10 Celebrities Everyone Lost Respect For
The chances of these celebrities bouncing back are slim to none. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the celebrities who were once well-liked or significant contributors to their craft until their careers were rocked by scandal.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 I need somebody I can talk to.
00:02 We're talking.
00:03 Tell me what we're talking about.
00:05 Welcome to WatchMojo!
00:07 And today we're counting down our picks for the celebrities who were once well-liked or
00:11 significant contributors to their craft until their careers were rocked by scandal.
00:17 I was there from day one.
00:18 We were all petrified of her.
00:20 She was not nice.
00:23 Number 10.
00:24 Lance Armstrong.
00:26 This didn't get much more revered and respected than Lance Armstrong.
00:30 Armstrong wins the Tour de France.
00:32 For seven straight years, he dominated arguably the hardest sporting event in the world.
00:36 The name and cycling, Armstrong broke through the niche sport to become a national hero,
00:42 a reputation that was bolstered by seven straight Tour de France wins.
00:47 But his legacy crumbled after the United States Anti-Doping Agency uncovered widespread use
00:52 of performance-enhancing drugs.
00:54 I couldn't just lay down.
00:56 There was no difference between attacking in the mountains or attacking at the press
01:00 conference.
01:01 Not only did Armstrong take these substances himself, he also oversaw, in the words of
01:07 USADA, the most sophisticated, doping program that sport has ever seen.
01:13 Never should have taken it on, especially knowing that most of what they said was true.
01:19 So yeah, that was pretty much it for him.
01:22 Armstrong has since said goodbye to several of his titles and faded into sports infamy.
01:27 People ask me a lot, "How you doing?"
01:29 And I tell them, I say, "Well, I've been better, but I've also been worse."
01:33 Number 9.
01:34 Amber Heard.
01:36 The Depp vs. Heard story is a twisty one.
01:39 First it was Johnny Depp who was the public villain, even losing his role as Grindelwald
01:44 in the Fantastic Beasts series.
01:46 He claims he didn't strike her, but again, that's not the basis for our emotion.
01:51 The public perception later began to shift and Amber Heard became a main target.
01:55 The ex-partners sued and counter-sued each other in court, leading to the infamous Depp
02:00 vs. Heard trial of 2022.
02:03 It was a PR nightmare for the once-respected actress, as social media viciously mocked
02:08 and ridiculed her.
02:10 This perception was not aided by the verdict, with the jury finding Heard liable of defamation
02:15 and awarding Depp $15 million in damages.
02:18 "As against Amber Heard, we the jury award compensatory damages in the amount of $10
02:25 million."
02:26 Depp was also found liable for one matter of defamation, with Heard earning $2 million.
02:31 "As against John C. Depp II, we the jury award compensatory damages in the amount of
02:38 $2 million."
02:40 Both appealed, but eventually settled.
02:42 Number 8.
02:43 Matt Lauer.
02:44 In some ways, Matt Lauer was the last vestige of a bygone age.
02:49 "We're very excited to be celebrating you, Matt.
02:51 And Al and I were lucky enough to be here when it all started in 1997."
02:57 Today, most people get their news through social media or phone notifications.
03:02 It seems like the age of the news anchor is largely over, and perhaps it went out with
03:07 Lauer.
03:08 He hosted Today for 20 years starting in 1997, but the #MeToo movement eventually led to
03:14 disturbing discoveries.
03:15 Indeed, Lauer's firing was revealed on November 29, 2017, with the chairman of NBC explaining
03:22 that Lauer had been accused of sexual harassment.
03:25 More victims then came forward, sharing similar stories.
03:28 However, journalist Ronan Farrow claims in his book Catch and Kill that NBC was well
03:33 aware of Lauer's criminal behavior before his termination.
03:37 "The evidence in this book, the documentation and paper trail of settlements, reveals that
03:42 there were multiple arrangements to keep women quiet who had allegations against Matt Lauer
03:48 years before this one that got him fired."
03:51 7.
03:52 J.K.
03:53 Rowling Despite the controversy, Harry Potter isn't
03:56 going anywhere.
03:57 It's still a cultural phenomenon, and HBO announced that they were adapting the novels
04:01 into a television series.
04:03 But this is a modern example of a problematic name being uttered in hushed tones.
04:08 Rowling's opinions on sex and gender, specifically those on transgender individuals, have elicited
04:15 enormous backlash in recent years.
04:17 Many within the wizarding world, including past actors and various fansites, have condemned
04:22 Rowling's viewpoints, as have many experts in the field.
04:26 She has been called transphobic and a trans-exclusionary radical feminist, and some activists have
04:32 even burned Harry Potter books in retaliation.
04:35 Others, however, continue to find solace in the franchise while still condemning the author.
04:41 "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself."
04:44 6.
04:45 Paula Deen There are few Southern chefs as big as Paula
04:50 Deen.
04:51 "I have a fabulous healthy bean dip with sun-dried tomatoes."
04:56 A Daytime Emmy winner, Deen was a successful chef and media personality who made flavorful
05:02 dishes heavy on the butter and grease.
05:04 They weren't necessarily the healthiest meals in the world, but they exemplified Southern
05:09 comfort.
05:10 However, the chef faced a massive career setback in 2013 when she was accused of racial and
05:15 sexual discrimination.
05:16 "The pain has been tremendous that I have caused to myself and to others."
