Top Ten Celebrity Apologies of 2009

It was a tough year for some of our favorite famous people. Each year, a few of them take it upon themselves to remind us that even celebrities are human, too, and just as capable of making mistakes. Here are their most famous responses from 2009.

10. Michael Phelps.

"It's obviously bad judgment and it's something I'm not proud of at all. It's definitely not what I wanted, and it's clearly not what my mom wanted. This is just a stupid thing of mine that I did, and I have to live with it."

In January, a British tabloid published a photo of the Olympic swimmer smoking marijuana out of a bong. Phelps was banned from competing for three months and lost endorsement sponsorships over the incident.

9. Chris Brown.

"I'm truly, truly sorry that I wasn't able to handle the situation both differently and better. I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person. I only can pray that you forgive me, please."

The R&B star was arrested in February following a domestic violence incident involving his girlfriend, pop star Rihanna. He was charged with felony assault in March and ultimately accepted a plea bargain involving community service and five years of probation.

8. Bernie Madoff.

"I am deeply sorry and ashamed. I knew what I was doing was wrong — indeed, criminal. I left a legacy of shame. It is something I will live with for the rest of my life."

The New York financier and former Chairman of the NASDAQ stock exchange was found guilty of eleven felonies, turning his wealth management business into a Ponzi scheme that one journalist labeled "the largest investment fraud in Wall Street history." The scheme swindled investors and charities out of a reported $65 billion. Madoff received the maximum sentence of 150 years in prison.

7. William Calley

"There's not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai. I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry."

The former US army lieutenant was court-martialed and convicted in on 22 counts of murder after an infamous 1968 massacre in Vietnam. Though he was paroled a number of years ago, in August of this year, he offered his first public apology.

6. David Letterman.

"Now the other thing is my wife, Regina. She has been horribly hurt by my behavior, and when something happens like that, if you hurt a person and it's your responsibility, you try to fix it. And at that point, there's only two things that can happen: Either you're going to make some progress and get it fixed, or you're going to fall short and perhaps not get it fixed. So let me tell you, folks, I got my work cut out for me."

This was Letterman's second public apology of the year, the first having been given to Sarah Palin after making disparaging jokes at Palin's daughter's expense. This apology came after Letterman chose to publicly reveal that he had been blackmailed by a former staff member who threatened to reveal evidence that Letterman was having extramarital affairs with female staffers.

5. Jon Gosselin.

"I regret my conduct since Kate and I separated. I used poor judgment in publicly socializing with other women so soon."

Shortly after the co-stars of "Jon and Kate Plus Eight" filed for divorce, tabloids began publishing photos of Jon partying with various female friends. Rumors of Jon's infidelity were already circulating, and the reports of his latest escapades were threatening to interfere with custody arrangements. Jon offered this apology in official court documents asking for a delay in the finalization of his divorce.

4. Tiger Woods.

"I have let my family down, and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves."

The professional golfer continues to be at the center of an infidelity scandal as several women have recently come forward to allege that they have had affairs with Woods. His wife, Elin, moved out of the house. Tiger has yet to publicly elaborate on what exactly his "transgressions" may have been, but corporate sponsors, including Gatorade, have opted not to renew their contracts.

3. Serena Williams.

"I want to sincerely apologize first to the lineswoman, Kim Clijsters, the USTA and mostly tennis fans everywhere for my inappropriate outburst. I'm a woman of great pride, faith and integrity, and I admit when I'm wrong. I need to make it clear to all young people that I handled myself inappropriately and it's not the way to act."

The tennis star's profanity-laced, racquet-waving outburst against a line judge who called a foot fault resulted in a $10,500 fine from the U.S. Open. The tournament director stated the fine was for acting in a "threatening manner" against the line judge.

2. Sharon Osbourne.

"Susan Boyle is a lovely, gracious woman and I took advantage of that by poking fun at her. I would never want to be responsible for hurting Susan and I must apologize for getting a cheap laugh at her expense."

The judge panelist of American's Got Talent drew criticism when she appeared on the Opie and Anthony radio program, calling reality-show singing sensation Susan Boyle a "hairy a*****e," and saying she looked like God "hit her with the f*****g ugly stick." Boyle went on to release one of the most successful music albums of the year. Osbourne later apologized to Boyle on her Facebook page.

1. Kanye West.

"I'm soooooo sorry to Taylor Swift and her fans and her mom. I'm in the wrong for going on stage and taking away from her moment! I'm sorry to my fans if I let you guys down!"

West infamously stole the microphone from Taylor Swift in the middle of her acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards and stated that Beyonce should have won the award instead. Within minutes, the fiasco ignited a media firestorm that led Kanye to post this apology via Twitter. Swift appeared on Saturday Night Live a few weeks later, where she finished her opening monologue with the quip, "We're going to have a great show tonight. Kanye West is not here!"