Top 10 Spokesperson Companies Are Ashamed Of

While this comedian’s reputation has been tarnished in recent years, she has nevertheless left behind an incredible legacy, which includes the famous Oscars selfie from the 2014 ceremony. The event was hosted by Samsung, and it saw DeGeneres wielding a Galaxy Note 3. In one instance, she got together with a group of famous actors and had Bradley Cooper take a selfie with the phone. This selfie became the most retweeted post ever at the time. But throughout the show, DeGeneres’s personal Twitter account was being updated with an iPhone. It’s possible that this was a PA posting on behalf of the host, but it still doesn’t look very good for someone publicly promoting a different company!

Back in 2012, Ashton Kutcher helped personally develop a $1.5 million advertisement for Popchips. It saw the famous actor inhabiting various characters, including a biker, a hippie, and controversially, a Bollywood producer. Kutcher was equipped in brownface and spoke in a fake Indian accent, drawing widespread ire. Many called the advertisement racist, and tech entrepreneur Anil Dash criticized the commercial for placing the joke on Kutcher’s accent and appearance rather than any legitimate punchline. The ad was quickly pulled, and Popchips offered an apology, stating, “[It] was never intended to stereotype or offend anyone.”

During the 2016 Summer Olympics, swimmer Ryan Lochte became embroiled in what is now known as Lochtegate. Lochte claimed that he had been robbed at gunpoint while in Rio, but it was later revealed that he had paid off security guards after vandalizing a gas station. A later USA Today investigation painted a grayer version of events, confirming that Lochte had exaggerated his claims but also casting doubt on Rio authorities. Regardless, the damage had been done. Four sponsors immediately dropped Lochte for his exaggerated claims, including Ralph Lauren, Speedo USA, Syneron Candela, and Airweave. Forbes estimated that Lochte lost upwards of $10 million in the ordeal.

Throughout the early 2000s, Michael Vick revolutionized the quarterback position in football, set various records, and was generally considered one of the best players of the modern era. Unfortunately, his legacy was permanently tarnished in 2007 when authorities found evidence of an illegal dogfighting ring on his Virginia property. Vick spent nearly two years in prison and lost millions in dropped sponsorships. Numerous companies distanced themselves from Vick, including Nike, who claimed, “We consider any cruelty to animals inhumane and abhorrent.” Later, Nike would stand by Tiger Woods during his infidelity scandal of late 2009. When Woods won the Masters ten years later, the company gained $4 billion in value.

In the summer of 2013, Paula Deen’s empire crumbled when a former restaurant manager sued the celebrity chef for racial and sexual discrimination. During the resulting deposition, Deen admitted to using racial slurs in the past. When asked if she had ever used an especially offensive word, Deen responded, “Yes, of course. [But] it’s been a very long time.” While the suit was dismissed with prejudice, Deen lost numerous sponsorships in the public controversy. Book publishers and cooking programs dropped Deen, as did companies like Walmart, Target, Sears, and J.C. Penney. But controversy sells, and two of Deen’s cookbooks shot to the #1 and #2 spots on the Amazon bestsellers list.

One of the most famous Olympians of the modern era, Oscar Pistorius was born with a congenital defect and lost both of his feet at 11 months old. He subsequently became a professional athlete and was the first double-leg amputee to compete at the Olympic Games. Sponsors including Nike and Oakley lined up to work with Pistorius, and he had accumulated $2 million in sponsorships by 2012. But just six months after competing at the 2012 London Games, he shot his girlfriend after allegedly mistaking her for an intruder. He was originally sentenced to prison on charges of culpable homicide, but this has since been overturned to murder, and Pistorius is serving a 15-year sentence in Atteridgeville Correctional Centre.

Few athletes have suffered a greater fall from grace. Simpson was an incredibly popular and record-setting football player throughout the ‘70s, and he still holds the single-season record for running yards per game with an average of 143.1. He also found enormous success with rental car company Hertz, starring in a series of commercials that saw Simpson running through an airport. This is widely regarded as one of the most successful celebrity endorsements of all time. But of course, Simpson’s legacy was permanently tarnished once he was tried for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Even though he was famously acquitted, Simpson’s career as a public figure was over.

Arguably the most famous cyclist to ever live, Lance Armstrong became an internationally renowned figure while winning a record seven straight Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005. It was a true inspiration story - not only for the incredible feat of athleticism, but because Armstrong was a cancer survivor. His story was the stuff of feel-good sports movies. And while he faced doping allegations throughout much of his career, he continuously denied the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Unfortunately, his longtime use of drugs was finally confirmed in 2012 by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. He was subsequently stripped of all endorsements and titles and was banned from competing in professional sports.

For nearly two decades, Jared Fogle served as the spokesperson for Subway after attributing his dramatic weight loss to their sandwiches. Fogle once weighed 425 pounds but lost over half that while studying at Indiana University, reportedly with the help of Subway and good old-fashioned exercise. Shortly after, Fogle was hired on by Subway and starred in over 300 commercials over the next 15 years. This all came crashing down in 2015 when he faced multiple charges involving minors. He is currently serving 15 years in Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few not-so-honorable mentions.

Vince Offer
The ShamWow Guy Was Arrested in 2009 After a Physical Altercation with a Sex Worker

Gilbert Gottfried
Fired from Aflac After Joking About the 2011 Japanese Earthquake

One of the first Black spokespeople in entertainment, Bill Cosby enjoyed a historic run with Jell-O. He began working with the company in 1974, and he stuck with them for multiple decades and generations. By 2002, it had become the longest celebrity endorsement in history, and in 2011, the Advertising Hall of Fame awarded him the President's Award for Contributions to Advertising. However, stock in Cosby’s name dropped substantially in 2014 amidst the dozens of sexual misconduct and other allegations, and in 2018, he was sentenced to 3-10 years in prison. He was released in 2021 amidst violations of his due process rights. Regardless, we think his partnership with Jell-O is over...