Joan Crawford

She may have been one of Hollywood's most beloved and brilliant Oscar-winning actresses but she had a deep, dark secret--she was quite possibly the world's most sadistic mother. A few months after her death, her daughter Christina published a tell-all book, aptly titled 'Mommy Dearest,' which was even made into a movie. In it, she chronicled the horrors of what it meant to be the actress' child.

From reports of her seriously sadistic abuse (she'd shower them with gifts and force them to give them away, cut off all her daughter's hair and physically abused them regularly) it seems especially scary that she adopted five children! Many blame her insanity on rampant alcoholism, possible syphilis, a failing career and a hopeless love life. But one way or the other, we're not sure anything warrants sadism like that.