Paula Abdul

This former pop princess started out as a Laker Girl before becoming an Emmy-winning choreographer for performers (Janet Jackson), movies (Coming to America) and TV series (The Tracey Ullman Show). She stepped into the spotlight with her first album, Forever Your Girl, in 1988, which spawned a succession of hit singles and made her a familiar face on MTV. In the '90s Abdul more or less disappeared and was considered a has-been when she signed on as a judge on American Idol. Her touchy-feely presence on the popular televised competition revived her career and helped her weather a handful of scandals, including an alleged affair with a contestant, a hit-and-run accident and loopy behavior that prompted tabloids to claim she was either on drugs or the sauce.