- 2 years ago
Are these celebs famous for no reason? You could say that. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most popular individuals who earned their fame through extremely questionable and/or non-traditional means.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most popular individuals
00:09who earned their fame through extremely questionable and or non-traditional means.
00:19Number 20.
00:20Tessica Brown, aka the Gorilla Glue Girl.
00:23In January 2021, Tessica Brown ran out of her favorite hairspray and decided to use
00:29Gorilla Glue as a substitute.
00:35Little did she know that decision would change her life.
00:38The extra strong adhesive caused her hair to become stuck in place, sparking a month-long
00:42struggle to undo the damage.
00:50Brown's TikTok video recounting her predicament went viral almost instantly, amassing millions
00:55of views in a short period.
00:57Fortunately, Brown was able to get the Gorilla Glue out of her hair with the help of a Beverly
01:01Hills-based plastic surgeon.
01:03Subsequently, she leveraged her newfound internet fame to launch her own line of hair care products,
01:08and even dropped a rap single titled, My Hair.
01:15Number 19.
01:16Cara Cunningham.
01:17One of YouTube's first viral sensations, this clip is a passionate defense of Britney Spears
01:24against the media scrutiny she faced during her public breakdown.
01:28Uploaded in September of 2007, the video racked up over 2 million views in just one day and
01:33generated hundreds of thousands of comments.
01:41And just like that, Cara Cunningham went from being an average 19-year-old living with their
01:46grandparents to an instantly recognizable face with a catchphrase.
01:50Cunningham was making the rounds on TV and radio shows, and became the focus of the 2012
01:55documentary, Me at the Zoo.
01:57Despite deactivating her YouTube account, Cunningham remains active as a performance
02:02and recording artist.
02:09In 2021, she came out as transgender, and used some of the money she earned from selling
02:14an NFT of her famous video to fund her transition.
02:17Number 18.
02:18LaVar Ball.
02:19Despite playing basketball and football in college, LaVar Ball never made it to a professional
02:24regular season due to injury.
02:26So, like many other parents, he decided to live out his dreams through his kids.
02:36But Ball wasn't just satisfied with his three children, Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo becoming
02:41professional basketball players.
02:43No, he craved the spotlight for himself.
02:45In 2017, he stirred controversy after claiming he could have bested Michael Jordan in his
02:50heyday and comparing his son Lonzo to NBA champion Stephen Curry.
03:01He gained further notoriety for his online feud with former President Donald Trump, sparked
03:06by LiAngelo's arrest in China for shoplifting.
03:14Capitalizing on this exposure, Ball launched a sports apparel company and created his own
03:19basketball tournament.
03:21Number 17.
03:22Amber Rose.
03:23She would not be the first person to become famous for no particular reason, yet Amber
03:27Rose has managed to remain in the spotlight for years.
03:38Rose first caught the attention of Kanye West after appearing in the music video for Young
03:42Jeezy's Put On.
03:44This led to modeling opportunities and a subsequent romantic involvement with West.
03:48It was this relationship that catapulted Rose to the public eye.
03:52Following their breakup, Rose remained in the spotlight due to her involvement with
03:56Wiz Khalifa.
04:01Since then, she's launched her clothing line, appeared in multiple reality series, and hosted
04:06her own talk show, none of which ever really took off.
04:09Even though we're not so sure why she's still popular, the reality remains, she is still
04:14popular.
04:15Number 16.
04:16Katie Price.
04:17Today, she's a media personality, model, and best-selling author.
04:21But Katie Price's first foray into the limelight came as a result of a series of risque photographs.
04:28Back in 1996, Price appeared as a topless model on page three of the British tabloid
04:33The Sun, under the pseudonym Jordan.
04:36These provocative images brought her a significant level of fame, which she leveraged to transition
04:41into various ventures.
04:46She unsuccessfully ran for parliament in 2001, and later competed on I'm a Celebrity, Get
04:51Me Out of Here.
04:55With multiple reality TV shows, best-selling books, and her own podcast, Price remains
05:01a prominent figure in the public eye, with no plans of ever fading away.
05:05Number 15.
05:06Lil Tay.
05:07In 2018, a mysterious young girl caught attention on social media for her controversial behavior.
05:19Known as Lil Tay, she gained fame by flaunting supposed wealth and luxury, and posting rap
05:23videos with explicit language.
05:26She began referring to herself as, quote, the youngest flexer of the century, and relocated
05:31from Vancouver, Canada to Los Angeles to capitalize on her newfound fame.
05:36However, an investigative report later revealed that much of her apparent luxury was falsely
05:40curated by her brother and mother, who worked in real estate.
05:52Shortly after, Tay's Instagram account was shut down, only to resurface in 2023 with
05:58a fake death announcement.
05:59This hoax was followed by the release of Sucker for Green, the lead single from her debut
06:04studio album.
