Celebrity News
- A lot can change in a decade. Some of today’s most famous figures were just barely starting out in their careers in 2010.
- In 2010, Meghan Markle had yet to begin starring in “Suits,” which would eventually lead her to her husband Prince Harry — and a royal status.
- Major music stars had very different images 10 years ago, such as Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and Nicki Minaj.
- You won’t believe how much these 18 celebrities have changed since 2010.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Do you remember what you were doing in 2010? The most popular song of the year was “TiK ToK” by Kesha (who still had a dollar-sign in her name), the highest-grossing movie was “Toy Story 3,” and shows like “Lost” and “24” had just come to an end.
Plus, some of our favorite celebrities of 2019 were just starting out in their careers, like Ariana Grande and Harry Styles, while others were famous — but not as famous as they would be 10 years later.
Keep scrolling to learn more about the biggest celebrity transformations of the 2010s.
Celebrity News THEN: In 2010, Meghan Markle was still a year away from her most famous role to date, Rachel on “Suits.”
In 2010, 29-year-old Markle had only appeared in a handful of one-off TV episodes, including “90210,” “Fringe,” “CSI,” and “Without a Trace.” She began starring on “Suits” when it premiered in 2011 as one of its main characters, Rachel Zane. Markle also now-famously appeared in a chips commercial.
She also married her now ex-husband, Trevor Engelson, in 2011. The two were married for two years and split up in 2013.
Celebrity News NOW: She became royalty when she married Prince Harry in 2018.
Markle, 38, is truly proof of how much can change in 10 years. When the decade started, she was an actress on a legal procedural … and now? She’s easily one of the most famous women in the world, and the first inkling of diversity that the royal family has ever seen.
She retired from acting to focus full-time on her royal duties and philanthropic endeavors, became a mom to adorable baby Archie, and is frequently cited as one of the most influential women in fashion.
Not that it’s all been bliss. Markle’s family drama has become tabloid fodder, and she’s been attacked by the media.
Celebrity News THEN: Justin Bieber released “Baby” in 2010, which quickly became the most-disliked video on YouTube.
A 16-year-old Bieber released his debut album, “My World 2.0,” in 2010. It was the beginning of what was known as “Bieber Fever.” Fans, or Beliebers, all across the world became infatuated with his perfectly coiffed hair and precocious songs about lonely girls and falling in love. The album has since been certified triple platinum.
Bieber also starred in a part-concert, part-biopic called “Never Say Never,” which premiered in January 2011. It has grossed almost $100 million worldwide.
Also in 2010? The beginning of his relationship with Selena Gomez, which is somehow still being talked about to this day.
Celebrity News NOW: He has fully left behind his teeny-bopper status and hasn’t released an album since 2015. He also got married to model Hailey Bieber (née Baldwin).
Bieber, now a wise 25, has weathered more than a few set of scandals. There’s the time he urinated in a bucket, or when he had to leave his monkey behind in Germany, or when he got arrested in 2014 for a suspected DUI. He was also caught on camera egging his neighbor’s house.
But slowly, he began to rehab his image. He was the star of his own Comedy Central roast in 2015, which set the stage for his first album in three years, “Purpose.” It successfully cemented his comeback, garnering him his first No. 1 song (“What Do You Mean?”) and another No. 1 album.
His on-and-off relationship with Gomez ended in 2018, soon after which he started dating his now-wife Hailey Baldwin. The two celebrated their wedding again this summer.
While Bieber hasn’t released an album of his own since 2015, he has appeared on a few popular songs of different genres, including country-pop “10,000 Hours” alongside Dan and Shay, electro-pop “Friends” with BloodPop, and DJ Khaled’s “I’m the One,” with Chance the Rapper, Quavo, and Lil Wayne.
Celebrity News THEN: Ariana Grande was best known as the quirky Cat on Nickelodeon’s “Victorious.”
In 2010, 17-year-old Grande began starring in “Victorious,” which premiered that March. She remained on the show for all four seasons, and even got her own spin-off, “Sam and Cat,” which debuted in 2013, and ended the next year.
