Some might still abide by the saying: all publicity is good publicity but that proverb needs a bit of adjusting in the social media era. Celebrities, specifically, find themselves facing the wrath of public opinion because they went mask off on Twitter or Instagram. Ultimately, it led to the downfall of plenty of celebrities.
These 19 celebrities met their downfall after taking self-inflicted L’s on the timeline.
1.
Ye (f.k.a. Kanye West) might be among the worst offenders when it comes to social media blunders. Though he already became a divisive figure after calling George W. Bush racist, storming the stage when Taylor Swift accepted a VMA, and comparing himself to God, his career took a major blow after a series of antisemitic comments he made on Twitter/X, followed by another string of interviews where he doubled down. Adidas dropped him along with a number of other brands and companies like Gap, Balenciaga, JP Morgan Chase, MRC, and CAA. As a result, his net worth reportedly made a significant drop from $2 billion to $400 million.
2.
Kathy Griffin was one of Donald Trump’s most vocal opponents during his presidential campaign in the mid-2010s. After he took office, she shared a photo of herself posing with a fake severed head of the then-president, leading to widespread backlash. She faced condemnation across the board from Democrats and Republicans, lost endorsements, and faced a potential investigation by the Secret Service. She apologized later, yet it took a while for her career to recover.
3.
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling disappointed a legion of fans after addressing transgender issues in a way that was deemed by many to be inappropriate and transphobic. It led to significant backlash from day-one Harry Potter fans, as well as the cast of its highly successful films. Unfortunately, this rhetoric has become the cornerstone of her social media platforms.
4.
Goodie Mob member and Gnarls Barkley frontman Cee-Lo Green faced immediate pushback in 2014 over a tweet about consent where he suggested that it isn’t a violation if the person is unconscious. What’s worse is the comments came after his no-contest plea to a charge of supplying ecstasy in a case where he faced accusations of sexual battery. After his tweets, his reality show was canceled. He later apologized for the tweets, saying, “I do realize in retrospect that it was highly sensitive, what I tweeted – highly irresponsible.”
5.
Roseanne Barr’s eponymous television show made its comeback in 2018, but it didn’t take long for the show and its star to get canceled. She sparked outrage after a racist tweet where she compared former Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett to an ape. That same day, the reboot of Roseanne was taken off the air.
7.
Perhaps one of the saddest entries on this list has to be Amanda Bynes. As her mental health began to decline, she shared a series of erratic and controversial tweets directed at everyone from Drake to Rihanna, and even her own parents. Her comments were met with concern, for the most part, and she eventually sought professional treatment.
8.
Iggy Azalea still has some grip on pop culture, but the Australian-born rapper has been shunned from the hip-hop community for most of her career. Though she’s consistently faced accusations of appropriation in the past, several tweets surfaced in 2015 that were deemed homophobic and racist. She later pulled out from an LGBTQ+ event in Pittsburgh. Iggy hasn’t released much music since, and it appears that she’s retired from the industry.
9.
Perez Hilton never had the greatest reputation, especially among Hollywood stars who faced his wrath in the early parts of his blogging career. However, in 2010, he found himself in hot water after sharing a photo of a then-17-year-old Miley Cyrus hopping out of a car, allegedly without underwear. He swiftly denied that the photo he shared was explicit in any way. The damage had been done and his name just hasn’t held the same weight since.
10.
Gilbert Gottfried had several brushes with cancel culture in his lifetime. However, his joke about the tsunami in Japan that claimed thousands of lives took a serious toll on his career. The comedian quickly lost his gig voicing the Aflac Duck.
11.
Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher tarnished their reputation after sending a letter of leniency to a judge on behalf of Danny Masterson, their That 70’s Show co-star who was found guilty of rape and sentenced to 30 years in prison. What’s worse is that both of them served on the board of Thorn, an organization dedicated to combatting child abuse and trafficking.
12.
Glee star Lea Michele’s attempt at showing solidarity during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 was later considered by many as virtue signaling after her former Glee co-star Samantha Ware accused her of making her life a “living hell” on the show’s set. Hello Fresh nixed their partnership with her, clearly stating that they do “not condone racism nor discrimination of any kind.” And while Michele attempted to apologize, it fell flat in the eyes of many people online.
13.
YouTuber and streamer PewDiePie was, at one point, one of the biggest content creators to emerge from the gaming world. At the top of 2017, he faced scrutiny after a video of him using the N-word and making antisemitic remarks surfaced online. In quick succession, Disney dropped him, as did Google’s Preferred advertising program, and his YouTube Red Series was canceled, WSJ reported. He apologized for the use of racial slurs yet attempted to defend the antisemitic remarks, which he claimed were taken out of context. PewDiePie has bounced back from the incident, though his career certainly isn’t as it once was.
14.
Azalea Banks has had a number of run-ins with cancel culture over the years due to her provocative commentary but her tirade against Zayn Malik ultimately landed her in serious hot water. After dishing out some derogatory terms and referring to him as a “curry-scented b*tch,” she was dropped by her booking agency in the UK and axed from a UK music festival.
15.
Kyrie Irving got dropped from Nike, had his Instagram account suspended, and was suspended from the Nets after sharing a link to a documentary that many deemed antisemitic. He later apologized, though his reputation took a pretty big hit off-court.
16.
Since fall 2023, Sean “Diddy” Combs has been the subject of many controversies and lawsuits related to sexual misconduct and abuse. After settling his lawsuit with ex-girlfriend Cassie, a video emerged online of the music mogul assaulting her at a hotel – months after denying that he ever abused her. He issued an apology afterwards that made matters worse, and his career has basically been on ice ever since.
17.
Chrissy Teigen found herself in a social media doghouse after facing accusations of cyberbullying by a number of individuals. Per Fox News, fashion designer Michael Costello claimed he developed thoughts of self-harm due to Teigen’s alleged social media comments. At the same time, Courtney Stodden said that the television model tweeted at her, “Go. To sleep. Forever” in 2011 when Stodden was 16. Teigen apologized, and has attempted to repair her image since, and perhaps, it’s worked to a degree. But she doesn’t necessarily have the same aura she once did on our timelines.
18.
2015 Playmate of the Year Dani Mathers not only faced the wrath of Twitter but was hit with misdemeanor charges after sharing a nude photo on Snapchat of an L.A. Fitness member in what appeared to many as an attempt to body-shame the 71-year-old woman, according to CNN. Though she claimed that the photo was supposed to be sent to a friend, it didn’t take long for authorities to find her and Twitter users to drag her. She pleaded no contest to misdemeanor invasion of privacy and was sentenced to three years probation and community service.
