10 Celebs Who Ruined Their Careers in 2024
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VOICE OVER: Patrick Mealey
WRITTEN BY: Nick Spake
Hollywood's reputation rollercoaster takes some wild turns in 2024! We're diving deep into the careers of celebrities who faced major scandals, controversies, and legal challenges that potentially derailed their professional trajectories forever. From music industry controversies to legal battles and shocking allegations, our countdown explores how these high-profile figures saw their careers dramatically impacted this year, including stars like P. Diddy, Kanye West, and Jennifer Lopez! Which celeb do you think did the most damage to their brand this year? Share in the comments.
10 Celebs Who Ruined Their Careers in 2024
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at famous figures whose reputations were seriously damaged in 2024. While some may rebound by this time next year, others seem destined to traverse a long, possibly infinite, road with redemption forever out of reach.
Katy Perry
“143” marked Katy Perry’s first studio album in nearly four years. Perry took a hiatus from original music, focusing on “American Idol,” her Vegas residency, and her daughter. Motherhood and female empowerment were the inspirations behind songs like “Woman’s World.” Many found this hypocritical considering that Perry collaborated on the album with Dr. Luke, who was accused of sexually assaulting Kesha years earlier. Kesha also claimed Luke assaulted Perry, which she denied. Although Kesha’s case was settled out of court, Perry’s controversial decision to reteam with Luke sent a mixed message. It didn’t help that the album itself was a critical dud and underperformed on the charts with the consensus being that Perry lost her spark following so much time away from songwriting.
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez seemed poised to kick off 2024 on a high note with her ninth studio album, “This Is Me... Now.” Lopez herself covered the album’s $20 million budget, an investment she seemed likely to make back given the high volume of publicity. The album even received a companion documentary, “The Greatest Love Story Never Told,” which some - specifically those from the Bronx - found inauthentic. The album’s reception wasn’t much better, not even cracking the Billboard 200’s Top 20. Although a tour was planned, Lopez pulled the plug only a few months before her divorce from Ben Affleck was announced. In addition to rumors about Bennifer, Lopez’s past relationship with P. Diddy returned to the zeitgeist amid his scandal. Yeah, we’ll get to that later.
Blake Lively
As far as box office goes, few enjoyed a better year than Blake Lively. She had a prominent cameo in the billion-dollar blockbuster “Deadpool & Wolverine” and headlined another hit with “It Ends with Us.” Doing publicity for the latter film, though, Lively’s public image suffered. Lively was already under a magnifying glass due to her alleged feud with director/co-star Justin Baldoni. Since the film explores domestic violence, many found it tone-deaf that Lively promoted her new haircare brand around this time. Although a source claims the product launch wasn’t meant to coincide with the film’s release, it made for an uncomfortable connection with Lively at the center. Lively nonetheless maintained a flowery presence while doing press, suggesting moviegoers adopt a similar floral ensemble.
Neil Gaiman
From “Coraline,” to “Stardust,” to the “Sandman” series, Neil Gaiman is a prolific author whose influence has extended to TV and film. While his stories and their adaptations may endure, Gaiman’s career possibly reached its abrupt end in 2024 as five women accused him of sexual misconduct. Among Gaiman’s accusers was his child’s former nanny, who had been a fan before he allegedly assaulted her hours after their first meeting. Although Gaiman has denied the accusations against him, several of the productions associated with him were put on hold. This included the final season of “Good Omens,” which will now be produced as a 90-minute special without Gaiman’s involvement. Disney’s film adaptation of Gaiman’s “The Graveyard Book” also might be dead and buried after this.
Lil Durk
In 2022, rapper Quando Rondo, his sister, and his cousin Lul Pab were the victims of an L.A. shooting that cost the latter their life. Two years later, six arrests were made in the case. All of them had ties to the Only the Family record label, including its founder, ‘Lil Durk’ Devontay Banks. Lil Durk is the suspected ringleader in a murder-for-hire plot that supposedly targeted Rondo as retribution for the killing of King Von. In exchange for Rondo’s life, Lil Durk allegedly offered his five associates a hefty payday and future perks. Durk has pleaded not guilty, although he’s likely to remain in custody leading up to his trial, which is set for early 2025.
Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston is another singer who went to jail in 2024, although he might be the only one who faced the music with his mother, Janice Turner. The mother and son were arrested following a raid at Kingston’s Miami mansion, which he rents. Two months later, they found themselves being indicted for wire fraud and conspiracy. Kingston and Turner stand accused of fraudulently purchasing $1 million worth of luxury items that they allegedly didn’t pay for. It isn’t the first time Turner has been linked to theft. A year before Kingston released “Beautiful Girls,” Turner pleaded guilty to bank fraud, serving 1.5 years. Kingston and Turner could see much longer sentences if found guilty this time, amounting to 20 years per count.
Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson
Whether you call him Jimmy or MrBeast, this internet personality has dominated social media for more than a decade. He’s even ventured beyond the web as of late with Amazon Prime Video picking up the reality competition series “Beast Games.” This series has also been the subject of controversy, as multiple contestants have named MrBeast, Amazon, and others in a class action lawsuit. The accusations include being deprived of essential resources like food, receiving no overtime pay, and enduring sexual harassment. It wasn’t the first time that MrBeast faced allegations of creating a toxic work environment. Whether or not the lawsuit plays in his favor, the scandal gave the show a bad reputation before it even debuted, calling MrBeast’s future endeavors into question.
Kanye West
From interrupting Taylor Swift’s VMA acceptance speech to breaking bread with a white nationalist, Kanye West has quote-unquote “ruined” his career more than a few times over the years. Yet, there’s rarely been an erratic decision he couldn’t bounce back from. 2024 might mark the beginning of Ye’s true downfall, however. Former assistant Lauren Pisciotta has brought multiple lawsuits against West, accusing the rapper of wrongful termination, breach of contract, and sexual harassment. This includes allegedly being drugged and assaulted during a recording session linked to West and P. Diddy. While West called Pisciotta’s accusations “baseless,” he’s facing yet another lawsuit from “America’s Next Top Model’s” Jenn An, who claims he sexually strangled and gagged her on a music video set in 2010.
Dan Schneider
Some might argue that Dan Schneider’s career was ruined several years ago when accusations of his allegedly cruel and unethical behavior first surfaced, leading to his termination at Nickelodeon. Whatever little hope of a comeback was seemingly crushed in 2024 with the docuseries “Quiet on Set.” Although he wasn’t the only controversial figure covered, much of the reported trauma at Nickelodeon was traced back to Schneider. As new stories of sexism and angry outbursts were revealed, Schneider responded in an interview with “iCarly” actor BooG!E. While Schneider owned up to a few of his mistakes, he claimed some of the accusations against him were untrue. Many viewed the video as a disingenuous apology, writing off Schneider for good if they hadn’t already.
P. Diddy
It’s safe to say that no celebrity had a more substantial fall from grace in 2024 than Sean Combs. Depending on how things go in 2025, it could be the biggest downfall since Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby. The leaked video of Diddy assaulting former partner Cassie Ventura would’ve been enough to warrant a spot here. The PR nightmare continued to balloon as 120 accusers took legal action against Diddy, citing various sex crimes. Many supposedly took place at Diddy’s so-called “freak-offs,” painting his once revered parties in a more disturbing light. Time will only tell if this is truly the end of Diddy’s career. If Diddy is convicted, though, numerous other big names could be dragged down with him.
Which celebrity would you be shocked to see make a comeback? Let us know in the comments.
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at famous figures whose reputations were seriously damaged in 2024. While some may rebound by this time next year, others seem destined to traverse a long, possibly infinite, road with redemption forever out of reach.
Katy Perry
“143” marked Katy Perry’s first studio album in nearly four years. Perry took a hiatus from original music, focusing on “American Idol,” her Vegas residency, and her daughter. Motherhood and female empowerment were the inspirations behind songs like “Woman’s World.” Many found this hypocritical considering that Perry collaborated on the album with Dr. Luke, who was accused of sexually assaulting Kesha years earlier. Kesha also claimed Luke assaulted Perry, which she denied. Although Kesha’s case was settled out of court, Perry’s controversial decision to reteam with Luke sent a mixed message. It didn’t help that the album itself was a critical dud and underperformed on the charts with the consensus being that Perry lost her spark following so much time away from songwriting.
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez seemed poised to kick off 2024 on a high note with her ninth studio album, “This Is Me... Now.” Lopez herself covered the album’s $20 million budget, an investment she seemed likely to make back given the high volume of publicity. The album even received a companion documentary, “The Greatest Love Story Never Told,” which some - specifically those from the Bronx - found inauthentic. The album’s reception wasn’t much better, not even cracking the Billboard 200’s Top 20. Although a tour was planned, Lopez pulled the plug only a few months before her divorce from Ben Affleck was announced. In addition to rumors about Bennifer, Lopez’s past relationship with P. Diddy returned to the zeitgeist amid his scandal. Yeah, we’ll get to that later.
Blake Lively
As far as box office goes, few enjoyed a better year than Blake Lively. She had a prominent cameo in the billion-dollar blockbuster “Deadpool & Wolverine” and headlined another hit with “It Ends with Us.” Doing publicity for the latter film, though, Lively’s public image suffered. Lively was already under a magnifying glass due to her alleged feud with director/co-star Justin Baldoni. Since the film explores domestic violence, many found it tone-deaf that Lively promoted her new haircare brand around this time. Although a source claims the product launch wasn’t meant to coincide with the film’s release, it made for an uncomfortable connection with Lively at the center. Lively nonetheless maintained a flowery presence while doing press, suggesting moviegoers adopt a similar floral ensemble.
