Oscar winners, sitcom stars, and a former "SNL" actor. All of these celebs got into trouble for something they said or did — but their half-hearted apologies totally missed the mark.
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00:00Oscar winners, sitcom stars, and a former SNL actor — all of these celebs got into
00:05trouble for something they said or did, but their half-hearted apologies totally missed
00:10the mark.
00:11For years, Michael Richards was at the top of his game, playing Kramer on Seinfeld for
00:15the entire run of the series.
00:16The show made him an international star, and when it went off the air, he returned to his
00:20roots and traveled around doing stand-up.
00:22Unfortunately, some African-American attendees caught his attention during a gig in L.A.
00:27by talking through his act.
00:28He handled this in the worst way possible, relying on tried-and-true stereotypes and
00:33overtly racist comments to try and denigrate them.
00:36Richards threw the N-word around numerous times, leading many people to walk out of
00:40the show.
00:41After the incident, Richards appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman via satellite
00:44feed, explaining that he went into a rage and said horrible things to some audience
00:48members.
00:49While he appeared to show remorse and insisted that he wasn't a racist person, his inability
00:53to explain why his outbursts turned overtly racist fell flat for many, and his reputation
00:58never recovered.
01:00Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher became famous together on That 70s Show, but they weren't
01:05alone.
01:06Another cast member, Danny Masterson, made a name for himself on the series, but later
01:09ran afoul of the law after he was charged with three counts of rape stemming from the
01:13early 2000s.
01:14Kunis and Kutcher came out in support of their former cast member, and they issued a letter
01:19to the presiding judge, which went public.
01:21The two actors claimed to support victims while attempting to persuade the judge to
01:24give Masterson, who was found guilty of two counts of rape, a lighter sentence.
01:29He ultimately received 30 years to life in prison, and when Kunis and Kutcher's letter
01:33came to light, the blowback hit them pretty hard.
01:36They were accused of supporting a convicted rapist, which brought some unfavorable attention
01:40to the couple.
01:41The pair posted a one-minute apology video, admitting that they caused Masterson's victims
01:45pain by submitting their letter to the judge.
01:48The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity
01:53of the jury's ruling.
01:55They were intended for the judge to read, and we're sorry."
01:58Their video comes off as overly rehearsed, not heartfelt, and meant solely to improve
02:02their image.
02:04In 2023, SAG-AFTRA and the WGA declared a strike, forcing production across the industry
02:09to come to a crashing halt.
02:11The writer's strike impacted everything from film production to daytime television, which
02:15is where Drew Barrymore entered the story.
02:17Barrymore's show, The Drew Barrymore Show, announced it would restart production without
02:20its writers, breaking the WGA strike.
02:23This declaration angered the union, and made Barrymore look terrible for disrespecting
02:27picket lines and failing to support her writers.
02:30The reaction was swift and damaging, pushing Barrymore to issue a since-deleted apology
02:34video via X.
02:35Barrymore took full responsibility for violating WGA rules.
02:39She explained that, having made it through the COVID-19 pandemic, she believed the show
02:43could move forward through a similar disruption.
02:45This is bigger than me, and there are other people's jobs on the line."
02:50The apology didn't sway many to her side, and Barrymore took on more criticism.
02:54She eventually posted on Instagram in a since-deleted message,
02:56"...I am making the decision to pause the show's premiere until the strike is over."
03:00The whole affair cost Barrymore a hosting gig at the National Book Awards, and while
03:04she didn't ruin her reputation, it was significantly tarnished.
03:09Louis C.K. launched his popular stand-up career in the early 1990s, going on to appear in
03:13multiple specials, TV shows, and feature films.
03:16But in 2017, C.K. found himself on the wrong side of the MeToo movement.
03:20Numerous allegations of sexual misconduct came to light, putting C.K. directly in the
03:25spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
03:27Unlike others accused of similar misconduct, C.K. admitted to everything alleged against
03:31him.