Notably, Grande was forced to dye her hair fire-engine red every other week, which she since revealed damaged her hair so much that she began wearing extensions — which led to her trademark high ponytail.
Also in 2013, she released her debut album, “Yours Truly,” which spawned her first hit song, “The Way.” It features future boyfriend Mac Miller.
Celebrity News NOW: Recently nominated for five Grammys, Grande was the most-streamed female artist of the decade on Spotify.
It’s been a decade of ups and downs for the 26-year-old star. She released two more albums (“My Everything” and “Dangerous Woman”) and began dating rapper Mac Miller. During her “Dangerous Woman” tour, her concert at the Manchester Arena was bombed, resulting in the deaths of 22 concertgoers. The experience led to Grande developing PTSD, and she took an extended break from music.
However, she had a triumphant return in 2018 with “Sweetener,” which was released after a summer full of obsessing about her whirlwind relationship with comedian Pete Davidson, who scored his very own interlude on the album.
But, sadly, in September of that year, Miller died of a drug overdose — and she broke off her engagement to Davidson. While she was openly devastated, it also resulted in a creative burst of energy, and she released her second album in six months, “thank u, next” which gave her her first two No. 1 singles, five Grammy nominations, and a gigantic world tour. We can’t wait to see what she’ll do next.
Celebrity News THEN: Miley Cyrus was still starring in her Disney Channel show, “Hannah Montana,” in 2010, though she was starting to branch out. She starred in “The Last Song” that year.
Cyrus, then 18, was starting to chafe at her Disney Channel image. In December 2010, a video of her smoking a bong (which was reportedly filled with salvia, not weed) went viral. “Hannah Montana” ended the next year.
Celebrity News NOW: She’s tried out many personas, including hip hop (“Bangerz”), stoner (“Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz”), and country (“Younger Now”).
After years of Disney Channel-approved fun, it’s understandable why Cyrus, now 27, rebelled so hard after the show ended. The era of “Bangerz” was unleashed on the world in 2013, and who can forget her famous twerking performance with Robin Thicke at the 2013 VMAs?
Post “Bangerz,” Cyrus sang about her pets on “Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz” and got back together with ex-fiancé Liam Hemsworth. She then pivoted towards her Nashville roots with “Younger Now” — and returned to her popstar days as Ashley O in an episode of “Black Mirror.”
But recently, Cyrus has pivoted a bit back towards her wild child days. She announced her separation from her husband, Hemsworth, began a whirlwind romance with “Hills” star Kaitlynn Carter, and is now in a PDA-filled relationship with Australian singer Cody Simpson.
Celebrity News THEN: Harry Styles was just one of five members of British boy band One Direction.
Styles was 16 years old when he joined One Direction while on the British reality TV show, “The X Factor.” He, alongside his four bandmates, auditioned as solo acts but were put into the band by the judges.
One Direction pretty much revitalized the boy band genre after years of dormancy. They placed third overall in the competition but started a global phenomenon — and Styles was the clear center of it all, with his frequent solos, cheeky British charm, and glorious head of hair.
Celebrity News NOW: He’s a fashion icon and set to release his second solo album, “Fine Line.”
Styles, now 25, is the clear break-out star of One Direction, which went on hiatus in 2015 after four No. 1 albums (and one No. 2 album). He recently announced his second album and world tour, during which he is playing a staggering three shows at Madison Square Garden.
He frequently breaks the internet with his song releases, including the lead-up to “Adore You” which coincided with a tourism ad for a fictional island called Eroda, that led to multiple Reddit threads dedicated to figuring out the puzzle.
Add all that to his burgeoning acting career (he starred in 2017’s “Dunkirk”), and his rising status in the fashion world. He was one of the co-chairs for the 2019 Met Gala, and he has his own fragrance and ad campaign with Gucci. Styles, to be frank, is on top of the world — there’s no telling what the next decade will bring.
