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PR Nightmare: These Stars Trashed Their Reputations for No Reason

Darren August 5, 2024

Ordinary people frequently dream of becoming celebrities and achieving global fame. They want to have A-list looks and the unbelievable amounts of money that come with them. But it’s important to remember that even the biggest names are human too. Some of these celebs trashed their reputations for no reason as a result.

So today we’ll look at some of these celebrities and identify the mistakes they made. Some of these made dumb comments that cost them dearly. Others didn’t think before they acted and became increasingly unlikeable. Check out these unfortunate celeb tales below.

Gina Carano

Everything was going well for Carano as she was on course to become a mainstream action star. The former MMA fighter transitioned to acting and earned a role in the incredibly popular Disney hit The Mandalorian. There were even rumors that she’d receive a spin-off show because her Cara Dune was so popular.

But then she ruined everything for no reason. Carano displayed increasingly right-wing sympathies as she made transphobic jokes online. However, the moment that killed her career came in 2021. She made abhorrent comparisons between the Nazis and free speech censorship, trashing her career for no reason (via Men’s Health).

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Kanye West

West has always been a polarizing figure but most people regarded him as simply eccentric instead of downright problematic. The outspoken rapper battles with bipolar disorder and this impacts his behavior. However, that’s not an excuse for what happened in 2023 when he crossed the line for no reason (via NPR).

Holocaust denial is never a good look but West went there with his one hundred percent not-worth-it antisemitic comments. These stunned the world and he lost many endorsements including his relationship with Adidas. The sportswear company lost half a billion dollars after they pulled the Yeezy line because he ruined everything.

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Ashlee Simpson

A Saturday Night Live appearance is often a springboard opportunity for any celebrity but it can also be a nightmare. Millions of people watch SNL every week so things can go wrong very quickly. Simpson discovered this the hard way when she made the mistake of lip-syncing her appearance.

Fans condemned her and called her out because they thought it was shocking. It humiliated Simpson, who blamed an acid gag reflex for why she didn’t sing. However, this was a lie and she dug a hole for herself. Ultimately, she ruined her reputation for no reason (via Grunge).

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Logan Paul

Few people understand why the Paul brothers became so famous. Logan became a massive social media star with millions of young followers across the planet. Most people thought that he was annoying but ultimately harmless. However, everything changed overnight when he went to Japan in 2017.

Paul and his friends went to the infamous Aokigahara forest outside Tokyo, Japan. Tragically, this is where many suicide victims lost their lives. The YouTuber filmed a deceased man hanging from a tree and himself laughing at the morbid scene. It was despicable and he did it for no reason (via CBS News).

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Mel Gibson

Gibson is another classic example of a celebrity who had everything but ruined their reputation for no reason. He was one of Hollywood’s leading men with iconic roles in Mad Max and Lethal Weapon. But the Aussie became persona non grata after an antisemitic rant in 2006 (via Variety).

Meanwhile, he racially abused his ex-girlfriend as he showed the world his true colors. This left him in the wilderness for a decade before he made Hacksaw Ridge and won a couple of Oscars. Hollywood forgave him somehwat and he underwent a remarkable, unexpected career revival.

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Chris Noth

Noth played Mr. Big in the iconic Sex And The City series while he also appeared in many other roles. His successful TV career spanned two decades before he ruined everything for himself. That’s because sexual assault allegations came thick and fast in 2021 (via The Guardian).

Zoe Lister-Jones and Lisa Gentile were two of multiple women who accused Noth of assault. He learned that the world cares about this now and producers kicked him off The Equalizer. Noth probably won’t appear on the small screen again because he’s an alleged sexual predator.

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Kendall Jenner

The pandemic was a tough time for everyone around the world but most people followed the rules. However, Jenner thought that California’s stay-at-home order didn’t apply to her. The state mandated that citizens shouldn’t leave their houses unless they had an essential reason (via Insider).

Jenner attracted significant criticism when she went on a road trip across state lines with Devin Booker. Fans called her a hypocrite because she told everybody to do the right thing but she didn’t. She made things worse for no reason when she said that she needed some ‘fresh air.’

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Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis

In 2023, Kutcher and Kunis received a massive backlash. They made the avoidable mistake of defending convicted rapist and former co-star Danny Masterson. Imagine the existential crisis that their publicists and managers endured after hearing this. It was a terrible hill for them to die on.

The couple sent letters to the judge begging for leniency for Masterson. This wasn’t the first time that Kutcher attracted controversy but even diehard fans struggled to defend this. Kutcher met Kunis when he was 19 and she was 14. They reportedly shared their first kiss at this age (via EW).

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Jussie Smollett

Even by the standards of the people on this list, Smollett’s story is bad. He faked a hate crime against himself and spent almost a week in jail for his troubles. It’s one of the most bizarre scandals in modern entertainment history because the details are ludicrous.

Reportedly, he was angry because he didn’t earn enough money on Empire. That’s why he paid a pair of brothers to fake the attack on him. It was insane and the trial was messy because there were even accusations of favoritism. Finally, it destroyed his burgeoning career (via Wall Street Journal).