03:32He issued an apology statement, explaining that the allegations against him were completely
03:35true and accurate.
03:36While his apology was unusual in that he admitted to everything, it didn't help the situation
03:41where his career was concerned.
03:42C.K. lost his publicist, HBO removed all of his comedy specials, and Netflix canceled
03:47another special.
03:48FX cut all ties with C.K., and for the most part, his career was all but finished.
03:52Eventually, C.K. returned to stand-up and launched an international tour.
03:56He also made two semi-apologetic comedy specials, and continues working to repair his incredibly
04:01damaged career and reputation.
04:04Kevin Spacey had a long and illustrious career, earning two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe,
04:09and a Tony Award.
04:10He's played the lead in many feature films and TV series, but is probably best known
04:14these days for starring in Netflix's House of Cards, where he played the unforgiving
04:18and power-hungry Frank Underwood.
04:20"...I think America deserves Frank Underwood, and in your heart, you know I'm right."
04:29But that series came to an early end when accusations of sexual misconduct against Spacey
04:33were made public.
04:34Numerous allegations claimed that Spacey sexually harassed several actors, including Anthony
04:39Rapp, who was only 14 at the time of the alleged incident.
04:42The scrutiny of Spacey resulted in the termination of his Netflix contract and the decision to
04:46cancel House of Cards after Season 6.
04:49He apologized while coming out at the same time, but his apology lacked remorse.
04:53Soon after, he made a strange Christmas video, addressing the allegations in character as
04:57Underwood.
04:58"'I is.
04:59I know what you're thinking.
05:00Can he be serious?
05:03I'm dead serious."
05:04The video didn't help him in any way, as it implied that the allegations against him were
05:08false.
05:09He not only didn't show remorse, but also showed contempt for his accusers.
05:13For decades, Ellen DeGeneres cultivated an image of being one of the most likable people
05:18on television, and hosted The Ellen DeGeneres Show for nearly 20 years.
05:22While the series presented DeGeneres as a kind and caring person, claims by staff members
05:27that surfaced in 2020 painted a picture of a much more hostile work environment behind
05:31the scenes.
05:32It came out that several employees were subjected to fear, intimidation, and racism while working
05:37on the show.
05:38Staff members didn't accuse DeGeneres directly, but seeing as it was her program, she was
05:42ultimately responsible for fostering a toxic workplace.
05:45DeGeneres opened her 18th season by apologizing in a monologue at the top of the show, but
05:50the apology included several jokes and made light of the situation, which her former employees
05:54didn't appreciate.
05:55The apology hurt DeGeneres more than the initial accusations.
05:58The Ellen DeGeneres Show ended after Season 19, and while she explained that the show's
06:02ending was a long time coming, few believed it, calling her apology tone-deaf and disingenuous.
06:07DeGeneres' career took a significant hit, and she's been largely out of action since
06:11ending her show.
06:13Colleen Ballinger established her career via YouTube before going mainstream as a comic.
06:17She created and starred in Netflix's Haters Back Off and boasted millions of social media
06:22subscribers.
06:23Unfortunately, it all came crashing down in 2023 after several people accused Ballinger
06:28of inappropriate conduct.
06:30At least four former fans claimed that she was hurtful, toxic, and exploitative, which
06:34brought about an incredibly cringey apology.
06:36The most serious allegations included grooming by Ballinger of a 13-year-old boy, though
06:41other accusations alleged similar conduct with other young teenagers.
06:45Ballinger posted an apology video in which she played the ukulele or singing that the
06:48allegations weren't true.
06:49The only thing I've ever groomed is my two Persian cats.
06:52I'm not a groomer, I'm just a loser."
06:56Ballinger's video was widely criticized and even parodied, but it was made all the worse
07:00when her accusers posted evidence of her past activity.
07:03She canceled her live appearances and disappeared for much of the year before returning to vlogging
07:07on YouTube in November 2023.
07:10She later apologized for her tone-deaf apology video, explaining,
07:13"...I just let my ego take over."
