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“From A Good Actor To A Bunch Of Bad Movies And Then Alzheimer’s”: 32 Sad Celebrity Downfalls
For a celebrity, their image is vital. If a famous person's reputation is tarnished, they're less likely to get work or be popular. At least that's what we'd think. Surprisingly, people don't really care about celebrity scandals. 50% of Americans remain indifferent to celebrity controversies; in fact, 20% would consume more of their work despite the controversy.
However, while some scandals are earned and are a result of a celebrity miscalculating their star power, others are totally undeserved. For example, we reflect differently on Britney Spears' so-called meltdown in 2007. What back then looked like entertainment today seems like gross exploitation of a young woman during a vulnerable time.
People nowadays have more perspective and compassion for famous people. So, when one netizen asked, "What celebrity downfall did you actually feel bad for?" people named many celebs whose careers got derailed for no justifiable reason.
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#1
The hysteria of the arrest of George Michael from the bathroom incident in which he was arrested for a lewd act in '98 was awful. At a time when homosexuality was still illegal in the US, George Michael's career and personal life saw a significant decline and led to a bunch of arrests.
As someone also queer, it pained me to see him forced to come out publicly. He later described how deeply painful this was for him (because of course it was).
The media was just vicious, particularly in the UK. And there was a feeling with some fans of a sort of betrayal since their heartthrob was not straight.
(He turned it around, maybe not entirely, but he is a queer icon forever but it was clearly just so much hell for him.)
Marnie 8 hours ago
"At a time when homosexuality was still illegal in the US" isn't quite accurate or is at best misleading. It makes it seem like all homosexuals were locked up if they were caught in same-s*x acts. Some but not all states still had sodomy laws, which could and sometimes were used against homosexuals, but I mean, the show Will & Grace started in 1998, and I don't remember there being any uproar. In the early 80s, there were kids in high school who were openly gay.
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#2
Monica Lewinsky. She was so, so young and Clinton used her. The girl was confiding in a woman who was *pretending* to be her friend to learn more so she could spill her guts to the world AND the whole world shamed Monica. The whole world laughed at Monica. She was 22.
As a young girl watching that happen to her made me mad in ways I wouldn’t learn how to voice until college. Bill Clinton and to a lesser extent Linda Tripp are literally walking garbage and I take comfort in the absolute confidence they are burning in hell at some point.
#3
Sinead O’Connor complained about the Catholic Church. Was boycotted by almost everyone. Ten years later the scandals she highlighted were headlines. Was still treated as a troublesome personality.
Marnie 8 hours ago
Part of the problem here was that she ripped up the picture of the pope, but gave no explanation for it. If you're going to protest, you should make sure people know what you're protesting. I didn't hold it against her, but I never knew (until maybe a couple of years ago) why she did it. I think it was very unfair how she was treated, don't get me wrong.
#4
Princess Diana. The relentless press harassment and defamatory stories made her life a misery. She was then viirtually Deified by them post-mortem.
Sadly it took until 2011 and the Leveson Enquiry before the Press were finally held to account.
meeeeeeeeeeee 6 hours ago
They were crawling on top of the car wreck, snapping photos as she lay dying
#5
I’m not sure if this counts, but Tina Turner’s issues being used as a joke to the point where she moved to Europe always broke my heart.
Gingersnap In Iowa 8 hours ago
She was very talented. It's a shame that Ike treated her the way he did.
#8
Elizabeth Berkley. She did everything asked of her. Directors, writers and producers - more often than not - require actresses to appear unclothed. And the public criticized only her. Yes - it is tacky, vulgar and tasteless to cash in on female body to sell tickets - but nobody is held responsible except the actress.
PenguinEmp 6 hours ago
No her downfall was because she was in a terrible movie and couldn't get past it.