Neil Gaiman
From “Coraline,” to “Stardust,” to the “Sandman” series, Neil Gaiman is a prolific author whose influence has extended to TV and film. While his stories and their adaptations may endure, Gaiman’s career possibly reached its abrupt end in 2024 as five women accused him of sexual misconduct. Among Gaiman’s accusers was his child’s former nanny, who had been a fan before he allegedly assaulted her hours after their first meeting. Although Gaiman has denied the accusations against him, several of the productions associated with him were put on hold. This included the final season of “Good Omens,” which will now be produced as a 90-minute special without Gaiman’s involvement. Disney’s film adaptation of Gaiman’s “The Graveyard Book” also might be dead and buried after this.
Lil Durk
In 2022, rapper Quando Rondo, his sister, and his cousin Lul Pab were the victims of an L.A. shooting that cost the latter their life. Two years later, six arrests were made in the case. All of them had ties to the Only the Family record label, including its founder, ‘Lil Durk’ Devontay Banks. Lil Durk is the suspected ringleader in a murder-for-hire plot that supposedly targeted Rondo as retribution for the killing of King Von. In exchange for Rondo’s life, Lil Durk allegedly offered his five associates a hefty payday and future perks. Durk has pleaded not guilty, although he’s likely to remain in custody leading up to his trial, which is set for early 2025.
Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston is another singer who went to jail in 2024, although he might be the only one who faced the music with his mother, Janice Turner. The mother and son were arrested following a raid at Kingston’s Miami mansion, which he rents. Two months later, they found themselves being indicted for wire fraud and conspiracy. Kingston and Turner stand accused of fraudulently purchasing $1 million worth of luxury items that they allegedly didn’t pay for. It isn’t the first time Turner has been linked to theft. A year before Kingston released “Beautiful Girls,” Turner pleaded guilty to bank fraud, serving 1.5 years. Kingston and Turner could see much longer sentences if found guilty this time, amounting to 20 years per count.
Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson
Whether you call him Jimmy or MrBeast, this internet personality has dominated social media for more than a decade. He’s even ventured beyond the web as of late with Amazon Prime Video picking up the reality competition series “Beast Games.” This series has also been the subject of controversy, as multiple contestants have named MrBeast, Amazon, and others in a class action lawsuit. The accusations include being deprived of essential resources like food, receiving no overtime pay, and enduring sexual harassment. It wasn’t the first time that MrBeast faced allegations of creating a toxic work environment. Whether or not the lawsuit plays in his favor, the scandal gave the show a bad reputation before it even debuted, calling MrBeast’s future endeavors into question.
Kanye West
From interrupting Taylor Swift’s VMA acceptance speech to breaking bread with a white nationalist, Kanye West has quote-unquote “ruined” his career more than a few times over the years. Yet, there’s rarely been an erratic decision he couldn’t bounce back from. 2024 might mark the beginning of Ye’s true downfall, however. Former assistant Lauren Pisciotta has brought multiple lawsuits against West, accusing the rapper of wrongful termination, breach of contract, and sexual harassment. This includes allegedly being drugged and assaulted during a recording session linked to West and P. Diddy. While West called Pisciotta’s accusations “baseless,” he’s facing yet another lawsuit from “America’s Next Top Model’s” Jenn An, who claims he sexually strangled and gagged her on a music video set in 2010.
Dan Schneider
Some might argue that Dan Schneider’s career was ruined several years ago when accusations of his allegedly cruel and unethical behavior first surfaced, leading to his termination at Nickelodeon. Whatever little hope of a comeback was seemingly crushed in 2024 with the docuseries “Quiet on Set.” Although he wasn’t the only controversial figure covered, much of the reported trauma at Nickelodeon was traced back to Schneider. As new stories of sexism and angry outbursts were revealed, Schneider responded in an interview with “iCarly” actor BooG!E. While Schneider owned up to a few of his mistakes, he claimed some of the accusations against him were untrue. Many viewed the video as a disingenuous apology, writing off Schneider for good if they hadn’t already.
P. Diddy
It’s safe to say that no celebrity had a more substantial fall from grace in 2024 than Sean Combs. Depending on how things go in 2025, it could be the biggest downfall since Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby. The leaked video of Diddy assaulting former partner Cassie Ventura would’ve been enough to warrant a spot here. The PR nightmare continued to balloon as 120 accusers took legal action against Diddy, citing various sex crimes. Many supposedly took place at Diddy’s so-called “freak-offs,” painting his once revered parties in a more disturbing light. Time will only tell if this is truly the end of Diddy’s career. If Diddy is convicted, though, numerous other big names could be dragged down with him.
Which celebrity would you be shocked to see make a comeback? Let us know in the comments.
