It can take years, even decades, to build a successful career in entertainment. Most (if not all) of your favorite celebrities, for example, started at the bottom and put in a ton of hard work, sacrifices, and dedication to become wealthy, powerful household names.
However, it only takes a single controversy for that empire to come crashing down in one fell swoop. And for some renowned figures in the industry, the downfall is self-inflicted.
Here are the celebrities who supposedly tanked their own careers, according to a discussion in a Reddit thread from a while back.
#1
Rick Moranis. The guy from Ghostbusters, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Spaceballs, etc.
Not because he did anything wrong. He left Hollywood and let his career because his wife died from cancer and he decided to focus on raising his kids.
Stand up guy, hope he's doing well.
Not because he did anything wrong. He left Hollywood and let his career because his wife died from cancer and he decided to focus on raising his kids.
Stand up guy, hope he's doing well.
40points
#2
Michael Richards. Played one of the most iconic TV comedy roles as Kramer on *Seinfeld*
Post-Seinfeld during a stand-up routine fans were taunting him and he went on a racially-charged rant dropping the N word. It was recorded and his career was absolutely toast after that.
Post-Seinfeld during a stand-up routine fans were taunting him and he went on a racially-charged rant dropping the N word. It was recorded and his career was absolutely toast after that.
15points
#3
Chevy Chase. The man has had endless opportunities, on both movies and TV, and yet he is consistently regarded by his peers as an unrelenting a*****e.
SNL cast hates working with and around him (Jon Lovitz, Will Ferrell, etc.), the kids from Community (well, adult actors and actresses who played college kids on the show) have come out and said he was the hardest on-set to work with. I just don’t see how someone can have so many opportunities to be at least halfway decent, and always managed to find a way to be the biggest a*****e in whatever room he was in.
SNL cast hates working with and around him (Jon Lovitz, Will Ferrell, etc.), the kids from Community (well, adult actors and actresses who played college kids on the show) have come out and said he was the hardest on-set to work with. I just don’t see how someone can have so many opportunities to be at least halfway decent, and always managed to find a way to be the biggest a*****e in whatever room he was in.
15points
#4
It may have already been said in here but Macaulay Culkin (home alone). and honestly I think its a good story. he was just tired of being a child star and wanted a normal life. while some people make fun of how he looks now he's just living life and having fun. he has a band called Pizza Underground where they sing about pizza and tell jokes. I just think its good to see some of the celebrities that tanked but for good reasons.
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14points
#5
Never forget when Ashlee Simpson got caught lip-synching on SNL and tried to blame it on her band.
Additionally, Howard Dean, presidential candidate in 2004, ruined his campaign by letting out a weird scream. Oh to have such standards for candidates today!
Edit: yes, I completely understand that the media made the scream something it wasn't. Please stop telling me this.
Additionally, Howard Dean, presidential candidate in 2004, ruined his campaign by letting out a weird scream. Oh to have such standards for candidates today!
Edit: yes, I completely understand that the media made the scream something it wasn't. Please stop telling me this.
13points
#6
Jerry Lee Lewis, arguably one of the founders of rock and roll, managed to completely destroy his career just by getting married.
Oh btw he married his first cousin (once removed). She was 13, he was 22. It was his third marriage, of an eventual seven. This one lasted 13 years until she filled for divorce citing that she had been "subject to every type of physical and mental a***e imaginable."
Oh btw he married his first cousin (once removed). She was 13, he was 22. It was his third marriage, of an eventual seven. This one lasted 13 years until she filled for divorce citing that she had been "subject to every type of physical and mental a***e imaginable."
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13points
#7
Lindsay Lohan anyone?
allworkandnoYahtzee:
I wonder what her life would have been like had her parents not been so f**king awful. Dina and Michael Lohan were like stageparents on steroids.
NC_Gnie:
Combine that with how Hollywood apparently treats young women, especially ones that look like her, and God only knows what kind of messy road she had to go down before she was even an adult.
allworkandnoYahtzee:
I wonder what her life would have been like had her parents not been so f**king awful. Dina and Michael Lohan were like stageparents on steroids.
NC_Gnie:
Combine that with how Hollywood apparently treats young women, especially ones that look like her, and God only knows what kind of messy road she had to go down before she was even an adult.
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13points
#8
Definitely the judges who bullied the contestant on XFactor New Zealand.
jjaedong:
That outburst was just so bizarre. The guy shows up with maybe the most common men’s hair cut and wears a navy blue suit and she says he’s stealing her husbands look wtf. There millions of guys who wear that exact combo every single day lol.
jjaedong:
That outburst was just so bizarre. The guy shows up with maybe the most common men’s hair cut and wears a navy blue suit and she says he’s stealing her husbands look wtf. There millions of guys who wear that exact combo every single day lol.
