20 Career Ending Scandals

20 Career Ending Scandals

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re examining 20 Career Ending Scandals.

For this list, we’ll be looking at the worst and most famous incidents that dealt major blows to the careers and public images of prominent celebrity figures.

What do you make of these scandals? Let us know in the comments below!

Milli Vanilli

Few bands have come and gone as quickly as Milli Vanilli. The German duo saw great success in the late ‘80s with three consecutive number one singles - “Baby Don't Forget My Number,” “Blame It on the Rain,” and “Girl I'm Gonna Miss You.” And then came the lip-syncing scandal. During a televised performance on July 21, 1989, the pre-recorded track began skipping, causing frontman Rob Pilatus to run off the stage in a panic. This launched a complete unraveling of the group. Not only did they not sing live, but they didn’t sing, period. The group’s founder, Frank Farian, soon confessed that neither Pilatus nor Fab Morvan actually sang on the records. And that was that for Milli Vanilli.

Lori Loughlin

Known for shows like “Full House” and “90210,” Lori Loughlin had a steady and respectable career in the television industry. But on March 12, 2019, it became public knowledge that Loughlin was being indicted by the FBI on charges of fraud and bribery. (xref) Along with Felicity Huffman, the actress was embroiled in the Varsity Blues scandal, which saw rich individuals bribing universities to have their children admitted. In the specific case of Loughlin, she and her husband allegedly paid half a million dollars to get their daughters on the rowing team of the University of Southern California. She was sentenced to two months in prison and hasn’t done much acting since.

Stephen Collins

This retired actor was famous for playing Reverend Eric Camden on the WB drama “7th Heaven.” The show was a huge success for the network, garnering multiple award wins and nominations, and running for a staggering eleven seasons. But in December of 2014, Collins told People magazine that he had committed some major sexual crimes dating back to the early ‘70s. This admission came after both the NYPD and LAPD revealed that they were investigating Collins for inappropriate sexual behavior. The actor was never legally punished for the infractions, but his career came to an end following the admission to People. His final role was voicing Howard Stark in an episode of “Avengers Assemble.”

Lance Armstrong

There are a small number of athletes who become the public faces of their respective sport. Lance Armstrong was that to cycling. The winner of seven consecutive Tour de France titles, there was simply no stopping Armstrong throughout the early 2000s. The widely celebrated athlete broke through the cycling community to become a household name. Unfortunately, that mesmerizing achievement was wiped away in 2012 when the United States Anti-Doping Agency accused him of cheating. Not only was Armstrong doping, he was running, in their words, “the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen.” Armstrong’s record-setting titles were stripped following the revelation and he was banned from all organized sports.

Jeffrey Jones

This guy was everywhere in the ‘80s, popping up in acclaimed movies like “Amadeus,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” and “Beetlejuice.” Jones’s career continued on a strong trajectory throughout the ‘90s before imploding in 2002. That was the year Jones was arrested for a crime that landed him on California’s registry of sex offenders. Since then, the disgraced actor has only appeared in three films, one of which was a short in which he played himself. His career on television took a similar blow. “Deadwood,” which he starred in for three seasons, came to an end in 2006, and Jones has only appeared in two projects since. One, which he was uncredited for. The other, the “Deadwood” TV movie from 2019.

Kevin Spacey

Few actors have fallen so far from grace. Regarded as one of the finest performers of his generation, Kevin Spacey has won two Academy Awards for his acting. He also helped usher in the success of Netflix, starring as Frank Underwood in “House of Cards.” In 2017 however, actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of sexual misconduct, prompting 15 others to come forward with similar accusations. Spacey’s career collapsed, and he was fired from all future projects. His final major role was that of Doc in Edgar Wright’s “Baby Driver,” although he does have roles in upcoming films.

In 2022, Spacey was found not liable in the Rapp case and was subsequently cast in a few film roles. After facing further charges in a UK trial that began in June 20, 2023, he was cleared on all counts a month later.

