(ARA) – Wall Street’s rollercoaster ride, dwindling nest egg , mortgage meltdowns, high gas prices and the impending recession — 2008 was a rough year. While many Americans were relieved that their problems weren’t front page news, they found escape in the public breakups, pesky paparazzi, wardrobe malfunctions, career-crushing blunders and other nuisances that plagued many big-name celebrities this past year.

From the on-again, off-again romance of Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer, to Paris Hilton’s presidential campaign ad, to two new additions to the Brangelina brood, 2008 was not all bad in the world of entertainment. Here’s a lighthearted look at some of the top celebrity stories of the year from the Hollywood-watchers at MSN. movies.msn.com Breakups and Make-ups
So your husband never brings you flowers anymore? Your girlfriend flirts with the guy in the mailroom? Think about your relationship dramas being played out like the very public breakups of some Hollywood A-listers.Aniston and Mayer got together, broke up and got back together. Madonna and Guy Ritchie put on a public front, dismissed breakup rumors and issued statements. . . only to officially announce that they were divorcing after eight years of marriage. Now, comes the hard part of splitting the assets, which won’t be a problem for Anne Hathaway, whose ex went to prison, penniless.

Bad Baby Names

What’s in a name? This past year saw an explosion of celebrity pregnancies and what seemed to be a competition for the strangest name. While Emma and Aiden were the most popular baby names among us common folk, singer Ashlee Simpson, younger sister of Jessica Simpson, named her baby Bronx Mowgli. And Gwen Stefani introduced Zuma Nesta Rock to the world, making Suri sound somewhat normal.

Out and About

Celebrity “outings” are becoming less shocking, but there were still a handful of revelations this year that had (at least some) people saying “Really?” Clay Aiken came out of the closet after fathering a baby with his best friend. Ellen DeGeneres finally found wedded bliss with girlfriend Portia de Rossi. And Lindsay Lohan’s relationship with DJ Samantha Ronson kept fans guessing for most of 2008.

Bombs and Blasts

Robert Downey Jr. made a career comeback with multiple big-screen successes in 2008, including the title role in “Iron Man” and an hilarious turn in “Tropic Thunder.” Sadly, however, one of the most-longed-for team-ups in movie history – Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino finally scoring screen time together in the crime saga “Heat” – was roundly panned by critics and fans alike.

What Was She Thinking?

Forget glitz and glamour. People watch celebrities stroll down the red carpet to see the latest fashion faux pas. There were no dearth of “What was she thinking?” duds on starlets in 2008, but a few were so awful they bear (or bare) another look.

Celebutante Kim Kardashian showed up at a McDonald’s promotional event decked out in the Hamburglar’s hat, khaki shorts and a teeny-weeny bikini top. Courtney Love, who no longer shocks but still manages to amuse, stepped out in a see-through lace frock over barely-there underwear. And Gwyneth Paltrow, uncharacteristically donned a white, spaghetti-strapped mini emblazoned with a black bustier overlay, achieving an overall effect highly reminiscent of those tuxedo t-shirts high school boys thought were so cool back in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Just Plain “No Way!”

Then there were the moments that just can’t be summed up any other way except “No way!” Many of them involved Britney Spears, but several other celebrities had their moments too in 2008, including:

* The tragic death of “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Dark Knight” star Heath Ledger from an accidental drug overdose.

* Tina Fey’s hilarious and hugely popular impression of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

* The return of the original teen drama “90210.”

To catch up on all the latest celebrity gossip, and to take a look back at the top entertainment headlines from 2008, visit movies.msn.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent