By ERIN CARLSON, Associated Press Writer

Surprisingly missing in action from celebrity trainwreck-itude: Britney, Lindsay and Paris. With those three behaving themselves, other stars angled for the title of Hot Mess of the Year. Here are five who made the cut:

AMY WINEHOUSE: The acclaimed soul singer continues to unravel in the public eye. Winehouse's long list of problems -- drug use, run-ins with the law and a dramatic marriage -- seemingly multiplied this year after she won five Grammys for her 2006 album "Back to Black." Concerns about her health grew as the 25-year-old Brit checked in and out of a London hospital, most recently for an allergic reaction to prescribed medication.

GARY BUSEY AT THE OSCARS: Nobody brings the crazy quite like Gary Busey. The actor turned the Academy Awards' red carpet into a danger zone this year when he ambushed Ryan Seacrest's interviews with Jennifer Garner and Laura Linney. He stunned Garner with an unsolicited bear hug. He horrified the unflappable Seacrest, who ended the awkward moment by politely suggesting they catch up later in the evening -- yeah, right. Busey, 64, is now on the second season of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab," where he tried to say he was part of the staff -- until Dr. Drew Pinsky clarified that he's a patient. When you don't realize you have a problem, then you have problem.

JANET JACKSON: The pop star -- or is it pop has-been? -- sank further into irrelevance as her new album tanked and she cut short her first North American tour in seven years due to health problems. In February, Jackson released the low-selling "Discipline," which failed to reclaim the success of her previous multiplatinum albums; a month later, she dropped out of her performance on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" because she had the flu. Mariah Carey replaced her in the telecast. The 42-year-old sister of Michael Jackson made headlines again when she canceled a string of dates on her "Rock Witchu" tour. Why? She had been suffering from a bout of migraine-associated vertigo, which is characterized by dizziness, imbalance and other symptoms.

HEATHER LOCKLEAR: The 47-year-old actress has had a tough year. Locklear, who divorced Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora in 2007, checked into an Arizona rehab facility to get treatment for anxiety and depression last summer. In September, she was arrested in Montecito, Calif., on suspicion of driving under the influence of a controlled substance. Locklear was later charged with a misdemeanor DUI incurred by prescription drugs, and is scheduled for arraignment next month. There may be hope yet: Looking fresh in a white dress, Locklear recently joked about her troubles on NBC's "Tonight" show, telling host Jay Leno: "I am really looking forward to 2009."

THE O'NEAL FAMILY: Oh, what a mess. What a hot mess. Actor Ryan O'Neal and his children ran into trouble with the law for a series of drug busts. O'Neal -- who was arrested in February following a scuffle with son Griffin -- found himself embroiled in scandal yet again in September when police discovered drugs in his Malibu, Calif., home during a routine parole check on Redmond O'Neal, his son with Farrah Fawcett. Father and son were arrested and released on $10,000 bail; O'Neal's lawyer denied any wrongdoing by the 67-year-old actor and asked a judge for more time to review evidence in the felony drug cases. O'Neal's daughter, Tatum O'Neal, was arrested for allegedly buying cocaine near her New York apartment last summer; she attributed the slip-up in her sobriety to a moment of weakness. In a statement of support for her father and Redmond, she said: "Addiction, if untreated, can lead to jail, institutions and death. I love them both and I am sorry to hear about this."

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