Top10 People Whose Old Tweets Came Back to Haunt Them

Script written by William Regot

Top 10 People Whose Old Tweets Came Back to Haunt Them

Just because you posted a tweet a while ago doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 People Whose Old Tweets Came Back to Haunt Them.

For this list, we’re looking at celebrities whose past tweets have been used against them. However, we’re not considering celebrities who got in trouble for tweets shortly after they were written, so Roseanne Barr won’t be on this list.

#10: Zoella

Fashion vlogger Zoe Sugg, better known as Zoella, came under fire in 2017 for tweets she’d written as far back as 2010. These tweets disparaged gay men and “fat chavs.” As soon as the tweets received public attention, Zoella deleted them and issued an apology where she promised to not use such language again. However, critics accused Zoella of not issuing a sincere apology since she claimed several of tweets “were taken out of context” and used the tired line of apologizing if she “[had] offended anyone.”

#9: Ryan Rolison

After pitcher Ryan Rolison was selected by the Colorado Rockies in 2018, it was discovered that he had written an inflammatory tweet in 2012, when he was 15. Expressing frustration toward the results of the 2012 presidential election, Rolison had hoped that someone would shoot then-president Barack Obama. In response to the tweet, Rolison said he was “immature,” and Rockies General Manager Jeff Bridich called the tweet “regrettable.” No disciplinary action was taken, but it’s disturbing to think how one ill advised tweet made as a teenager could possibly jeopardize a multimillion dollar contract.

#8: Blake Shelton

In 2016, Twitter users started posting screenshots of controversial tweets made by Blake Shelton that had some of his country music fans upset. These tweets, posted between 2009 to 2012, were seen as sexist and homophobic, with the country singer joking about Richard Simmons, date rape, and having a “sick fantasy” about Dakota Fanning, who was 16-years-old at the time. When Shelton apologized for his tweets, he said they were the result of an “immature” sense of humor and none of them were based on hate.

#7: Sean Newcomb

This pitcher for the Atlanta Braves got in trouble in 2018 for tweets he had written as a teenager in 2011, many of which contained homophobic and racial slurs. Newcomb apologized for his tweets, calling them “stupid” and “insensitive”, but he was still required by the Braves organization to go through diversity training. The controversy surrounding Newcomb came around the same time that other major league ballplayers Josh Hader and Trea Turner also had to answer for similar kinds of tweets that they had written long ago.

#6: Iggy Azalea

One thing that can be said about Iggy Azalea is that she’s very outspoken, and sometimes she can rub people the wrong way with her comments. In 2015, Azalea received criticism for tweets that were written in 2011 and 2012 and were considered homophobic. The rapper had planned to attend a pride event in Pittsburgh, but one prominent LGBTQ+ group threatened to pull out if she made an appearance. Because of the pressure and backlash she faced, she made the decision to back out of the event.

#5: Trevor Noah

In 2015, before Trevor Noah was set to host “The Daily Show,” some politically incorrect jokes Noah had made on twitter were brought under public scrutiny. These jokes included references to running over a Jewish kid with a German car and “fat chicks” getting lucky at a party. For those judging Noah by these tweets, he didn’t look like a promising successor to Jon Stewart. Because of the insensitive nature of the jokes, some people called for Comedy Central to deny Noah the chance to host “The Daily Show.” Still, the TV network defended their decision, and as of 2018 Noah is still hosting the satrical news program.

#4: Sam Seder

This comedian and political commentator almost lost his role as an MSNBC contributor when right wing activist Mike Cernovich uncovered a tweet Seder had written in 2009 about Roman Polanski. At a glance, the tweet looked like it was in support of pedophilia, but Seder had intended it to be a satirical take on people who stood behind Roman Polanski despite his statutory rape of a 13-year-oldgirl. After Seder’s tweet was brought to light, MSNBC originally fired him. However, this action caused a public outcry, and, a few days later, Seder was rehired.

#3: Jack Maynard

While competing in the Australian wilderness on the reality show “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” in 2017, this British YouTube star left the program early when news broke out about tweets he’d sent out between 2011 and 2013. The subject matter of the tweets included jokes about raping his fans, and the use of the “N-word.” In response, Maynard put out a video apologizing for his tweets, many of which were written when he was 16, and explained he’s grown since that time.

#2: Donald Trump

For the last decade, Donald Trump has used Twitter prolifically to sound off on a whole host of issues. Trump’s critics have often retweeted Trump to highlight certain hypocrises, such as when he expressed disdain for the electoral college in 2012, only for him to reverse his position in 2016 when it helped him win the presidency. According to the New York Times, special counsel Robert Mueller is going through Trump’s past tweets, examining them for evidence of obstruction of justice.

#1: James Gunn

Prior to taking on the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise, director James Gunn was known for having a twisted, subversive sense of humor. Unfortunately, this edgy humor backfired on Gunn when old tweets from 2008 to 2011, where he made crude jokes about pedophilia, were spread by Mike Cernovich. As soon as Disney found out about these tweets, they fired Gunn from the production of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” Gunn has since apologized for the tweets, but, unlike with the Sam Seder case, he has yet to get his job back.