While some of these names might rebound down the line, it’s hard to imagine others ever coming back. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at celebs whose careers and public images took turns for the worst in 2023.
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00:00 Hi everyone, I've been wanting to come online and talk to you about a few things.
00:06 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at celebs whose careers in public images took
00:12 turns for the worst in 2023.
00:15 Although a couple of these names might rebound somewhere down the line, it's hard to imagine
00:19 others ever coming back.
00:21 There's no way I ain't getting laid off for the show tonight.
00:25 Number 10, Jada Pinkett Smith.
00:27 The 2022 Oscars led to numerous hot takes concerning Will Smith and Chris Rock, but
00:32 what about Jada?
00:33 And I didn't go in there as his wife, but I was leaving that as his wife.
00:37 While some sympathized with the Smith family matriarch, she only seemed to lose support
00:41 with her 2023 memoir, Worthy.
00:44 Although not without a few revelations that painted Pinkett Smith in an empathetic light,
00:49 many found the book to be TMI overload, especially concerning her marriage.
00:53 There's nothing you can say to a man to justify what you have done to Will Smith.
00:59 It turns out that the couple separated in 2016, and Pinkett Smith suggested that the
01:04 slap brought them closer.
01:06 Rather than present a relatable, nuanced portrayal of herself, Pinkett Smith fed into what a
01:10 lot of tabloids and talk shows have been saying for a while.
01:13 We will work through whatever, and I just haven't been able to break that promise.
01:19 How can we keep Jada's name out of our mouths if she keeps supplying the fuel?
01:23 At our wedding, someone stood up and objected.
01:25 Who was it?
01:26 It was me, yeah.
01:28 Number 9.
01:29 David Cho There was so many things that I did in my
01:32 addiction that I didn't want to do, but content.
01:34 Oh, this is going to be in my book later.
01:36 Although his career spanned music, art, and journalism, David Cho rose to mainstream attention
01:42 with the hit Netflix series, Beef.
01:44 You work, I cash, and then I'm going to keep cashing.
01:49 Cho made a strong impression as Isaac, who has trouble staying out of jail.
01:53 Akin to his aggressive character, Cho spent multiple months in a Japanese prison after
01:57 attacking a security guard.
01:59 He's also clashed with the law in California, but it was a 2014 podcast that came to haunt
02:04 the actor.
02:05 Cho recalled assaulting a masseuse, making light of the situation.
02:09 While Cho later claimed that the podcast was fictional, critics found it distasteful that
02:13 he would actually joke about such a thing.
02:15 Dor fiction, what seemed like a breakout year for Cho, fell to pieces in less than a month.
02:21 Number 8.
02:22 Till Lindemann Lead singer of the German band Rammstein,
02:25 Till Lindemann found himself at the center of grooming allegations in June 2023.
02:30 A Northern Ireland woman named Shelby Lynn claimed that she was given an alcoholic drink
02:35 and told to meet Lindemann during an intermission.
02:38 According to Lynn, she told Lindemann up front that she wouldn't have sex with him.
02:42 Supposedly, the singer angrily left, but Lynn suspected that her drink had been spiked.
02:47 While Lynn says she wasn't assaulted, her memory of the night is "blurry."
02:52 Several more women came forward, including an anonymous one who claimed to be underage
02:56 when she entered a relationship with Lindemann.
02:59 The case was dropped due to limited evidence, but Lindemann's scandal has cast a cloud over
03:03 Rammstein's approaching 30th anniversary.
03:05 "The system was designed to coerce these women into doing things that some of them were not
03:12 prepared to do."
03:13 Number 7.
03:14 Lizzo We must admit, the public turning on Lizzo
03:17 wasn't on our bingo sheet for 2023.
03:19 "It's very important to me that of course the show goes well, but that everybody is
03:24 safe and healthy on this tour."
03:27 Between winning four Grammys and inspiring big girls everywhere, Lizzo seemed unstoppable.
03:33 The singer's reputation for championing body positivity was called into question when three
03:38 former backup dancers took out a lawsuit.
03:45 In addition to weight shaming, Lizzo was accused of discrimination, creating hostile working
03:50 conditions and various forms of harassment, most notably one involving bananas.
03:59 Several others would speak out against Lizzo with another lawsuit following.
04:03 Lizzo denies the allegations, calling them "sensationalized stories" and "outrageous."
04:09 We guess only time will tell if these are all just rumors or if the truth hurts.
04:15 Either way, this scandal shall be set to the tune of the world's smallest jazz flute.
04:21 Number 6.
04:22 Tucker Carlson To say that this conservative personality
04:25 has a habit of twisting the truth to push an agenda would be the understatement of the
04:29 century.
04:30 "So many questions here, but we'll begin with the biggest one."
04:33 With Tucker Carlson tonight being a ratings juggernaut, it appeared there'd be no end
04:38 to Carlson's rants and confused frowns.
04:41 Then in April 2023, Fox News and Carlson parted ways.
04:45 While neither gave a concrete explanation, it's probably not a coincidence that Tucker
04:49 was tied to the Dominion Voting System's defamation suit, which resulted in Fox paying $787.5
04:57 million.
04:58 Claims of allowing an anti-Semitic and misogynist workspace were even more damning.
