There's always been gossip. Some true, some false, some unsubstantiated, some swept under the carpet. But whatever the situation, it always keeps people talking. There have been some great gossip stories in my time - just think, this year alone we've had Anna Nicole Smith's death, Britney losing the plot and Paris Hilton getting banged up in the big house. But what are the monumental gossip events of our era?

Most things are temporary in Hollywood - beauty, longevity, silicone boob jobs - but almost everyone thought the marriage of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman was one built to last. After meeting on-set and marrying in 1990 the lanky Aussie and the movie megastar were Hollywood's golden couple of the decade.

They flew planes together, rode motorcycles, went scuba diving - in fact, all the hobbies Tom seems to have coerced new wife Katie Holmes into - while being rich, good looking, talented and completely in love. Or so we all thought. Which was why the news of their separation came as such a surprise. Tom broadsided Nicole with his decision to call it quits in late 2000, just shy of their 10th wedding anniversary - at which time Kidman would have been entitled to a substantially larger amount of the Cruise fortune.

Suspicious much?

At the time Kidman was pregnant and later suffered a miscarriage, retreating to her hometown of Sydney and her family after her visit to Dumpsville. The story behind it all remained vague, Kidman admitting that for a while she didn't even know why her husband wanted to leave her. She told Vanity Fair after the divorce: "I'm starting to understand why. At the time I didn't."

So the reason behind the golden couple's split remains shrouded in secrecy almost seven years later, making this one part-gossip, part-mystery. Nevertheless, the pair split their $350m fortune and parted as friends. Sort of. He moved on to Penelope Cruz and couch jumping for Katie Holmes, she got an Oscar and tied the knot with He Of The Thin Lips.

Happily ever after, Hollywood style.

The annoying celebrity paradox for us mere civilians is this. Celebrities have tons of money, but the richer they get, the more they get for free. Not everything, mind, and when celebrated indie actress Winona Ryder was busted stealing in December 2001 it was very big news indeed.

The star of Edward Scissorhands and Little Women was arrested at a swanky Los Angeles department store and charged with stealing $5,500 worth of designer clothes and accessories - among them a Gucci dress, blouses and hats. Noni was also pinged for possession of drugs without valid prescriptions, and plenty of them. Thirty seven prescriptions, in fact, made out by 20 different doctors to six different aliases.

Winona's reaction when getting busted was typically and amusingly Hollywood. First, she tried "Didn't my assistant pay for it?" When that old chestnut didn't wash, and with security tape evidence against her, Ryder offered up that she was "preparing for a film role."

After a trial which involved plenty of demure suits, hairbands, and lots of big eyes on her part, Ryder was convicted of grand theft and vandalism and not guilty of burglary. We were all left wondering why you'd try and pinch so much stuff when you get most of it for free anyway.

Once upon a time busty blonde Pamela Anderson was most famous for her role donning the red swimsuit on Baywatch. That was until her impulsive marriage to Motley Crue rocker Tommy Lee and the 'documentary style' footage they decided to take on an amorous holiday to Mexico. The resulting video, stolen from the pair's home, has sold over 600,000 copies and is proof that Lee has the rare talent of being able to steer a speedboat with his wanger.

Ironically, Pam's new husband Rick Salomon is also involved in the sex tape biz, having made and sold one with a young Paris Hilton back in the day. Entitled 1 Night In Paris, the grainy quality footage showed a lot of Hilton checking herself out and her astoundingly large feet as well as the requisite dirty business.

The heiress bandied about words like "embarrassed" and "humiliated" when the tape surfaced in 2003, conveniently days before her show The Simple Life debuted on US TV. Was it leaked? We all know what a shy wee thing Paris is, after all.

What we do know is that the girl got a directorial credit, a cut of the profits and a whole lot of publicity.

Check back next week for more monumental tales of drugs, drag and a bit of Brangelina.

What's your favourite shocking gossip story? I'd love to know.