Some celebrities achieve fame overnight. For others, it’s a slow rise to stardom. Regardless of how they get there, a massive fall from grace makes it very tough to get back up again. Getting embroiled in a scandal can mean the end of your career, and reputation.
We’ve seen our fair share of celebrities taken down by their own bad behavior this year. In September, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs’ billion-dollar empire came tumbling down as he found himself accused of serious allegations of abuse, trafficking, and physical violence. Claims against him continue to climb, while his reputation goes down the drain. Several other celebs are going down with him. Either by implication. Or purely by association. Then there are those who have nothing to do with Diddy, but have done a fine job of losing masses of fans due to their own actions.
Someone recently asked, “What celebrity have you lost respect for?” and the internet went wild. The post clocked up over 8,000 comments, as people shared their opinions on why they think certain A-listers deserve to be canceled. Bored Panda chatted to the person who asked the billion-dollar question, to find out what inspired it. We also put together a list of the most popular answers. Upvote the ones that make you tick, and let us know in the comments who else you think should be added. Don't miss the chat we had with Roz Sheldon, the managing director of the global online reputation management company, Igniyte.
#1
Elon Musk.
Many years ago, I thought he was going to drag humanity kicking and screaming into a technological future.
Now I see him as a narcissistic moron that has no business being in control of strategic resources.
Image credits: asian_chihuahua
When EvilOdysseus asked, "What celebrity have you lost respect for?" they'd been pondering the question themselves for a while. For them, it's Jack Black. "He barely acts anymore. Just plays himself in every film. He even keeps his own mannerisms in films now," they told Bored Panda. They said they were surprised that "a few people said Mark Hamill, but I haven't seen them state a reason."
We asked what prompted them to ask the question online. "I realized how many celebrities recently are in the news for all the wrong reasons," they told Bored Panda during our short chat. "It's scandal after scandal with no repercussions."
And they aren't wrong. The world of the rich and famous has been rocked by a string of scandalous stories over the past few months. As it was last year, and the years before. Whenever we think we've seen it all, it just gets even worse. We were curious to know what EvilOdysseus would say to celebrities behaving badly. "There's no point in giving a message to any celebrity. They don't care about us," was the curt reply.
#2
Anyone I find out is involved with Scientolgy.
There's the obvious like Tom Cruise. But there's also less obvious like Michael Pena, Elisabeth Moss, and Chloe Fineman.
Image credits: nowhereman136
#3
Bill Cosby.
u/MozeeToby:
People generally know that he "has some r*pe allegations", no. No. It's dozens and dozens of women who have come forward with almost identical stories. Offered a drink, somehow get completely incapacitated from that one drink, pass out, wake up to Crosby either preparing to r*pe, r*ping, or cleaning up from r*pe. Literally over 100 women, and that's just the ones who have come forward.
Image credits: Routine-Rock3050
Roz Sheldon is an expert when it comes to online reputation management. She's the managing director of Igniyte, a global company working with individuals and corporates to keep their reps intact. Sheldon kindly agreed to share some of her knowledge with us during a very enlightening interview.
"Celebrities typically have huge followings, particularly on social media, and rely on this in many cases. Handling a scandal can be very difficult due to the number of people who may comment or have an opinion," said Sheldon. "While some celebrities thrive on scandal and can turn it to their advantage, others may want to remove themselves from the limelight."
Sheldon added that being authentic and commanding respect requires a genuine and thoughtful public response to followers and audiences, and then taking time to work through the scandal or issues.
#4
Gwyneth Paltrow for her Goop brand. Snake oil salesman 100%.
Image credits: dudebro1275
#5
All that were involved with diddy, all involved with Epstein island, the predators, and the people who defend them. Oh and definitely all the scientologists. It’s left very few but there are still good ones!
Image credits: Top-Nefariousness177
#6
I thought Sharon Osbourne was at least somewhat amusing until she recounted on a TV show, for laughs, how she maltreated Ozzy's assistant for refusing to run into their burning house to save some art pieces.
If you think *that*'s awful, wait, there's more. The assistant actually risked injury or death by saving the couple's dogs (but not their art) from the inferno. When the fire brigade arrived and gave him oxygen, a piqued Ms. Osbourne objected. She ripped off the oxygen mask *and put it on her dog*.
When he later mentioned he possibly sustained damage to his lungs, she fired him for (in her words) "not having a sense of humor."
What a callous c**t.