#9
The way Wil Wheaton was treated because of his character on Star Trek and what his parents were doing with his money. I don't want to know what would have happened to his parents had Jonathan Frakes had found out about it when there was no grey in his beard, that was a man who was barely controlling himself when he was asked about the story of Wil Wheaton and his parents.
Ellinor she/they/elle 8 hours ago
I like that this is talked about in The Big Bang Theory, I know it was played as jokes most of the times but it still had a serious undertone and the actor himself got to play himself talking about it.
#10
This is from Old Hollywood. I've always felt that Fatty Arbuckle got a raw deal. There was no physical evidence, he was acquitted, and still lost his career Mind you, he was the 1st Hollywood star to sign a million dollar deal. The system that promoted him spat him back out when the waters looked a bit murky.
#11
Ellie Kemper getting backlash for participating in that weird antebellum daddy/daughter dance. It was obviously something she just did as a teenager to please her parents and her apology confirmed that for me.
#12
Here’s one that UK redditors may know, Lena Zavaroni. She was a Scottish child singer in the 1970s with one of the most amazing voices ever. She was discovered singing with her family in a pub I think when she was about 10, and was snapped up by a London manager who booked her in a ton of shows. The manager said she was fat and by 13 she ended up with anorexia. She also developed horrible, debilitating depression. Because of her health issues she was essentially done as a performer by her early 20s. Because her money was mismanaged and some other reasons she was basically destitute. When she was 35 she had a ‘medical procedure’ to help with her depression. The rumor has always been that she was so desperate to curb the depression that she had a lobotomy. While she was in the hospital she contracted pneumonia and it was fatal. Her manager used her, drove her to anorexia and never admitted any responsibility in the situation. It’s a really sad story.
#13
Anna Nicole Smith- always my answer
She was used and turned into a walking joke. She saw her son pass away and then she did to. Her life and how she was treated always make me sad to think about.
#14
I have yet to see it.
Rosie O’Donnell. She spoke up against Trump back in the 90’s/00’s. There was time where people loved Trump and would laugh and agree when he made fun of Rosie.
She spoke out against the US forces and their involvement with innocent civilians in the Middle East.
Ok maybe you don’t like her comedy or you find her loud and annoying. But she didn’t deserve the public ridicule and hatred she deserved. .
Con O Cuinn 4 hours ago
She also went on The View to broadcast her BS ill informed 9/11 conspiracy theories. Let's not canonise her just yet.
#15
Amy Winehouse. So much talent. She fell into the wrong crowd - had horrible parents who were enablers - we all watched her slowly die and nobody did anything to help her get better. The Press we’re awful ghouls too.
#16
Lindsay Lohan
She had some serious issues as a result of her upbringing (she’s since made peace and understanding with her family) but the media made it out like she was this terrible human being. Like in 2007 it was between her and Britney who the tabloids were going to attack next.
She’s since gotten clean, sober, dealt with her legal issues and got an understanding of her past (which is what you do) and has been acting again with a Freaky Friday sequel due if it’s not out already. She’s going to be 40 next year (I’m around her age and it doesn’t bother me) and honestly it’s glad she got it together before that milestone of an age.
#17
Philip Seymour Hoffman.
He was an incredible character actor who really seemed like one of the few people in Hollywood who had their life together. He was in his late 40s and wasn’t close to his peak.
And then he gave up years of sobriety at a wrap party for The Master and had a *single* drink. It kicked off a spiral that eventually destroyed him.
#18
Bruce Willis from a good actor to a bunch of bad movies and then Alzheimer’s.
#19
I feel like what happened to Al Franken was taken a little too far.
Michael Largey 5 hours ago
Franken did it to himself. Groping a woman when her husband is taking pictures while you're a US senator represents a self-destructive obsession. There is no recovery from that. Speaking as a huge Al Franken fan.
#20
Milli Vanilli.
