William Randolph Hearst wasn’t just the scion of the Hearst dynasty—he was a king-making media magnate. But his penchant for sensational “yellow” journalism, rivalries with competing newspapers, and scandalous affairs nearly depleted the family fortune.
Princess Stéphanie of Belgium was not the average royal. After a brutal childhood, she married a beast of a husband whose fatalistic mood swings dashed her hopes of becoming Empress. When she finally forged a path of her own, her actions created an irreparable rift in her family and shook the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha down to its foundations.
The Sundance Kid is synonymous with the Old West. A gunslinger plucked straight from a spaghetti western, his life with Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch was one of daring robberies, dynamic gunfights, and thrilling escapes. But his fast living would eventually catch up to him, though not until he was halfway around the world…
Although the Grand Duchess Anastasia suffered a horrifying fate, the controversies surrounding her demise catapulted her to lasting fame. The mystery of the lost Princess Anastasia prevailed for decades—but when the disturbing truth finally came out, rumors of her dramatic escape morphed into the most chilling horror story imaginable.
There have been some infamous kings throughout history, but I guarantee that no ruler caused as much balls-to-the-wall drama as King Edward II. This problem child of the English throne grew into one of the shadiest, most vengeful, and unstable monarchs his country ever saw. And wow, did he ever pay the price for it.
Most accounts of Alvin York present a man who embodies his humble beginnings. The stories show him to be a simple mountain man who believed in faith, justice, and his country. As is often the case, the truth about the man is somewhere in the middle; he did believe in faith, justice, and his country, though that does not mean he didn’t have his flaws.
The Dionne quintuplets fascinated the public from the moment they were born. These identical sisters were such curiosities that they became victims of exploitation—and their story is unbelievably harrowing.
Few members of the French monarchy are as popular outside of France as Marie Antoinette. Queen during the volatile French Revolution, her story has the perfect blend of glamor and tragedy to capture the imagination of nations worldwide. From alleged affairs to escape plots, the last Queen of France led a fascinating life before the Revolution took her power—and her head.
Every family has a few skeletons in their closet, but Philip IV’s legendary kin had a graveyard’s worth. Though the "King of the Planet" outwardly appeared to be the perfect ruler, he couldn't outrun his demons and his disaster of a personal life. They not only destroyed his family, but also his nation and empire. Turns out, the Planet King was more like the Cursed Puppet King.
There was only one thing that Barbara Hutton truly wanted—a Prince to match her unbelievable fortune. However, she soon realized that being an eligible socialite was far more dangerous than she’d ever imagined. As fortune-hunting suitors seduced her into scandal and exploited her inheritance, Barbara fell deeper into depression and addiction. But that wasn’t the worst part.
“Mad” King Ludwig led a forbidden double life. He entertained a succession of gay lovers and spent millions on fairytale castles and lavish works of art. Living in his own enchanted dream world, the king failed to see the enemies at his back—and it led to one of the most twisted ends in history.
Of all the famous survivors of the Titanic, Dorothy Gibson is the least known—and the most scandalous.
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