Entertainment

11 Old Magazine Covers That Got It So Wrong

by Quinn Keaney

Before Miley Cyrus’s twerk-seen-round-the-world, there was the wholesome Hannah Montana. Before Zac Efron went to rehab, he was prancing around golf courses in High School Musical. I mean, Jessica Simpson just got remarried, but can it even compare to the fairytale marriage to Nick Lachey we all spent more than a few weekends drooling over? Rest in peace, "Chicken by the Sea." We hardly knew ya. Of course, all of these celebrity events were covered by magazines and, looking back now, some of them got things soooo wrong.

As we all know, celebrities are no strangers to face-lifts, literally or metaphorically. Constant changes to their public personas are what we love (and occasionally hate) them for, and if I had a dime for every celebrity scandal that has rocked the tabloids over the course of the last decade, I’d probably have as much money as the celebs causing them. On Monday, Paris Hilton might be engaged, and by Saturday she’s already seeking alimony for a painful, and totally juicy, divorce. So much to reminisce (ahem, blog) about.

In case any of you pop-culture addicts forgot what your favorite reality star or Oscar-winning actress was up to three, five, or even ten years ago, take a quick peek at the collection of pure nostalgia below, where we can all take a collective sigh of relief at the fact that Twilight mania is finally over, and that, yes, Kim Kardashian has finally found ~*tRuE L0v3*~

1. Miley Cyrus, People 2007

Who could resist her Southern twang and bleach-blonde alter ego? These days she's still blonde, but let's just say that a lot has changed.

2. Nick Lachey & Jessica Simpson, Seventeen 2000

They were as all-American as a Hollywood couple could possibly be, but the limelight was clearly too much pressure for The Newlyweds.

3. Justin Bieber, People 2010

Oh, Biebs. Your voice! Your smile! Your bowl cut! What happened?!

4. Vanessa Hudgens & Zac Efron, People 2007

We really thought those friendship rings were permanent, you two. Apparently you weren't all in this together! P.S. Cameron Diaz and John Mayer. Wow.

5. Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson, OK! 2009

Well, they were in love. Also, I think we all know now that Angelina Jolie wasn't "left alone."

6. Sandra Bullock, People 2007

Everyone was convinced the Blind Side actress proved opposites really do attract when she married bad boy Jesse James. And then he cheated on her with a tattooed Nazi supporter. Good times.

7. Jake Gyllenhaal & Reese Witherspoon, Us Weekly 2010

Since they would have made unfairly adorable children, their split was obviously necessary.

8. Jake Pavelka & Vienna Girardi, People 2010

Once upon a time, a glorified frat bro met an evil Mean Girl... And then, well, then things got crazy.

9. Kris Humphries & Kim Kardashian, People 2011

Did anyone see that 72-day marriage coming? Yes. Yes, they did. And Blake and Leo! Blake and Leo was a thing a mere three years ago!

10. Lindsay Lohan, Elle 2005

These days, "in control" is the last way anyone would ever describe LiLo.

11. Katie Holmes & Tom Cruise, People 2006

The couch-jumping was sweet (read: crazy), but it wasn't enough to make TomKat last. At least the world got endlessly fashionable Suri out of the deal.

While these might look crazy now, the magazines out today are going to look insane in five years. We'll all look back at 2014 and go, "Man! Miley Cyrus really had a wild period there. I'm so glad she's an Oscar-winning actress now."

Images: People; Seventeen; OK!; Us Weekly; Elle