06:10Number 14.
06:11Lil Pump.
06:12The SoundCloud rap scene gave us several controversial figures, including Lil Pump.
06:20Hailing from Miami, Florida, Lil Pump gained initial fame with the release of his hit song
06:25Gucci Gang, which featured the titular phrase repeated over a minimalist beat.
06:29His flamboyant persona and outlandish behavior further propelled his rise to stardom, though
06:34public opinions about him were sharply divided.
06:38While some dismissed him as a product of the internet age and criticized his glorification
06:43of drug use, others seemed to embrace him for his unapologetically brash style.
06:48Despite facing constant criticism, Lil Pump has amassed millions of followers on social
06:52media and collaborated with big names like Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Diplo.
07:01Number 13.
07:02Patricia Krensel, a.k.a.
07:04Tan Mom.
07:05Prior to May 2012, Patricia Krensel was a regular suburban mom in Nutley, New Jersey,
07:11raising her five children.
07:12However, her life was turned upside down when she was accused of exposing her young daughter
07:16to a tanning booth.
07:22This led to Krensel being arrested and charged with child endangerment.
07:26She claimed that this was all a misunderstanding, attributing the burns on her daughter's body
07:31to excessive time spent in the sun.
07:41However, that didn't stop the media from obsessing over Krensel's heavily bronzed skin and subjecting
07:46her to constant ridicule.
07:48After the charges against her were dismissed, Krensel embraced her notoriety, becoming a
07:52regular on The Howard Stern Show and even trying her hand at pop music.
08:02Number 12.
08:03Alana Honey Boo Boo Thompson.
08:05Child beauty pageants have long sparked controversy due to concerns about sexualization and commodification
08:10of contestants.
08:13Hence, when the TLC reality show Toddlers and Tiaras premiered in 2009, it had its fair
08:20share of detractors.
08:22One standout figure from the show was Alana Honey Boo Boo Thompson, whose over-the-top
08:26antics and catchphrases eventually led to her own spinoff series.
08:30Set in her hometown of rural Georgia, the show was heavily criticized for promoting
08:34stereotypes and exploiting Thompson and her family for entertainment.
08:40Despite the vitriol she received, Thompson's antics still captivated audiences and propelled
08:45her into a pop culture phenomenon.
08:47She has since appeared on shows like Dancing with the Stars Juniors and The Masked Singer.
08:58Number 11.
08:59Rebecca Black.
09:00In 2011, Rebecca Black became a household name due to a song that, let's just say,
09:05wasn't exactly a masterpiece.
09:13Friday, released when Black was a teenager, became a viral sensation for all the wrong
09:18reasons.
09:19Critics mocked its cheesy lyrics and auto-tuned vocals, deeming it one of the worst songs
09:24ever made.
09:25Yet, despite Friday's questionable quality, or perhaps because of it, Black found herself
09:29in the spotlight.
09:35She was no longer just a girl with a song, but a symbol of the unpredictable, often bizarre
09:41nature of internet stardom.
09:42Luckily, she seems to have turned things around musically.
09:46In 2023, Black dropped her debut album Let Her Burn, which received significantly more
09:51positive reviews from critics and fans alike.
09:59Number 10.
10:00Snooki.
10:01Snooki's main claim to fame was Jersey Shore, the MTV reality show about housemates partying
10:09in a vacation home.
10:11Snooki initially had big dreams, and studied to become a vet technician in community college.
10:16However, she was cast in Jersey Shore after a casting director took notice of her, and
10:20her life was never the same.
10:22And while she quickly became a breakout star, her popularity dramatically increased once
10:26she was punched in the face by Brad Faro.
10:35After this occurrence, Snooki's appearance fees rose from $2,000 to $10,000 per event.
10:41You could say that Snooki became famous simply by being punched in the face.
10:44Number 9.
10:45Bristol Palin.
10:46You know what they say, it's not about what you know, but who you know.
10:50This is certainly the case with Bristol Palin.
10:52Palin is known primarily for two things, being the child of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin,
10:57and being a teenage mother.
10:58Palin became the subject of national attention when her pregnancy was announced, while her
11:02mother was running for vice president.
11:04She then became prevention ambassador for the Candies Foundation, a campaign meant to
11:09prevent teen pregnancy.
11:18Palin used this fame to her advantage, appearing on various reality TV shows, and releasing
11:23a memoir at age 20.
11:25Number 8.
11:26Paris Hilton.
11:27Being a socialite is nothing new, Paris Hilton is simply a modern-day socialite who's turned
11:40her power into a career.
11:42Hilton was born into money, as she is the great-granddaughter of Hilton Hotels founder
11:46Conrad Hilton.
11:48Her teenage lifestyle made her a dominant subject in the tabloids, and she became a
11:52national sensation when her sex tape, released as One Night in Paris, was leaked to the public,
11:57in 2003.
