Partying for many celebrities in the glitzy circus that is showbiz is an occupational hazard, whether a starry-eyed, red-carpet gala or a no-holds-barred, hump-or-jump demolition derby. Often, the key indicator that their night has careened out of control into gossip tabloid territory and along the yellow caution line of regret that leads straight to stardom’s front doorstep is the worn-out snatch of chatter on TMZ’s celebrity gossip site the next day or unending, endless clips on ET Entertainment Television. Here, we’ll be focusing on the story of not one or two but a variety of celebs whose partying went a little too far, and mainly on one rather infamous case involving poppers.
1. Nicole Scherzinger and the Poppers Incident
Nicole Scherzinger, a sultry sex-pot to some and feisty empowered female to others, was caught on film at a party sniffing poppers. Poppers, also known as alkyl nitrites, are a kind of inhalant that creates a brief period of stoned-like euphoria, not primarily meant for sexual activity but pairs well with it. Although the entry point to the experience is predicated on isolation, the initial high engenders unstoppable convulsions and a strong desire for intimacy. Despite Poppers UK legislation, Nicole Scherzinger, joined by Sam Smith, was caught in London whilst using them. Indeed, this instance fueled wildfire-level media coverage centered around the struggles and vices entrapped by celebrity culture. But despite the scandal, Scherzinger continued to lead a thriving career, proclaiming that hers is the ‘good life’, serving as a reminder that in show business, resilience is often just but one of your many highly marketable skills.
2. P. Diddy’s “Freak Off” Party
P Diddy – yes, really – was well-known for hosting extravagant parties, but his now-notorious ‘Freak Off’ in 2015 denied the particular level of excess that his parties had reached. Reporters filed lurid stories about the debauched antics that awaited the invited and the not-so-invited at the singer’s home in Los Angeles in the early hours of the morning of 7 August 2015. Higher, higher: P Diddy at the launch of his fragrance Unforgivable Mad, New York, 7 September 2015. The mentality of this particular soirée prompted a deluge of reports the following day about the biggest and best blowouts in LA or the United States. Diddy (Sean Combs) had to out-extravaganza everyone. As headlines declared, it was “the party to end all parties”, and there was plenty more money to burn. It was the kind of bounteous, digital-age blowout you you celebrate a friend by marking her birthday with the most lavish party she’s ever known.
3. Lindsay Lohan’s Party Downfall
Those of you old enough to recall Lindsay Lohan’s early career will probably also remember her then-burgeoning career in Hollywood. So, too, her subsequent downfall stemmed from drug abuse. One of her most memorable nights was that of July 2007, when she was pulled over at 2 am and arrested for driving drunk and with cocaine, having attended a party at least eight hours earlier. These were the first in her many – often very public – run-ins with the law and personal woes. It serves as a reminder about how one party can be a career-ending night, one of the best parties of my life. This story shows us how one night of excess can derail an otherwise impressive career.
