Best (And Worst!) of 2011
A year-end wrap up of the top stories of the year.
1 / 26
Best: Beyoncé Announces Pregnancy - She kept us guessing for months, so when Bey finally announced her pregnancy on August 28th, she made sure she did it in style. The superstar put her bump on display on the red carpet at the VMAs, and then brought it out to play during her performance of "Love on Top" later that night.(Photo: Kristian Dowling/PictureGroup)
Photo By Kristian Dowling/PictureGroup
2 / 26
Worst: Rick Ross Suffers Two Seizures in a Single Day - One seizure had fans worried, but when Rick Ross suffered two in one day — both times on a plane — there was an understandable panic about Rozay's health. After taking a few weeks off to attend to his health (he revealed on 106 & Park that he hadn't slept well in five years), Tha Boss was back in business by November 18, when he hit the stage in Texas, good as new.(Photo: David Livingston/Getty Images)
Photo By David Livingston/Getty Images
3 / 26
Best: Celebs Support Occupy Wall Street - Though they don't exactly belong to the 99%, plenty of celebs came out in support of those protesting for economic rights in this historic movement. Kanye West, Susan Sarandon, George Clooney and Russell Simmons — who visited the epicenter of the movement nearly every day since it began — were among those who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the protesters in Zucotti Park. (Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images)
4 / 26
Worst: Kim Kardashian Files for Divorce After 72 Days - They said it wouldn't last? Well, turns out they were right. The world was surprised but not shocked when reality mogul ended her made-for-TV marriage to NBA player Kris Humphries after less than three months. More unexpected was the backlash Kardashian suffered as a result of her allegedly publicity-driven decisions. Looks like it's time for an image makeover.(Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
5 / 26
Best: BET's The Game Breaks Ratings Records - Don't call it a comeback. After getting canceled from the CW's line-up and given a new home at BET, television series The Game proved it still had a lot of, well, game by smashing ceilings with its debut. The show's series premiere on BET became the network's most-watched original telecast. The fans have spoken.(Photo: BET)
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6 / 26
Worst: Conrad Murray Convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter - Finally, justice for the Jackson family. Two years after losing their beloved son and brother Michael Jackson, the doctor accused of administering him the drugs that killed him was sentenced to prison for involuntary manslaughter. (Photo: Al Seib-Pool/Getty Images)
7 / 26
Best:The Oprah Winfrey Show Ends - After 25 years on the air, Oprah Winfrey finally quit her day job. The lifestyle queen took her final curtain call on May 25, and simultaneously launched her own network, OWN. Turns out, there may be such a thing as too much Oprah. OWN has been floundering since it went on the air, and hopes to find its audience in the new year when it doubles down with, essentially, a new version of Oprah's cornerstone show.(Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images)
8 / 26
Worst: Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony Split - This Puerto Rican power couple — who always looked to be very much in love — shocked everyone when they announced their split in August. Surprisingly, the former couple have been model exes, sharing custody of their kids and various businesses while keeping the media out of the details. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
9 / 26
Best: Tyler Perry Named Hollywood's Top Earner - It's a new dawn, it's a new day, and Tyler Perry sure must be feeling good. The self-made mogul unseated Steven Spielberg as the man who pocketed the most change in Hollywood this year. Hopefully, Perry's profitability (and productivity) will be a wake-up call for the entertainment industry as to who's really shelling out for movie tickets these days.(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
10 / 26
Worst: Chris Brown Melts Down on Good Morning America Set - After spending two years working hard to rehabilitate his damaged image, Chris Brown had a bit of a setback this past March when he basically lost his ish on the set of Good Morning America. Angered by a series of contentious questions by anchor Robin Roberts about his ex, Rihanna, Breezy took the commercial break to yell at staff and break a window before he was escorted out of the building. (Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
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11 / 26