Simluvac:
I watched that bio movie about them 'Girl You Know It's True' I think 2 or 3 months ago and it was really good. I was about 10 when the lip synching was fully exposed and I fondly remember the scrutiny and backlash they got but because I was so young I never knew the logistics of the situation and didn't really know about Fab and Rob's lives. I knew they were the butts of many jokes ever since. The movie was really good and it didn't portray them as the absolute villains the public made them out to be. I felt really bad for them. If anyone is interested in checking it out it's currently streaming on Tubi. Again, it's a great watch.
#21
Lara Flynn Boyle.
AFAIK she was never cancelled. But it feels like for a period of time she was one of the most beautiful and famous actresses... and then one day she stopped working and started showing up in tabloids looking physically very different. I don't know what happened, if she had an illness or substance issue what.
#22
Honestly, I can't help but feel a little bad for Rachel Zegler. She did and said some dumb things that she probably shouldn't have, but the internet destroyed her. Even I, who has absolutely doesn't care about the remake of snow white, got a little sucked into the propaganda. The same mob that cries about "cancel culture" is quick to ruin somebody's career over things that has nothing to do with them.
Emilu 6 hours ago
Can't agree with this one, sorry. The things that she said were, amongst other things, naive, childish, insensitive to her colleagues and, frankly, far too political for a Disney film (normally I wouldn't give a s**t about someone 'being political', but I think when it comes to something like starring in a Disney movie you have to use your brain and realise that your employer wouldn't want politics coming into a movie made primarily for kids).
#23
Aziz Ansari. Seemed like the dude got cancelled over being awkward/bad with women and having an awful date during the peak of MeToo and everyone acted like he was a predator.
#24
Garrison Keillor. He didn't do *all that.* The biggest grievance towards him was that he accidentally touched a woman's bare back when he was trying to comfort her when she was crying. Yeah, it was probably weird, for both of them, and keeping his hands to himself probably would have been a better move. He's a tactile and extremely socially awkward, lumbering sort of fella. He was touching my jacket when I met him and I'm a dude. I'm not saying I love it, but Joe Biden has the same mannerisms and tendencies and he was our last president. All in all, Keillor meant a lot to a lot of people over the years (and still does) and it was unbecoming of all parties to completely crucify him the way they did.
Michael Largey 5 hours ago
Keillor, by his own admission, did more than the OP has described. Speaking as a long-time - and current - admirer of Keillor.
#25
Corey Haim. I grew up watching his movies and thought he was very talented. Hearing about everything he went through really broke my heart.
#26
Bam Margera. His downfall is 100% self inflicted, but it was still sad to see mental illness take its toll. So glad to see that he seems to be doing better now.
#27
Paris Hilton - Parents who sent her away to various “troubled teen” camps, profited off her social influence, and than turned to say “what did we do wrong”
Emilu 6 hours ago (edited)
She's done a bit of a 180 though. She's a successful businesswoman who, after dropping the 'blonde bimbo' act has done well for herself. Still can't say I agree with all her fashion choices, but I have massive respect for her making something of herself that isn't reliant on 'being famous'.
#28
This is gonna sound weird, but I only feel bad for certain aspects of his downfall:
Kanye West is a mentally ill person who, once the person who seemed to be his only genuine support in his life was gone, began a downward spiral in which everyone around him swooped in and are slowly eating him alive. Like I totally get and agree with the criticism he gets, but at the same time he’s very obviously just mentally a walking corpse at this point. We’re watching what happens when someone is so ridiculously rich that they can just perpetually live in psychosis.
#29
Gary Busey. His future looked bright after the Buddy Holly movie until the motorcycle accident.
Stephanie Did It 5 hours ago
I wouldn't call that a downfall. He had a motorcycle accident without wearing a helmet. It was a bad decision, true, but he was disabled-- not guilty of moral or criminal wrongdoing.
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persephone134 7 hours ago
Why does the BP bot never automatically delete those posts beginning with "I get paid over...."?
persephone134 7 hours ago
Why does the BP bot never automatically delete those posts beginning with "I get paid over...."?
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