Celebrity scandals often become simplified in the public imagination, with complicated stories reduced to a single headline. But some of the most famous controversies have details that challenge what people think they know.

Lance Armstrong became the face of cycling’s doping crisis after being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. Although he was involved in a sophisticated doping program, doping was widespread in professional cycling during that era, making Armstrong’s case part of a much larger problem.

Winona Ryder’s 2001 shoplifting arrest was widely portrayed as a straightforward case of celebrity theft. Years later, Ryder discussed the circumstances surrounding the incident and described a difficult period in her life, suggesting that the public narrative had overlooked important context.

The controversy surrounding Matt Lauer also produced a widely repeated claim about a button beneath his desk that supposedly locked women inside his office. Reports later clarified that the button controlled the office door but did not function as a lock trapping people inside.

In the college admissions scandal, William H. Macy was often perceived as merely supporting his wife, Felicity Huffman. Court documents, however, showed that Macy had participated in discussions about the scheme, although he was never charged.

Finally, the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial did not simply declare one side completely innocent. The jury found that both had defamed each other in different ways, making the case more complicated than many headlines suggested.