Tonya Harding

This famous figure skater showed incredible promise. Aside from winning some national championships, Tonya Harding was also the second woman to land a triple Axel and the first to do two in the same competition. Unfortunately, all this talent and promise crashed to the ice on January 6, 1994. It was then that Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, orchestrated an attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan. He hoped to debilitate Kerrigan, thereby giving Harding a greater chance at the national Figure Skating Championships and Winter Olympics. Harding was found guilty of obstruction and banned from all future figure skating events. Following a brief career in boxing, Harding fell into anonymity and worked a variety of odd jobs, including as a welder and Sears clerk.

Jared Fogle

After losing over 200 pounds while supposedly on a diet of Subway sandwiches, Jared Fogle was hired to become the company’s spokesperson. He remained in the role for the next 15 years and appeared in over 300 commercials for Subway, which helped make him a household figure. However, Fogle was made a social pariah in 2015 when he was arrested by the FBI and charged with serious sex crimes. Fogle was fired from Subway and entered a plea agreement. In the words of Judge Tanya Pratt, the “level of perversion and lawlessness exhibited by Mr. Fogle is extreme,” and she sentenced him to nearly sixteen years in prison. He is currently serving time in Colorado’s FCI Englewood.

Kathy Griffin

This comedian is no stranger to controversy, as her humor is based primarily on pushing the envelope and getting a reaction. But she may have crossed a line when she joked about killing Donald Trump. On May 30, 2017, Griffin posted a particularly graphic image to her socials which generated much public ire. Griffin apologized and took the photo down, but the damage had already been done. She lost business partnerships, was fired by CNN, and her tour dates were canceled. Griffin still works in comedy but faces a number of roadblocks. For example, she was forced to self-release her 2019 special “A Hell of a Story,” as it was rejected by every TV network and streaming service.

CeeLo Green

You couldn’t turn on the radio in the early 21st century without hearing the smooth voice of CeeLo Green. Whether it was “Crazy” or “Forget You,” his tunes had people bopping and singing along the world over. But in 2012, Green was accused of sexual battery and drugging a woman’s drink. He was sentenced to three years of probation and later made public remarks about the case on Twitter. However, these remarks only generated further controversy owing to Green’s problematic viewpoints. His career has been pretty darned quiet ever since. Green hasn’t had a single chart in the U.S. since “Forget You,” but he has found voice acting work on the Disney+ show “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.”

Gina Carano

Once called the “face of women's MMA,” Gina Carano was a successful fighter before transitioning to acting. She immediately landed roles of a lifetime, appearing in “Fast & Furious 6,” “Deadpool,” and “The Mandalorian.” However, she threw it all away in 2021 after making a number of controversial posts on social media. Carano seemingly compared conservatives to Jews in occupied Europe, spoke on voter fraud in the 2020 election, and repeatedly criticized the use of COVID masks. It was all too much for Lucasfilm, who fired her from “The Mandalorian.” She has since been relegated to roles in conservative films, including The Daily Wire’s “Terror on the Prairie” and Breitbart’s “My Son Hunter.”

Armie Hammer

This actor was on the rise throughout the 2010s, starring in “The Lone Ranger” and “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” before earning critical acclaim as Oliver in “Call Me by Your Name.” But everything collapsed in January of 2021. It was then that text messages that revealed Hammer’s violent fantasies were made public. Other women also came forward with allegations of abuse, and the woman who leaked the original texts accused Hammer of sexually assaulting her in 2017. The actor dropped out or was fired from a string of projects and moved to the Cayman Islands, where he reportedly worked as a timeshare salesman.

Matt Lauer

One of the most prominent American newsmen, Matt Lauer found great success co-hosting the NBC program “Today.” He lasted 20 years on the show, with his tenure spanning from 1997 to 2017. It was in that year that a fellow NBC employee reported that Lauer had repeatedly harassed her. Many other allegations were reported throughout the following years, and according to journalist Ronan Farrow, NBC was fully aware of Lauer’s predatory behavior. They only acted following the public accusation and fired Lauer in November 2017. Lauer and his wife divorced in 2019, and Lauer has reportedly spent his time writing a tell-all book.

