10 Celebrities Everyone Lost Respect For

Top 10 Celebrities Everyone Lost Respect For

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the celebrities who were once well-liked or significant contributors to their craft until their careers were rocked by scandal.

#10: Lance Armstrong

Athletes didn’t get much more revered and respected than Lance Armstrong. The name in cycling, Armstrong broke through the niche sport to become a national hero, a reputation that was bolstered by seven straight Tour de France wins. But his legacy crumbled after the United States Anti-Doping Agency uncovered widespread use of performance enhancing drugs. Not only did Armstrong take these substances himself, he also oversaw, in the words of the USADA, “the most sophisticated…doping program that sport has ever seen.” So, yeah, that was pretty much it for him. Armstrong has since said goodbye to several of his titles and faded into sports infamy.

#9: Amber Heard

The Depp v. Heard story is a twisty one. First it was Johnny Depp who was the public villain, even losing his role as Grindelwald in the “Fantastic Beasts” series. But public perception later began to shift and Amber Heard became a main target. The ex-partners sued and countersued each other in court, leading to the infamous “Depp v. Heard” trial of 2022. It was a PR nightmare for the once-respected actress, as social media viciously mocked and ridiculed her. This perception was not aided by the verdict, with the jury finding Heard liable of defamation and awarding Depp $15 million in damages. Depp was also found liable for one matter of defamation, with Heard winning $2 million. Both appealed but eventually settled.

#8: Matt Lauer

In some ways, Matt Lauer was the last vestige of a bygone age. Today, most people get their news through social media or phone notifications. It seems like the age of the news anchor is largely over, and perhaps it went out with Lauer. He hosted “Today” for twenty years starting in 1997, but the #MeToo movement eventually led to disturbing discoveries. Indeed, Lauer’s firing was revealed on November 29, 2017, with the chairman of NBC explaining that Lauer had been accused of sexual harassment. More victims then came forward sharing similar stories. However, journalist Ronan Farrow claims in his book “Catch and Kill” that NBC was well aware of Lauer’s criminal behavior before his termination.

#7: J. K. Rowling

Despite the controversy, “Harry Potter” isn’t going anywhere. It’s still a cultural phenomenon, and HBO announced that they are adapting the novels into a television series. But this is a modern example of a problematic name being uttered in hushed tones. Rowling’s opinions on sex and gender - specifically those on transgender individuals - have elicited enormous backlash in recent years. Many within the Wizarding World, including past actors and various fansites, have condemned Rowling’s viewpoints, as have many experts in the field. She has been called transphobic and a “trans-exclusionary radical feminist”, and some activists have even burned Harry Potter books in retaliation. Others, however, continue to find solace in the franchise while still condemning the author.

#6: Paula Deen

There were few southern chefs as big as Paula Deen. A Daytime Emmy winner, Deen was a successful chef and media personality who made flavorful dishes heavy on the butter and grease. They weren’t necessarily the healthiest meals in the world, but they exemplified southern comfort. However, the chef faced a massive career setback in 2013 when she was accused of racial and sexual discrimination. It wasn’t the lawsuit itself that got Deen into trouble, but the deposition in which she admitted to using a racist slur in the past. Virtually every business partner of Deen’s dropped her as a client and she quickly faded from the public consciousness.

#5: Kevin Spacey

It’s amazing how quickly Kevin Spacey fell from grace. On October 28, 2017, he was a beloved Oscar-winning actor whose name guaranteed a critical darling. And the next day he was an ostracized celebrity who was widely hated. That was the result of actor Anthony Rapp accusing Spacey of assaulting him in 1986. This accusation opened the floodgates, and over a dozen victims came forth to share their stories about being abused and assaulted. He was instantly dropped from numerous projects, including the hit Netflix show “House of Cards.” Charges were also filed, but Spacey was ultimately acquitted. Still, there’s arguably a dark cloud over his name now.

#4: Ellen DeGeneres

There’s no denying that Ellen DeGeneres became a shining figure in the history of television. 1997’s “The Puppy Episode” from “Ellen” is a landmark hour, featuring the character coming out as a lesbian, with the actress also doing the same around that time. She would later find great success in the talk show industry, with “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” running nearly twenty seasons between 2003 and 2022. But in July of 2020, Buzzfeed News published the accounts of former employees who accused DeGeneres of creating a hostile work environment. This included a history of racism. While DeGeneres attempted to apologize during the 18th season premiere, it wasn’t enough to save her reputation. She chose to end her show just a few years later.

#3: Michael Richards

Few other shows dominated the ‘90s quite like “Seinfeld,” and few dominated “Seinfeld” more than Michael Richards. While the sitcom was named after its lead actor and character, it was often Kramer who stole the show with his wacky antics. Richards received five straight Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy and won three of them. It seemed like a legacy that would never be tarnished. That is, until November 17, 2006, when he was infamously captured on video making a racist tirade at the Hollywood Laugh Factory. It absolutely shattered his reputation and effectively ended his career in comedy.

#2: Roseanne Barr

Despite being a cultural juggernaut, “Seinfeld” did have its share of competition, and “Roseanne” was among it. A widely beloved show, it received praise for its working-class themes and Barr won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy in 1993. The sitcom came to an end in 1997 but remained in the cultural consciousness, leading to a revival 21 years later. But just nine episodes aired before it was swiftly canceled, later being reworked as “The Conners”. This wasn’t due to low ratings, but Barr making a racist remark on Twitter. The president of ABC called it “abhorrent [and] repugnant” - a sentiment that pretty much everyone agreed with. Needless to say, Barr wasn’t part of “The Conners.”

#1: Bill Cosby

While a popular figure throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, Cosby earned national renown for playing Cliff Huxtable on “The Cosby Show.” Both the sitcom and the role were groundbreaking, and Cosby became known as “America’s Dad” for his endless warmth and lovability. But this veneer was hiding a very dark underbelly. Cosby’s history with sexual assault became more widely known in 2014, when numerous women accused the comedian of sexual assault. An accuser named Jewell Allison stated, “He got away with it because he was hiding behind the image of Cliff Huxtable.” Though a conviction occurred in 2018, it was overturned about 3 years later — not because the court was now claiming Cosby was innocent, but rather for violation of due process.

Do you think any of these celebrities will make a comeback? Let us know in the comments below!