11:58This, in turn, caused the popularity of her reality show, The Simple Life, to skyrocket,
12:03and Hilton has been riding that wave ever since.
12:15Number 7.
12:16Kevin Federline.
12:17Federline is another in a long line of celebs famous by association.
12:21K-Fed became the subject of national ridicule when he started a relationship with Britney
12:26Spears.
12:27Federline and Spears began dating while Federline's ex-girlfriend was still pregnant with their
12:31child, and Kevin was soon labeled an immoral gold digger by the media.
12:35The couple separated after two years of marriage, and the intense custody battle for their children,
12:40complete with Spears' infamous meltdown, made them both national subjects of attention.
12:52Spears has since gone on to revitalize her career, while Federline has done basically
12:57nothing.
12:58Number 6.
12:59Natalie Suleman, also known as Octomom.
13:10Giving birth to octuplets is, medically speaking, pretty rad.
13:13After all, Suleman's children are only the second set of octuplets to be born alive in
13:17the United States.
13:18However, the intense media storm surrounding Suleman's pregnancy caused her to become a
13:34national villain.
13:36Suleman's motherhood began with in vitro fertilization when she was 21, and resulted in six children
13:41over the course of five pregnancies.
13:43When news of the octuplets got out, many people criticized the unemployed mother of now 14
13:48kids for taking advantage of public assistance.
13:51In 2014, she was found guilty of misdemeanor welfare fraud for failing to disclose some
13:57$30,000 of income while receiving $26,000 in welfare.
14:08Number 5.
14:09Farrah Abraham.
14:10Like Bristol Palin, Farrah Abraham is best known for being a teenage mother, albeit one
14:14without a famous mom.
14:23Initially appearing on the TV reality series 16 and Pregnant, Abraham was later cast in
14:27the spin-off titled Teen Mom, which aired for four seasons between 2009 and 2012.
14:34Since that time, she's released music, a memoir, and multiple sex tapes.
14:38She then reappeared on Teen Mom's revival season, titled Teen Mom OG, but she was let
14:44go from the show after starting an adult webcam series.
14:53Number 4.
14:54Courtney Stodden.
14:55Once an aspiring pop singer and Beauty Paget contestant, Courtney Stodden became famous
14:59after signing up for an acting class taught by the then 50-year-old Doug Hutchison.
15:04However, it wasn't her newly honed acting skills that caught people's attention.
15:08It was her age, 16.
15:20The pair soon married, kick-starting an intense media firestorm.
15:24What makes the marriage even more controversial is that Stodden's father is four years younger
15:28than his son-in-law.
15:29The two rode their infamy further into the spotlight, appearing in the second season
15:33of Couples Therapy at the faintest edge of the limelight.
15:37Number 3.
15:38Logan Paul.
15:44Logan Paul, along with his brother Jake, are two of the most notorious YouTubers.
15:49Logan began his career on Vine before transitioning to YouTube, where he's primarily fed off controversy.
16:02In November 2017, he released a single titled No Handlebars, which was declared sexist and
16:09offensive.
16:13However, he became villain number one on December 31, 2017, when he uploaded a video showing
16:22the body of a deceased person in Japan's infamous Aokigahara forest.
16:26Soon after, various petitions were started calling for Paul's removal from YouTube.
16:31Since then, he's uploaded a video of him poking a fish out of water and tasering dead
16:36rats.
16:37Number 2.
16:38Danielle Bregoli.
16:39Sometimes, all it takes is a meme to become famous.
16:44Danielle Bregoli became a viral sensation after appearing on Dr. Phil for her troublesome
16:48behavior.
16:54After the audience laughed at her, Danielle famously uttered, making her an instant internet
17:04star.
17:05She rode this fame into a music career and has since released numerous singles under
17:09the stage name Bad Baby, three of which have broken the top 100 on the Billboard chart.
17:14High Bitch and Gucci Flip Flops, two of the aforementioned charting singles, even went
17:18platinum in the United States.
17:27It's amazing what one sentence can do for a person.
17:30Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
17:34about our latest videos.
17:36You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
17:40If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
17:46Number 1.
17:47Kim Kardashian.
17:48Kim Kardashian is now primarily known for her show Keeping Up With The Kardashians and
17:52her influential presence on social media, but her rise to fame is somewhat questionable
17:57and undeserving.
17:58Kardashian first surfaced when her father was defending OJ Simpson in his infamous murder
18:03trial.
18:16Another a close friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, Kim found infamy in 2007 when a sex
18:21tape of her and rapper Ray J was leaked to the public.
18:24This sex tape made Kardashian a star and generated intense interest for her upcoming reality
18:29show.
18:30Well, the show was a huge hit and Kardashian hasn't left the spotlight since.
18:33Which of these famous figures do you think is most undeserving of their fame?
18:37Let us know in the comments below!
Comments