10 Scandalous Old Hollywood Stories Studios Didn’t Want The World to Know

10. Thomas Ince Yacht Death Cover-Up (1924)

Producer Thomas Ince died after a party on William Randolph Hearst's yacht. The official story was a heart attack. But rumors claimed Hearst shot him by mistake, thinking he was Charlie Chaplin, over an affair with Marion Davies. Hearst used his media power and studio connections to kill the story. This protected the powerful Hollywood elites involved.

9. Judy Garland's Studio Drug Abuse and Exploitation

From ages 13 to 14, MGM fed Judy Garland amphetamines, or pep pills, to keep her energy up and her weight down. They also gave her barbiturates to help her sleep. This ruined her health over time. The studio hid how bad the exploitation and addiction really were so they could keep their cash cow working on films like The Wizard of Oz.

8. Errol Flynn's Statutory Rape Trial and Other Exploits

Swashbuckler Errol Flynn faced a statutory rape trial in 1942 and was acquitted. Studios and fixers worked hard to manage his wild reputation, which included alleged abuse and parties. They used payoffs and PR spins to keep his "bad boy" image somewhat under control. This helped prevent his career from being completely destroyed.

7. William Desmond Taylor Murder (1922)

Director William Desmond Taylor was murdered, and evidence pointed to stars like Mabel Normand and Mary Miles Minter. Studios cleaned up the crime scene and pushed the blame elsewhere to protect the industry, especially after the Fatty Arbuckle scandal. Paramount and other studios buried any connections to their actors. Some careers were ruined, but Hollywood's reputation was saved.

6. Forced "Lavender" Marriages for Gay Stars

Studios arranged fake heterosexual marriages for gay or bisexual actors like Rock Hudson and Nils Asther. They did this to hide the actors' real sexuality from the public. Fixers like Strickling handled publicity and crushed any rumors. These sham marriages helped preserve the actors' heartthrob images and kept studio profits high in a deeply homophobic era.

5. Clark Gable Hit-and-Run Allegation

Rumors have persisted that Clark Gable killed a pedestrian in a hit and run accident. MGM fixer Eddie Mannix allegedly paid screenwriter John Huston to take the blame. No charges were ever filed, and the story was buried to protect the "King of Hollywood." Gable's massive box office value made him untouchable.

4. Studio-Arranged Abortions for Stars

MGM and other studios regularly arranged secret abortions for pregnant stars like Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, Lana Turner, and Jean Harlow. They did this to avoid career ending scandals. Studio fixers used fake names and made up illnesses to cover the procedures. The goal was to keep the "pure" images of these leading ladies intact under the pressure of Hays Code morality. Many of the actresses were pressured or coerced into it.

3. Jean Harlow's Husband Paul Bern's Mysterious Death (1932)

Just months after marrying Harlow, producer Paul Bern was found dead from a gunshot. MGM executives arrived before the police and reportedly tampered with the scene. They pushed a story of suicide caused by impotence to protect Harlow from scandal and to hide other possible motives like murder. The studio's quick intervention kept her career from being damaged.

2. Joan Crawford's Alleged Stag Film ("Velvet Lips")

Before she became famous, Joan Crawford was rumored to have appeared in a pornographic stag film. Her brother allegedly tried to blackmail MGM with it. Studio fixers reportedly paid to destroy copies and bury the story in order to protect their top star's wholesome image. Crawford denied it for her entire life, but FBI files and biographers suggest that payments were made to keep the film hidden.

1. Loretta Young and Clark Gable's Secret "Adopted" Daughter (1935)

Loretta Young got pregnant by her married co star Clark Gable while filming The Call of the Wild. She hid the pregnancy, gave birth in secret, and later "adopted" her own biological daughter, Judy Lewis. The studios helped create the cover story to protect both stars' images. Young later said the encounter was non consensual, a date rape. The truth stayed hidden for decades and only came out after her death.