Gloria Trevi

Singer, actress, cartoonist, fugitive from justice -- Gloria Trevi's been one of Mexico's most beloved and most controversial celebrities. Trevi literally burst onto the music scene when she was just 18 years old: an outrageous performance of her song "Dr. Psiquiatra" on a weekly variety show made her an instant cultural phenomenon and sent her single to No. 1. Her untamed hairdo, thrift store clothes and anti-machismo lyrics struck a chord with young Mexican women, and Trevi was quickly dubbed the Mexican Madonna. Fans adored her uncensored (and generally leftist) opinions on issues like abortion, AIDS and homosexuality, while Mexico's conservative government railed against her. But all was not well in Trevi's world: she and her manager, Sergio Andrade, were part of a lurid sex scandal involving underage girls. When one of the girls got pregnant, Trevi, Andrade and several of the girls fled the country, ultimately landing in Brazil until Brazilian police captured and extradited them. Trevi was incarcerated for over four years for her involvement in the scandal; she began releasing hit records again upon her release in 2004.