Top 10 People Who Became Famous for Stupid Reasons

Snooki’s main claim to fame was “Jersey Shore,” the MTV reality show about housemates partying in a vacation home. Snooki initially had big dreams, and studied to become a vet technician in community college. However, she was cast in “Jersey Shore” after a casting director took notice of her, and her life was never the same. And while she quickly became a breakout star, her popularity dramatically increased once she was punched in the face by Brad Ferro. After this occurrence, Snooki’s appearance fees rose from $2,000 to $10,000 per event. You could say that Snooki became famous simply by being punched in the face…

You know what they say – it’s not about what you know, but who you know. This is certainly the case with Bristol Palin. Palin is known primarily for two things – being the child of Alaska governor Sarah Palin and being a teenage mother. Palin became the subject of national attention when her pregnancy was announced while her mother was running for Vice President. She then became “prevention ambassador” for the Candie’s Foundation, a campaign meant to prevent teen pregnancy. Palin used this fame to her advantage, appearing on various reality TV shows and releasing a memoir at age 20.

Being a socialite is nothing new. Paris Hilton is simply a modern-day socialite who has turned her power into a career. Hilton was born into money, as she is the great-granddaughter of Hilton Hotels’ founder Conrad Hilton. Her teenage lifestyle made her a dominant subject in the tabloids, and she became a national sensation when her sex tape, released as “1 Night in Paris,” was leaked to the public in 2003. This in turn caused the popularity of her reality show “The Simple Life” to skyrocket, and Hilton has been riding that wave ever since.

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#7: Kevin Federline

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Federline is another in a long line of “celebs” famous by association. K-Fed became a subject of national ridicule when he started a relationship with Britney Spears. Federline and Spears began dating while Federline’s ex-girlfriend was still pregnant with their child, and Kevin was soon labeled an immoral gold digger by the media. The couple separated after two years of marriage, and the intense custody battle for their children, complete with Spears’ infamous meltdown, made them both national subjects of attention. Spears has since gone on to revitalize her career while Federline has done… basically nothing.

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#6: Natalie Suleman [aka Octomom]

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Giving birth to octuplets is – medically speaking – pretty rad. After all, Suleman’s children are only the second set of octuplets to be born alive in the United States. However, the intense media storm surrounding Suleman’s pregnancy caused her to become a national villain. Suleman's motherhood began with in vitro fertilization when she was 21 and resulted in six children over the course of 5 pregnancies. When news of the octuplets got out, many people criticized the unemployed mother of now 14 kids for taking advantage of public assistance. In 2014, she was found guilty of misdemeanor welfare fraud for failing to disclose some $30,000 of income while receiving $26,000 in welfare.

Like Bristol Palin, Farrah Abraham is best known for being a teenage mother – albeit, one without a famous mom. Initially appearing on the TV reality series “16 & Pregnant”, Abraham was later cast in the spin-off titled “Teen Mom,” which aired for four seasons between 2009 and 2012. Since that time, she has released music, a memoir, and multiple sex tapes. She then reappeared on “Teen Mom’s” revival season, titled “Teen Mom OG,” but she was let go from the show after starting an adult webcam series.

Once an aspiring pop singer, and beauty pageant contestant, Courtney Stodden became famous after signing up for an acting class taught by the then 50-year-old Doug Hutchison. However, it wasn't her newly honed acting skills that caught people’s attention – it was her age: 16. The pair soon married, kickstarting an intense media firestorm, resulting in Hutchison's family disowning him and many deeming him a pedophile. What makes the marriage even more controversial is that Stodden’s father is four years younger than his son-in-law. The two rode their infamy further into the spotlight, appearing in the second season of “Couples Therapy” at the faintest edge of the limelight.

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#3: Logan Paul

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Logan Paul, along with his brother Jake, are two of the most notorious YouTubers. Logan began his career on Vine before transitioning to YouTube, where he has primarily fed off controversy. In November 2017, he released a “single” titled “No Handlebars,” which was declared sexist and offensive. However, he became villain #1 on December 31, 2017 when he uploaded a video showing the body of a suicide victim in Japan’s Aokigahara forest. Soon after, various petitions were created calling for Paul’s removal from YouTube. Since then, he has uploaded a video of him poking a fish out of water and tasering dead rats.

Sometimes all it takes is a meme to become famous. Danielle Bregoli became a viral sensation after appearing on “Dr. Phil” for her troublesome behavior. After the audience laughed at her, Danielle famously uttered, “Cash me ousside, howbow dah?,” making her an instant internet star. She rode this fame into a music career and has since released numerous singles under the stage name Bhad Bhabie, two of which have broken the Top 100 on the Billboard chart. “Hi Bich”, her second single, has even gone gold in the United States. It’s amazing what one sentence can do for a person.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Heidi Montag

Tan Mom [aka Patricia Krentcil]

Duggar Family

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#1: Kim Kardashian

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Kim Kardashian is now known primarily for her show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and her influential presence on social media, but her rise to fame is somewhat questionable and undeserving. Kardashian first surfaced when her father was defending O.J. Simpson in his infamous murder trial. Later a close friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, Kim found infamy in 2007 when a sex tape of her and rapper Ray J was leaked to the public. This sex tape made Kardashian a star and generated intense interest for her upcoming reality show. The show was a huge hit, and Kardashian hasn’t left the spotlight since.