10 Most Devastating Blackmail Scandals In History

Welcome to WatchMojo, where we’ll be looking at the most damaging extortion schemes in history.

The Murdered King (1337)

One of England’s longest-reigning kings was Edward III, who ruled from 1327 to 1377. He rose to power after his father, Edward II, fled to Wales and gave up the crown. Soon after, he died in suspicious circumstances, and his son became King. Well, in 1337, the Fieschi letter was sent to Edward III, written by a priest from Avignon. It claimed Edward II was still alive and was hiding out in Europe. Its authenticity is heavily debated, but some scholars believe it was an attempt to blackmail Edward III. Since many believed he killed his father, this knowledge would undermine his position. The King didn’t seem hasty to respond, furthering uncertainty about the allegations and whether this letter constituted blackmail.

Emily Post’s Adulterous Husband (1905)

Post is most famous for her 1922 book “Etiquette,” which turned her into a celebrated author and expert on propriety almost overnight. Years prior, she had married Edwin Post, a banker, in 1892 but he was unfaithful to her. This caused a scandal in 1905, when a newspaper publisher threatened to expose his infidelity unless he paid them $500. Edwin didn’t cave, either because he didn’t have the money or because he wanted an excuse to divorce his wife. The police got involved and caught the culprit, prompting a New York Times article on the incident. This made Edwin look like a hero, but unfortunately, Emily was seriously embarrassed and the two soon divorced.

Joe Francis’ Humiliating Tape (2004)

In the late 90s, Francis created “Girls Gone Wild,” an adult video franchise which became relatively popular. Francis isn’t exactly someone to look up to, having several convictions and having fled America to avoid further legal troubles. In 2004, while Francis was still in the U.S., a man named Riley Perez broke into his home and forced him, at gunpoint, to star in a highly unflattering video. Perez then demanded money or else he’d make the incriminating footage public. Perez didn’t get away with it; he was sentenced to 9 years in prison. Meanwhile, Francis got a taste of the humiliation many of the girls in his videos may have felt - but likely didn’t learn from it.

Nelson Bunker Hunt’s Alleged Bribe (1981)

During the 20th century, Hunt was a Texas billionaire who tried to acquire a monopoly on silver. In 1981, a man named Arthur Emens wrote to him, demanding over $400k or else he’d tell the FBI that he was bribing Republican Representative George Hansen as part of his effort to acquire silver. The politician insisted he was innocent and insisted that the U.S. attorney general be told of the blackmail attempt. In the end, Emens was convicted for his blackmail and Hansen for filing false financial disclosures. In 1992, Hansen was imprisoned again for something entirely different, and he died in 2014. Hunt eventually filed for bankruptcy related to lawsuits from his silver speculation activities.

The Duke of York’s Indiscretion (1809)

The early 19th century was a period of immense societal upheaval and warfare. Napoleon was the Emperor of France, and the rest of Europe wasn’t having it. Prince Frederick, the Duke of York, was the British Commander-in-Chief during the wars. Between 1803 and 1806, he kept Mary Anne Clarke as a mistress. After breaking up, she was in huge debt, so she threatened to publish incriminating letters written by Frederick unless he coughed up some cash. Mary was sentenced to 9 months' imprisonment, but things began to look up afterwards. The Duke gave her £7,000 plus an annual stipend, allowing her to live the rest of her life in France until 1852.

Yuan Baojing’s Murderous Inclination (1997-2005)

By 1997, Yuan Baojing was a billionaire and president of the Jianhao Group, a huge company based in Beijing. He was also a bit of a thug, who got outraged after he believed a broker, Liu Han, had cost him 100 million yuan. So he did what any sane man wouldn’t do, and hired an ex-police officer, Wang Xing, to off him. Wang hired assassin Li Haiyang, who botched the job and got himself a life sentence. Wang decided to blackmail Yuan, so naturally, Yuan had him killed in 2003. Two years later, Yuan was convicted of murder and was given the death penalty. Liu Han, a gangster type himself, was executed in 2015, meaning no one came out on top.

Harriette Wilson’s Memoirs (1825)

In the first half of the 19th century, Wilson was a famous courtesan who had relationships with figures like the Earl of Craven and the Duke of Wellington. In 1825, she decided to publish her memoirs, which included lots of juicy details about these figures. Scholars believe she sent roughly 200 letters in the mid-1820s attempting to extort numerous men. Wilson demanded that they pay her to keep silent about their naughty bedroom secrets. The Duke of Wellington supposedly replied to her demands, “publish, and be damned.” One Earl did offer to purchase the books for £1000, but that didn’t satisfy Wilson’s desire for revenge.

Empress Dowager Cixi’s Puppetry (1875-1908)

The last adults to control China’s Qing dynasty were Empress Cixi, alongside her nephew, the Guangxu Emperor. He was a puppet ruler, and Cixi held the majority of the power from 1861 until 1908.While she was known to use manipulation, a biography written by Jung Chang alleges that blackmail was also a favored tool of hers. To keep her nephew loyal, she supposedly pressured him to reveal secrets to her, using brutal methods. This all began after the disastrous Hundred Days’ Reform, which prompted her to put her nephew under house arrest and monitor him heavily. Keep in mind, scholar Jung Chang’s book is somewhat controversial, as she’s more sympathetic towards Cixi than the average historian.

Alexander Hamilton & the Reynolds Affair (1791)

By now, most people are familiar with Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, whose story is famously told in the hit musical “Hamilton.” He was also the victim of America’s first major sex scandal in 1791. While he was Secretary of the Treasury, he had an affair with a lady named Maria Reynolds. When her husband found out, he blackmailed Hamilton out of $1,300 to keep it quiet. In 1792, James was jailed for a separate scandal, so he tried pressuring Hamilton into helping him out. This didn’t work, and Hamilton came clean to prove he wasn’t involved in James’ schemes. It went fully public in 1797 after Hamilton had lost his position. It majorly ruined his reputation and debatably ruined his chances of being president.

Marie Antoinette’s Secrets (1789)

When Marie Antoinette became Queen in 1774, the people loved her, but in 1793, they cheered when she faced the guillotine. One of the many scandals that caused her downfall was a variety of pamphlets published by English blackmailers. They accused the Queen of having some egregious desires behind closed doors. To stop them from being spread widely, King Louis paid the English thugs to keep quiet. In the end, this didn’t work out, with the mob that stormed the Bastille getting their hands on them. It wasn’t the only reason the monarchy was deposed, but it’s hard to deny it was a contributing factor.

Were there any particularly impactful scandals we forgot to mention? Let us know in the comments section!