Celebrity News THEN: Shia LaBeouf had already starred in two “Transformers” films, plus “Indiana Jones” by 2010. He looked like he was poised to become the next big action star.
LaBeouf, then 24, was one of the hottest young actors in Hollywood. He had seemingly successfully managed to transition from the child star of “Even Stevens” to a full-blown adult movie star.
However, the cracks would soon begin to show. LaBeouf got arrested in 2014, was charged with disorderly conduct, and checked into rehab. He was again arrested in 2017, and bodycam footage showed what Insider called a “profane and troubling tirade.”
Celebrity News NOW: He’s earning Oscar buzz for his semi-autobiographical film “Honey Boy,” after a confusing few years.
LaBeouf, now 33, is slowly re-emerging, with appearances on “Hot Ones” and “Ellen.” His new movie, “Honey Boy,” which he wrote and stars in, has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Few can forget when he rolled up to a red carpet premiere with a giant paper bag on his head reading “I Am Not Famous Anymore” in 2014.” That same year, he sat in a room silently for six days as visitors came in and out, as part of an art exhibit called “#IAMSORRY.”
However, those days are behind him. LaBeouf is sober, and credits his friendship with his “Peanut Butter Falcon” co-star Zack Gottsagen with helping him get clean.
Celebrity News NOW: Besides becoming a complete superstar, she’s studying for the bar exam and dabbling in prison reform.
Yes, the 39-year-old is a lifestyle guru and mogul, with successful fragrances, a cosmetics brand, a shapewear line, a game, and a set of emojis. She’s also a mother of four and married to one of the biggest rappers on the planet and she’s an increasingly sought after fashion icon and model.
But besides all of those things, Kardashian is also starting to give back in a meaningful way. She’s been involved with the release of over a dozen inmates, has met with the president, and is apprenticing with a lawyer to qualify for the bar exam in 2022. As she would say, not bad for a girl with no talent.
Celebrity News THEN: Khloe Kardashian was the sassy younger sister of Kim who frequently got into trouble.
If Kim was the famous one, and Kourtney was the serious one, then Khloe has always been the wild child. She was arrested for a DUI during the first season of “KUWTK” — spawning the incredible meme of her older sister Kim taking selfies while Khloe was “going to jail” — when she was just 23.
In 2010, at 26, she had somewhat calmed down — though she did marry Lamar Odom a month after meeting him in September 2009. The two starred in spin-off “Khloe and Lamar” for two seasons in 2011 and 2012.
Celebrity News NOW: She’s a mom to an adorable daughter, True, and hosts a show called “Revenge Body.”
There’s no way around it — she’s been through the ringer this past decade. In 2013, she filed for divorce from Odom after it was revealed he had cheated on her numerous times, though she stood by his side while he recovered from a nearly fatal overdose in 2015. Their divorce was eventually finalized in 2016.
After that, Kardashian began dating Tristan Thompson and became pregnant with his daughter after years of publicly acknowledging fertility struggles. However, on the eve of her due date, Thompson was apparently caught on tape cheating on Kardashian. Though the two reconciled, their relationship fully imploded after Thompson reportedly kissed Jordyn Woods — aka the best friend of Kardashian’s little sister, Kylie Jenner.
Kardashian also got into fitness and hosts “Revenge Body,” and she has written a book, “Strong Looks Better Naked.” She also co-founded Good American, which originally started out as a line of jeans, but has since expanded to clothing and activewear.
Celebrity News THEN: Kylie Jenner was just 13.
Her main plot points on “KUWTK” had to do with her sister Kendall, as the two of them dealt with typical teen drama and played pranks on their older siblings.
Celebrity News THEN: Lady Gaga was mainly known for her off-the-wall fashion and her brand of pop music unlike anything we’d heard before.
In the year 2010, Lady Gaga walked the VMAs red carpet wearing a dress made out of meat. That’s really all you need to know about who Lady Gaga was in 2010: a 24-year-old singer with a penchant for the theatrical, in everything from her style to her music.