05:03 "I reached a breaking point where the harassment was so bad that I called a crisis line."
05:10 Although Carlson isn't one to go quietly, he'll likely never have a more prominent platform
05:14 to masquerade conspiracy theories as facts.
05:17 Unless Trump chooses him as his running mate.
05:20 Number 5.
05:21 Justin Roiland For almost a decade, it was impossible to
05:25 imagine Rick and Morty without co-creator Justin Roiland.
05:28 Fans were surprised to learn in 2023 that beyond voice acting, Roiland hadn't been
05:34 heavily involved in the production since season 2.
05:46 They were even more shocked to learn that Roiland was facing domestic violence charges.
05:51 Not long after this became public knowledge in January, Adult Swim severed ties with Roiland.
05:56 20th Television Animation also booted him off Solar Opposites and Koala Man.
06:10 The lack of evidence led to the case's dismissal in March, but Roiland has since faced more
06:14 allegations while former colleagues like Dan Harmon have denounced him.
06:18 Roiland's shows have taken different approaches to recasting, but it turns out he wasn't
06:23 as essential as people assumed.
06:25 Number 4.
06:26 Colleen Ballinger Even if you've never watched a Miranda Sings
06:30 video, you've certainly come across a thumbnail of Colleen Ballinger wearing too much red
06:35 lipstick.
06:36 Outside of YouTube, Ballinger has popped up across TV, Broadway, and animated movies.
06:45 Her reputation was mostly intact, other than a 2020 scandal when YouTuber Adam McIntyre
06:51 accused her of inappropriate behavior when he was younger.
06:55 The controversy fizzled until June 2023 after another YouTuber, Cody Tyler Dahl, backed
07:02 up McIntyre's accusations.
07:04 In addition to grooming, Ballinger has been accused of racial insensitivity.
07:08 How did she respond?
07:10 Ballinger apologized while playing a ukulele without really apologizing.
07:24 More allegations and criticisms followed, with Ballinger cancelling her live shows for
07:29 the rest of the year.
07:30 Telling haters to back off won't resolve this career blow.
07:34 Number 3.
07:35 Jonathan Majors 2023 seemed poised to be the year of Jonathan
07:39 Majors.
07:50 Kang the Conqueror was set to make his big-screen MCU debut, Majors was cast as the antagonist
07:57 in Creed 3, and he even garnered awards buzz for his performance in the Sundance hit, Magazine
08:03 Dreams.
08:04 The latter film was removed from Searchlight Pictures' release schedule due in part to
08:08 the assault accusations against Majors.
08:11 In March, Majors was arrested for allegedly beating a woman in New York.
08:15 Majors' accuser, ex-girlfriend Grace Jabari, was later arrested for suspicion of assault
08:21 and criminal mischief.
08:22 However, Jabari wasn't prosecuted, while Majors faced more accusations from several others.
08:28 Losing talent representation, Majors was recast in The Man in My Basement, and Marvel is supposedly
08:34 rethinking their plans for Kang.
08:36 Number 2.
08:37 Russell Brandt Following some pretty funny work in Judd Apatow's
08:41 productions, Russell Brandt's "Look at me, I'm English, schtick" started to get on people's
08:46 nerves.
08:52 His politics and promotion of harmful conspiracy theories only alienated more viewers.
08:57 The worst offence came in September 2023, when it was reported that five women had accused
09:03 Brandt of physical and emotional abuse.
09:13 The alleged altercations occurred between 2006 and 2013, with one woman being under
09:18 age at the time.
09:20 Brandt denies these claims, but more accusations soon rose while multiple investigations were
09:25 launched.
09:26 Although he hasn't been banned from YouTube, the platform did suspend Brandt's ability
09:31 to monetize videos.
09:33 His comedy tour was also postponed indefinitely.
09:35 We haven't seen a star fall like this since Aldous Snow released African Child.
09:56 Number 1.
09:57 Danny Masterson We figured that Danny Masterson had peaked
10:01 with Stephen Hyde.
10:02 Still, it appeared he'd have a respectable post-That '70s Show career while living on
10:07 residual goodwill from his breakout role.
10:16 That all changed in 2017, when multiple assault allegations changed our perception of Stephen
10:23 Hyde to Mr. Hyde.
10:25 Masterson's life has been a downward spiral ever since, getting fired from Netflix's
10:30 The Ranch and dropped from United Talent Agency.
10:33 Although friends like Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis wrote character letters, any hope that
10:37 Masterson's reputation could be salvaged officially deteriorated when he was found
10:42 guilty in May 2023.
10:45 Four months later, Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life.
10:49 Masterson won't be eligible for parole until 2048, almost 50 years since Stephen Hyde's
10:55 debut.
10:56 For many victims, whether it be those of Danny Masterson or others, this is justice
11:01 found.
11:02 Which fall from grace shocked you the most in 2023?
11:06 Let us know in the comments.
11:07 "You go from preaching about sisterhood to then turning around and saying that it's
11:12 a privilege that you know us by name."
11:14 - Stephen Hyde, The Ranch, 2048.
11:24 "You go from preaching about sisterhood to then turning around and saying that it's a privilege that you know us by name." - Stephen Hyde, The Ranch, 2048.