Top 10 Hated Celebs of 2023

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Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at celebrities who faced the most backlash and overall dislike in 2023. Whether their star status will recover, remains to be seen.

#10: Justin Timberlake

Singer/actor Justin Timberlake was riding a high in 2023, until it all came crashing down. The star had just reunited with NSYNC at the MTV VMAs and his film, “Trolls Band Together,” was highly anticipated. There was also word that a massive world tour was in the works. But then, Britney Spears dropped her memoir, “The Woman in Me.” In the book, Spears shared details on the pair’s breakup and how Justin ended things over text message. She also claimed Timberlake was unfaithful and vilified her. In one of the biggest bombshells, Britney detailed that after an unexpected pregnancy, Justin insisted he wasn’t ready for fatherhood, leading the pair to terminate the pregnancy – something Spears says she may not have done if it was just her decision. Needless to say, Timberlake’s public image took a major hit!

#9: Justin Roiland

Turns out 2023 wasn’t a good year for celebs named Justin. Justin Roiland was a celebrated voice actor and co-creator of “Rick and Morty.” However, that admiration turned to disdain when it was revealed that Roiland was facing domestic violence charges. It was also revealed that he hadn’t really been involved in the production of “Rick and Morty” in a very long time. Fans weren’t the only ones who soured on Roiland, as Adult Swim severed ties with him and 20th Television Animation removed him from “Solar Opposites'' and “Koala Man.” Roiland’s domestic assault case was dismissed due to lack of evidence, but more allegations have since been levied against him. And with a new voice actor taking on his roles on “Rick and Morty,” people have put Roiland in their rear-view – but not before blasting him online.

#8: Colleen Ballinger

Colleen Ballinger may forever be the example of how not to do an apology video. But why did she need to apologize in the first place? The Miranda Sings star found herself in hot water in 2020 after YouTuber Adam McIntyre accused Ballinger of inappropriate behavior when he was younger. The scandal blew over, but re-ignited in June of 2023 when YouTuber, Kodee Tyler Dahl, came forward to back up McIntyre’s claims. Accusations against Ballinger grew to a long list that included grooming and racial insensitivity. As noted, Ballinger responded to all the hate with a tone-deaf apology video where she played a ukulele. Did we mention she didn’t actually apologize in the video either?

#7: Drew Barrymore

Once dubbed Hollywood’s “Queen of nice,” Drew Barrymore had a rough end to 2023. The backlash stemmed from a controversial decision Drew made to bring her talk show, “The Drew Barrymore Show,” back to air weeks before the official close of the writers’ strike. The decision to continue filming while her writers were still on picket lines brought about fierce condemnation from industry colleges and fans alike. She attempted to defend her decision to bring the series back without union writers, but that did not help matters – like, at all. She later apologized and put the show’s return on hold, but by then, the damage had already been done.

#6: Elon Musk

Multi-billionaire Elon Musk has always been an enigmatic and polarizing figure, but 2023 seemed to tip the public’s perception of Musk firmly in the “dislike” column. The biggest issue stems from Elon’s near-complete obliteration of Twitter. Following his purchase of the social media site, Musk slashed the 75,000 staff by 75% and brought back banned users (along with an influx of hate speech and misinformation). He also began charging users for the coveted blue checkmark and gave the whole thing a corporate rebrand under the name X. To say people were unimpressed would be just a wee bit of an understatement.

#5: Lizzo

Like many on this list, Lizzo began the year on a high note. The singer won an impressive four Grammy awards and was inspiring “Big Grrrls” everywhere with her smash Amazon reality show. However, Lizzo’s reputation took a big hit when three of her former backup dancers took aim at the star. They accused Lizzo of weight shaming, discrimination and various forms of harassment and hostile working environments. Lizzo did all she could to deny the claims, but the public wasn’t entirely swayed, ultimately feeling duped by her empowering on-screen persona. We’re not sure how much jazz flute playing will be able to fix this one!

#4: Jonathan Majors

Already a respected actor, 2023 was on track to be the year Jonathon Majors broke out into the A-list. Afterall, he had starring roles in films like “Creed III” and the much buzzed about “Magazine Dreams.” His biggest achievement, of course, was playing Kang the Conqueror in the MCU. Majors’ “it” status all but diminished when the actor was arrested for allegedly hitting his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, in New York. Jabbari, herself, would later be arrested for suspicion of assault and criminal mischief. As for Majors, the folks at Marvel are reportedly rethinking their plans for Kang in future films. The actor also lost his talent representation – not to mention a massive amount of fan support!

#3: Andrew Tate

Controversial influencer Andrew Tate started his 2023 in the worst way – in prison. Along with his brother, Tate was sentenced to a Romanian jail after a sex trafficking and organized crime arrest in late 2022. While in his cell, the ex-kickboxer complained about the “hellish” conditions he endured. However, he got very little sympathy from the public. Released in August on house arrest, Tate again complained about his treatment in prison every chance he got - to which he, once again, got little sympathy for. Tate’s public persona was so ripe for ridicule, that the folks at “South Park” spoofed him in an episode of the long running adult animated series as a toxic masculinity coach.

#2: Jada Pinkett Smith

2023 saw Jada Pinkett Smith become the poster child for TMI. Her revelation-heavy memoir, “Worthy” (not to mention her subsequent media tour) only seemed to fuel the public’s dislike for her. Over the year, Jada dropped major bombs about her marriage to Will Smith. As it turns out, the couple separated in 2016. Pinkett Smith even went on to say that the late Tupac Shakur was the true love of her life. By the end of the year, people grew tired of Jada’s seemingly non-stop parade of revelations, and her name became an instant “eye roll” to many.

#1: Danny Masterson

There’s no question that Danny Masterson’s “That 70’s Show” character, Steven Hyde, was a fan favorite. In turn, many grew fond of Masterson, despite a lackluster post “70’s Show” career. However, all that admiration would be gone by the end of 2023. In 2017 the actor was accused of multiple assault allegations. Following bitter court proceedings, Masterson was eventually found guilty in May 2023 and was ultimately sentenced to 30-years-to-life. Let’s just say the disturbing details of the case left his reputation unsalvageable. Heck, his downfall almost sunk Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis’ public status as well!

What celebrity had you shaking your head in 2023? Let’s chat in the comments.