Celebrity stories of 2013 that made us cringe

Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West announced in late 2012 that they were expecting their first child, while Kardashian was still legally married to basketball player Kris Humphries. Naturally, her pregnancy dominated celebrity news nearly as much as Kate Middleton’s carriage of the royal baby.

As would her choice of baby name. The reality star ultimately finalized her divorce before welcoming her daughter early — about a month before her July due date. West, who elaborately proposed to Kardashian in October, also had his fair share of tirades, privacy rants and questionable behavior. But their baby name — North West — takes our top honor for Kimye’s “what the what” moment of 2013. In at No. 2: their love fest in “Bound 2.”  (Pierre Adnrieu / AFP / Getty Images)

An intoxicated Reese Witherspoon got a little mouthy — and got arrested — after her husband Jim Toth’s arrest on suspicion of DUI in April. A police report said Witherspoon got out of the car and “stated that she was a ‘U.S. citizen’ and that she was allowed to ‘stand on American ground.’” She then challenged the officer: “Do you know my name?” When he said he did not, she replied by telling him, “You’re about to find out who I am.... You are going to be on national news.” Ouch, nothing like playing the fame card when you’re behaving badly.

She later issued a statement of apology, saying, “I do want to say I clearly had one drink too many and I am deeply embarrassed about the things I said. It was definitely a scary situation and I was frightened for my husband, but that was no excuse. I was disrespectful to the officer who was just doing his job. The words I used that night definitely do not reflect who I am. I have nothing but respect for the police and I am very sorry for my behavior.”   (Georgia Department of Corrections / AFP)

Bobbi Kristina Brown, daughter of the late Whitney Houston, got engaged to Nick Gordon -- and she’d like everyone to stop saying “eww” about that, because it’s not as if they’re brother and sister or anything.

Of course, the reason some people might say “eww” in the first place is because Nick was informally “adopted” by Whitney when he was 12 and grew up under the same roof as Bobbi Kristina, now 20.

“I’m tired of hearing people say ‘eww your engaged to your brother or if Whitney was still alive would we be together or would she approve of this,” she posted on Facebook.

“Let me clear up something, we aren’t even real brother and sister nor is he my adoptive brother,” she continued. “My mom never adopted him. In fact, mommy was the one who even said that she knew that we were going to start dating. My mom knows me better than any of you. A lot of yall are saying that yall are only saying this all out of love. Which is bull because if that was so, all you would want is for me to be happy.”  (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)

Justin Bieber chose to mark his territory this July, going from wee pop star to a wee-wee punk when he urinated in an unsuspecting janitor’s mop bucket as he left a New York City club through the back door. And it was caught on video, with his friends practically cheering him on, celebrating the quasi-memorable nature of the act. “That’s the coolest spot to piss,” one said. “You know, you’ll forever remember that.” We’ll simply remember thinking, “Yuck.”

Also this year, the 19-year-old singer was caught on tape “sleeping” with a girl in Brazil, photographed being carried up the China’s Great Wall and singing naked for his grandmother. We just can’t make this stuff up.  (Damian Shaw / EPA)

Gwyneth Paltrow said of wearing this dress with see-through side panels at the “Iron Man 3” premiere in Los Angeles, “I kind of had a disaster.... Let’s just say everyone went scrambling for a razor.”  (Eric Charbonneau / Associated Press)

Alec Baldwin is well known for his explosive rants against the paparazzi who dog his every step, but this November brought the blurt that broke the camel’s back — and got him fired from his MSNBC hosting gig. It was the second time the “30 Rock” star had used a homophobic slur in lashing out against a photographer, and made his apology the first time around seem less than sincere.

“Wow, Alec Baldwin shows his true colors yet again,” Anderson Cooper, who is gay, said on Twitter. “How is he going to lie and excuse his anti-gay slurs this time?” He later wrote, “Just read Alec Baldwin’s latest excuses. They are actually so ridiculous they are funny.”

Baldwin finally issued an apology when the show was temporarily, and later permanently, taken off the air. “I did not intend to hurt or offend anyone with my choice of words, but clearly I have — and for that I am deeply sorry,” he said, in part. “Words are important. I understand that, and will choose mine with great care going forward.”   (Seth Wenig / Associated Press)

First “Teen Mom” and “Teen Mom 2’s” Farrah Abraham said that a sex tape starring her and porn star James Deen was something she had made for herself alone. “I wanted my own personal video made and photos taken for myself,” she told Today.com. “When I am older, I will have my best year to look back on.”

Then she sold her special souvenir for somewhere in the high six figures to a porn distribution company, for all to see. And so it was that “Farrah Superstar: Backdoor Teen Mom” hit the market.   (Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

Miss Utah Marissa Powell stole the spotlight from Miss USA winner Erin Brady with her mega-flubbed answer to an interview question. “A recent report shows that in 40% of American families with children, women are the primary earners, yet they continue to earn less than men. What does this say about society?” judge NeNe Leakes asked.

Powell’s answer? “I think we can relate this back to education and how we are continuing to try to strive to — figure out how to create jobs right now. That is the biggest problem and, I think, especially the men are seen as the leaders of this, so we need to — create education better so we can solve this problem.”

We gave it a 10 for scrambling, a 10 for rambling, and bonus points for using the phrase “create education better.”   (Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

Michael Douglas addressed his bout with throat cancer this year, leading many to believe that his particular battle with the disease was brought on by oral sex.

“Without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV [human papillomavirus], which actually comes about from cunnilingus,” the 68-year-old said, regarding his diagnosis three years ago.

“I did worry if the stress caused by my son’s incarceration didn’t help trigger it,” Douglas added. “But, yeah, it’s a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer. And if you have it, cunnilingus is also the best cure for it.”

Meanwhile, Douglas’ camp tried to clarify his remarks by explaining that his cancer was not caused by oral sex and that he was simply discussing cunnilingus as a suspected cause of oral cancer.  (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Golden Globe Award hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler tossed some good-natured ribbing at the pop star and her colorful dating life. However, Swift wasn’t having it: “You know, Katie Couric is one of my favorite people,” Swift told Vanity Fair, “because she said to me she had heard a quote that she loved, that said, ‘There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.’ ”

But the funnywomen took the condemnation in stride.

“Aw, I feel bad if she was upset,” Poehler said. “I am a feminist, and she is a young and talented girl. That being said, I do agree I am going to hell. But for other reasons. Mostly boring tax stuff. “

As for Fey, she said she didn’t expect Swift to be the one bashing their critically praised gig.

“If anyone was going to get mad at us, I thought it would be James Cameron,” she said, “I did not see that one coming. It was a joke and it was a lighthearted joke and it’s a shame that she didn’t take it in the crazy-aunt spirit in which it was intended.”  (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

White, blond actress and dancer Julianne Hough had a cringe-worthy Halloween when she showed up to a party in black face, costumed as the “Orange Is the New Black” character “Crazy Eyes,” played by black actress Uzo Aduba. Need we say more? Predictably, the “Dancing With the Stars” alum quickly apologized, with her brother Derek Hough saying, “It wasn’t her brightest moment.”  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)