07:16Will Smith dominated the box office for decades, headlining numerous feature films and franchises
07:21while also continuing his successful music career.
07:23Unfortunately, Smith let his emotions get the best of him while attending the 2022 Academy
07:28Awards.
07:29During the awards show, Smith walked onto the stage and slapped Chris Rock in the face
07:32after Rock made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
07:36Soon after the incident, Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his work in King
07:40Richard.
07:41However, he failed to apologize to Rock during his acceptance speech while apologizing to
07:45the Academy and his peers.
07:47This didn't please Rock, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, or the public,
07:51so he followed up with a more heartfelt video apology posted a few months after the incident.
07:56"...My behavior was unacceptable."
08:00Smith's apology didn't repair the harm done to his career, and he paid for his actions.
08:04The Academy banned Smith for 10 years, and his reputation was indelibly marked by his
08:08actions.
08:09His career took a hit, but he has continued to work in the industry, even though he's
08:13ineligible to win another Academy Award for quite some time.
08:17Kim Kardashian is an entrepreneur with numerous businesses to her name, but in 2022, she made
08:22a comment that raised more than a few eyebrows.
08:24Kardashian told Variety,
08:25"...I have the best advice for women in business.
08:28Get your f----- ass up and work.
08:30It seems like nobody wants to work these days."
08:32Because of Kardashian's family fortune, which helped make her an international superstar
08:36and a billionaire, her comments made it seem that she was either insincere or extremely
08:40out of touch with entrepreneurial women not worth $1.7 billion.
08:45Kardashian addressed her comments and apologized on Good Morning America, but insisted she was
08:48taken out of context.
08:49She also apologized for being taken out of context, which didn't do much to improve her
08:54image.
08:55Of course, Kardashian's apology may have failed to convince many, but it hardly damaged her
08:58image or career.
09:00Jimmy Fallon presents a fun and entertaining personality while interviewing celebrities
09:04on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, but things aren't always what they seem.
09:08According to present and former staff members, Fallon fostered an environment of employee
09:11abuse that made his staff absolutely miserable.
09:14Staff members alleged that Fallon's excessive drinking and subsequent hangovers made him
09:18a nightmare to work with, and that was only the beginning.
09:21Two current and 14 former employees explained that the staff designated so-called crying
09:25rooms where they could go and recover from Fallon's toxic behavior.
09:29The article resulted in an apology from the host via a Zoom call.
09:32According to The Hollywood Reporter, he said during the call,
09:35"...it's embarrassing, and I feel so bad.
09:36Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends."
09:39Many had problems with Fallon's apology, because he appeared to deflect blame, putting it on
09:43his alleged victims without properly accepting accountability for his actions.
09:47NBC didn't fire Fallon, and the show continued, but the host's reputation has yet to recover
09:52fully.
09:54Adam Levine found himself in hot water in 2022 after allegations arose that he cheated
09:58on his then-pregnant wife, Beate Prinsloo.
10:00The Maroon 5 frontman, who's also done some acting in American Horror Story Asylum, found
10:04himself on the receiving end of an allegation leveled by Instagram model Sumner Stroh, who
10:09claimed that she and Levine had a year-long affair.
10:12Stroh posted her accusation on TikTok.
10:14"...my morals were unknowingly compromised.
10:17I was completely manipulated."
10:18Levine was relatively quick to confront the claim, denying its legitimacy.
10:22Despite denying the affair, Levine issued an apology that few considered to be heartfelt
10:26or even appropriate.
10:27The singer accepted full responsibility for being inappropriate, likely referring to messages
10:32he sent Stroh, but he didn't go into detail.
10:34He wrote that he and his family were working through his indiscretion, but many took his
10:38apology as either insincere or an indication that he wasn't truly taking responsibility.
10:44If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available.
10:48Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline
10:53at 1-800-656-HOPE, 4673.
10:57For more stories, visit nyseagrant.org