Let’s start with our text about the Stars who ruined their career just overnight. Life in Hollywood is so glamorous, you’d think that becoming a celebrity would give you all the lessons in public relations you need to keep out of trouble. Check out these 25 celebrities who literally destroyed their career in 1 sound byte…
1. Michael Jackson
By 2003, the King of Pop’s recording career was in a freefall, as he was becoming less well known for his music and more talked about for his questionable relationships with underaged children. Before his tragic overdose in 2009, he was facing 20 years in prison but was ultimately deemed not guilty despite public opinion to the contrary.
2. Chris Brown
By 2009, Chris Brown had recorded dozens of hits and became a R & B star. This all came screeching to a halt on the night of the 2009 Grammy Awards, when police responded to an assault on his girlfriend, Rihanna. Her battered photograph hit the tabloids, and while still well known, his career has never fully recovered.
3. Mary J Blige
The Queen of Soul R & B seems to take her “BadBoy” image seriously, courting controversy and drama with her marketing efforts. Fans responded poorly to her ads for fast food giant Burger King’s chicken sandwich, accusing the singer of perpetuating racial stereotypes about black people. Next one is Boy George.
4. Boy George
“Give me time, time to realize my crime…” Remember when Culture Club’s frontman was arrested? Some Karma Chameleons remain in plain sight no matter how big a celebrity they are. He won’t ever live it down. Next one is Ashlee Simpson. Find out why her career went downhill as well.
5. Ashlee Simpson
The younger Simpson sister can blame her downward professional spiral on a disastrous 2004 SNL appearance. Fans were dismayed to witness the singer’s backup tape completely out of sync with her lip service. She further crashed and burned by attempting to dance it out a la Meredith Gray without success. Some “autobiography”.
6. Jennifer Grey
She became famous because of “Dirty Dancing”. Jennifer Grey had undergone a nose surgery in the early nineties. However, due to the surgical reduction of her nose, the actress lost her trademark and her career was nearly over. Next one is Mariah Carey, read on to find out why her career was not easy as well.
7. Mariah Carey
Mimi may have emancipated herself from an allegedly abusive relationship with Sony, but her unscripted gaffes and missed cues during live performances have become legendary. Take 2016’s Times Square disaster, where she couldn’t hear the backing track, so she just didn’t sing. Her reply? “It happens.” Next one is Michael Richards, find out more.
8. Michael Richards
Oh, Kramer, how could you? This comedian’s career imploded in 2006, when he went on a racist tirade during a live standup performance, to the dismay of the entire world. His angry harassment of a black ticket holder left the star deeply ashamed and permanently out of business. Next one is Lil Wayne.
9. Lil Wayne
Rappers have a reputation for courting controversy, and Lil Wayne is no exception. When he was spitting bars on a track with Future and dropped one specific line, his fans couldn’t get behind it. His tasteless reference to a lynching that occured in 1955 had them turning down the radios, despite numerous public apologies over the lyrics and pulling it from the airwaves.
10. Miguel
2013 was ROUGH for this Latin R and B megastar. Despite his hit “Adorn” topping the charts, his legal woes following a live show where he attempted a pit dive and crushed fans who weren’t ready to crowd surf him brought it to a halt. One girl who was severely injured claimed she didn’t receive proper medical care on sight, and it became a PR nightmare for the singer.
11. Janet Jackson
The youngest Jackson sibling, like her brother, has long spent time in the public eye recovering from controversial hits to her reputation. But the Superbowl halftime show with Justin Timberlake in 2004 was a total accident the star has never been able to put to rest. “Nipplegate” remains in the live TV hall of infamy.
12. Jennifer Grey
“Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” Well, until she gets a nose job and looks completely different. The starlet’s plastic surgery made her distinctive features too generic for casting directors, and she has never had a massive hit since. We hope that this changes soon, because if she likes what she sees? Who cares!
13. Robin Thicke
Y’all remember those “Blurred Lines” from 2013? The Canadian R & B star’s struggle with addiction, a train wreck appearance with Miley Cyrus on the MTV Video Music Awards, and subsequent divorce from his wife of many years had him in a tailspin. When Thicke denied planning any part of the sideshow performance, Cyrus adamantly maintained he knew exactly what was about to happen. Yikes!
14. Natalie Maines
The Chicks’ frontwoman took the long way ‘round rebuilding her reputation after her comments to an English interviewer disparaging President George W Bush and the war in Iraq. Fans took to the streets protesting, and in one of the most well known cases of cancel culture, record sales plummeted. She appears to have recovered nicely, tho. They just released new music in 2020 to rave reviews.
15. Mark Salling
Well, this one is not too “Glee”ful. Mark Salling rocketed to stardom on the show portraying Puck, the bully to Corey Monteith’s good guy character. After his arc on the show, his reputation was decimated by allegations of pedophilia and a conviction on child porn charges. Prior to sentencing the star was found dead at his home of an apparent suicide.
16. Sinead O’Connor
Best known for her cover of Prince’s massive hit “Nothing Compares 2 U”, this Irish born songbird was on a stellar trajectory when she made a huge mistake on SNL in 1992. Ripping a picture of Pope John Paul II in half on camera, her angry tirade about the Church and its crimes against children derailed her singing career.
17. Jerry Jones
“BUELLER!” the Principal was naughtier than Ferris, and his dislikable character parallelled real life in 2005, when he was charged and convicted of several counts of child pornography. Five years in prison and now listed as a registered sex offender, the actor has never had a major motion picture to his credit since.
18. Jerry Lee Lewis
The rockabilly singer was 23 years old….when he married his 13-year-old first cousin. Details of the sketchy marriage were kept under wraps, until they were exposed by an investigative reporter. His record sales dived, and never really recovered. Talk about a fiery finish. Next one is Charles Rocket.
19. Charles Rocket
Ah SNL. You keep giving us gems. Well, except for the train wreck season of 1980-1981, when in the coup de grace on Jean Doumanian’s stint as producer, anchor Charles Rocket dropped the F bomb in the closing sketch. Rocket was promptly dropped from the show, and the whole cast underwent a total reorganization.
20. Amanda Bynes
The former Nickelodeon phenom had a very public breakdown in 2012, when she was arrested for DUI and striking a police officer with her vehicle. She retreated from the public eye, but her well documented social media struggles with mental illness and a second DUI pretty much left her acting career in shambles.
21. Jamie Kennedy
The Kennedy Curse claimed another victim: Jamie’s future as a host of live TV. His horrific turn at bat hosting “First Night 2013” remains a prime example of what not to do when running a live commentary. Don’t miss your cues, avoid fistfights on stage, and make sure you know where the cameras are filming you. Huge facepalm.
22. Milli Vanilli
Blame it on the Rain didn’t work for this model duo. 1990s pop sensation Milli Vanilli unraveled on an episode of MTV’s Total Request Live, when their backup track unspooled and the singers were found to be frauds. Their Grammy award was revoked, and the pair retreated from the public eye in notoriety.
23. Doug Williams
A public flogging from Jamie Foxx during Williams’ standup roast of football player Emmitt Smith did not end well for either star. When the comedian’s act was warming up too slowly, Foxx began a “liquor induced” heckling and completely spoiled the show. How embarrassing. Next one is Ian Watkins, find out more.
24. Ian Watkins
Better known for his child pornography and sexual deviance than his time as the frontman for the Lostprophets, Watkins joins the dozens of other music careers derailed by his own proclivities. The band slipped quietly into the footnotes, despite making 5 albums with the singer. This was our list about the celebrities who ruined their career.