“The Fame Monster” was released in 2009 and contained hits such as “Telephone,” “Alejandro,” and most iconically, “Bad Romance.” The year that she walked the VMAs red carpet donned in meat, she had been nominated a record 13 times — and it’s hard to overstate the impact that “The Fame” and “The Fame Monster” has had on this decade of pop music.
Celebrity News NOW: Gaga released a folk-tinged album, “Joanne,” and was nominated for an Oscar for her role as Ally in “A Star Is Born.”
Over the last 10 years, Gaga, now 33, has released four albums: “Born This Way,” “Artpop,” “Cheek to Cheek,” and “Joanne.” All four are completely different from one another. For instance, “Cheek to Cheek” is a traditional pop vocal album featuring Tony Bennett, while “Artpop” features music produced by popular EDM artists like Madeon and Zedd.
Insider made the case for naming Gaga the artist of the decade, saying she’s “more than just a pop star — she’s a pioneer.”
Gaga has also branched out into acting, winning a Golden Globe for her performance in “American Horror Story: Hotel” and dozens of acting nominations for her part in “A Star Is Born.” She won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for the movie’s lead single, “Shallow.”
Celebrity News THEN: Nicki Minaj was one of very few, if not the only, mega successful female rappers at the time.
Minaj, then 28, released her first studio album in 2010, “Pink Friday.” The rapper came in at a time when other female rappers had faded from the spotlight — so she was a breath of fresh air.
The album spawned several inescapable songs that year, including “Super Bass” and “Moment 4 Life,” which started the speculation that she and Drake were dating, which was never confirmed.
Along with Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, Minaj embraced brightly colored hair, wild fashion choices, and a campy aesthetic in the beginning of the decade.
Celebrity News NOW: She’s still rapping, but her position as Queen of Rap may have slipped a little.
Minaj arguably gave rise to Cardi B and Lizzo — both of whom are currently beating her on the charts. She’s also called out the music industry in a few memorable ways, including tweeting at MTV about “Anaconda” not receiving a nod for Video of the Year — which Taylor Swift inexplicably thought was about her. And who can forget the iconic “Miley, what’s good?“
Musically, the 36-year-old is still putting out hits. While she has yet to reach the top of the Hot 100, she released “Queen,” in 2018, which peaked at No. 2, and collaborated with Megan Thee Stallion — another female rapper who can credit Minaj with paving the way for her success — and Ty Dolla Sign in “Hot Girl Summer.”
She recently dramatically announced she was retiring in a tweet, but she walked back those statements in an interview with the Shade Room.
Celebrity News THEN: Steve Carell was primarily known for his role as Michael Scott on “The Office” — not exactly a sex symbol.
In 2010, Carell’s two biggest roles were that of a 40-year-old virgin, and a constantly cringeworthy boss, Michael Scott. It’s safe to say that he wasn’t exactly a sex symbol.
The then-48-year-old was also primarily known as a comedy star, having come up through “The Daily Show,” “Anchorman,” “The Office,” “40 Year Old Virgin,” and even “Despicable Me.”
Celebrity News NOW: He’s a silver fox who focuses on dramatic roles, like those in “Foxcatcher,” “Beautiful Boy,” and “Welcome to Marwen.”
Beginning in 2014 with his Oscar-nominated role in “Foxcatcher,” the 57-year-old has also steered clear of comedic roles in favor of dramatic ones. Over the last five years alone, he played an investor in “The Big Short,” the flamboyant tennis icon Bobby Riggs in “Battle of the Sexes,” and a dad struggling with his son’s drug addiction in “Beautiful Boy.”
Celebrity News THEN: Rihanna released her fifth album, “Louder,” in 2010 and was a bona fide pop star.
Rihanna was certainly one of the biggest musicians on the planet in 2010. That year, she released “Love the Way You Lie” with Eminem, which was one of the biggest songs of the year.
In 2010 she also released “Louder,” which contained singles “Only Girl (In the World),” “What’s My Name?,” and “S&M.” In other words, it’d be a reasonable assumption to make that the 22-year-old was at the top of her game …
Celebrity News NOW: Rihanna has become, for lack of a better word, a boss. Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty have brought her huge success in the business world.
