They say the higher you fly, the harder you fall. For a celebrity, an illustrious career can go in shambles in one fell swoop, whether from a scandal or their own doing.
These big names are just some examples. Their stories can make you think a lot about the price of fame and how being in the limelight can feel lonely, despite the fortune and recognition.
The responses you’re about to read were from various Reddit threads, asking which celebrity figure has the worst and saddest fall from grace story of all time.
#1
Bill Cosby. It’s hard to overstate how much he was loved in the late 80s early 90s.
legthief:
Absolutely - the temptation is to answer this thread with Sean Combs, due to his continuing fame, his billions, and his business networks and empire, but he was already kind of an obnoxious and dividing pop culture figure before his outing and arrest, whereas Cosby was for decades unironically labelled 'America's Dad" by much of mainstream media.
Kind-Passenger-3935:
Lots of celebrities have fallen but none so far as him. He went from being America’s Dad to a pathetic old washed up unmasked predator. While I still have empathy for everyone else, knowing what he was doing to other people’s kids takes any empathy I have for him as a father who lost a child.
legthief:
Absolutely - the temptation is to answer this thread with Sean Combs, due to his continuing fame, his billions, and his business networks and empire, but he was already kind of an obnoxious and dividing pop culture figure before his outing and arrest, whereas Cosby was for decades unironically labelled 'America's Dad" by much of mainstream media.
Kind-Passenger-3935:
Lots of celebrities have fallen but none so far as him. He went from being America’s Dad to a pathetic old washed up unmasked predator. While I still have empathy for everyone else, knowing what he was doing to other people’s kids takes any empathy I have for him as a father who lost a child.
55points
#2
Even though I was never into his music, I would have to say Kanye. In less than 20 years he went from "Hip-Hop's class act" to a parable about the importance of taking your mental health seriously.
45points
#3
Oscar Pistorius took a bit of a tumble.
Throwawaysmakemeeasy:
I was going to mention him. He gave hope to people around the world, being the first double leg amputee to participate in the Olympics, but then.....well we all know now.
Throwawaysmakemeeasy:
I was going to mention him. He gave hope to people around the world, being the first double leg amputee to participate in the Olympics, but then.....well we all know now.
44points
#4
I would say Roman Polanski, but there are plenty of people willing to forget.
41points
#5
Ellen DeGeneres.
She was well known as one of the most likable and generous celebrities ever and then it all came crashing down when everyone found out she was actually a bully and actually treated people very poorly and that was kind of it for her.
She was well known as one of the most likable and generous celebrities ever and then it all came crashing down when everyone found out she was actually a bully and actually treated people very poorly and that was kind of it for her.
41points
#6
OJ Simpson went from winning professional football games to getting arrested for stealing his own memorabilia from Vegas hotel room...
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39points
#7
The Dixie Chicks went from being an incredibly popular country music group to never heard from again and not played on the radio because they came out against invading Iraq, which is now almost considered universally to be a dumb move.
I guess that's what you get when your core demographic is made of up rednecks.
I guess that's what you get when your core demographic is made of up rednecks.
38points
#8
Jimmy Savile
I don't believe in hell, but I wish they'd custom-make one for him.
I don't believe in hell, but I wish they'd custom-make one for him.
37points
#9
Surprised no one’s mentioned Tiger Woods yet. The blow up with his then wife followed by his decline on the course.
And after it started to unravel, all the players on the tour, the ones he’d been so [trashy] to, started piling on and let the rest of the world know that he was pretty much a [jerk] to compete against.
And after it started to unravel, all the players on the tour, the ones he’d been so [trashy] to, started piling on and let the rest of the world know that he was pretty much a [jerk] to compete against.
35points
#10
Lance Armstrong had a pretty big fall. He was everyone’s inspirational hero after his cancer battle and the Livestrong bracelets were everywhere. After the doping scandal he’s completely off the map.
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34points
#11
Ian Watkins from Lostprophets. Gross don't search for him but he is the worst.
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33points
#12
Jerry Lee Lewis went from rock god to outcast when people found out he married his 13 year old cousin.
28points
#13
Charlie Sheen.
SeriesOfAdjectives:
He got pretty out of hand with that whole 'tiger blood' thing, quieted down for a while, then whoops HIV.
SeriesOfAdjectives:
He got pretty out of hand with that whole 'tiger blood' thing, quieted down for a while, then whoops HIV.
27points
#14
Without a doubt, Michael Jackson.
**The King of Pop**
People may look back on him favorably now, but many don't remember exactly how big he was.
This guy had a *life long* career in music, from a child to his [funeral]. He appeared in movies, he had his own movie, he had his own video games. His music spanned multiple genres, and shattered records.
This man, was the biggest thing since the Beatles. He met world leaders like they were his posse, shook the hands of multiple presidents. Michael Jackson stepping off a plane in your country was as big a deal as the Pope, and he handled it with the same humility of a single sequined glove wave.
And the man *loved* charity. Where humanitarian causes went, he followed, and the world followed with him. Celebrities lined up to be a part of the Michael Jackson freight train. Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Slash, and more.
