Best (And Worst!) of 2012

The highlights and lowlights of the year's celebrity news.

The Best (and Worst!) of 2012 - From Whitney's death to Obama's re-election, it's been a whirlwind year for our favorite celebrities. We take a look back at the highlights, and lowlights, of the year that was...  (Photos from left: Sony Music, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, FameFlynet)

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The Best (and Worst!) of 2012 - From Whitney's death to Obama's re-election, it's been a whirlwind year for our favorite celebrities. We take a look back at the highlights, and lowlights, of the year that was... (Photos from left: Sony Music, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, FameFlynet)

Photo By Photos from left: Sony Music

Blue Ivy Carter Has Arrived - On January 8, 2012, Jay-Z and Beyoncé welcomed their first born, a baby girl named Blue Ivy Carter, into the world. Though controversy swirled around the couple's happy day, claiming their baby's birth denied others access to hospital facilities, they paid the rumors no mind. And a few weeks later the couple revealed pics of beautiful Baby Blue via Tumblr at helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com. She's gorgeous, just like her mom. (Photo: Courtesy of helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com)

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Best: Beyoncé Gives Birth - The new year kicked off with the birth of a hip hop scion, Beyoncé and Jay-Z's daughter Blue Ivy Carter. The adorable infant, born in New York City, had her first gig within minutes of her birth when papa Jay used her first cry in his track, "Glory."  (Photo: Courtesty iam.beyonce via Tumblr)

Photo By Courtesy of helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com

Worst: Usher and Tameka Foster's Custody Battle - Things got increasingly ugly between exes Usher and Tameka this year, as the custody battle for their sons reached a feverish peak. Tameka hurled allegations of infidelity and misconduct while Ush's team implied Tameka was an unfit parent and may have abused drugs. Though the tragic accident which claimed the life of Usher's stepson, Tameka's son from a prior marriage, momentarily brought the feuding exes together, it wasn't long before they were back at each others throats in a court room.  (Photos from left: John E. Davidson/Getty Images, John E. Davidson/Getty Images)

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Worst: Usher and Tameka Foster's Custody Battle - Things got increasingly ugly between exes Usher and Tameka this year, as the custody battle for their sons reached a feverish peak. Tameka hurled allegations of infidelity and misconduct while Ush's team implied Tameka was an unfit parent and may have abused drugs. Though the tragic accident which claimed the life of Usher's stepson, Tameka's son from a prior marriage, momentarily brought the feuding exes together, it wasn't long before they were back at each others throats in a court room. (Photos from left: John E. Davidson/Getty Images, John E. Davidson/Getty Images)

Photo By Photos from left: John E. Davidson/Getty Images, John E. Davidson/Getty Images

Strawberry Letter - Frank Ocean makes his first public appearance since releasing a love letter, which revealed a homosexual relationship he had at 19, on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon in NYC. The Odd Future member sang "Bad Religion," a song about unrequited love.  (Photo: Darla Khazei, PacificCoastNews.com)

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Best: Frank Ocean Pens Open Letter to Fans About His Sexuality - Some of the most beautiful words penned by a musician this year won't be found on a hit single. They were in Frank Ocean's open letter, in which he admits, "4 summers ago I met somebody. I was 19. He was too." Ocean's chronicle of his first true love, who happened to be a man, earned him praise and support from the most unlikely corners of the rap community, and cemented his place in hip hop history.  (Photo: Darla Khazei, PacificCoastNews.com)

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Worst: The Jackson Family Feud - Michael Jackson left a rich legacy of music and entertainment. Sadly, he left family dysfunction as well. The pop star's siblings ignited a bizarre civil war over the handling of his multi-million dollar estate, pitting his children against his brothers and sisters and making his aging mother Katherine Jackson a pawn. Thankfully, after several weeks of Twitter rants, leaked letters and an alleged kidnapping, they decided to stop making the insanity public. (Photo: Gregg DeGuire/PictureGroup)

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Michael Ealy as Dominic – Think Like a Man - We just want to taste all the good food he can make!   (Photo: 2012 Screen Gems Productions, Inc.)

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Best: Think Like a Man Breaks Box Office Record - Since the unexpected success of He's Just Not That Into You, mega-ensemble rom-coms have been taking a beating at the box office. ThenThink Like a Man came along and brought together the best of both genres, plus a sparkling cast anchored by newly-minted movie star Kevin Hart. The film dethroned The Hunger Games on its opening weekend and wildly surpassed expectations by studio insiders.  (Photo: 2012 Screen Gems Productions, Inc.)

