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Beloved Celebs Who Got ‘Canceled’ For Stupid Reasons

Monica July 25, 2023

You probably already know that we live in a world of ‘cancel culture.’ This means if you do or say something that’s considered controversial or offensive, you’re “canceled,” or simply unsupported by the masses online. Your friends can cancel you, or if you’re a celebrity, fans can cancel you.

Those who are famous are the most susceptible, considering they’re watched by millions of people on a day-to-day basis. The world we live in today is harsh, and many once-beloved celebs got ‘canceled’ for outright dumb reasons. We looked at those stars – right or wrong – right here.

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Johnny Depp

The Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation case made headlines as both parties argued the other abused them. The judge accepted Heard’s case, stating Depp abused her on 14 occasions and even “put her in fear of her life.” As we all now know, Depp was in an abusive relationship with Heard and the case was likely mutual. But no one believed Depp or that he could have been in an abusive relationship. But he was telling the truth while people refused to believe him. The public canceled him before the truth came out and he won the case (via Reddit).

Reddit

Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan was once one of the most beloved celebrities in Hollywood. People fell in love with her in Parent Trap, Freaky Friday, and Mean Girls. But she soon became one of Hollywood’s most desheveled stars. This is what happens to young stars who have too much money. She was convicted of drunk driving and drug abuse. The public justifiably didn’t like her bad behavior and thought she was taking a dangerous path. Only recently has she made a comeback (via Reddit).

Reddit

Brendan Fraser

It’s not easy to get regular work in Hollywood, especially when you’re dealing with people who hold all the power. Fraser had a tough experience in Hollywood, and for the longest time, wasn’t believed. He admitted he was groped by Hollywood executive Philip Berk and spoke out about the accusation. But he was canceled because no one believed him until only recently. Mind you, this also happened before the #metoo culture, which was an uprising for mostly women’s boundaries (via Reddit).

Reddit

Dr. Phil

People either love or hate Dr. Phil. Some people fully believe what he’s saying, while others do not. The ones who believe what he’s saying are likely brainwashed. The majority of people canceled Dr. Phil for being an absolute quack as this Reddit user professional. Indeed, he knows exactly what sensationalist things to say to people who are the most vulnerable. He does it for entertainment purposes. There are many other real doctors out there who are much more respected and reliable (via Reddit).

Reddit

David Arquette

The original Reddit user mentioned how stupid it was David Arquette was canceled. They said, “There’s a really good documentary called “You Cannot Kill David Arquette” about what happened and how he is now.” He was originally disliked by many people, but eventually, others came to love him. This is especially because of his transparency and how he donated a lot of his paychecks to families in need (via Reddit).

Reddit

Monica Lewinsky

We’ve all had lapses in judgment. Monica Lewinsky isn’t immune to this, though she’s had some pretty serious lapses. We all remember the affair she had with Bill Clinton. Feminists shamed her and she lost a lot of support. Because of these mistakes, she was canceled by the general public. She’s been the butt of jokes, butt she’s still a human and doesn’t deserve such treatment (via Reddit).

Reddit

Amanda Bynes

You probably watched The Amanda Show growing up. There was nothing better than flicking on the TV and watching Amanda sit in the girl’s room. She was charismatic, hilarious, and relatable, especially as a kid or teenager. But she, like many of the other celebs on this list, was canceled for her own stupid reasons. She succumbed to mental health problems and the stress of being a celebrity. As one Reddit user puts it, many of the childhood stars were “cash cows” and couldn’t handle the pressure of fame (via Reddit).

Reddit

Dixie Chicks

Dixie Chicks were banned from country music stations and canceled in the public eye because of their public political opinions about George W, Bush and Iraq. In between songs, one of the singers said, “Just so you know, we’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.” Fans find this ridiculous, especially considering Hank Williams Jr. was not canceled despite his racist remarks about President Obama. Even back in 2003, cancel culture was catching on, and the Dixie Chicks were some of the first people to experience it (via Reddit).

Reddit

Wynona Rider

Before her stint on Stranger Things, Ryder was canceled from the spotlight thanks to shoplifting accusations. She tried to steal over $5,500 worth of designer clothes, receiving probation and community service as punishment. We’re not sure why a celebrity would go shoplifting, considering they make enough salary to own large mansions. She likely did it for the thrill, though it cost her some serious time in the spotlight (via Reddit).

Reddit

Britney Spears

Britney is maybe the best example of a celeb who was canceled for stupid reasons. Unfortunately, she reached her peak rather quickly and her mental health went downhill from there. With the paparazzi and media following her, she tried to lash out and was eventually labeled crazy. She was erased from the celebrity world, and we never really see her (via Reddit).

Reddit

Sinead O’Connor

In an SNL act, O’Connor spoke out against pedophilia and corruption in the Catholic church. Everyone knows about these horrible acts now. But because of this, she was canceled by the public eye and by the entertainment industry. Instead of anger and backlash, people should have listened and acted against the Catholic church. Even though she was canceled, she does believe it helped some people speak up about the matter (via Reddit).

Reddit

Mira Sorvino

Here’s another prime example of a #metoo victim who was canceled for speaking the truth. Sorvino was a talented, award-winning actress. But when Harvey Weinstein started complaining she was a diva and practically impossible to work with, directors listened. They stopped hiring her and she disappeared from the acting world, all thanks to one terrible person (via Reddit).

