# 14 Dark 'Open Secrets' in Entertainment > 14 hidden truths in entertainment that insiders admit. - Title: 14 Dark 'Open Secrets' in Entertainment · BuzzFeed | Shortify - Summary: 14 hidden truths in entertainment that insiders admit. 14 alleged 'open secrets' in entertainment reveal how reality TV edits, staged photos, steroids, and… - Keywords: reality tv, paparazzi photos, steroid use, hollywood accounting, nba marijuana, auto tune, ghostwriter, live albums, streaming fraud, music influencers, payola, vfx beauty work - Source: BuzzFeed — https://buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/14-dark-open-secrets-that-people-in-entertainment-say - Published: 2026-10-18T03:31:02+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: reality tv, paparazzi photos, steroid use, hollywood accounting, nba marijuana, auto tune, ghostwriter, live albums, streaming fraud, music influencers, payola, vfx beauty work ## Reality TV Editing Reality TV editors splice cast members' words to create sentences they never said. > They murdered me ## Staged Paparazzi Photos Celebrities and publicists stage photos for media without telling photographers where they'll be. > Everybody makes the first call ## Steroid Use in Hollywood Actors use steroids like Anavar and Deca to build superhero physiques quickly. > They all do it. Everybody ## Hollywood Accounting Hollywood films show little or no net profit to avoid paying percentage of profits. > Sorry! The blockbuster Best Picture winner lost money ## NBA Marijuana Use NBA players smoked marijuana before games despite league prohibitions. > All my best games I was medicated ## Auto-Tune Controversy TV singing competitions auto-tune contestants after live performances for better sound. > An open secret and an industry standard ## Ghostwriters in Memoirs Celebrity memoirs often have ghostwriters who write most of the book. > The midwife doesn't go home with the baby ## Repaired Live Albums Many famous live albums were secretly repaired in studios after concerts. > Nobody wants to hear somebody break a string every time they listen to a song ## Streaming Fraud Record labels buy fake streams to inflate song numbers on platforms. > Everyone in the industry knows it's going on ## Paid Music Influencers Music influencers are paid to promote songs without disclosing they're paid. > Technically, you are supposed to disclose it legally, but it's sort of understood that you don't ever put #ad ## Payola in Radio Radio DJs are secretly paid by labels to play artists' music. > They're going to cut you off. You won't get anything played ## Digital Beauty Work Hollywood digitally alters actors' appearances to make them look younger. > Nobody looks like what you see on TV and in the movies ## Ghost Producers Superstar DJs sometimes don't make all the music under their names. > You don't talk about it ## Painkiller Injections NFL players get painkillers before games to play through injuries. > Superman juice ## Key takeaway 14 alleged 'open secrets' in entertainment reveal how reality TV edits, staged photos, steroids, and more are used behind the scenes.