10 Celebrities Who Turned Scandal into Success
#10: Coming Out
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Ellen DeGeneres On April 14, 1997, comedian and TV star Ellen DeGeneres confirmed rumors that she’s gay on the cover of Time magazine. Soon after, the sitcom “Ellen” made history when her character also came out. This watershed pop culture event was widely celebrated by progressives at the time. Nonetheless, the backlash prompted ABC to cancel “Ellen” the following year. The upside is that DeGeneres was free to do more major projects as an LGBT icon. This culminated in one of the most popular talk shows on daytime TV. Sadly, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” ended its almost twenty-year run amidst allegations of a hostile work environment. Regardless of this more serious controversy, DeGeneres thrived by helping to dismantle the scandal in celebrities’ sexual identity.
#9: Scandoval
Ariana Maddix Ariana Madix has always been popular among reality TV fans as the star of Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules”. But an especially wide audience witnessed her breakup with longtime boyfriend Tom Sandoval in 2023. The media circus surrounding his affair with Madix’s friend and co-star Raquel Leviss was dubbed “Scandoval”. While both cheaters naturally suffered for this revelation, Madix refused to hide from it. She raised her profile with strong-willed interviews about this and other challenges. This benefited her business ventures, including the bestselling cookbook “Single AF”. Never mind her entertainment ventures on “Dancing with the Stars” and Broadway. Madix’s remarkable rise from Scandoval is a true inspiration for betrayed women who refuse to be seen as victims.
#8: Rock Bottom
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Rob Lowe Behind Rob Lowe’s early bad boy image was a serious struggle with alcohol and drug addiction. That image went too far in 1988, with the leak of a sex tape Lowe made with a 22-year-old and a 16-year-old in Georgia. While the latter was above the state’s age of consent, it was illegal to film the act. Lowe managed to get charges dropped in a settlement, but his star power was devastated. That changed when the actor later revealed that the incident convinced him to turn his life around. Lowe has been sober for more than 30 years, regaining popular stardom on an unexpectedly wholesome image. Still, he takes responsibility for the very public discrepancies that pushed him to this point.
#7: Real Drama
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Zara McDermott “Love Island” lifted Zara McDermott from civil service to reality TV stardom. But her stint on “Made in Chelsea” didn’t need to frame tension in her romance with Sam Thompson. In 2019, tabloids discovered that McDermott had an affair while on “The X Factor: Celebrity”, supposedly with a music executive. She had come under fire the previous year for rapping a racial slur on Instagram. With all this bad press, McDermott was moved to take control of the narrative. She openly reconciled with Thompson and began presenting documentaries on important social issues. This renowned rebrand landed her on “Strictly Come Dancing”, in defiance of the show’s ban on reality stars. Now, the press recognizes McDermott’s redemptive shift into a valuable pop culture figure.
#6: Resituated
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino As “Jersey Shore” was making a household name of Mike Sorrentino, or at least “The Situation”, he was developing a drug dependency. In the two years following a public admission, he was convicted of assault, sued by his own lawyer, and charged with massive tax fraud. It looked like The Situation would end in controversy. Instead, he rebranded. Sorrentino got sober in 2015 and married Lauren Pesce in 2018. He then served an eight-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to tax evasion. Afterward, one of reality TV’s leading bad boys became one of its leading family men. Sorrentino now enjoys more clout than ever as the star of “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation”, as well as for his incredible redemption.
#5: Bad Blood
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Taylor Swift Taylor Swift is one of the most loved figures in pop music. And yet, she's also known for many high-profile romances and feuds. Working them into her songwriting has produced minor controversies and major hits. The 2017 album “Reputation” was most notably born from conflicts with celebrities and the media. But that was nothing compared to the Scooter Braun affair. He and Swift shared hostilities long before his company Ithaca Holdings acquired her early music catalog in 2019. Even fans got involved in her battle to regain her audio masters. In the end, Swift re-recorded her early albums for the critically and commercially successful “Taylor’s Version” series. With every scandalous relationship, Swift seems to only flourish as a star and artist.
#4: Celebgate
Jennifer Lawrence In 2014, an elaborate cyberattack leaked hundreds of private, sensitive photos of celebrities. Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence was one of the victims, but wouldn’t be treated as such. She promptly called for legal action against sexual exploitation and websites that profit off of it. This countered the tradition of celebrities shrinking from sex scandals that damaged their careers, even if they were the injured party. Lawrence asserted, “It is not a scandal. It is a sex crime.” Her courageous statement helped increase sympathetic awareness of this age-old crisis. She emerged from a potentially unfair controversy as the highest-paid actress in Hollywood, with greater credibility as a role model. Meanwhile, five people have been convicted in relation to “Celebgate”.
#3: More Popular Than Jesus
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The Beatles By 1966, Beatlemania had invaded the whole world. And then came The Beatles’ profile piece for The Evening Standard, in which John Lennon remarked that they were “more popular than Jesus.” He later clarified that his rant at organized religion was lamenting society sacrificing principle for pop culture. Nonetheless, accusations of blasphemy tarnished The Beatles’ wholesome reputation. The intense backlash convinced them to retire from concert tours. But this exile would be the best thing for the artists and art overall. The Beatles took the opportunity to experiment with some of modern music’s most innovative and influential works. Their rebrand captivated legions of true fans, and continued into phenomenal solo careers. Lennon’s was particularly admired for his dedication to promoting his principles alongside his brand.
#2: Rebrand
Miley Cyrus The former star of “Hannah Montana” was one of the most wholesome teen idols of her day. But after the end of the Disney Channel show, Miley Cyrus came of age with a vengeance. The album “Bangerz” marked a shift toward edgier pop music, accompanied by extremely provocative music videos and live performances. Cyrus also became vocal about her sexuality, marijuana use and political views. She was suddenly one of the most controversial figures in pop, and one of the most talked-about. “Bangerz” sold gangbusters, while an increasingly meta public image commanded public debates and clout with serious artists. Cyrus even made a bold comeback to acting. Tongues may wag over her raunchy reinvention, its success speaks for itself.
#1: The Tape
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Kim Kardashian Kim Kardashian unfortunately faced a similar scandal as fellow socialite Paris Hilton, the friend who introduced her to the media. The impact, however, was very different. Shortly before the premiere of Kardashian’s own reality show, a sex tape she made with singer Ray J was leaked for profit. She ultimately allowed its distribution to continue following a sizable settlement. The high-profile incident sparked allegations that Kardashian and her famous family were complicit in the leak to promote their show. Well, the results were undeniable. “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” went on to be one of the biggest reality shows ever. Kim alone is now a powerhouse brand and entrepreneur. Considering her big break, she knows better than most celebrities how to thrive through a crisis. What scandals only raised a celebrity's star power for you? Dish in the comments.