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A simple glance at most human myths and epics would suggest that we like heroes. So most of us tend to also admire certain people we find cool or inspirational, favorite singers and actors, an artist whose works struck a chord. But unfortunately, sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Someone asked “Who are some people you used to admire but later found out were horrible?” and people shared their examples. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote the examples that maybe hit a bit too hard to home and be sure to add your own thoughts in point to the comments down below.

#1

Elderly woman in a religious habit holding a plaque at a podium, symbolizing people admired until secrets came out. Mother Teresa. She was awful, making her patients suffer while she took all the pain meds when it was her suffering.

scruffyrosalie , Reagan White House Photographs Report

G A
Community Member
2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Vile woman peddling sky fairy stories. Sandles in the bin

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    #2

    Person wearing sunglasses and a cap, holding a chainsaw on stage, symbolizing admired people with dirty secrets revealed. Remember when people said Elon was going to be the real life Tony Stark.

    FRakanazz:

    Elon had a generational falloff, he went from an ambitious space guy to the stupid guy on twitter who acts like a kid.

    Annual_Owl_1462 , Gage Skidmore Report

    Fungus John
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He didn't have a fall off, he was always like that. People just refused to see it.

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    #3

    Young man in denim jacket and jeans sitting casually outdoors, representing people admired before dirty secrets came out. John Lennon. I love his talent but he is absurd. WHY IS A WIFE BEATER SUCH A GREAT MUSICIAN

    SlimShadyfan96 , Bob Gruen Report

    G A
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He was an arsehole.

    iseefractals
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He's been dead for 45 years, and is still celebrated by billions around the world, every single day. You, are judging a person you never met, based on personal assumptions and third hand accounts in an effort to make yourself feel more important. So what does that make you?

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    Mike F
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Personally I always thought he was overrated. I much preferred McCartney and Harrison over Lennon.

    SheHulk
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Imagine" is one of the most overrated songs of all time.

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    Peeka_Mimi
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My Nany was his housekeeper, she said he was an @$$hole.

    Andi
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    'Imagine no possessions' ... Said the man with an air conditioned room in his New York apartment just for his and Yoko's fir coats. There is a wonderful picture that says it all -during their Bed-in for peace, there is a photo of them standing to one side watching the hotel maid change their bedding. Perfectly acceptable in many ways, but something in it makes me scream.

    Graham_Illegal
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One can argue that smoking is harmful, and the statement remains true and accurate even if the person making it is a smoker. This dynamic becomes even more complicated when it comes to social commentary. For example, almost everyone who has ever criticized capitalism has benefited from it, yet they may still recognize that it is a distorted and unfair system for the majority. If the problem is systemic, it cannot be solved simply by setting an ascetic personal example — especially when the message must be delivered to a wide audience within the very system being criticized. Your statement, therefore, is a classic case of "tu quoque". It fails to engage with the systemic nature of the argument and instead reflects a hyper-individualist illusion. The belief that meaningful change can be achieved solely by individuals altering their habits one by one.

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    Cee Cee
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Horrible man and far from being a saint like many people think. Never liked him and wasn't a Beatles fan. I preferred the Stones and The Who.

    Earthquake903
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Overrated and exceedingly a b u s ive

    Breadcrumb.
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yess! Not many younger people know this about him. It's like the public wants to keep that a secret.

    Graham_Illegal
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not exactly! We know this part of his life because he said so himself, in his songs and in interviews. Over time, he embraced feminism and pacifism, and he did so way before it was cool. His stance against racism, sexism, and war even damaged his career when he could have simply remained a successful pop star like McCartney.

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    Graham_Illegal
    Community Member
    1 week ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lennon was a violent young man who abüsed people close to him. We know this because he said so himself, in his songs and in interviews. He did not hide his past, he reflected on it and changed. Over time, he embraced feminism and pacifism, and he did so way before it was cool. In fact, his stance against racism, sexism, and war damaged his career when he could have simply remained a successful pop star. To act as if the truth has only just been revealed, or as if he never evolved, ignores the full trajectory of his life. His story does not erase his wrongdoing, but it stands as an example of self-examination and transformation.

    bs7d2r6cst
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have to say that I have stopped listening to quite a few bands, muscisians etc who have shown themselves to be unworthy. This guy is one of them. I have had an awful lot of arguments with people about this but, I cannot listen to the music of somebody who is a known woman a****r.