05:22 It wasn't the lawsuit itself that got Deen into trouble, but the deposition in which
05:26 she admitted to using a racist slur in the past.
05:29 "According to the deposition, Deen was asked, 'Have you ever used the n-word yourself?'
05:33 To which she replies, 'Yes, of course.'
05:36 When asked for context, she said it was in a conversation with her husband."
05:39 Virtually every business partner of Deen's dropped her as a client and she quickly faded
05:44 from public consciousness.
05:45 "I think it's a learning lesson for her and it's a learning lesson for the people that
05:48 do forgive.
05:49 So, I would forgive her."
05:52 5.
05:53 Kevin Spacey It's amazing how quickly Kevin Spacey fell
05:56 from grace.
05:57 On October 28, 2017, he was a beloved Oscar-winning actor whose name guaranteed a critical darling.
06:05 And the next day, he was an ostracized celebrity who was widely hated.
06:10 That was the result of actor Anthony Rapp accusing Spacey of assaulting him in 1986.
06:15 This accusation opened the floodgates and over a dozen victims came forth to share their
06:19 stories about being abused and assaulted.
06:30 He was instantly dropped from numerous projects, including the hit Netflix show, House of Cards.
06:35 Charges were also filed, but Spacey was ultimately acquitted.
06:38 Still, there's arguably a dark cloud over his name now.
06:42 4.
06:43 Ellen DeGeneres There's no denying that Ellen DeGeneres became
06:47 a shining figure in the history of television.
06:50 "Susan, I'm gay."
06:53 1997's The Puppy episode from Ellen is a landmark hour, featuring the character coming out as
06:58 a lesbian, with the actress also doing the same around that time.
07:02 She would later find great success in the talk show industry with The Ellen DeGeneres
07:06 Show, running nearly 20 seasons between 2003 and 2022.
07:12 But in July of 2020, BuzzFeed News published the accounts of former employees who accused
07:17 DeGeneres of creating a hostile work environment.
07:20 This included a history of racism.
07:22 "I learned that things happened here that never should have happened.
07:25 I take that very seriously and I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected."
07:30 While DeGeneres attempted to apologize during the 18th season premiere, it wasn't enough
07:34 to save her reputation.
07:36 "Bony, liar, hypocrite.
07:39 That's my reaction."
07:40 She chose to end her show just a few years later.
07:43 Number 3.
07:44 Michael Richards Few other shows dominated the 90s quite like
07:48 Seinfeld.
07:49 And few dominated Seinfeld more than Michael Richards.
07:53 While the sitcom was named after its lead actor and character, it was often Kramer who
07:57 stole the show with his wacky antics.
07:59 "You're still feeling good all the time, huh?"
08:05 Richards received five straight Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy
08:09 and won three of them.
08:11 It seemed like a legacy that would never be tarnished.
08:14 That is until November 17th, 2006 when he was infamously captured on video making a
08:20 racist tirade at the Hollywood Laugh Factory.
08:23 It absolutely shattered his reputation and effectively ended his career in comedy.
08:28 "I'm really busted up over this and I'm very, very sorry to those people in the audience.
08:36 The blacks, the Hispanics, the whites, everyone that was there that took the brunt of that
08:40 anger and hate and rage."
08:44 Number 2.
08:45 Roseanne Barr Despite being a cultural juggernaut, Seinfeld
08:49 did have its share of competition and Roseanne was among it.
08:53 "Why'd you find out about me?"
08:55 A widely beloved show, it received praise for its working class themes and Barr won
09:00 the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy in 1993.
09:04 The sitcom came to an end in 1997, but remained in the cultural consciousness, leading to
09:10 a revival 21 years later.
09:12 But just nine episodes aired before it was swiftly cancelled, later being reworked as
09:16 The Conners.
09:17 "This would have sold like hotcakes if only you hadn't killed off the most interesting
09:21 character."
09:22 This wasn't due to low ratings, but Barr making a racist remark on Twitter.
09:26 The president of ABC called it "abhorrent and repugnant," a sentiment that pretty much
09:31 everyone agreed with.
09:32 "ABC pulled the plug on the show saying Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent,
09:37 repugnant, and inconsistent with our values and we've decided to cancel her show."
09:42 Needless to say, Barr wasn't a part of The Conners.
09:56 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
10:00 about our latest videos.
10:01 You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
10:05 If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
10:10 1.
10:12 Bill Cosby While a popular figure throughout the 60s
10:16 and 70s, Cosby earned national renown for playing Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show.
10:21 Both the sitcom and the role were groundbreaking, and Cosby became known as "America's Dad"
10:26 for his endless warmth and lovability.
10:29 But this veneer was hiding a very dark underbelly.
10:32 "Who's in trouble now?"
10:36 Cosby's history with sexual assault became more widely known in 2014, when numerous women
10:42 accused the comedian of sexual assault.
10:44 "I never saw any drugs, but I would wake up completely confused."
10:51 An accuser named Jewel Allison stated, "He got away with it because he was hiding behind
10:56 the image of Cliff Huxtable."
10:57 Though a conviction occurred in 2018, it was overturned about three years later.
11:02 Not because the court was now claiming Cosby was innocent, but rather for violation of
11:07 due process.
11:08 Do you think any of these celebrities will make a comeback?
11:11 Let us know in the comments below!
11:36 (upbeat music)