These celebrities went from famous to infamous in the blink of an eye. Welcome to WatchMojo and today, we’re diving into celebrities who became the focus of extensive coverage by the press and/or internet for their unsavory, inappropriate, or downright bizarre actions.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00You didn't do right by me. You didn't do right by me, man.
00:03Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're diving into celebrities who became the focus of extensive
00:07coverage by the press and or internet for their unsavory, inappropriate, or downright
00:11bizarre actions.
00:12Is this camera on me?
00:14Yes, it's on.
00:15That's stupid! Use your common sense!
00:19Ellen DeGeneres
00:20Oh yeah, I got kicked out of show business.
00:23People aren't always who they seem. That certainly was the case in 2020 when famous
00:27Hollywood comedian Ellen DeGeneres went viral for all the wrong reasons.
00:31Ellen's talk show was known for promoting kindness and positive vibes, so it was quite
00:35jarring when employees revealed that the show was riddled with intimidation and discrimination
00:39behind the scenes.
00:40I am so sorry to the people who were affected. I know that I'm in a position of privilege
00:45and power, and I realize that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility
00:50for what happens at my show.
00:52While senior managers and executive producers were mostly blamed for the toxic workplace
00:56culture, DeGeneres wasn't entirely left out. A viral Twitter thread, which had over
01:002,600 replies, exposed stories of her alleged meanness, sparking widespread backlash.
01:05DeGeneres' reputation as the face of kindness took a big hit, and the Be Kind motto now
01:09carries a bitter irony.
01:11Yeah, y'all heard I was mean. Everybody heard that I was mean. Everywhere I go, I
01:15know everyone's heard that I'm mean. I know when I walk into a restaurant, people
01:19are watching, waiting to see if I'll be mean.
01:21Johnny Depp and Amber Heard
01:23After their divorce, Hollywood stars Amber Heard and Johnny Depp became embroiled in
01:26dramatic legal battles that aired their dirty laundry to the public. It all started in 2018
01:31when Heard penned a Washington Post op-ed implying that Depp had abused her without
01:35naming him.
01:36He sued her, sparking more dramatic lawsuits that shook the internet, especially in 2022
01:40when they both took the stand.
01:41I think we've all been through a number of things ultimately. Maybe yours wasn't,
01:45didn't turn into a soap opera, televised in fact, but we all experience and go through
01:50what we go through.
01:51Their court cases revealed shocking details about their relationship which painted one
01:55as manipulative and abusive of the other as a short-tempered person with substance
01:59issues.
02:00It is important for me to say I never chose this. I defended my truth and in doing so
02:04my life as I knew it was destroyed.
02:06The public couldn't get enough of the riveting drama, with various people siding with either
02:10Heard or Depp.
02:11Now that it's over, the damage to their careers and public image is undeniable.
02:14Look around you first before you start passing judgment on someone that you have no idea
02:21what that person has been through, who they are.
02:24Logan Paul
02:25While in Japan in 2017, popular YouTuber Logan Paul triggered widespread outrage with a stunt
02:30that crossed the line.
02:31Known for his provocative stunts and slapstick comedy, this social media star went too far
02:35when he uploaded a video of a man who had just taken his life.
02:38None of us knew how to react or how to feel. I should have never posted the video.
02:45To make things worse, Paul seemed to make light of this alarming situation while filming
02:49it.
02:50The video went viral quickly, racking up 6.3 million views, leaving many appalled by his
02:54apparent insensitivity.
02:55Saying, quote,
02:56Taking time to reflect. No vlog for now. See you soon.
02:59Under heavy criticism, Paul deleted the video and offered a public apology. But the damage
03:03was already done.
03:04In response to the news, YouTube cut some business ties with him, which must have hit
03:08his earnings hard.
03:09You let your kids watch my stuff and they go, yeah, what am I going to do? But at the
03:13same time, it's not like I'm a bad guy. I am a good guy who made a bad decision.
03:18Sean P. Diddy Combs
03:19This music mogul has seen his fair share of controversies throughout his 30-plus years
03:23in the industry. But the public's perception of Puffy Daddy officially changed in 2023.
03:28Five years after their breakup, Cassie Ventura took out a lawsuit alleging that Combs committed
03:32various forms of abuse.
03:34Derby new video appears to support some of the accusations of abuse against music mogul
03:38Sean Diddy Combs.
03:39We want to warn you that this video you're about to see is extremely graphic.
03:43While this would be settled out of court, Combs faced another lawsuit from producer
03:47Rodney Lil Rod Jones, who made similar accusations of abuse. Ventura's claims were further backed
03:52up by video evidence in March 2024.
03:54He has not been arrested or charged, though he is named in multiple assault and trafficking
03:58lawsuits.
03:59Diddy's downfall reached a boiling point the following September when he was arrested and
04:03indicted on multiple charges, most notably racketeering and sex trafficking.
04:07He says we are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution
04:12of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
04:15Although Combs pleaded not guilty, the mountain of accusations against him has possibly tarnished
04:19his reputation forever.
04:21Kanye West
04:22The Yeezy designer is no stranger to controversy, but in 2022 he went viral for one of the most
04:26damaging scandals of his career. During the Yeezy Season 9 fashion show in Paris, West
04:31was spotted wearing the White Lives Matter t-shirt, which ignited outrage across social
04:35media.
04:36So many folks are trying to excuse Kanye wearing a White Lives Matter t-shirt as just a troll
04:40move or marketing, but it's a dangerously dumb message to send for someone with his
04:45massive platform.
