The National Enquirer’s report that Prince had AIDS has been derided as distasteful and unethical. However, lawyers say the tabloid can’t be sued for libel if it’s wrong, since Prince is dead. Mainstream media outlets have been staying away from the story, but in fairness, the Enquirer has been right on several major stories over the years.
The Enquirer eerily reported that Michael Jackson had only six months to live exactly six months before he died on June 25, 2009.
In 1994, the tabloid published photos of O.J. Simpson wearing the infamous Bruno Magli shoes after he denied owning a pair.
The Enquirer also broke the news of O.J. Simpson’s book, “If I Did It.” Simpson’s own lawyer denied the memoir’s existence, but he was wrong.
Rush Limbaugh used to denounce drug use on his radio show. But in 2003 he admitted that the Enquirer’s story about an addiction to painkillers was correct, and entered inpatient treatment for 30 days.
Remember Dog the Bounty Hunter? The former reality star was deemed a racist after the Enquirer dug up recordings of a phone call in which he used racial slurs.
In 2001, the Enquirer claimed that Jesse Jackson fathered a child with a woman who wasn’t his wife. The activist confirmed the story before the issue hit newsstands.
The paper correctly reported that John Edwards had a secret love child with Rielle Hunter, ruining his political career.
The Enquirer was the first to report Tiger Woods’ extramarital affairs back in 2009. The tabloid even knew before his wife figured it out.
Mel Gibson was married for 28 years, but the Enquirer broke the surprising news when it ended in 2008.
The Enquirer took heat for reporting that Steve Jobs was ill in 2011. He died a few months later.
