Best (And Worst!) of 2012
The highlights and lowlights of the year's celebrity news.
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The Best (and Worst!) of 2012 - From Whitney's death to Obama's re-election, it's been a whirlwind year for our favorite celebrities. We take a look back at the highlights, and lowlights, of the year that was... (Photos from left: Sony Music, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, FameFlynet)
Photo By Photos from left: Sony Music
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Best: Beyoncé Gives Birth - The new year kicked off with the birth of a hip hop scion, Beyoncé and Jay-Z's daughter Blue Ivy Carter. The adorable infant, born in New York City, had her first gig within minutes of her birth when papa Jay used her first cry in his track, "Glory." (Photo: Courtesty iam.beyonce via Tumblr)
Photo By Courtesy of helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com
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Worst: Usher and Tameka Foster's Custody Battle - Things got increasingly ugly between exes Usher and Tameka this year, as the custody battle for their sons reached a feverish peak. Tameka hurled allegations of infidelity and misconduct while Ush's team implied Tameka was an unfit parent and may have abused drugs. Though the tragic accident which claimed the life of Usher's stepson, Tameka's son from a prior marriage, momentarily brought the feuding exes together, it wasn't long before they were back at each others throats in a court room. (Photos from left: John E. Davidson/Getty Images, John E. Davidson/Getty Images)
Photo By Photos from left: John E. Davidson/Getty Images, John E. Davidson/Getty Images
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Best: Frank Ocean Pens Open Letter to Fans About His Sexuality - Some of the most beautiful words penned by a musician this year won't be found on a hit single. They were in Frank Ocean's open letter, in which he admits, "4 summers ago I met somebody. I was 19. He was too." Ocean's chronicle of his first true love, who happened to be a man, earned him praise and support from the most unlikely corners of the rap community, and cemented his place in hip hop history. (Photo: Darla Khazei, PacificCoastNews.com)
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Worst: The Jackson Family Feud - Michael Jackson left a rich legacy of music and entertainment. Sadly, he left family dysfunction as well. The pop star's siblings ignited a bizarre civil war over the handling of his multi-million dollar estate, pitting his children against his brothers and sisters and making his aging mother Katherine Jackson a pawn. Thankfully, after several weeks of Twitter rants, leaked letters and an alleged kidnapping, they decided to stop making the insanity public. (Photo: Gregg DeGuire/PictureGroup)
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Best: Think Like a Man Breaks Box Office Record - Since the unexpected success of He's Just Not That Into You, mega-ensemble rom-coms have been taking a beating at the box office. ThenThink Like a Man came along and brought together the best of both genres, plus a sparkling cast anchored by newly-minted movie star Kevin Hart. The film dethroned The Hunger Games on its opening weekend and wildly surpassed expectations by studio insiders. (Photo: 2012 Screen Gems Productions, Inc.)
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Worst: Stacey Dash Slammed for Supporting Mitt Romney - When Dash came out in support of the Republican candidate for the highest office in the land this past October, people were understandably shocked. But despite her unpopular opinions, the Clueless star deserves the right to free speech like anybody, a right that was threatened when angry words and even death threats landed in her inbox and on her Twitter feed. Thankfully, many of Dash's celebrity pals, almost all Democrats, spoke out in her defense and helped keep her haters at bay. (Photo: Twitter/StaceyDash)
Photo By Twitter/StaceyDash
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Best: Viola Davis Goes Natural - The Help star had an amazing year for both awards and red carpet looks, but nothing could top the statement she made when she rocked her natural hair at the Oscars. Paired with an emerald green gown that showed off her flawless figure, Davis and her locks started a trend that has been embraced by dozens of celebrities. (Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images)
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Worst: Hurricane Sandy Ravages East Coast - Extreme weather knows not of wealth or status: that was made clear when devastating superstorm Sandy displaced both rich and poor this November. The storm left East Coasters with flooded homes and without power for up to three weeks, and those hardest hit have still not resumed a normal life. (Photo: Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
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Best: Celebs Lend a Hand After Hurricane Sandy - Every storm cloud has a silver lining, and Hurricane Sandy's was the way East Coasters came together to help their embattled neighbors in the days and weeks following the devastating storm. Celebs such as Jay-Z, Carmelo Anthony, Justin Timberlake and many more rolled up their sleeves to help with the relief effort. (Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
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Worst: The Loss of Three Divas (Whitney Houston, Donna Summer and Etta James) - The world lost a lot of talent this year, including three of the finest divas music has ever seen. Whitney Houston, Donna Summer and Etta James all passed away this year, leaving the next generation of voices to carry the torch. (Photo: Sony Music, Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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Best: Porgy and Bess Nominated for 10 Tony Awards - Porgy and Bess pulled a major upset at the Tonys this year, nabbing a pair of awards for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Actress for Audra McDonald. It was McDonald's record fifth Tony, putting her in the company of Angela Lansbury and Julie Harris for most nominations. (Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images)
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Worst: Don Cornelius Passes Away - The Soul Train creator brought joy, music and dance to millions, but couldn't fight his own demons. Cornelius died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 75, leaving behind a grieving family and scores of fans who will forever wish him love, peace and soul. (Photo: R. Diamond/WireImage for The Recording Academy)
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Best: Octavia Spencer Wins Oscar for The Help - At an age when most Hollywood actresses are considering retirement, 40-year-old Spencer found sudden fame. The production assistant-turned-actress capped off a stellar year with an Oscar win for her role in The Help. Next year seems just as promising for Spencer, who has no fewer than five films coming down the pike. (Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
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Worst: Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey Brawl During American Idol Auditions - Was it genuine beef or an elaborate publicity stunt? Either way, nobody was a winner in the fight between American Idol judges Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey. The altercation, which occured during auditions and was "caught" on camera, went viral fast, and while it may help in Idol's ratings, it made many cynical about the credibility of the show. (Photos: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)
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