10 Celebs Who Ruined ANOTHER Celeb's Career

Top 10 Celebs Who Ruined ANOTHER Celeb’s Career

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most prominent celebrities who, intentionally or not, managed to successfully sabotage another celebrity’s career. We won't be including those who bravely spoke out against sexual harassment, like singer Cassie did with Sean “Diddy” Combs.

#10: Michael Bay

Ruined: Megan Fox

Directed by Michael Bay, the 2007 film “Transformers” catapulted Megan Fox to international fame. Following the release of the 2009 sequel, “Revenge of the Fallen,” Fox publicly criticized Bay’s authoritarian style of directing, going as far as comparing him to Hitler. The director didn’t take too kindly to these comments, and reportedly got several of his crew members to defend him, while simultaneously launching a smear campaign against Fox. This effort seemed to work, as she was fired from the “Transformers” franchise and soon became known as an actress who was difficult to work with. Although the two appear to have reconciled, with Fox starring in Bay’s 2014 reboot of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” her reputation has never fully recovered.

#9: Kim Kardashian

Ruined: Kris Humphries

It all began with a fairytale wedding. On August 20th 2011, reality TV star Kim Kardashian and NBA player Kris Humphries tied the knot in a lavish ceremony that aired as a two-part TV special. While Humphries was already known in the sports world, his fame skyrocketed due to this wedding. However, after just 72 days, Kardashian filed for divorce. This shocking split drew immense media attention, with many criticizing the marriage as a publicity stunt. Humphries tried to move on, but fans never let him forget. They would boo him during games, which affected his performance and caused him to develop anxiety. He retired unceremoniously from basketball in 2019 and now runs a string of restaurant franchises.

#8: Tati Westbrook

Ruined: James Charles

In 2019, the online beauty community was rocked by a scandal involving two of its biggest stars. YouTuber Tati Westbrook called out her fellow beauty influencer and former protégé James Charles, questioning his loyalty and accusing him of inappropriate behavior with a heterosexual man. These claims were costly for Charles, causing him to lose one million subscribers in a single day, a first for any YouTuber. After addressing Westbrook’s remarks, Charles briefly regained public support, but the controversy opened the floodgates to more allegations, including claims of grooming underage fans. This time, YouTube temporarily demonetized his channel and he lost business deals. Although many fans have moved on from this incident, Charles’ public image remains tainted by it.

#7: Clint Eastwood

Ruined: Sondra Locke

Oscar-nominated actress and director Sondra Locke began a romantic relationship with Clint Eastwood after meeting him on the set of the 1976 film “The Outlaw Josey Wales.” This relationship ended dramatically in 1989, after Eastwood moved Locke’s belongings out of their shared home and changed the locks. Locke filed a palimony suit afterwards, but Eastwood convinced her to drop it by offering a $1.5 million film development deal at Warner Bros. However, she later discovered this deal was a sham, secretly funded by Eastwood to prevent her from getting any directing work. Due to their controversial break-up, Locke was allegedly blacklisted in Hollywood. She directed her last film in 1997 and faded from the spotlight until her death in 2018.

#6: Lee Daniels

Ruined: Mo’Nique

After years in the industry as a stand-up comedian and actress, Mo’Nique received her first Academy Award for her role in 2009’s “Precious.” What seemed like the starting point for even greater success instead marked the beginning of a dramatic downfall. Apparently, Mo’Nique had refused calls to promote the film from director Lee Daniels. As a result, the actress claims that Daniels tried to sabotage her career, even explicitly telling her she had been blackballed. This sparked a 13-year feud filled with snide remarks in the media from both parties and a lack of substantial work for Mo’Nique. However, the two seem to have buried the hatchet, as Daniels publicly apologized to Mo’Nique and cast her in his 2024 film “The Deliverance.”

#5: Johnny Carson

Ruined: Joan Rivers

Legendary comic Joan Rivers didn’t gain national prominence until she began regularly appearing as a guest on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” in 1965. However, in 1986, things soured between Rivers and Carson when she was offered her own late-night talk show. Rivers intended to wait for the deal to be finalized before informing Carson, but he found out when the news leaked, which made him furious. Carson severed all ties with Rivers, never speaking with her again until his death in 2005. Due to this dispute, some local stations refused to air Rivers’ show, and booking celebrity guests became difficult as no one wanted to displease Carson. All of these contributed to the show’s failure and cancellation after just nine months.

#4: Charlie Sheen

Ruined: Selma Blair

In 2011, actor Charlie Sheen was fired from the CBS sitcom “Two and a Half Men” after a heated feud with the show’s creator Chuck Lorre. Sheen then filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the studio, but two years later, he turned around and did the same thing to someone else. Following his unceremonious dismissal, Sheen began starring alongside Selma Blair in the FX show “Anger Management,” which he also executive produced. But his frequent lateness to set led Blair to complain about his behavior, which infuriated Sheen. He demanded that the producers fire her, and consequently, Blair was let go. Since then, the actress, who once enjoyed a steady stream of film roles, saw her opportunities dwindle.

#3: Will Smith

Ruined: Janet Hubert

Fans of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” vividly remember how suddenly the actress playing Aunt Viv was changed between seasons three and four. Janet Hubert, who originated the role, was replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid, who stayed on till the end of the series. This switch occurred partly due to a rift between Hubert and lead actor Will Smith. At the time, Smith claimed Hubert was jealous of his success and had become “difficult to work with” on set, leading to her departure. Although Hubert later clarified she was never fired, the label stuck and she struggled to find roles afterwards. The feud between her and Smith lasted until 2020, when they eventually reconciled during “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion.”

#2: Alfred Hitchcock

Ruined: Tippi Hedren

Screen legend Tippi Hedren was an inexperienced actress when Alfred Hitchcock discovered her and signed her to a seven-year contract. She then starred in his films “The Birds” and “Marnie.” While this was a great opportunity for an unknown performer, Hedren’s experience working with Hitchcock was horrible. The director made several advances towards her, which she turned down, and also reportedly sexually assaulted her during the production of “Marnie.” Fed up with his behavior, Hedren asked to be released from her contract, but Hitchcock, who had allegedly threatened to ruin her career for rejecting him, refused to do so. Instead, he kept her bound in the contract for three more years, causing her to miss out on many desirable roles.

#1: Justin Timberlake

Ruined: Janet Jackson

In early 2004, Janet Jackson was gearing up to release her eighth studio album “Damita Jo.” That February, she was billed to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. During Jackson’s set, pop star Justin Timberlake joined her onstage and the two performed a duet of his song “Rock Your Body.” But just as the song ended, Timberlake inadvertently exposed her breast on live TV for a split second. This “wardrobe malfunction,” as it came to be known, had a lasting impact on Jackson’s career. She was blacklisted from radio and music channels, and her album sales suffered. Timberlake, on the other hand, emerged largely unscathed from the incident and seemingly failed to show public support for Jackson during this difficult period.


Do you know any other celebrity whose career was ruined by a fellow famous person? Share them with us in the comments below.