Image credits: One-Recognition-1660
Previously, bad publicity took a while to spread. Articles needed to be written and edited. Newspapers and magazines needed to be printed. And people needed to actually go out and buy them. Or have them delivered. But in the age of social media, it now takes a few short seconds for someone’s reputation to be ripped to shreds. And for millions to hear about it.
"Reputation—whether personal or professional—is one of your most valuable assets. The internet serves as the first point of contact for anyone looking to learn about your brand, your business, or even you personally," says Sheldon. "First Impressions count. Negative information, outdated news articles, misleading information or even oversharing online can unfairly skew opinions. Proactive management ensures that what people find reflects your values, strengths, and integrity."
#7
"Dr" Phil McGraw.
Image credits: CrystalRedCynthia
#8
Kanye.
#9
Jennifer Lopez. She is so exhausting and attention seeking.
Image credits: viralplant
"A celebrity scandal is usually triggered by an exposure of a negative or controversial behavior, action, or information that violates the expectations, norms, or values of the public or a specific audience. This can include, but is not limited to, criminal acts, moral transgressions, personal conflicts, professional misconduct, or political opinions," notes FasterCapital, a global venture builder and online incubator. The scandal then blows up as it's amplified by media coverage, social media posts, hashtags, and public attention. From there, it spreads like a rapid wildfire.
#10
I still have respect for Mr. Rogers, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, and Keanu Reeves.
Image credits: IAmBroom
#11
I’ll keep with the trend but Oprah is the worst. I had all respect for her when she had the talk show and thought she was a genuinely nice person that cared about the common people. Turns out she’s worse than most celebrities and politicians. Terrible person in real life to people, siphoned water at her Hawaii property that led to the Maui in the Lahaina fires that resulted in deaths. People talk about Ellen but Oprah is the real big bad.
#12
Any of them that think they have a right to tell regular people to make sacrifices in their lives, for whatever cause, when they themselves continue to live of absurd opulence.
It takes just one photo, or one person to speak out, to bring down the proverbial house of cards. It’s often a rapid decline from there, as people start digging and further allegations emerge. Think Tiger Woods and his several extramarital affairs in 2009. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his intern Monica Lewinsky in 1998. Harvey Weinstein and the dozens of women who've spoken out against him. R. Kelly. Sean "Diddy" Combs. The list is endless. And there'll likely be a few more names added before the end of this year.
Sheldon says the best course of action for celebrities who find themselves in hot water is to "release one short, considered statement or message, which genuinely reflects the state of play for the individual in question." The expert adds that the statement "may include a rebuttal or apology, depending on the scandal, as long as it is a genuine reflection." Sheldon cautions that less is more. "It may be appropriate to suspend public channels in some cases, following the message," she said.
#13
Almost every single one of them. Why do I (or anyone) care so much about a stranger who doesn’t give a f**k about me. Celebrity culture is so wild to me.
#14
Nicki Minaj. She bailed her p**o brother out of jail and her husband is a r****t. She actively defends them.
EDIT: I didn’t know this, but she was unsuccessful in bailing her brother out thank goodness.
Image credits: Mysterious_Action_83
#15
Grimes. When I first got into her in 2011 she was an oddball sci fi fanatic with cool music and style that reflected that. Fast forward to copulating with Musk of all people, getting into Nazism and white supremacy and falling full force into it. Like homegirl is literally a Nazi. Can’t have that. Sucks because I love her first 3 albums but she is forever just a Big Dumb Idiot to me.
Sheldon says in some cases, it may be worth a celebrity telling their side of the story. And if they choose to go this route, they should keep it genuine, and share it across their channels and profiles. "This doesn't necessarily mean an interview on national TV," explained the expert. "We all make mistakes and we are all human, so an acknowledgment of this is often the best course of action."
She adds that prevention is better than cure. "Cultivating good online practices regularly, and managing and building a strong reputation online, will protect online searches in the long run and against negative coverage. In other words, be prepared," advised the expert.
#16
The whole cast of the View.
#17
Neil Gaiman.
u/MischiefofRats:
This one hurt really bad.
Apparently there's a rule at Clarion because of him, that no instructors are ever allowed to sleep with students under 25, and no one under the age of 18 was allowed to take a class with Gaiman because of his behavior.
I'm so sick of this open secret [nonsense].