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Kyrie Irving

Irving has made several good attempts to destroy his reputation for no reason. The basketball star has unbelievable skills but this doesn’t make him a good person off the court. He almost missed an entire season because he refused to get a vaccination during the global health crisis.

Some folks might not find that controversial but he went to another level. Irving shared antisemitic conspiracy theories that repulsed rational-minded people. Nike cut ties with the NBA star because they couldn’t stand behind this. It seriously damaged the public’s perception of him (via CBS Sports).

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Kylie Jenner

Jenner is one of the most influential members of the Kardashian clan. She’s a powerhouse in the beauty industry with multiple successful personal brands. However, she didn’t do everything right and she infuriated her fanbase in 2023. They accused her of ‘gaslighting’ them and lying about her cosmetic surgery.

The younger Jenner sister claims she only had lip surgery and denies other enhancements. However, fans speculate that this is untrue and made their feelings known. Then they don’t understand why she lies for no reason and creates false beauty standards. Imagine the shock when they realize it’s all about money (via The U.S. Sun).

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Russell Brand

This scandal continues to rumble but it exploded out of nowhere. Brand is a popular UK comedian and actor with a powerful podcast. His legions of followers insist that he can’t do anything wrong. However, an exclusive Channel 4 documentary rocked the world as they revealed sexual assault allegations.

Sky News

Brand denied these but the rumours continued to circle. Meanwhile, fellow comedian Katherine Ryan confirmed that it was an open secret that he is a reported sexual predator. Brand channeled this into an assault on free speech as he battened down the hatches. He destroyed his reputation for no reason (via The Mirror).

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Joe Jonas

Jonas had a massive celebrity feud with his ex-wife Sophie Turner. She discovered that he filed for divorce after the paparazzi reported it. Meanwhile, he took their daughter to the U.S. and withheld their passports so that they couldn’t go home to the UK. Turner sued him and also got Taylor Swift on her side.

Meanwhile, public perception didn’t paint Jonas in a good light. Swift knows how to manipulate people’s feelings because she has plenty of experience. She passed this on to Turner and helped to paint her as a sympathetic figure. Only time will tell if Jonas can bounce back from this (via Jezebel).

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Armie Hammer

There was a time when Hammer was one of the most exciting emerging actors in Hollywood. He won acclaim for his role in Call Me By Your Name and some people called for him to be the next James Bond. However, he ruined everything for himself for no reason after sexual assault accusations emerged.

The details are horrifying but some of his alleged victims had PTSD and reported emotional as well as physical abuse. His alleged actions destroyed his career because it was impossible to work with him. The industry is changing for the better as Hammer discovered the hard way (via People).

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Taylor Swift

Swift knows all about backlashes because she has suffered multiple over the years for no reason. Some fans shredded her after she broke up with her long-term partner Joe Alwyn. They hoped that the couple would marry and it hurt them when the relationship came to an end.

Many haters slut-shamed her because she had many boyfriends in her 20s. This was incredibly unfair because she was just being a young woman. Men wouldn’t receive the same criticism or abuse because society has double standards. In the end, Swift always bounces back (via BuzzFeed).

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Ellen DeGeneres

DeGeneres was one of America’s favorite TV hosts and seemed like one of Hollywood’s least problematic figures. But that all changed when news emerged of workplace bullying. It became clear that it wasn’t fun to work with her because she treated staff members horribly. There was no reason for this except that she was mean.

Finally, she ended her show because it wasn’t going to work anymore. There were also allegations of racial insensitivity as well as sexual harassment. It was an astonishing fall from grace because she was an inspiring figure before this. Nonetheless, she dug a hole for herself (via The Guardian).

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PewDiePie

Don’t support Nazis or make antisemitic references if you have a following. This seems like simple enough advice that’s easy for most decent people to follow. However, Swedish YouTuber PewDiePie didn’t get the memo. That’s a problem because he has over 110 million followers on the popular video platform (via Vox).

He flirted with the alt-right multiple times and received a massive backlash. PewDiePie also made dumb, inappropriate jokes that hurt the feelings of Jewish people. YouTube demonetized his channel to punish him for his many indiscretions. It was an expensive lesson for him but he had no reason to do this.

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JK Rowling

Rowling was one of the most popular writers on the planet and a role model for women around the world. But now people think that she’s a transphobe. The Harry Potter author is openly critical of the recent trans rights movements and defends women-only spaces (via Us Magazine).

There was no reason for her to say anything because it came at a serious cost. Rowling still makes millions from book sales and royalties. But she lost the support of the Harry Potter cast and Warner Bros. took future movies away from her. It’s a shocking fall from grace because she had an inspiring rise.

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Louis CK

He was once one of America’s favorite comedians but then he ruined everything for himself. Louis CK became an overnight villain after news broke of his sexual misconduct. Female comics confirmed that he asked if he could stimulate himself in front of them and shared his creepy ways.

It was a massive far from grace because he was even breaking into Hollywood. But now he’s a laughable figure and people don’t take him seriously. However, he recently underwent a revival because some folks hate cancel culture so much. It’s a strange world and he’s an example of why (via Vanity Fair).