Worst: Stacey Dash Slammed for Supporting Mitt Romney - When Dash came out in support of the Republican candidate for the highest office in the land this past October, people were understandably shocked. But despite her unpopular opinions, the Clueless star deserves the right to free speech like anybody, a right that was threatened when angry words and even death threats landed in her inbox and on her Twitter feed. Thankfully, many of Dash's celebrity pals, almost all Democrats, spoke out in her defense and helped keep her haters at bay.  (Photo: Twitter/StaceyDash)

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Worst: Stacey Dash Slammed for Supporting Mitt Romney - When Dash came out in support of the Republican candidate for the highest office in the land this past October, people were understandably shocked. But despite her unpopular opinions, the Clueless star deserves the right to free speech like anybody, a right that was threatened when angry words and even death threats landed in her inbox and on her Twitter feed. Thankfully, many of Dash's celebrity pals, almost all Democrats, spoke out in her defense and helped keep her haters at bay. (Photo: Twitter/StaceyDash)

Photo By Twitter/StaceyDash

Viola Davis - Just because she has a closet full of awards and the praise of virtually every critic in the country doesn't mean Davis isn't down with real folks. Davis has been unapologetic about her role in Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail, pointing out to critics that Perry has done more to employ African-Americans in front of the lens and behind it than anyone else in Hollywood. (Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

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Best: Viola Davis Goes Natural - The Help star had an amazing year for both awards and red carpet looks, but nothing could top the statement she made when she rocked her natural hair at the Oscars. Paired with an emerald green gown that showed off her flawless figure, Davis and her locks started a trend that has been embraced by dozens of celebrities. (Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

Worst: Hurricane Sandy Ravages East Coast - Extreme weather knows not of wealth or status: that was made clear when devastating superstorm Sandy displaced both rich and poor this November. The storm left East Coasters with flooded homes and without power for up to three weeks, and those hardest hit have still not resumed a normal life.    (Photo: Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

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Worst: Hurricane Sandy Ravages East Coast - Extreme weather knows not of wealth or status: that was made clear when devastating superstorm Sandy displaced both rich and poor this November. The storm left East Coasters with flooded homes and without power for up to three weeks, and those hardest hit have still not resumed a normal life.    (Photo: Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Doing the Right Thing - Carmelo Anthony helps distribute aid as part of his foundation's Storm Relief Project with Feed the Children and Metro Ministries in the Brooklyn, NY, neighborhood where he was born, Red Hook.(Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

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Best: Celebs Lend a Hand After Hurricane Sandy - Every storm cloud has a silver lining, and Hurricane Sandy's was the way East Coasters came together to help their embattled neighbors in the days and weeks following the devastating storm. Celebs such as Jay-Z, Carmelo Anthony, Justin Timberlake and many more rolled up their sleeves to help with the relief effort.  (Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

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Worst: The Loss of Three Divas (Whitney Houston, Donna Summer and Etta James) - The world lost a lot of talent this year, including three of the finest divas music has ever seen. Whitney Houston, Donna Summer and Etta James all passed away this year, leaving the next generation of voices to carry the torch.  (Photo: Sony Music, Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Worst: The Loss of Three Divas (Whitney Houston, Donna Summer and Etta James) - The world lost a lot of talent this year, including three of the finest divas music has ever seen. Whitney Houston, Donna Summer and Etta James all passed away this year, leaving the next generation of voices to carry the torch. (Photo: Sony Music, Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Best: Porgy and Bess Nominated for 10 Tony Awards - Porgy and Bess pulled a major upset at the Tonys this year, nabbing a pair of awards for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Actress for Audra McDonald. It was McDonald's record fifth Tony, putting her in the company of Angela Lansbury and Julie Harris for most nominations. (Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

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Best: Porgy and Bess Nominated for 10 Tony Awards - Porgy and Bess pulled a major upset at the Tonys this year, nabbing a pair of awards for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Actress for Audra McDonald. It was McDonald's record fifth Tony, putting her in the company of Angela Lansbury and Julie Harris for most nominations. (Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

Worst: Don Cornelius Passes Away - The Soul Train creator brought joy, music and dance to millions, but couldn't fight his own demons. Cornelius died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 75, leaving behind a grieving family and scores of fans who will forever wish him love, peace and soul.  (Photo: R. Diamond/WireImage for The Recording Academy)

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Worst: Don Cornelius Passes Away - The Soul Train creator brought joy, music and dance to millions, but couldn't fight his own demons. Cornelius died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 75, leaving behind a grieving family and scores of fans who will forever wish him love, peace and soul.  (Photo: R. Diamond/WireImage for The Recording Academy)

Best: Octavia Spencer Wins Oscar for The Help - At an age when most Hollywood actresses are considering retirement, 40-year-old Spencer found sudden fame. The production assistant-turned-actress capped off a stellar year with an Oscar win for her role in The Help. Next year seems just as promising for Spencer, who has no fewer than five films coming down the pike.  (Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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Best: Octavia Spencer Wins Oscar for The Help - At an age when most Hollywood actresses are considering retirement, 40-year-old Spencer found sudden fame. The production assistant-turned-actress capped off a stellar year with an Oscar win for her role in The Help. Next year seems just as promising for Spencer, who has no fewer than five films coming down the pike.  (Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Worst: Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey Brawl During American Idol Auditions - Was it genuine beef or an elaborate publicity stunt? Either way, nobody was a winner in the fight between American Idol judges Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey. The altercation, which occured during auditions and was "caught" on camera, went viral fast, and while it may help in Idol's ratings, it made many cynical about the credibility of the show.  (Photos: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)

