(ARA) – With 2010 right around the corner, many Americans are ready to put 2009 behind them and ring in the New Year.

But before we kick the year to the curb, the celebrity-watchers at Wonderwall.com remind Americans that there are too many shocking, laugh-out-loud and memorable Hollywood moments to ignore. Here’s a look at some of the top celebrity stories of the year.

Hookups and breakups

You just had an argument with your boyfriend, no big deal right? If you’re a Hollywood A-lister, a fight can turn into tabloid break-up fodder. In the world of tweets, social networking and picture phones — nothing escapes the public eye.

Twilight stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart kept fans guessing about whether or not their onscreen romance equaled real-life love. But grainy tabloid photos revealed that the duo were anything but platonic, warming the hearts of Twi-hard fans. There wasn’t any guessing when it came to Jessica Simpson’s and Tony Romo’s relationship status, after he gave her the boot on the eve of her birthday.

What were they thinking?!

Celebrity run-ins with the law have become commonplace, like the umpteenth strange Lady GaGa performance. But there were a handful of incidents in 2009 that had people saying, “They did what?!” Lindsay Lohan was in the limelight again except it wasn’t for her latest movie role or lack thereof, but for probation violations stemming from an earlier DUI and hit-and-run that her people claimed as “misunderstandings.”

Kanye West, known for his public outbursts, got into a scuffle with paparazzi that got too close for comfort, resulting in some $10,000 of destroyed camera equipment. Chris Brown disappointed fans around the world when he attacked former girlfriend and pop singer, Rihanna.

And Tiger Woods was slapped with a measly $164 fine for careless driving when he crashed right outside his Florida mansion. No big deal, right? Wrong! While the traffic violation won’t put a dent in this billionaire’s bank account, it’s rumored that his wife and alleged mistresses may be costing him a pretty penny — ouch!

Musical high and low notes

Kanye West may have stole country singing sensation Taylor Swift’s moment at the MTV Music Awards, but he couldn’t steal her run-away success. Taylor’s sophomore album went multi-platinum and she won CMA’s Entertainer of Year award all at the age of 19!

Miss Swift wasn’t the only success story. Britney Spears ditched her Starbucks Frappuccino diet and paparazzo beau, and got her body and music career back — everything was looking up. Not so fast! Brit Brit bombed on the Australian leg of her Circus tour, after her lip-syncing was not music to fans’ ears.

Worst baby names

There is a battle brewing among celebrity parents about who can give their child the weirdest name. While Nathan and Isabella were the most popular baby names among us average Joes, Nicole Richie, daughter of Lionel Richie, named her son Sparrow James Midnight Madden. And actress Anne Heche introduced her son, Atlas Heche Tupper to the world.

What recession?

2009 was a tough year, from the rocky stock market to the money swindling ways of Bernie Madoff, but for some celebrities it was a year to spend, spend, and spend like it was the 1990’s!

Jennifer Anniston paid $50,000 to have her hairdresser at her side in Europe while promoting “Marley and Me,” giving a whole new meaning to the price of beauty. And TomKat built up a closet reportedly worth more than $3 million for their 3-year-old daughter, Suri. But Oprah shared her wealth, taking her 100-person staff on a Mediterranean cruise, adding up to around $1 million.

Famous farewells

Every year, we read about the loss of beloved entertainers, but 2009 was unusually tough with the passing of either the too young or those of Hollywood legend. Americans were left in disbelief when Michael Jackson, Farah Fawcett, Natasha Richardson, Ed McMahon, Patrick Swayze and DJ AM passed.

Just hours after Fawcett passed away, rumors began swirling that the King of Pop had been rushed to the hospital, and it wasn’t long that the speculation about his death was confirmed. But his death sent a million records spinning, and the world fell in love with his music all over again.

Catch up on all the latest celebrity gossip and to take a look back at the top entertainment headlines from 2009, check out wonderwall.msn.com/movies/year-in-review.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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