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Gwyneth Paltrow

Paltrow faced a massive backlash in 2023 because people thought that she was a dangerous idiot. She shared her wellness routine in a Q&A session that left fans blinking in disbelief. They believed that her restrictive diet was comparable to an eating disorder and had terrible advice to share.

However, Paltrow responded and said that she wasn’t advising anybody to follow her. This didn’t sit well with fans who knew that she wanted them to follow in her footsteps. These days, Paltrow is increasingly losing credibility and is becoming a parody of herself (via Glamour).

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Chrissy Teigen

Teigen had an amazing rise to superstardom as she went from modeling to TV work. She became a familiar face on Lip Sync Battle and hustled harder than a New York hotdog seller. Meanwhile, she became so vocal that President Trump even blocked her on Twitter (via Fox News).

But then she became a victim of cancel culture after a bullying scandal ruined her reputation. Courtney Stodden accused Teigen of harassing her online and proved it with the receipts. Teigen even told her that she hoped that she would die. In the end, it wasn’t worth it and she trashed her career for no reason.

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Aaron Rodgers

There was a time when Rodgers was one of the NFL’s favorite players. It was easier to like him than Tom Brady because the Packers didn’t always win but Rodgers was always brilliant. However, things changed when he went down the conspiracy theory wormhole for no reason (via Sports Illustrated).

It also didn’t help that he held the Packers to ransom for a new contract before he ditched them. Suddenly people thought that he was a crazy mercenary and they wanted him to fail. It’s a stark turnaround because there was a time when they wanted him to be Countdown’s next long-term host.

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Jonah Hill

Hill is another celebrity who successfully ruined their reputation by being a creepy moron. The actor gave his ex-girlfriend Sarah Brady a list of expectations. He banned her from posting pictures in a bathing suit and from hanging out with women who he perceived to be bad influences.

It’s a long list and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Later, Hill slammed Brady because she broke his trust by sharing this with the world. However, most people took Brady’s side because it was clear that Hill was being unreasonable. It seemed to be for no reason other than his insecurity (via Newsweek).

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Kevin Spacey

Spacey was one of Hollywood’s most impressive actors. The Oscar winner also had a starring role in Netflix’s hit series, House of Cards. But it was an open secret that he was gay. However, people didn’t know that he had a long history of alleged sexual abuse toward young men.

Star Trek: Discovery star Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of molesting him when he was 15. Spacey denied this but his reputation took a massive hit. In the end, a court acquitted him of nine charges but his career remains in the doldrums. Only time will tell if he has a revival (via Deadline).

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James Franco

For a decade it felt like Franco was in every movie. Nobody can say that he didn’t have a work ethic because he completed multiple degrees, wrote books, and also created a college. But two students accused him of exploiting them and said that he forced them to film sex scenes.

Franco admitted that he had a sex addiction after he quit drinking. However, his sleazy reputation crushed his career and he fell away from Hollywood. There was a massive lawsuit that cost him millions. Don’t expect to see him on the big screen any time soon (via The Guardian).

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Hulk Hogan

Hogan is one of the main reasons why the WWE is massive. He was one of wrestling’s first global icons and became a household name. He officially retired in 2012 but they continued to wheel him out in special guest appearances. However, he trashed his reputation for no reason in 2015 (via GQ).

He ranted about his daughter’s relationship with a black man and used racial slurs. The WWE kicked him out of the Hall of Fame but they eventually reinstated him. It was a shocking story because it showed his true bigoted nature. Hogan apologized but it was more because the world heard.

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Awkwafina

This is the worst example on this list but Awkwafina’s reputation took a hit over a couple of years. Critics pointed at her ‘blaccent’ and said that it was inappropriate. They claimed that it was cultural appropriation and stereotyping. Akwafina reportedly used typical African-American dialogue and speech patterns.

She defended herself on Twitter: “To mock, belittle, or to be unkind in any way possible at the expense of others is: Simply. Not. My. Nature.” In the end, Awkwafina deleted her social media and said that everything was a learning experience. It was unintentionally offensive and she tried to be better (via EW).

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Liam Neeson

In 2019, Neeson shocked the world when he disclosed a secret that haunted him for years. He claimed that a friend told him about how a black man reportedly raped her. The legendary actor took a ‘cosh’ because he wanted to kill a black man and avenge her in his fury (via The Guardian).

Neeson claimed that he felt shame about the incident and luckily nothing happened. However, this unprompted disclosure seriously threatened his career. Somehow he managed to survive the scandal to continue making bad action movies. But he almost destroyed his future for no reason.

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Millie Bobby Brown

Brown soared to stardom after she appeared in Stranger Things. The young actress became one of Hollywood’s darlings and it felt like she couldn’t do anything wrong. In 2023, she somehow found time to release a historical novel, Nineteen Steps. Many people found it surprising because she had such a busy life.

Then a massive controversy began when it became clear that she used a ghostwriter, Kathleen McGurl. There’s nothing unusual about this but the problem was that Brown didn’t credit her ghostwriter. Many critics thought that this lacked artistic integrity and found it to be offensive (via Indy 100).

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