04:47As if this wasn't enough, he followed with a tweet filled with hateful anti-Semitic rhetoric,
04:51leading to more backlash. The tweet was immediately removed, and both his Instagram and Twitter
04:54accounts were restricted.
04:55As a black person, what you just said was a statement. You're trying to say that there
05:00isn't a collective. Over 50 percent of the executives in Hollywood, the CEOs, are Jewish.
05:06Celebrities, including his ex-wife, condemned his aggressive and hateful slurs. The fallout
05:10didn't stop there. Major brands cut ties with him. The famous rapper's net worth reportedly
05:14dropped to $400 million, taking him out of his billionaire status.
05:17Kanye West, he is digging in, issuing a non-apology apology in a new interview after his anti-Semitic,
05:25anti-black comments.
05:27Michael Jackson
05:28In 2003, American pop singer Michael Jackson and minor Gavin Arvizo were seen holding hands
05:32in a documentary, reigniting public interest in a previous controversy from 1993. Months
05:37later, Michael Jackson was arrested following serious allegations made by Arvizo. The case
05:42went to trial and lasted for approximately four months, ultimately resulting in Jackson
05:46being acquitted of all charges. This wasn't the singer's first rodeo with such allegations.
05:50After a while, I realized there was a pattern. Every 12 months, there was a new boy in his
05:57life.
05:58In 1993, he denied similar claims, but later reached a settlement for around $23 million.
06:02It's been years since Jackson died, but he continues to be the subject of a series of
06:06sexual allegations.
06:07It's a tough thing for people to wrap their heads around.
06:14It's safe to say the king of pop's legacy may never be the same again.
06:17Mel Gibson
06:29The beloved American filmmaker and star Mel Gibson has faced his fair share of controversies
06:33that have deeply affected his reputation. In 2006, Gibson was arrested for DUI, an incident
06:39that exposed an ugly side of him. During this arrest, he allegedly made aggressive and anti-Semitic
06:47remarks toward the arresting officer. Although he later apologized for his bizarre actions
06:51and hateful comments towards the Jewish community, his image was further eroded by yet another
06:56controversy.
06:57I am not a bigot. Hatred of any kind goes against my faith.
07:01In 2010, a phone conversation surfaced online in which Gibson could be heard making abusive
07:05remarks toward his then-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva. There were also reports that he
07:09physically abused her.
07:10It could be quite terrible, because this whole case could turn into a gossip story
07:16rather than a sway from what's important here.
07:20Though he later bounced back from this, the public adoration he once enjoyed may never
07:23fully return.
07:24Donald Trump
07:25Just a month before the 2016 presidential election, the 45th president of the United
07:29States went viral for his horrific conversation with Access Hollywood host Billy Bush. In
07:33this obscene discussion, which happened in 2005, Trump boasted about his ability to harass
07:37and grope any woman because of his celebrity status.
07:40At least you can say the Trumpster doesn't give up.
07:43That's right.
07:44Right?
07:45When this news leaked, public opinions flew, with many bashing Trump for his crude words.
07:49The then-presidential candidate later admitted he was wrong and apologized for his lewd remarks.
07:53Donald Trump is president of the United States. That must be a thought that has crossed your
07:58mind.
07:59I can acknowledge that the irony is glaring.
08:02Despite this, October's surprise, as this issue is infamously dubbed, Trump went on
08:06to win the 2016 election. However, this tape was used later on as evidence in his sexual
08:10abuse and defamation trial, in which he was found guilty.
08:13There were seven other guys present on the bus at the time, and every single one of us
08:18assumed we were listening to a crass stand-up act. We now know better.
08:23R. Kelly
08:24For a long time, famous pop star R. Kelly was the subject of serious allegations but
08:28managed to escape major legal consequences.
08:42Then in 2019, the documentary Surviving R. Kelly brought renewed attention to these claims.
08:48Following this, more of this famous artist's dirty secrets and predatory behavior began
08:52to come to light, including his strange relationship with Aaliyah.
08:55He was later arrested in 2021 and 2022 and convicted on multiple charges related to sexual
09:00misconduct involving minors, making him into a monster.
09:13As a result, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Due to these allegations, he was
09:16dropped from RCA Records and denounced by former colleagues. Well, it was a long time
09:21coming.
09:22Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
09:34about our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all
09:39of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
09:45Harvey Weinstein
09:46This is by far the most startling celebrity scandal and an obvious fall from grace. In
09:512017, over 80 women accused the film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault via a New
09:55York Times story.
09:56In response to the New York Times article saying he was raised in an earlier time when
10:00the rules and behavior about workplaces were different. He followed that with an apology,
10:05saying that he had, quote, a long way to go.
10:08It turned out these atrocities had been going on for decades. As soon as the story broke,
10:13Weinstein was fired from his company and other professional associations severed ties with
10:16him.
10:18As more of his victims came forward, the scandal
10:26led to Weinstein's conviction in 2020. The impact was so huge, it sparked a social media
10:31movement that encouraged women across industries to share their own stories. Even though the
10:35disgraced producer apologized, his legal troubles aren't over. There may still be more skeletons
10:39in his closet.
10:40After he was convicted on Monday on two felony sex counts, the 67-year-old is expected to
10:45be housed at the notorious New York City prison, Rikers Island.
10:49Which of these scandals shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments section.
10:52Right now, I just think I need to be a monster and hold girls against their will, chain them
10:56up in my basement.
10:59Check out these other clips from WatchMojo, and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell
11:03to be notified about our latest videos.