    Anne Edwards
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But to be fair he also just dumped his first child and had virtually nothing to do with him. Fortunately that child's mother remarried and brought him a wonderful father.

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    Amanda Reinstatler
    Community Member
    2 days ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He was already overrated before he was outed as an abus1ve a$$hole

    Marc Wilson
    Community Member
    6 days ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The man who wrote "imagine no possessions" kept a spare air-conditioned apartment in the Dakota building to store fur coats. He was talented but he was not a nice man.

    iseefractals
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He was a person. Nothing more, nothing less. A person that was thrust into the kind of fame the world have never seen by the time he was 22 years old, by the time the band that made him famous broke up, he wasn't yet 30 years old. I'm so incredibly sick and tired of the virtue signaling morality mob, clinging desperately to their smartphones trying to make themselves out to be more important, more worthwhile, more successful for cutting others down.....because they didn't live up the fictionalized ideal YOU built up in your own mind. If everyone were judged by the worst thing they've ever done, no one would be allowed out in public.

    BrunoVI
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    People should have paid more attention to Imagine. That's not a song about peace and love; it's a song about wishing that anyone who disagrees with you about anything would simply disappear off the face of the Earth. He had the soul of a North Korean dictator, and it was plain as day in what he wrote.

    Graham_Illegal
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Wishing that anyone who disagrees with you about anything would simply disappear off the face of the Earth" — Nah, that’s all in your head. The song only asks you — doesn’t even command — to try to imagine something and think about it. It doesn’t give you orders or even suggestions. It simply invites you to use your brain, reflect on an idea, and then make your own judgment. The song treats its audience as adults capable of critical thinking... which may have been a little too optimistic in your case, but never mind.

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    #4

    Elderly man with white hair and black glasses wearing a light gray shirt, representing people admired until secrets revealed. Had no idea that Woody Allen was a racist, misogynistic homophobe

    ihatethiscountry76 , Georges Biard Report

    LookASquirrel
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not to mention grooming his stepdaughter and marrying her and them becoming close friends with Epstein. Kinda missed that big one. Oh, and what he did to his adopted daughter Dylan.

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    #6

    Man in sunglasses and leather jacket speaking into a microphone, representing people admired until dirty secrets revealed. Andrew Tate. At that time I was bad at English and the only thing I knew about him that "he used to insult islam now he's muslim!" But now getting better at English and seeing his tweets... He seems comically evil that it's ridiculous lol.

    Front-Dog9412 , Anything Goes With James English Report

    Breadcrumb.
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The fact that he thinks r**e should be legal, it's f*****g insane insane the amount of young boys that look up to him..we haven't gotten very far in society.

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    #7

    Close-up of a woman with long black hair and dark lipstick, representing people admired until their dirty secrets came out. Nicki minaj.

    ancient_bored:

    I refuse to believe that was the real Nicki. She used to be such a big supporter of the LGBT movement. I think Trump replaced her with a robot clone, change my mind.

    WolverinesW1fe , Gage Skidmore Report

    #8

    Man smiling at an event, dressed in a black blazer and grey shirt, relating to people admired with dirty secrets. Neil DeGrasse Tyson

    I recently learned he roofied a girl. It has ruined her life and due to the trauma of it she had to drop out of college while Tyson has been on TV for being such a stand up guy and all his accomplishments.

    Alexandritecrys , Maryland GovPics Report

    #9

    Man in a fitted green shirt making a serious phone call inside a worn-down room for people admired and dirty secrets topic Will Smith. That man broke my heart after being such an important piece of my childhood.

    __Shadowman__:

    To be fair in this world of celebrities and billionaires slapping someone is pretty mild in comparison lol. Doesn't mean it was right though.

    Clever-Innuendo , Paramount Pictures Report

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    #10

    Man wearing glasses holding little girl in pink fairy costume, capturing people admired until dirty secrets revealed. Jackie Chan's treatment of his kids, especially the daughter.