Image credits: Natcho_Mom
#18
After hearing about when he was younger, Mark Wahlberg literally committed hate crimes and even beat a Vietnamese man within an inch of his life. They were racially provoked as he harassed/attacked groups of black kids on several occasions while dropping the N word and hitting them with rocks, used Vietnamese slurs against the man he beat and later attacked another black man.
Yes, people make mistakes and do stupid things when young. But beating the living s**t out of and/or harassing others purely for their racial background on multiple occasions over the course of 6 years is not just one stupid young mistake.
Image credits: orangestar17
For those embroiled in scandals, it doesn't end once the hype dies down. "As a celebrity, you have to be mindful of your actions going forward and what you post online. Keep on top of negative rumors and gossip – clear the air and handle it with grace," notes Reputation 911, another online reputation management agency. The firm adds that it also helps to "commit yourself to a good cause, such as a charity or foundation, that aligns with your values."
#19
Will and Jada Smith.
#20
Ezra Miller.
u/deadonhomo:
I was shocked when I found out he went full crazy and kidnapped an underage girl.
Image credits: Kostalo
#21
Elon Musk. I was very impressed with both Tesla and SpaceX, until he started going over to the dark side. He has taken every bit of goodwill he once had and set fire to it with one of his flame throwers. He's dead to me now.
Taylor Swift took this route after her damaging public feud with Kanye West back in 2009. After taking a break from the limelight, Swift started rebuilding her image. "She supported causes and spoke up for her values. Swift became more vocal and active in social and political issues, such as women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and voting rights. She donated to various charities and organizations, such as the Tennessee Equality Project, GLAAD, and Feeding America," reads the FasterCapital site.
#22
The Will Smith slap has lost my respect for him. I liked him as the Fresh Prince, and watched as he became an action hero. Now I think he's gone over the edge. His ego is so big he thinks he can slap some on TV and try to humiliate them. I'm done with him. Not that he cares.
Image credits: ClownfishSoup
#23
Ellen DeGeneres.
#24
Justin Timberlake.
u/Guilty_Camel_3775:
I agree. Caught hand holding under the table on his wife was crazy. Now the DUI he tried so hard to weasel out of until he could no longer afford for it to keep affecting his fan base. He hasn't done anything good music wise in a long time. He lost his magic streak.
Image credits: Ok-Trash-8883
But Swift didn't stop there, as the site details. "She also encouraged her fans to register and vote, and endorsed candidates that aligned with her beliefs. She also advocated for the rights and fair treatment of artists in the music industry, and criticized the practices of streaming services and record labels. She also expressed her gratitude and appreciation for her fans, and interacted with them through social media and fan events."
Swift must have done something right. While she's not squeaky clean just yet, she's a lot better off than Kanye. The disgraced rapper continues to put his foot in his mouth and is struggling to stitch together the tatters of his ruined reputation.
#25
James Corden? Isn't he like horrible to people at restraunts and only pretends to be nice?
Image credits: SparkLabReal
#26
My respect was already hanging by a thread, but recent developments mean I can no longer tolerate Sylvester Stallone.
#27
Madonna and the older she gets it is getting worse.
#28
Joss Whedon really disappointed me. I will always love Buffy, Angel, Firefly, and the Avengers films, but finding out what a douche canoe he was to the actors kind of dulled some of the sparkle.
#29
Louis CK. Dude makes a living reading the room but couldn’t see how whipping out his d**k all the time could possibly traumatize women. Yeah right. He knew exactly what he was doing.
#30
Jack Horner, the paleontologist.
Started out as a scientist working at the University of Montana with multiple groundbreaking finds and was the scientific consultant for the original Jurassic Park and an icon for nerdy 90s kids.
Began pushing fringe theories about well documented species. Claimed T-rex was incapable of hunting, despite a plethora of evidence. (He apparently had a personal vendetta against T-rex.) Started using his fame to further push these disproven claims to the public. Proposed genetically modifying chickens to "create dinosaurs." It was literally called the "Build a Dinosaur Project" with the goal of making what he himself described as "chickenosaurus." Was finally forced to retire from from the university after marrying a 19 y/o student at around 70.
He's gone from a childhood hero to a whack-job law-skirting pedo.
#31
Kevin Spacey. I was such a big fan after seeing American Beauty, Usual Suspects, House of Cards, and the movie I will not name.
I lost respect for him after he admitted to being inappropriate/handsy at times even while denying all allegations.