Rihanna, now 31, was apparently just getting started in 2010, musically and otherwise. She released her eighth — and best — album in 2016, “Anti,” which contained a cover of a Tame Impala song just because she could, soulful ballads like “Kiss It Better” and “Love on the Brain,” and ultra-smash hit “Work.”
She also created the makeup line, Fenty Beauty, which has been praised for its inclusive range of foundation shades and Savage X Fenty, a lingerie brand made for people of all shapes and sizes. Its fashion show has been credited with edging out the historic Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which took its last bow in 2018.
It’s no wonder Insider called her one of the artists of the decade.
Celebrity News THEN: Chris Pratt was best known for his role as the chubby, lovable goof Andy Dwyer on “Parks and Recreation.”
In 2010, “Parks and Recreation” had only been on for a year — though Pratt, then 31, had already made his mark. His character, the lovable doofus Andy, was only supposed to be part of the show for the first season, but everyone on set loved him so much that they changed their minds, and let Andy stick around Pawnee for all seven seasons.
Pratt’s weight went up and down in the beginning of the decade, as he got svelte for his role as a Navy SEAL in “Zero Dark Thirty,” though he soon gained the weight back. At the time, he was married to actress Anna Faris.
“I think [Faris] is hedging her bets that one day I’ll be fat again, and she’ll say, ‘Remember, honey, I always told you I preferred you this way,'” he told GQ.
Celebrity News NOW: He’s helmed not one but two gigantic franchises (“Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic World”) … and got extremely ripped.
Soon after “Zero Dark Thirty,” Pratt made his physical transformation permanent when he got cast as Peter “Star Lord” Quill in Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and then as the newest hero Owen in the “Jurassic World” films. He’s also the voice of Emmett in surprise hit “The Lego Movie” and its sequel “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.” In other words, it’s been a pretty lucrative decade for the the 40-year-old.
Pratt also married Katherine Schwarzenegger this summer, after shocking the world with the announcement of his divorce from Faris in 2017.
Celebrity News THEN: Taylor Swift was a sugary sweet country singer who sang about ex-boyfriends dumping her on the phone.
In 2010, Swift released her third album, “Speak Now,” which the 20-year-old wrote herself, an iconic flex on critics who doubted her songwriting ability. It won Swift her second Country Album of the Year at the Grammys, and it was her second consecutive chart-topping album.
“Speak Now” is filled to the brim with thinly veiled references to her rumored ex-boyfriends, and it’s where fans and critics alike started parsing her lyrics to speculate, with songs like “Dear John,” “Back to December,” and “Last Kiss” all corresponding to famous reported exes.
The best was yet to come for Swift, though.
Celebrity News NOW: She just released her seventh album and has taken on the music industry by speaking out about streaming, contracts, and owning her own music.
Swift has essentially achieved world domination at this point — after falling from grace in 2016, and clawing her way back with 2017’s “Reputation,” and 2019’s “Lover.”
The soon-to-be 30-year-old’s public persona hit critical mass after a leaked phone conversation between her and Kanye West seemed to expose Swift as a “snake.” She took a year off — and when she returned, there was not a country twang to be found, just intense synths and snake imagery everywhere.
We’d also be remiss to not mention Swift standing up for smaller musicians in two major ways. First, she refused to put her music on Apple Music or Spotify until they agreed to pay artists more per stream — and it worked. Then, she spoke out against Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta for, according to her, holding her masters hostage. You can read more about the feud here.
Celebrity News THEN: Beyoncé was still, of course, one of the biggest musicians on the planet, but announced a hiatus from music in January 2010.
In 2010, Beyoncé was undoubtedly a star. She had released “I Am… Sasha Fierce” in 2008, and starred in the movie “Obsessed” in 2009. But to start the decade, the 29-year-old announced she was taking a hiatus from music.