Reddit

Laura Dern

We know Dern from Jurassic Park. But did you know she had a tumultuous career and was canceled? She played Ellen’s girlfriend on Ellen and the public went crazy. No one gave her a call after that because they believed she was gay due to her fictional role. This wouldn’t happen in modern times (via Reddit).

Reddit

Chris Brown

As hilarious as this Reddit user’s post is, it couldn’t be more true. It raises the question, why were some of these celebs canceled while others were not? Brown abused and beat up Rhianna, and yet the public still loves him. Other celebs were actual victims of misconduct and abuse, and yet the public blamed them. It seems like there’s no rhythm or rhyme to a celeb getting canceled (via Reddit).

Reddit

Michael Phelps

As one of the greatest swimmers and athletes of all time, it’s surprising to learn that Phelps was once canceled. And he wasn’t canceled for a good reason, he was canceled for smoking weed. Considering weed is more or less legal across numerous states and countries around the world, it seems ridiculous. We understand that he’s an athlete and isn’t allowed to do drugs while he’s performing, but it’s still a dumb reason (via Reddit).

Reddit

Terry Crews

When people assume things, they usually end up making a fool out of themselves. Not only is it wrong to assume something, but most of the time, you’re in the wrong. When Crews spoke up about being sexually assaulted, the public didn’t believe him. Crews claimed an unnamed male grabbed his genitals in front of his wife and “grinned like a jerk“. He feared he would go to jail if he retaliated, and he had issues getting work and finding success after his statements even though they were true. No one believed someone like him could be sexually assaulted, which makes the point that much stronger (via Reddit).

Reddit

Elizabeth Olsen

This star was canceled by the general public for a series of racist slurs. Fans said things like, “Insults. In 2015 Elizabeth Olsen used slurs to talk about Wanda. So why was she using slurs recently during an interview with WandaVision? Because she’s a disgusting racist.” Though she claims she had no malicious intent, we’re not too sure anymore. Fans certainly don’t want to have anything to do with her (via Designer Women).

Twitter

Kesha

Fans around the world are canceling Kesha due to her song lyrics with Jeffrey Dahmer’s name in it. She’s called insensitive in lue of the Netflix series. Her lyrics say, “Be too sweet and you’ll be a goner, yeah, I’ll pull a Jeffrey Dahmer. I eat boys up, breakfast and lunch; when I’m thirsty, I drink their blood.” Considering Dahmer was a serial killer, this is quite ridiculous. Out of all the lyrics she could have said, why did she choose these (via Unilad)?

Reddit

Megan Fox

Being a beautiful famous actress isn’t easy, which is why Fox suffered. The media constantly sexualized her and ignored her brain, only focusing on her beauty. In a way, she got the short end of the stick. One man in particular, Michael Bay, was always sexualizing her and would cheer whenever he made snide, nasty comments. She’s an incredibly intelligent woman, but the media canceled her brains in a way to focus on her beauty (via Reddit).

Reddit

Rebecca Black

Everyone knows the song Friday. When it came out, it was one of the top-played songs during that period. People couldn’t get enough of it, especially when Friday morning rolled around. But unfortunately for the singer, Rebecca Black, it ruined her reputation. Some people hated the 13-year-old’s song so much, they canceled her. In an interview, she said, “I wish I could go back and talk to my 13-year-old self who was ashamed of herself and afraid of the world. To my 15-year-old self who felt like she had nobody to talk to about the depression she faced.” She even received death threats from some horrendous people who had nothing better to do than to threaten a young teenager (via Reddit).

Reddit

Paul Ruben

If you were a kid growing up in the ’80s, then you probably watched PeeWee’s Playhouse. But despite his love for children, he succumbed to the pressure of acting and ended up losing his mind. As this Reddit user puts it, he was canceled because he “took off his clothes in a movie theater.” That’s a gentle way of putting it, and he ended up with a charge and $20,000 bail (via Reddit).

Reddit

Howard Dean

When we succeed at something, we yelp and cheer in excitement. During one of Dean’s political rallies, he yelled in excitement even though that was the wrong thing to do. Because of it, people thought he wasn’t fit enough to be president and he lost the campaign. His scream was later labeled as the “Howard Dean Scream,” and now lives on in infamy. Whatever noise he emitted from his mouth made history more than he did (via Reddit).

Reddit

James Gunn

Can we blame people for the things they said a decade ago? That’s what happened to Gunn, who directed Guqrdians of thr Gqlaxy. People change and so do their opinions. When Disney canceled Gunn, his fans were outraged. They found a batch of old social media posts that they did not agree with. Because of his Tweets, Disney said, “The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James’ Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values, and we have severed our business relationship with him.” Truthfully, it’s probably better to just keep your opinions to yourself (via Reddit).

Reddit

Kanye West

Even though Kanye disrupted Taylor Swift’s award-winning speech, he was one of the most well-liked celebrities in the world. But after his big mistake on stage, the public canceled him. He received a lot of backlash for his disruptive, disrespectful behavior. And because of it, a lot of fans favorited Swift and felt sorry for her (via Reddit).

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