Image credits: synonymous12
#32
Dave Grohl.
u/AverageWhiteGuy114:
He's a complete idiot. For example, if he was in his 20-30s and got a groupie pregnant, I could at least attempt to understand and tolerate it... but the dude is in his 50s. He for sure 100% knows better. What a moron. I feel so bad for his wife and his kids. So sad.
Image credits: BulletDodger
#33
Alex Baldwin and Whoopi and Oprah.
#34
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis.
u/MyLife-is-a-diceRoll:
Sep 11, 2023 — Kutcher and Kunis both wrote letters seeking leniency in sentencing for Danny Masterson after he was convicted on two r*pe counts.
They were letters of character for the judge during the trial. Those aren't supposed to get out.
Image credits: theromo45
#35
Lizzo. I loved everything she stood for until it was clear she didn't. Never been so disappointed and I don't think she ever took ownership and apologised for her behaviour towards her staff.
Not celebrities but 2 tennis players one who doped and lied about it and got away with it and another one who abused a line judge (got in a line judges face and screamed at them and then lied about swearing In Russian as if that was the problem) and also got away with it (took his prize money and points away and then promptly gave them all back).
Image credits: BodakY3llow
#36
Katy Perry, for supporting an abuser and forcefully kissing others
Neil Gaiman, for the accusations against him and how he reacted.
Image credits: RelarMage
#37
MrBeast, I began watching him back in the pandemic when he had 30 million subscribers and his videos were funny and unpredictable, but still contests. Soon his videos got dull, it was the same formula, less funny moments, jokes and sounds over used. I stopped watching him. Then the whole law suit thing with Amazon and Ava Tyson. Lost my respect. Actually thought he was out there helping people and a fun guy, instead he abused his workers and faked videos and hid bad things .
Image credits: PinkPigtails1818
#38
Ariana Grande.
#39
Adam Levine.
u/The_Real_LadyMacbeth:
Pretty sure he cheated on his wife. And attempted to do it more than once.
Image credits: JaoMapa1
#40
Blake Lively honestly after the fallout from It Ends With Us. I never had a strong opinion on her to begin with, but I had always figured she was a nice person as I know her and Ryan have done a lot of philanthropic things. But she handled all of that press tour soooooo poorly and then never addressed the accusations against her directly.
Image credits: Spacedout-side
#41
James Franco needs to be mentioned. I guess he’s trying to make a comeback and I’m vehemently against this.
#42
Mötley Crüe
I mean I never had respect for those morons, Nikki Sixx is a pretentious douchebag with a perpetual victim complex, Vince Neil is a drunk driver that literally k**led people, and Tommy Lee is just an idiot, but I started to absolutely loathe them after what they did to Mick Mars.
C***s.
Image credits: TechsupportThrw
#43
Years ago; Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie for their affair.
#44
Neil Gaiman. His twattishness became apparent when he married Amanda Palmer although recent revelations show he must always have been a terrible bastard.
#45
Most of them. They all want the same thing - enrich themselves on our dime. Then they get up on their soapbox, preach about being compassionate to others and then lock themselves behind fences in their mansions in gated enclaves.
#46
Just to provide one that hasn't been said yet, Garrison Keillor.
It's not only that he went from this purveyor of mild and inoffensive humor to alleged sexual harasser, it's the way he handled it. Instead of saying, I understand that my actions could be misconstrued and I will work to make sure that I maintain a more proper relationship with the young women in my employ, he just said sure I did a few things, but everybody does those things and that's not really harassment.
#47
There was a show called Gavin and Stacey. James cordon played a great character. Loved it when it first started. Now, one note of his voice, a pixel of a picture of him disgusts me beyond belief. America, forgive him his sins and take him back. He’s back home now and he’s stealing our oxygen.
#48
Found out Ian Somerhalder purposely threw his wife's birth control out to force her to get pregnant. He admitted this during an interview, she corroborated it and is still with him.
Image credits: Nicolozolo
#49
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. I can’t take a man seriously that has a contract for producers to agree on to have him win fights in movies he’s in. He’s not a good actor to be having any say on how stories should be told. Every movie he’s in as always f*****g bad, and yet ppl keep putting him in movies. He’s very disingenuous about his humanitarian efforts, his teaming up with Oprah Winfrey ask US to donate when both people have money to help the fires in Hawaii for a tax write off and us to supplement themselves. In interviews he doesn’t say anything that we don’t already know bout him. I want to like him but he takes himself too seriously for a guy that is so f*****g unserious.
Image credits: Venusianflytrapp
#50
JK Rowling.
