2024 has been a year of surprising revelations and shocking headlines. From the police searching and finding 1000 bottles of baby oil in Sean “Diddy” Combs’s house to his arrest and detention, Kat William’s revelations, and Donald Trump’s victory at the polls, there has been no shortage of wow-inducing moments. We have curated the biggest news involving celebrities and entertainers in 2024.
1. Diddy’s Arrest and Downfall
On September 16, federal authorities made one of the biggest arrests of 2024. This came after they picked up Sean “Diddy” Combs in a Manhattan hotel lobby. Authorities arrested Diddy and charged him with racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. The music mogul’s arrest in September was a consequence of the raid on his LA and Miami homes in March. Department of Homeland Security had raided Diddy’s homes following mounting allegations of abuse and sexual assault against the rapper.
During the raid, investigators found evidence of “freak-offs” contained in tapes, narcotics like ketamine and ecstasy, and 1000 bottles of baby oil. They also seized the rapper’s phones and guns. Diddy’s legal troubles began after his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, accused him of sexual and physical abuse. Diddy apologized online after CNN released footage of him brutally assaulting Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel. However, he remains in custody and will go on trial on May 5, 2025.
2. Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s Beef
The beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar is one of 2024’s biggest pop-culture events. Their once-friendly relationship turned sour once Lamar found his feet in the industry. “I got love for you all, but I’m trying to murder you,” he said to Drake, J Cole, Meek Mill, Mac Miller, Pusha T, and others while featuring on Big Sean’s Control. Drake responded, telling Billboard it was an ambitious thought and Lamar couldn’t “murder him” on any platform. The two have been in a rap feud ever since.
Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s beef escalated in 2024. It began with Lamar’s verse on Like That, responding to J. Cole’s suggestion that he, Lamar, and Drake were the big three rap stars. Lamar’s expletive-laden and explosive reply came in his feature appearance on Metro Boomin’ and Future’s Like That. Lamar said there was no “big three – it’s just big me.” Drake responded via a diss track, and the fight became personal, with him and Lamar going against each other via several diss tracks. Lamar also accused Drake of pedophilia and secretly fathering a child. Meanwhile, Drake accused Lamar of physical abuse against his family.
3. Katt Williams and Shannon Sharpe’s Interview
Katt Williams and Shannon Sharpe’s interview holds the official title for the most views for an interview on YouTube. The controversial interview shook the internet, as it was discussed on several mainstream and social media channels and dominated headlines for weeks. During the interview, Williams slammed and revealed the “truth” about many celebrities, including Diddy, Steve Harvey, Ludacris, Tyler Perry, Tiffany Haddish, and Kevin Hart. The interview gained more recognition after Diddy’s collapse shortly after.
4. Usher’s Super Bowl Performance
Usher’s Superbowl halftime performance was an opportunity to make a statement and pay tribute to those who came before him. “I’m coming through the front door with this one,” he said on Good Morning America. Surprisingly, the R&B star managed to fit 30 years of his career into a 13-minute presentation that sent the audience into an uproar and will not be forgotten anytime soon. Usher’s lineup comprised over a dozen songs featuring ballads and club anthems, and eventually, it shifted into party mode.
The musician opened the night with Alicia Keys on If I Ain’t Got You, setting everywhere into a palpable calm. He then transitioned into other songs like Caught Up, U Don’t Have to Call, and Confessions Part II, captivating the audience with his body and voice in true Usher fashion. Stars like Jermaine Dupri, H.E.R., Will.i.am, Lil Jon, and Ludacris joined Usher on the stage, which soon transformed into mini Atlanta with dancers on roller skates, A-town stomp, thunderclaps, and the Rockaway.
5. The Olympics: Sha’Carri Richardson’s Performance
Sha’Carri Richardson, with her signature long and colorful nails and hair, created one of 2024’s historic moments. The Olympic medal winner was favored to win gold in the 100m race at the 2024 games but fell just short of it due to a slow start. Richardson came in at 10.89 seconds, which ensured Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia won her country’s first gold in 10.72 seconds.
Richardson’s main rival, Shericka Jackson of Jamaica, had withdrawn from the race to prepare for the 200m. Subsequently, all eyes were on the American athlete, who missed the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for marijuana and hoped to win gold in Paris. Richardson said she smoked pot to cope with news of her mother’s death at the time.
6. Jonathan Majors’ Sentenced to Domestic Violence Treatment Program
On April 8, 2024, Jonathan Majors narrowly avoided arrest and got sentenced to a year-long domestic violence treatment program instead. The actor, whose career had been on the rise, was convicted of domestic assault against his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. Police arrested Majors on March 25, 2023, for beating Jabbari in a taxi cab. The dancer had grabbed his phone after seeing a text she thought was from another woman.
Per NBC News, The Creed III actor allegedly pulled Grace’s finger, twisted her arm, and struck her in the face to get his phone back. The trial began on Nov. 29, 2023, and Majors was found guilty of assault in the third degree and harassment in the second degree on December 18, 2023. He was sentenced to a one-year “in-person batterers” intervention program in Los Angeles.
7. Jonathan Majors Engaged to Meagan Good
Jonathan Major made the news again in November 2024 but for something positive this time. The actor and his fiancee, actress Megan Good, announced their engagement at the EBONY Power 100 Gala in Los Angeles. The couple met years before but only started dating two months after Majors’ legal troubles began. Majors has been vocal about Good’s support throughout his trial. The actress also disclosed that her fiance tried to dissuade her from being with him because of his situation, but she chose to stay.
