Companies in controversial industries offer harmful products like tobacco, gambling, weapons, alcohol, and adult entertainment, or products that entail environmental, social, or ethical issues such as nuclear power, biotechnology, cement or oil and gas (Lindgreen et al., 2012). They may also undertake corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives—initiatives that aim to contribute to the greater good of society. Taken together, these actions seem contradictory, yet many companies operating in controversial industries increasingly engage in CSR initiatives and communicate about these initiatives. Various aspects of CSR communication in controversial industries have been examined, e.g., the motives for CSR communication or the effects of CSR reports. However, the literature is highly fragmented and varies in terms of terminology and the perspectives authors take. Many aspects related to CSR in controversial industries are under-explored (Austin & Gaither, 2017), and there are calls for research that will enhance the understanding of CSR communication and disclosure practices of firms in controversial industries (e.g., Grougiou et al., 2016; Kilian & Hennigs, 2014). Our literature review responds to these calls.