She returned in 2011 with “4,” which continued to assert her dominance in the music industry, and she revealed her pregnancy on the VMAs stage in one of the most memorable award ceremony moments on the decade.
Celebrity News NOW: It’s hard to overstate how important Beyoncé has become in culture, from releasing two of the most political and empowering albums of the decade, to creating a full-blown experience at Coachella.
As her own lyrics state, Beyoncé “changed the game with that digital drop” in 2013 when she surprise-dropped her self-titled album in December 2013, complete with music videos for each song. She repeated the feat again with 2016’s “Lemonade” which came with a short film on HBO of the same name — this album received even more critical acclaim, and solidified her status as one of, if not the most, important musicians of the decade.
The 38-year-old also hasn’t given a real interview for years, adding to her air of mystery. She almost exclusively communicates with her fans via Instagram with a rare caption or through documentaries like “Life Is But a Dream” or “Homecoming.”
And speaking of “Homecoming”… we have to talk about Beychella. As the New York Times wrote, “There’s not likely to be a more meaningful, absorbing, forceful and radical performance by an American musician this year, or any year soon, than Beyoncé’s headlining set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.”
She also broke the internet with the first pictures of her twins in 2017, casually starred in the “Lion King” remake while simultaneously curating an album for the film, and collaborating on an album with her husband as The Carters. We could go on and on.
Celebrity News THEN: Kristen Stewart was best known as the star of the “Twilight” franchise and for dating her co-star Robert Pattinson.
Stewart was the highest-earning actress of both 2010 and 2012 due to her role as Bella Swan in the “Twilight” franchise, though she never seemed quite comfortable in the spotlight.
The then-20-year-old was also at the center of one of the most scrutinized celebrity relationships, as she was dating her co-star Robert Pattinson — and then at the center of a scandal in 2012 when she was caught kissing the (married) director of “Snow White and the Huntsman,” Rupert Sanders.
Even Donald Trump had an opinion on the scandal, tweeting “Robert Pattinson should not take back Kristen Stewart. She cheated on him like a dog & will do it again–just watch. He can do much better!,” and then once the two got back together, “Everyone knows I am right that Robert Pattinson should dump Kristen Stewart. In a couple of years, he will thank me. Be smart, Robert.”
Celebrity News NOW: She’s fully embraced her queer identity, and she has picked interesting indie films over the last 10 years.
Stewart, 29, has fully left behind “Twilight.” She chopped off her trademark brown hair and dyed it platinum blonde, came out as bisexual, and began appearing in movies that were pointedly not about teenage vampires.
She recently returned to big budget films with “Charlie’s Angels” and her performance received positive reviews. Stewart is also set to appear in “Underwater,” another action thriller, this time with a sci-fi aspect.
Celebrity News THEN: Jonah Hill’s biggest film to date was “Superbad,” and he had appeared in supporting roles in films like “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Knocked Up.”
In 2010, 27-year-old Hill headlined his first major film with “Get Him to the Greek.” The next year he started experimenting with dramatic movies and co-starred in “Moneyball” alongside Brad Pitt.
He didn’t leave comedy behind though, starring in “21 Jump Street” in 2012, which became the highest-grossing high school comedy movie of all time — though it has since been bumped by “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”
Celebrity News NOW: He’s a fashion icon, hype-beast, director, and dramatic actor.
Hill, 35, is now the subject of a song by Die Antwoord, his very own holiday (Jonah Hill Day started in 2017), and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in “The Wolf of Wall Street.” In 2018, he starred in the trippy Netflix series “Maniac” alongside Emma Stone.
He made his directorial debut with “Mid90s,” a coming-of-age movie about a group of teenage skateboarders in mid-’90s Los Angeles. He also wrote it.
This year, it was revealed he was in talks to play the villain in the upcoming Batman movie starring Robert Pattinson, though he has since passed on the role.
Lastly, Hill regularly appears in the news for his daring aesthetic choices. He’s bleached his hair, dyed it pink, and GQ even called him “our new style savior” in 2017.
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