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Worst: Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey Brawl During American Idol Auditions - Was it genuine beef or an elaborate publicity stunt? Either way, nobody was a winner in the fight between American Idol judges Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey. The altercation, which occured during auditions and was "caught" on camera, went viral fast, and while it may help in Idol's ratings, it made many cynical about the credibility of the show. (Photos: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)

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Best: Tamera Mowry Welcomes Baby Boy - The Sister, Sister star made her twin Tia an aunt when she welcomed son Aden John Tanner Housley on November 12, barely one year after she tied the knot with Fox News correspondent Adam Housley. Perhaps Aden and Tia's son Cree will star in their own show, Cousin, Cousin? (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

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Best: Tamera Mowry Welcomes Baby Boy - The Sister, Sister star made her twin Tia an aunt when she welcomed son Aden John Tanner Housley on November 12, barely one year after she tied the knot with Fox News correspondent Adam Housley. Perhaps Aden and Tia's son Cree will star in their own show, Cousin, Cousin? (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Worst: Donald Trump Attacks President Obama - Is there anything The Donald wouldn't do for publicity? The one-time presidential candidate, once he retired from the race, aimed all his political ammunition at taking down the president. Trump accused President Obama of everything from covering up his birth details to coasting through college courtesy of affirmative action. Thankfully, Trump's accusations fell on deaf ears and voters put him in his place come Election Day.  (Photo: Edward Linsmier/Getty Images)

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Worst: Donald Trump Attacks President Obama - Is there anything The Donald wouldn't do for publicity? The one-time presidential candidate, once he retired from the race, aimed all his political ammunition at taking down the president. Trump accused President Obama of everything from covering up his birth details to coasting through college courtesy of affirmative action. Thankfully, Trump's accusations fell on deaf ears and voters put him in his place come Election Day. (Photo: Edward Linsmier/Getty Images)

Best: President Barack Obama Wins Re-Election - After an ugly, bitter and often below-the-belt campaign, the voters spoke: President Obama was re-elected for a second term with a wide majority of the electoral vote and a clear mandate from voters to stay the course.   (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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Best: President Barack Obama Wins Re-Election - After an ugly, bitter and often below-the-belt campaign, the voters spoke: President Obama was re-elected for a second term with a wide majority of the electoral vote and a clear mandate from voters to stay the course.   (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Worst: Lindsay Lohan's Downward Spiral - The one-time A-list actress has gone from tabloid target to genuine cause for concern. Multiple arrests, theft charges and bar brawls are just some of the incidents that leave many fearing Lohan will soon be beyond help. When you need Charlie Sheen to bail you out, you know you've hit rock bottom.  (Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for A&E Networks)

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Worst: Lindsay Lohan's Downward Spiral - The one-time A-list actress has gone from tabloid target to genuine cause for concern. Multiple arrests, theft charges and bar brawls are just some of the incidents that leave many fearing Lohan will soon be beyond help. When you need Charlie Sheen to bail you out, you know you've hit rock bottom.  (Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for A&E Networks)

Best: Nicole Kidman Refuses to Drop N-Bomb in The Paperboy - Actors are typically willing to do anything for their art, but Nicole Kidman drew a line when director Lee Daniels asked her to use the N-word in his controversial film, The Paperboy. "I have a son [Connor Cruise] who is African-American," the Aussie actress said. "I just didn't feel it was right." Despite how far Kidman was willing to push herself out of her comfort zone for the film, we respect her boundaries.(Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

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Best: Nicole Kidman Refuses to Drop N-Bomb in The Paperboy - Actors are typically willing to do anything for their art, but Nicole Kidman drew a line when director Lee Daniels asked her to use the N-word in his controversial film, The Paperboy. "I have a son [Connor Cruise] who is African-American," the Aussie actress said. "I just didn't feel it was right." Despite how far Kidman was willing to push herself out of her comfort zone for the film, we respect her boundaries.(Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

Worst: Katt Williams' Multiple Arrests - Williams probably spent more time in jail than on the stage this year, with arrests and warrants stemming from incidents ranging from assault to reckless driving. The comedian took particular aim on hecklers, confronting them more than once and canceling appearances if he felt negativity from the crowd. Isn't that part of the job, Williams?  (Photo: Courtesy Coweta County, Georgia, Sheriff's Office)

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Worst: Katt Williams' Multiple Arrests - Williams probably spent more time in jail than on the stage this year, with arrests and warrants stemming from incidents ranging from assault to reckless driving. The comedian took particular aim on hecklers, confronting them more than once and canceling appearances if he felt negativity from the crowd. Isn't that part of the job, Williams? (Photo: Courtesy Coweta County, Georgia, Sheriff's Office)

Photo By Coweta County, Georgia, Sheriff's Office