8. Trump vs. Kamala Harris
Perhaps the biggest news story of 2024 was the 2024 US presidential election. The battle between the Republican and Democrat parties was more intense this year than any others because of broadly polarizing issues. Vice President Kamala Harris’ entry into the race was dramatic and would have made for good talking points. However, she inherited the disapproval that trailed Biden’s administration on inflation and immigration, which tanked her bid. President-elect Donald Trump won 312 electoral votes, while Harris won 226.
9. Bronny James Joins the Lakers with LeBron
LeBron and Bronny James made history as the first father-son duo to play an NBA game together. They teamed up with the Lakers against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 110-103 victory round. The Lakers drafted Bronny as a second-round pick. It was a proud moment for father and son as they checked into the game together.
“I lost a lot of time because of this league so to be able to have this moment where I am working still and I can work alongside my son,” LeBron said. “It’s one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever got from the man above and I’m going to take full advantage of it.”
10. Wendy Williams’ Dementia and Documentary
Popular talk show host Wendy Williams’ diagnosis of dementia and aphasia in February 2024 shocked many people. For years, Williams entertained many with her TV show, The Wendy Williams Show, where she infused humor and often plain truth while conveying her message. However, a few days after her public diagnosis, a docuseries, Where Is Wendy Williams? detailing William’s life was released. The project noted that the TV personality was the executive producer.
However, her legal guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, decried it, calling the project exploitative of a vulnerable woman. She also filed a legal complaint at the New York State Supreme Court. The docuseries follows Williams’ life after her show ended and captures her alcohol addiction as well as her financial and health struggles. Morrissey has asked the court to terminate the contract Entertainment One Reality Productions claims it signed with Williams.
11. Nickelodeon Documentary Exposes Abuse of Child Stars
2024 was a year of big revelations, and Nickelodeon was not left out. In March 2024, Investigation Discovery released a four-part documentary called Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. The series focused on interviews with former child stars and Nickelodeon staff who alleged years of racism, sexual abuse, and gender inequality. The shocking truth revealed by those involved reverberated online and on mainstream media and sparked conversations about the safety of children in such spaces.
Notably, Drake Bell of Drake and Josh fame recounted publicly for the first time how he was sexually molested by Brain Peck, a Nickelodeon dialogue coach and actor sentenced to 16 months in jail in 2004. There were cases to answer for Dan Schneider, the once revered and talented creator of popular shows like Sam and Cat, iCarly, Drake and Josh, Victorious and Zoey 101. Schneider was fired in 2018 after an investigation was launched into allegations of his verbal abuse, tantrums, and creating a toxic work environment.
12. No Beyoncé Nominations at the Country Music Awards
2024 was also a rude awakening for those in the country music scene and those looking to get in. Despite topping the country music charts, Beyonce’s best-selling album, CowboyCarter, was snubbed for the prestigious Country Music Association (CMA) Awards. Many had hoped Beyonce would be the first black woman to be nominated and win album of the year. A friend revealed that the snub shocked and infuriated the singer.
“Bey grew up on country music and has a great love for it,” the friend said. “Not being recognized for her country album that did so well feels like a slap in the face.”
Billy Ray Cyrus also questioned why the Single Ladies singer was not nominated. Many people also speculated that the singer was snubbed because she didn’t pay homage to the genre’s gatekeepers and because of her skin color, which likely made her seem like an intruder.
13. Rise in Popularity in Pop The Balloon series (Arlette)
With 2024 came a new dating concept that has gained popularity worldwide. Pop The Balloon, a real-life dating show that premiered in January 2024, has quickly influenced the dating landscape. The brutal honesty and unique concept of accepting or rejecting a potential suitor or dating partner based on a balloon is one of the show’s strongest suits.
Participants get to make their choices by popping a balloon if they are disinterested in a prospect or keeping it if they like what they see or hear. The series is hosted by Arlette Amuli and produced by her husband, Bolia Matundu.
14. Shannon Sharpe Sex Tape Leak
Fans were shocked to hear audio of a woman moaning on Instagram Live during an intimate moment on Shannon Sharpe’s account. The clip was quickly deleted from the former NFL player’s Instagram account, where Sharpe claimed hackers attacked his account. However, the former tight end later confessed on his Nightcap podcast that it wasn’t a prank or the work of hackers. He also revealed that he was the one in the video, and he accidentally turned on Instagram Live after throwing his phone on the bed.
“Obviously I am embarrassed. Someone that is extremely, extremely private and to have one of your most intimate details — the audio — heard for the entire world to hear, I’m embarrassed for a number of reasons,” Sharpe, who is known for being very private, said on the emergency episode of his podcast.
15. Controversial Kendrick Lamar Superbowl 2025 Performance Announcement
In September, Kendrick Lamar was announced as the headliner for the February 2025 Apple Music halftime show. However, the decision surprised many who thought Lil Wayne would get to do the honors instead, as the 2025 Superbowl will take place in Wayne’s hometown of New Orleans. The rapper also expressed disappointment about not being selected.
“I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown and for just automatically, mentally putting myself in that position,” he said on Instagram.
Meanwhile, Lamar reacted to the Lolipop rapper’s statement in his surprise sixth 12-track album GNX. The Pulitzer Prize winner rapped on his intro song wacced out murals, “Used to bump Tha Carter III, I held my Rollie chain proud / Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down/ Whatever though, call me crazy, everybody questionable / Turn me to an Esk—, I drew the line and decimals.” Lamar also aimed at everyone who didn’t congratulate him after he was announced.
#Clique, which story will you remember 2024 most for? What was your biggest celebrity and entertainment news story of the year? Let us know in the comments.