    DeadZone32 , Relativity Media Report

    JayWantsACat
    Community Member
    1 week ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He's also a massive CCP shill, which I guess is par for the course to be successful in China. But plenty of other Chinese actors don't go out of their way to show their support, so...

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    #11

    Man in suit reading The Cat in the Hat book at desk surrounded by children's books, reflecting admired people with secrets. Dr Seuss. He hated kids and cheated on his ill wife multiple times

    akawetfart , Al Ravenna Report

    Smeghead Tribble Down Under
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He didn't ''hate'' kids; he was wary of them because they're unpredictable.

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    #12

    Man speaking at a conference with a large blurred portrait behind him, representing people admired until dirty secrets revealed. Bill Gates. Back in the day Windows was good, and his ad for Doom was incredible. Now Windows isn't good, he's a confirmed cheater, and he hasn't made any cool Doom ads.

    timbertham , World Economic Forum Report

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    #13

    Black and white photo of a man in a leather jacket and jeans representing people admired before their dirty secrets. No one is ever topping Michael Jackson.

    movezig123 , Matthew Rolston Report

    TheOneWithTheHat
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think MJ was a victim of his own childhood. Not a bad person. He himself needed help.

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    #14

    Man with curly hair and black jacket in a nighttime city setting, representing people admired until dirty secrets came out. Neil Gaiman. can't see him the same way after all the allegations.

    M-the-Great , Kyle Cassidy Report

    #15

    Performer in a black hoodie singing on stage with purple and pink lighting, representing people admired until dirty secrets emerged. The automatic answer to this is D4vd. Guy seemed like a breath of fresh air (reminded me a lot of X, Juice, etc)



    Well..we all know what this POS ended up doing.

    No_Scientist_1848 , AskeeaeWiki Report

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    #16

    Older man with white hair and glasses wearing a white jacket, holding a microphone, representing admired people with dirty secrets. Hayao Miyazaki. I admire his work a lot but I don't like him personally. He's a deadbeat dad, to the point where his sons watching his work is the only way they can connect to him

    AntiDaFrog , Natasha Baucas Report

    DrBronxx
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not strictly a deadbeat dad, because he financially provided for his family, but certainly a career-driven more-or-less absent father. Which s***s, given how much of his work focuses on children, and the trials and tribulations they go through.

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    #17

    Close-up of a man in a suit and tie with an American flag background, representing people admired until dirty secrets emerged. Bill Clinton. He spoke so coherently and thoughtfully during his gubernatorial campaign and early presidency . Then he blew his chances to pass any meaningful legislation. I admired Hillary but she always was who she was.

    BuffaloOk7264 , Bob McNeely, The White House Report

    Skogsrået
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't care what he said, he's also in the Epstein files and should face consequences.

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    #18

    Black and white photo of a smiling man in a wheelchair, representing people admired until dirty secrets came out. I still don't understand why Hawkings abandoned his family for a grifter? 

    Numerophilus , NASA Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    Premium
    2 weeks ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He was abûsed by the second wife, had possibly been manipulated into it. Eventually left her and reconnected with the first one.

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    #19

    Young person speaking into a microphone and gaming keyboard, representing people admired until their dirty secrets came out. Shayy (an undertale speedruner that was actually a groomer).

    ironmajor77 , Shayy Report

    #20

    Woman with red hair and green eyes wearing hoop earrings and a polka dot blouse representing admired people with dirty secrets. I still think Harry Potter is the best book series ever made, but JK Rowling is pretty horrible on social media. Although I feel like everyone says stuff they don't mean on social media, she doubles down.

    Glum_Lime1397 , John Mathew Smith Report

    Remi (He/Him)
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    People saying she's defending women here haven't really been paying attention. She is virulently against all trans people, to the point that women who don't look womanlike enough are on her crosshairs. Also being anti trans is not being for women, it's just bigotry dressed up. She's ready to deny horrors of the Naži regime just to deny trans people were kîlled by the nažis, she's also attacking cis women who look too "manly", which usually are women of color – coincidence? I think not.

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    #21

    Close-up of a serious man in a suit and tie, representing people admired until their dirty secrets came out. I used to think Putin was chill until he attacked Ukraine.

    magikaross , Пресс-служба Президента РФ Report

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