diagnosis showed she had "precancerous cells."

Other Lows

Prince Harry wore a Nazi uniform to a costume party, provoking outrage from Jewish groups, politicians and the royal family ... Billy Joel went back to rehab ... Martha Stewart flopped with her much-hyped "Apprentice" ... Nicolas Cage named his newborn son Kal-el after Superman.

And that's the "low" down for 2005!