They were going to build a giant, mechanized statue of Michael Jackson in the Nevada desert. Not ironically, not for a festival, just because he was the singular most amazing performer of the generation.
And what did he do in his spare time? He visited sick kids in hospitals. He lent his voice, his time, and his money to numerous charities and was unafraid to take a stance on racial tension; he was a champion of equality.
Need more proof that this man was easily as big as Elvis? Here's an excerpt from his Wiki page:
> Jackson's 1982 album Thriller is the best selling album of all time. His other albums, including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995), also rank among the world's best selling albums. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Dance Hall of Fame as the first and only dancer from pop and rock music. His other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award; 26 American Music Awards, more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century" and "Artist of the 1980s"; 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career, more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era; and the estimated sale of over 400 million records worldwide.[Note 1] Jackson has won hundreds of awards, making him the most awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.[6] Jackson became the first artist in history to have a top ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades when "Love Never Felt So Good" reached number nine on May 21, 2014.[7] Jackson traveled the world attending events honoring his humanitarianism and in 2000, the Guinness World Records recognized him for supporting 39 charities, more than any other entertainer.[8]
... but in the 90s, accusations soured the public on Jackson. His visibility plummeted, and as his apparent medical issues regarding his appearance spiraled out of control, questionable relationship choices and further accusations seemed to make everyone take a big step away from associating with Michael.
He [passed] effectively alone, as a result of a heart attack caused by the mishandling of medications by his personal doctor.
It's incredible. I can't think of anyone else who was as famous, *internationally*, and then faded into obscurity and hazy memories of better times.
He fell so hard, ~~people in this thread~~ *some people* barely remember him. But I always will.
PresidentDonnyTrump:
Michael Jackson. King of pop to the ultimate crash and burn.
**The King of Pop**
People may look back on him favorably now, but many don't remember exactly how big he was.
This guy had a *life long* career in music, from a child to his [funeral]. He appeared in movies, he had his own movie, he had his own video games. His music spanned multiple genres, and shattered records.
This man, was the biggest thing since the Beatles. He met world leaders like they were his posse, shook the hands of multiple presidents. Michael Jackson stepping off a plane in your country was as big a deal as the Pope, and he handled it with the same humility of a single sequined glove wave.
And the man *loved* charity. Where humanitarian causes went, he followed, and the world followed with him. Celebrities lined up to be a part of the Michael Jackson freight train. Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Slash, and more.
They were going to build a giant, mechanized statue of Michael Jackson in the Nevada desert. Not ironically, not for a festival, just because he was the singular most amazing performer of the generation.
And what did he do in his spare time? He visited sick kids in hospitals. He lent his voice, his time, and his money to numerous charities and was unafraid to take a stance on racial tension; he was a champion of equality.
Need more proof that this man was easily as big as Elvis? Here's an excerpt from his Wiki page:
> Jackson's 1982 album Thriller is the best selling album of all time. His other albums, including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995), also rank among the world's best selling albums. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Dance Hall of Fame as the first and only dancer from pop and rock music. His other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award; 26 American Music Awards, more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century" and "Artist of the 1980s"; 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career, more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era; and the estimated sale of over 400 million records worldwide.[Note 1] Jackson has won hundreds of awards, making him the most awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.[6] Jackson became the first artist in history to have a top ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades when "Love Never Felt So Good" reached number nine on May 21, 2014.[7] Jackson traveled the world attending events honoring his humanitarianism and in 2000, the Guinness World Records recognized him for supporting 39 charities, more than any other entertainer.[8]
... but in the 90s, accusations soured the public on Jackson. His visibility plummeted, and as his apparent medical issues regarding his appearance spiraled out of control, questionable relationship choices and further accusations seemed to make everyone take a big step away from associating with Michael.
He [passed] effectively alone, as a result of a heart attack caused by the mishandling of medications by his personal doctor.
It's incredible. I can't think of anyone else who was as famous, *internationally*, and then faded into obscurity and hazy memories of better times.
He fell so hard, ~~people in this thread~~ *some people* barely remember him. But I always will.
PresidentDonnyTrump:
Michael Jackson. King of pop to the ultimate crash and burn.
25points
#15
I'd have to say Joe Paterno, the old Penn State football coach. One of the winningest coaches of all time is found to have covered up a molestation scandal. Terribly sad, but he deserved it...
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25points
#16
Katy Perry. Witness just wasn’t a good album and her downfall just happened so quickly. Every time she’s tried to have a comeback since then, it’s flopped. Her new music doesn’t hit like it used to and the going to space, working with Dr Luke and admitting to voting republican didn’t help her image at all.
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24points
#17
Gary Glitter--from rock n' roll to exposure as a child predator.
Report
23points
#18
Really? No Nixon? Dude was President of the united states and had to bow out in shame.
22points
#19
Jeffrey Jones, the veteran character actor best known for playing Ferris Bueller's principal. Never a household name, but it seems like he was in every other classic movie from the '80s and '90s.
And then he was busted for trying to get a 14-year-old boy to pose for pictures.
And then he was busted for trying to get a 14-year-old boy to pose for pictures.
22points
#20
Kevin Spacey. Oscar winner to pariah in the blink of an eye.
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22points