Ny Breaking Australia looks back at some of the most surprising celebrity scandals and memorable moments from 2023.
Cricket legend Michael Clarke was caught on camera arguing with on/off girlfriend Jade Yarbrough in Noosa. (Both pictured in November 2022)
Michael Clarke's Noosa brawl
The year started with a bang when ex-cricketer Michael Clarke was caught on camera arguing with on/off girlfriend Jade Yarbrough in Noosa.
The former cricket captain, 42, was punched in the face by the socialite, 30, in Noosa when she accused him of cheating on her with his ex Pip Edwards.
'I am wrong? Am I fucking wrong? You are a liar. I can see everything. You called her,” she shouts, apparently referring to messages between Clarke and Edwards.
Clarke then tries to reassure Yarbrough that he did not sleep with Edwards on December 17, saying he was with Anthony Bell that night.
“Honey, you're wrong, you're wrong,” Clarke insists. “Honey, honey, Belly was at the house. I swear on my life, I swear on my life… That's not true, it's not true.'
Yarbrough's brother-in-law Karl Stefanovic was present during the fights, making the scandal even more newsworthy.
Kanye West and his Australian 'wife' shocked Venice thanks to Bianca's racy outfits and a memorable gondola ride
Bianca Censori and Kanye West's Wild Trip to Venice
In August, Kanye West was caught flashing his bare derriere during a very amorous boat trip with his Australian wife Bianca Censori in Venice.
Images of the couple show the rapper sitting in the back of the river taxi, while 28-year-old Censori appears to be lying with her head on his lap.
The couple seemed completely oblivious to the groups of tourists sailing past them with their phones aloft as they set up their amorous display.
Censori had already come under fire for the daring outfits she donned during the trip – which locals branded a form of “public indecency” in the conservative Catholic country.
Shockwaves were sent through the radio industry when Fitzy & Wippa co-host Sarah McGilvray was apparently 'squeezed' out of the show to make way for Kate Ritchie
Fitzy & Wippa dump Sarah McGilvray for Kate Ritchie
Shockwaves were sent through the radio industry when Fitzy & Wippa co-host Sarah McGilvray was apparently 'squeezed' out of the show to make way for Kate Ritchie.
While it is unclear why Ritchie left her Kate, Tim and Joel drive show, which she co-hosted with Tim Blackwell and Joel Creasey, her move to breakfast was apparently orchestrated by Nova management, as she still had a year left on her contract and they needed something for her to do.
Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald and Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli are both said to be unhappy with the reshuffle due to their long relationship with McGilvray.
A Nova employee told Ny Breaking Australia that McGilvray's departure was “brutal” for someone who had given “a decade of her life” to a radio program and was popular with listeners, adding that she left “without a single good farewell was put aside'. .
However, McGilvray and Nova appear to have patched things up since the March ouster, with McGilvray returning to the network in May in the role of newly created program director.
Abbie Chatfield quit her hit Hit Network radio show after suffering from workaholism
Abbie Chatfield quits radio due to 'workaholism'
The other big story on Australian radio this year was Abbie Chatfield's shock departure from her Hit Network show, Hot Nights with Abbie Chatfield.
The 28-year-old repeatedly denied she was fired from the gig and insisted she chose to walk away to focus on other projects.
“I just need to put my energy into projects that bring me joy and that energize me, rather than exhaust me,” she explained.
'I'm also looking forward to being with my friends and family! Always a bonus.'
Her departure came just a month after the former Bachelor star spent time at a Thai health retreat after suffering from burnout caused by a “workaholism.”
Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness announced their shock divorce in September after 27 years of marriage
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness split
Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness announced their shock split in September after 27 years of marriage.
“We are blessed to have had a beautiful, loving marriage together for almost three decades. Our journey is now changing and we have decided to part ways to pursue our individual growth,” the couple said in a statement at the time.
The former couple recently began the “difficult” process of dividing the $290 million empire they built.
With a huge real estate portfolio and other assets between them, the Wolverine star and his wife plan to split everything equally, US Weekly reported in October.
According to ET, there is “no animosity” between the Marvel star, 55, and the actress, 67, as they “felt like this was the right time to divorce.”
“Hugh and Deborra-Lee are both on different pages and chapters of their lives,” an insider told the publication.
'They felt it was time to part, but they still maintain a happy and cordial friendship.'
The source went on to say that Hugh and Deborra-Lee are “valuable for their many years together and children.”
However, the couple has since unfollowed each other on social media.
Iggy Azalea put her musical credibility on the line by joining OnlyFans
Iggy Azalea's X-rated career change
She was Australia's biggest musical export in 2014 when she topped the US Billboard charts with her breakthrough hit Fancy.
But almost a decade later, Iggy Azalea is now a professional OnlyFans creator.
The 33-year-old rapper shocked fans in January when she announced plans to join the raunchy site.
She later defended her decision after receiving backlash, saying, “I've made so much money off my body, and I've cut off the smallest of my own damn body and my own work and my own ideas.”
Iggy continued, “And I don't think I have to apologize for wanting to commercialize my own stuff. So f***k this.”
The star's next step is to perform at the 2024 AVN Awards, which honor the biggest names in adult entertainment.
“I am thrilled to be performing at the AVN Awards – a celebration of passion, fearlessness and artistic expression. I can't wait to deliver a show that embodies the spirit of liberation and creative freedom,” she said in a statement.