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13points
#9
Lance Armstrong, the cyclist.
He cheated for all of his Tour de France titles.
He is now enlisted as a cheater.
Nuff said.
He cheated for all of his Tour de France titles.
He is now enlisted as a cheater.
Nuff said.
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13points
#10
Jussie Smollett
Edit: wow apparently even saying his name now gets people in a tizzy.
the-salt-of-dungroon:
That was so stupid, I don’t even know what he was thinking, the fact that he wore the noose around his neck until the police got there.
Edit: wow apparently even saying his name now gets people in a tizzy.
the-salt-of-dungroon:
That was so stupid, I don’t even know what he was thinking, the fact that he wore the noose around his neck until the police got there.
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12points
#12
Very recent one actually:
Colleen Ballinger, a popular YouTuber who is well known for her character Miranda Sings, was found out to have groomed a 13 year old fan until he was 17 years old.
She then guilted him for posting something on her social media that SHE approved. She also sent him lingerie when he was 13 years old, as well as talked to him in a lot of detail about her divorce. Remember, she's in her 30's and he was only 13-14 years old at the time.
After he told her he was going to take a break for a little bit, she left him on red and never replied. It's really sad honestly, and everything really effected him because he was a big fan of her. Honestly, there's no coming back on the internet after that, or getting millions of views anymore at least.
Colleen Ballinger, a popular YouTuber who is well known for her character Miranda Sings, was found out to have groomed a 13 year old fan until he was 17 years old.
She then guilted him for posting something on her social media that SHE approved. She also sent him lingerie when he was 13 years old, as well as talked to him in a lot of detail about her divorce. Remember, she's in her 30's and he was only 13-14 years old at the time.
After he told her he was going to take a break for a little bit, she left him on red and never replied. It's really sad honestly, and everything really effected him because he was a big fan of her. Honestly, there's no coming back on the internet after that, or getting millions of views anymore at least.
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11points
#13
Cee-lo... he said there was nothing wrong with spiking womens' drinks...
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11points
#14
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Dixie Chicks getting themselves basically blacklisted from country music after criticizing Bush.
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11points
#15
Amber Heard for being a a*****e spouse and lying by making Johnny Depp look like the a****r in this relationship. I dont understand how someone so evil and hypocrite can sleep at night.
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11points
#16
Roseanne Barr. She managed to live through her anthem fiasco only to have her reboot cancelled and replaced due to some racist tweets.
I haven't heard much about the replacement show, but I feel like that means it isn't or wasn't doing so hot.
I haven't heard much about the replacement show, but I feel like that means it isn't or wasn't doing so hot.
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11points
#17
I don't know if he's a celebrity. I thought of Roman Polanski. He can't work or live in the U.S. due to a s*x a***e case. He can't direct movies in the U.S. He was married to the actress Sharon Tate. RIP Sharon.
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11points
#18
We’re all aware of Charlie Sheen. Although still a legend, topped the cake of ruining it all within a brief moment.. He couldn’t keep his d**k in his pants, and his a*******n spiraled QUICK.
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10points
#19
TJ Miller, dude had a brain tumor removed a while back, taking out part of his brain and then he got arrested for calling in a fake explosive threat in 2018. Absolutely nuked his career.
9points
#20
Katherine Heigl is famous for being a massive b***h who no one wants to work with. I think she managed to p**s off everyone in Grey's Anatomy so they wrote her character off. Same with the entire cast of Knocked Up. She went from being huge in 2007-08 to being a ghost now.
Mel Gibson famously torpedoed his career in 2004-2006 with multiple anti-semitic and racist outbursts and such. He went from being a massive f*****g star in the 90s to being persona non grata for like...10 plus years. He's still not back to where he was now.
Lauren Hill has famously destroyed her career since the early 2000s...after the Fugees made it big she went solo with one of the biggest debut albums ever and then frequent diva behavior has made her the ultimate has been.
Mel Gibson famously torpedoed his career in 2004-2006 with multiple anti-semitic and racist outbursts and such. He went from being a massive f*****g star in the 90s to being persona non grata for like...10 plus years. He's still not back to where he was now.
Lauren Hill has famously destroyed her career since the early 2000s...after the Fugees made it big she went solo with one of the biggest debut albums ever and then frequent diva behavior has made her the ultimate has been.
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9points