Roseanne Barr

There once was a time when Roseanne Barr was the hottest name in television. Her eponymous sitcom was a huge success throughout the late 80s and 90s, running for ten seasons and earning Barr an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy. The show was revived in 2018, but it only lasted one season before Barr’s controversial actions got it canceled. On May 29 of that year, Barr wrote a racist tweet aimed at a government official Valerie Jarrett. The reaction was swift and severe, with ABC canceling the show that very same day. A spin-off titled “The Conners” was made without Barr, and she disappeared from the television landscape.

Bill O'Reilly

One of the most popular conservative commentators, Bill O'Reilly was known for hosting “The O'Reilly Factor” on Fox News. It ran for 21 seasons between 1996 and 2017. While the program was an enormous success in the ratings, it came to a sudden end once settlements against O’Reilly were made known. The New York Times broke a story and revealed that O’Reilly had been the target of five sexual harassment lawsuits. Both he and Fox News paid millions in settlements. Advertisers dropped their support for “The O'Reilly Factor” once the news was made public, and Fox fired their most popular host. He then started hosting a podcast called “No Spin News.”

Danny Masterson

This actor won’t be appearing on your TV screen any time soon. Danny Masterson initially found success playing Hyde on “That ‘70s Show” and later reunited with his co-star Ashton Kutcher on Netflix’s “The Ranch.” But in March of 2017, Masterson was accused of sexual assault by three women, prompting the complete downfall of his career. And ultimately his freedom. Masterson was fired by Netflix and dropped by the United Talent Agency, all while more women came forth with their own allegations. In 2023, Masterson was convicted of sexual assaulting two women and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.

Jussie Smollett

Beginning in 2015, ex-child star Jussie Smollett began starring as Jamal Lyon on Fox’s “Empire.” The show was an immediate success, garnering several Emmy nominations and being named one of the ten best shows of the year by the American Film Institute. In January 2019, Smollett fabricated a fake hate crime and was later sued by the city of Chicago. They filed a lawsuit hoping to reclaim over $130,000 that they had spent fruitlessly investigating Smollett’s tall tale. He was also fired from “Empire” and hasn’t appeared on TV since. In December of 2021, Smollett was found guilty of five felony counts of disorderly conduct and sentenced to 150 days in county jail.

R. Kelly

A huge star of the ‘90s, R. Kelly is a multi-Grammy winner who has sold over 75 million records. However, he was also repeatedly accused of sexual misconduct and abuse for decades. He managed to evade consequences for this behavior for decades, until the release of the 2019 Lifetime documentary “Surviving R. Kelly,” which chronicles his history of allegations. Following its release, Kelly was dropped by RCA Records and charged with new crimes. He was found guilty of racketeering and of violating the Mann Act, which concerns the transportation of women for illicit activities. He was subsequently sentenced to 30 years in prison, and faced another trial in 2023, which added one more year to his term.

Harvey Weinstein

This man was once a powerful figure in Hollywood. The co-founder of both Miramax and The Weinstein Company, Harvey Weinstein is the Oscar and Tony-winning producer behind works like “Pulp Fiction,” “Good Will Hunting,” and “Shakespeare in Love.” However, behind the scenes, he used his power and influence to sexually harass and assault women. Things came to a head in October of 2017, when The New York Times and The New Yorker reported over a dozen allegations against him, sparking the #MeToo movement. In total, over 80 women came forth accusing Weinstein of harassment and/or assault, including popular actress Rose McGowan. Weinstein was charged and found guilty of two felonies, and sentenced to 23 years in prison.

Bill Cosby

While he had been a successful comedian since the ‘60s, Bill Cosby is mostly remembered for starring as Cliff Huxtable in the enormously popular “The Cosby Show.” While he was known as “America's Dad” throughout the 1980s, this changed dramatically in the 2010s. After comedian Hannibal Buress drew attention to allegations against Cosby in 2014, numerous women came forward with further accusations of sexual assault, dating all the way back to the mid ‘60s. On September 25, 2018, Cosby was sentenced to prison for aggravated indecent assault. He remained behind bars for nearly three years, but his conviction was overturned on June 30, 2021. While Cosby was released from prison, his career is effectively over.