Why does the entertainment industry seem to suffer from more lousy moms per capita than any other business? Is it because they're often away on location or on tour when they might be at home baking cupcakes for their offspring's birthday party? Or maybe because they're hitting the hot after-party at 3 a.m. instead of tucking the kids into bed?
In honor of Mother's Day, here is our list of the five most irresponsible women who ever made a home at the corner of Showbiz and Maternity.
5. Kate Moss
She gave birth to daughter Lila in 2002, but in 2005, the former supermodel became a tabloid covergirl for the photos of her allegedly snorting cocaine during a recording session of her beau, Pete Doherty.
Sucking down a reported five lines in 40 minutes, Mama Moss lost a number of lucrative modeling contracts thanks to the incriminating photos.
Fortunately for Lila, Moss checked herself into rehab in 2006, which has seemed to do the trick.
4. Courtney Love
Crazy and Love go together like peanut butter and jelly.
As the hard-rocking, hard-drinking, even-harder-druggin' frontwoman for the punk band Hole, the Widow Cobain has led a kaleidoscope life of parties, music and mayhem.
She's no one's idea of an angel, but even jaded rock scenesters were shocked when a
Vanity Fair article alleged that she used heroin while pregnant with daughter Frances Bean.
In late 2003, after she was caught with drugs and charged with violating her parole, Love lost custody of Frances. Mother and daughter were reunited post-rehab in January 2005.
3. Whitney Houston
If Whitney really does believe that children are the future, then get ready for some hardcore, "Mad Max"-style dystopia. Because, if you believe news reports, Whitney has been far more busy taking illegal drugs and playing with sex toys than reading Dr. Spock. And it seems teenage daughter, Bobbi Christina, has learned by watching dear 'ol Mom at work. According to the National Enquirer, the teen terror recently stabbed Whitney with a razor before trying to slit her own wrists during an argument over whether she would live with Mom or her Dad, Bobby Brown. Hell to the uh-oh!
2. Britney Spears
Britney is a perpetual motion machine of increasingly out-of-control drama. This manic mama began by driving with her infant son, Sean, in her lap rather secured in his car seat, and then filling his and his brother's bottles with soda. But soon the loony Louisianan ramped up the crazy, with reports of strutting naked around her young boys, and barely talking with them in the increasingly rare cases when they were under her supervision. It all culminated when Britney, "under the influence of an unknown substance," according to police, locked herself in a bathroom with son Jayden, refusing to turn him over to ex-husband Kevin Federline during scheduled custody transfer. It took a veritable army of sheriffs and EMTs to cart out a ranting and raving Britney who was literally strapped to a gurney. But Brit-Brit might be turning things around at last; on May 6, 2008, she was granted longer visitation rights to her sons, though K-Fed still retains custody of the two.
1. Joan Crawford
"No more wire hangers!"
Crawford was nominated for three Academy Awards, was one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1940s and served on the board of directors for Pepsi.
But for all of the actress' achievements, she will be most remembered for that nasty ultimatum bellowed to her adopted daughter, Christina.
Subjecting her children to boozy tirades, strapping them into their beds at night and even physically assaulting them, Joan Crawford is the Golden Age Empress against which all other Hollywood moms will be judged.
Updated May 8, 2008, 11:45 a.m. ET