Best: Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon Welcome Twins - Exactly three years after their whirlwind wedding, Nick and Mariah doubled their pleasure when they welcomed their twins, Monroe and Moroccan, into the world. The proud parents debuted the young ones to Barbara Walters and her millions of viewers on 20/20 in November.(Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage)
12 / 26
Worst: Amy Winehouse Dies - She had been teetering on the brink of destruction for years, but when Amy Winehouse finally succumbed to her demons on July 23, at the young age of 27, the world lost one of the greatest talents of this generation. After weeks of speculation, a coroner confirmed that Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning. (Photo: AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Photo By AP Photo/Matt Dunham
13 / 26
Best: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith Beat Break-Up Rumors - Let's face it, break-up rumors are usually following by a break-up (Kim and Kris, Ashton and Demi), but Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith managed to beat the trend by staying together in spite of intense talk of the demise of their nearly 15-year marriage. At least there's one Hollywood couple we can still believe in.(Photo: Mark Davis/PictureGroup)
14 / 26
Worst: Least-Diverse Oscars in Recent Memory - If you found yourself adjusting your TV set during this year's Academy Award telecast, you probably weren't alone. Unfortunately, there was nothing wrong with the picture technically — it was the lack of diversity among the nominees that was the problem. This year's major nominees contained not one person of color (unless you count Javier Bardem) and the most colorful thing about the show were the designer gowns.(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
15 / 26
Best: Samuel L. Jackson Named Highest-Grossing Actor of All Time - How much would people pay to see Samuel L. Jackson cut a b*tch on screen? How about $7.41 billion. The foul-mouthed actor, who has starred in 68 films over the course of his career, including the classics Pulp Fiction and Snakes on a Plane, was crowned the highest-grossing actor of all time. F*ck Yeah! (Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
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16 / 26
Worst: Nate Dogg Passes Away - On March 15, the hip hop community lost one its greatest collaborators when Nathaniel Dwayne Hale, aka Nate Dogg, passed away at age 41. Nate Dogg's voice was recognized the world over, not only for the baritone vocals he provided for artists like Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Mobb Deep, Dr. Dre and Ludacris (the list goes on), but for his three successful solo albums. (Photo: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
17 / 26
Best: Tyler, the Creator Wins Best New Artist at VMAs - No one was more shocked by Tyler, the Creator's win for Best New Artist at this year's VMAs (he beat out Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa, Foster the People and Kreayshawn) than the Odd Future frontman himself. He was hardly speechless, though, and managed to keep network censors busy with his f-bomb-laden acceptance speech. (Photo: Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
18 / 26
Worst: Halle Berry's Custody Battle Over Daughter Nahla - It was hardly the happy ending she was hoping for, but Halle Berry won a significant custody battle for her daugther, Nahla, this year. The actress has been embroiled in an ugly split, detailed both in the courtroom and the media, with her ex-boyfriend and baby daddy Gabriel Aubry. Hopefully, the worst is behind them.(Photo: David Livingston/Getty Images)
Photo By David Livingston/Getty Images
19 / 26
Best: Nicki Minaj and Sophia Grace Perform on Ellen - What's cuter than those internet videos of baby kittens? How about eight-year-old Sophia Grace Brownlee and her five-year-old cousin, Rosie, covering Nicki Minaj's "Superbass" in their living room, and becoming web sensations practically overnight. The talented duo even had the chance to perform their fave song with Nicki on the Ellen Degeneres Show in October. (Photo: Courtesy Ellentv/Warner Bros)
20 / 26
Worst: Lupe Fiasco Disses Barack Obama - Barack Obama probably can't count on Lupe Fiasco's vote in next year's election. The Food & Liquor rapper dropped a grenade on the president during an appearance on political program What's Trending this past June, stating his opinion that "the biggest terrorist is Obama and the United States of America." Thankfully for the president, Lupe doesn't exactly speak for the general hip hop community, who in large part supports him. (Photos from left: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images, AP/File)
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