10 People with the WORST Reputations in Hollywood

WatchMojo

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at celebrities whose reputations have been tainted by controversy.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at celebrities whose reputations have been

00:09tainted by controversy.

00:21After coming out in the late 90s, Ellen DeGeneres weathered a storm of prejudice, emerging as

00:26an LGBTQ plus icon, and one of comedy's most beloved figures.

00:30By 2020, DeGeneres' reputation seemed as golden as ever.

00:34It quickly turned to fool's gold as several ex-employees claimed that her talk show personality

00:39created a toxic work environment.

00:51Despite her human rights activism and upbeat on-screen personality, DeGeneres was accused

00:55of discrimination and harassment.

00:57An investigation was launched, as more people ranging from former staff members to celebrities

01:02spoke out.

01:05Three executives exited, but DeGeneres continued to host her show until its conclusion in 2022,

01:11shy of its 20th anniversary.

01:13While DeGeneres hasn't left the spotlight completely, the industry isn't known for

01:17having a short-term memory.

01:25The artist, formerly known as Kanye, has repeatedly found new ways to top himself in

01:33the infamy department.

01:35Even during a time when many Americans were getting fed up with George W. Bush, West's

01:39comments about the President's views toward black people felt jolting and random.

01:44Not as random as the time he crashed Taylor Swift's VMA acceptance speech, though.

01:53That might have been the most viral blow to West's reputation, but his views on politics,

01:57slavery and the Holocaust made him a pariah.

02:00Although West has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, people still question how much of

02:04his behaviour is rooted in mental health, and how much is just Kanye being Kanye.

02:08Either way, various brands and celebrities have distanced themselves from him.

02:20In a flash, we went from we need to talk about Kevin to we can't stop talking about Ezra

02:24for all the wrong reasons.

02:25The actor's prominent roles in the DCEU and Fantastic Beasts franchise became an afterthought

02:30following a video where they seemingly strangled a woman.

02:34Just when it looked like the backlash was dying down, Miller raged through 2022 like

02:38a tornado of peon nightmares.

02:48In addition to multiple arrests, the actor would be accused of theft, assault, grooming,

02:52harassment and child endangerment, with the media struggling to keep up.

02:56Whether or not their actions are the main reason why movies such as The Flash underperformed,

03:00Miller's reputation may be beyond reversing, with projects like Invincible already recasting

03:05him.

03:16When Marvel cast Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark, it was considered a risk given his

03:20past.

03:21Conversely, there appeared to be few risks when Marvel made a similar long-term commitment

03:25in Jonathan Mayer's.

03:27Where Downey now has one of the most glowing reputations in Hollywood, Mayer's A-lister

03:31status ended before it even started.

03:41On the heels of several acclaimed performances and debuting as Kang the Conqueror, Mayer's

03:45was at the forefront of an assault case.

03:47The writing seemed to be on the wall, as Mayer's management dropped him as a client, but it

03:52wasn't until after he was found guilty that Marvel officially severed ties.

03:56While Mayer's avoided any jail time, his career remains in limbo, along with undistributed

04:01magazine dreams.

04:13Gaining a reputation as the Norman Lear of kids' TV, it was hard to imagine Nickelodeon

04:18without Dan Schneider.

04:19When Schneider and Nick parted in 2018, a joint statement described it as a quote, natural

04:24time to pursue other opportunities and projects.

04:27With Schneider being accused of temper tantrums and further misconduct, many suspected something

04:32more troubling was afoot.

04:41This became more apparent after Jeanette McCurdy alluded to the iCarly creator in her 2022

04:46memoir.

04:47In the coming years, former child stars, female writers and others who worked with Schneider

04:52opened up about their trauma.

04:54And Schneider wasn't the only controversial Nickelodeon employee, with Brian Peck going

04:58from pickle boy to convicted predator.

05:07In terms of industry influence and power, though, few have fallen farther than Schneider.

05:19Combs didn't have a spotless record going into November 2023.

05:23Even with multiple arrests and high-profile feuds, Combs maintained his image as a respected

05:28performer and businessman, until ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit accusing him

05:33of assault.

05:37While that case was settled, three more lawsuits followed with Combs' alleged behaviour spanning

05:41from 1991 to 2003.

05:44By December 2023, Combs had lost 18 brand deals and taken a step back as Revolt TV's

05:50chairman.

05:51The following March, the authorities raided Combs' home in Miami and LA, with an investigation

05:56underway.

05:57Combs has since been implicated in another assault case with his son, Christian.

06:01Whatever the verdicts are, Combs will likely spend more time in court than in the recording

06:05studio for the foreseeable future.

06:21It seemed like Danny Masterson would be forever remembered as the guy who played Hyde on That

06:2570s Show.

06:26Since 2017, the actor has been primarily known for more notorious reasons, casting a dark

06:31shadow over the sitcom's legacy.

06:37The assault accusations against Masterson not only shined a light on the widespread

06:40history of abuse in Hollywood, but also on the Church of Scientology's reputation for

06:45allegedly sweeping scandals under the rug.

06:47Once that rug is lifted, the mess is difficult to overlook.

06:55Following a lengthy legal battle, Masterson was found guilty in 2023, receiving a sentence

07:00that could keep him behind bars for anywhere between 25 and a half years, and life.

07:05Even if Masterson is released before turning 75, his career appears deader than disco.

07:18Sometimes it takes a documentary to get the wheels of justice moving.

07:21Surviving R. Kelly marked the beginning of the end for the infamous singer, but his reputation

07:25had been shrouded in shame for nearly two decades.

07:29From his illegal marriage to the underage Aaliyah, to the assault accusations brought

07:32forward by the underage Tiffany Hawkins, to a leaked video allegedly depicting him doing

07:37the unspeakable to another underage victim, it seemed like there was no controversy Kelly

07:41couldn't bury in the closet.

07:52The industry repeatedly turned a blind eye until the 2019 documentary debuted, motivating

07:57RCA Records to drop Kelly.

07:59The law also re-evaluated Kelly, who has since been convicted on multiple charges, including

08:04abuse, resulting in a combined sentence of 31 years.

08:14For decades, Harvey Weinstein was among Hollywood's most powerful and feared producers.

08:19By 2015, though, the Weinstein Company was on shaky financial ground, with the studio's

08:23Oscar wins also declining.

08:25It was probably not a coincidence that it was around this time Hollywood stopped ignoring

08:29the elephant in the room.

08:39Between the New York Times and the New Yorker, Weinstein's years of abuse became public

08:43knowledge in October 2017.

08:46Losing his company and Academy membership, Weinstein soon found himself in the centre

08:50of multiple trials and serving prison time.

08:53Many have ruined their reputations throughout the MeToo movement, but the fact that this

08:56former movie mogul provided the Weinstein effects namesake is a testament to how far

09:01his misconduct reached.

09:28Like Weinstein, the allegations against Bill Cosby were something of an open secret for

09:32years.

09:33Yet, people seemed in denial that America's Dad and the spokesman for such wholesome products

09:37like Pudding Pops could be a monster.

09:47After another swarm of accusations hit in 2014, though, the public's perception of

09:51Cosby was shattered for good.

10:02This culminated with a guilty verdict in 2018, although Cosby only served roughly three years.

10:07Since his release, Cosby has expressed interest in staging a tour, saying in 2022, quote,

10:12When I come out of this, I feel I will be able to perform and be the Bill Cosby that

10:16my audience knows me to be.

10:18The Bill Cosby that audiences now know, however, is vastly different than Cliff Huxtable.

10:22And that's the end of this list.

10:24Who else in Hollywood is beyond salvaging their reputation?

10:28Let us know in the comments.

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