- 3 months ago
History is full of terrible people who tried to rewrite their image — hoping the world would forget their crimes, lies, or cruelty. But the truth always finds a way to surface.
😈 Famous figures who tried to hide their past
🕵️♂️ Reputation clean-ups gone wrong
🚫 The world never forgets the truth
This video exposes 10 of the most infamous people who tried to make us forget how awful they truly were.
😈 Famous figures who tried to hide their past
🕵️♂️ Reputation clean-ups gone wrong
🚫 The world never forgets the truth
This video exposes 10 of the most infamous people who tried to make us forget how awful they truly were.
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🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00I grew up in a family of people who wanted to make a difference in the world.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at infamous figures who worked overtime to rebrand themselves as lovable, charitable, or relatable, only for reality to catch up with them.
00:14In retrospect, it was clearly a mistake to believe them.
00:18Ellen DeGeneres. She broke new ground by coming out on national television, going on to host one of America's most beloved daytime talk shows.
00:26Hello, Spain Elementary. I wanted to surprise you. I love your school.
00:30For years, Ellen was daytime TV's queen of kindness.
00:34Behind the dancing and giveaways, a darker reality surfaced in 2020, when BuzzFeed and other outlets exposed a toxic workplace rife with intimidation, racism, and harassment.
00:45Former staffers who used to work at The Ellen Show are coming out of the woodwork sharing their stories.
00:49One makeup artist was quoted as saying that when he tried to make small talk with Ellen, she supposedly said, who do you think you are? Don't look at me.
00:58Much of the misconduct was tied to senior producers, but Ellen was criticized for looking the other way.
01:03She apologized and promised reforms, but the damage was done.
01:07The Ellen DeGeneres show ended in 2022.
01:09And I've said it before, but I'll say it again. If I've done anything in the past 19 years, I hope I've inspired you to be yourself, your true, authentic self.
01:19Two years later, her Netflix stand-up special, For Your Approval, tried to reclaim her image, but critics largely panned it as defensive and unfunny.
01:26Because being in this business, I have had to care what people think.
01:31Because being a comedian or a host, it's our only real currency for success.
01:36If they like you, you're in, and if they don't, you're out.
01:38Prince Andrew. Once dubbed the party prince, Andrew Windsor flitted through the world in a life devoid of consequence.
01:45Randy Andy has a practiced eye for the ladies, and his romantic adventures have been well publicized.
01:50He was the most privileged of the privileged, the son of the Queen of England.
01:54That life fell to pieces, thanks to his friendship with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
02:00Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit accusing Andrew of abusing her when she was a teenager.
02:04The third allegation is when Virginia was down in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
02:10He vociferously denied the allegations, but his disastrous interview on BBC's Newsnight left him with few supporters.
02:16Nobody can prove whether or not that photograph has been doctored, but I don't recollect that photograph ever being taken.
02:26The accusations left of Paul over the monarchy, until they stripped him of royal duties and titles in 2022.
02:32Andrew tried to quietly settle his case out of court, but no amount of palace PR could repair the damage.
02:37I'm really happy that the royal family isn't defending him anymore.
02:39Logan Paul.
02:40Logan Paul was always a controversial figure.
02:42Then, in 2017, outside of his loyal following, he became YouTube's villain.
02:48I've made a severe and continuous lapse in my judgment, and I don't expect to be forgiven.
02:55I'm simply here to apologize.
02:56He uploaded a video from Japan's Aki Gohata Forest, a well-known destination for people looking to end their lives.
03:02His video included explicit footage of one of their bodies.
03:05The idea was to just do another fun vlog, go camp for a night.
03:09The clip sparked worldwide condemnation.
03:11Critics accused Paul of exploiting tragedy for views without consent.
03:16He apologized and briefly stepped back, but the backlash cemented his reputation as reckless and insensitive.
03:22Since then, Logan has courted new controversies intentionally, adopting the scandal as part of his brand.
03:28In the years since, he has leaned into that notoriety with tasteless pranks and dangerous stunts.
03:34He's even delved into the world of crypto bros with dubious projects like CryptoZoo.
03:38Definitely created like a viral, fun, interactive game for kids.
03:45Philip Schofield.
03:46For decades, Philip Schofield was one of Britain's most trusted TV presenters.
03:51His million-watt smile and easy charm greeted viewers daily on This Morning.
03:55It's got a touch of not unpleasant, a touch of bitterness to it.
04:01It just catches on the side of your tongue.
04:03That image shattered in 2023 when he admitted to an unwise but not illegal affair with a much younger male colleague.
04:09Here in the UK, it's been announced within the last hour that the TV presenter, Philip Schofield, is to step down from the program this morning with immediate effect.
04:17Schofield had denied the relationship for years, misleading ITV bosses, colleagues, and even his own agency before finally resigning.
04:26His co-host and so-called rock, Holly Willoughby, cut him loose.
04:30The revelation sparked a media firestorm with accusations of abuse of power and questions about a toxic backstage culture.
04:37I mean, everybody knew at ITV, right? Let's be crystal clear.
04:42His career collapsed overnight, dropped by his agency, dropped by ITV, and effectively exiled from British broadcasting.
04:49Where do you think your career goes from here?
04:51Nowhere.
04:52Armie Hammer.
04:53Armie Hammer once seemed destined for Hollywood stardom.
04:56He was briefly cast as Batman in an unreleased Justice League movie.
04:59His breakout roles in The Social Network and Call Me By Your Name signaled a blossoming career.
05:04Are you saying what I think you're saying?
05:06In 2021, his Golden Boy image imploded.
05:10Disturbing messages allegedly sent by the actors surfaced online.
05:13Details of violent fantasies, cannibalism fetishes, and coercive behavior horrified fans.
05:19Multiple women then came forward with accusations of abuse, manipulation, and assault.
05:25Armie wanted total control of me and absolute compliance.
05:30Hammer denied all wrongdoing, and a 2023 police investigation ended without charges.
05:34Let's first of all address that elephant in the room.
05:38Are you a cannibal?
05:39No.
05:39By then, his career could never recover.
05:42He was dropped by his agency, lost major roles, and was exposed in the House of Hammer documentary.
05:47I hope in speaking out about the abuse endured at the hands of Armie Hammer is that he will be held accountable.
05:53Mark Zuckerberg.
05:55Mark Zuckerberg built Facebook out of a Harvard dorm room.
05:58He was the face of the American dream in the 21st century.
06:01Have you changed your lifestyle?
06:03You don't look like you're buying really expensive clothes.
06:05No, I'm not buying really expensive clothes.
06:07What started as a social network quickly grew into a global juggernaut.
06:11Then, Frankenstein's monster broke loose, becoming a global menace.
06:16The Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed that Facebook had allowed millions of users' data to be harvested and weaponized for political manipulation.
06:24Zuckerberg's endless apologies and promises of reform rang hollow.
06:28We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake.
06:33Fresh scandals kept coming, spreading disinformation, fueling extremism, undermining privacy, even destabilizing democracies.
06:41Instagram was no better, crushing the collective self-esteem of a generation of girls.
06:46When it comes to girls, they're saying that 32% of teen girls feel bad about their bodies, and it's because Instagram made them feel worse.
06:54His attempts to rebrand as the face of the metaverse did little to change public opinion.
06:58To many, Zuckerberg is the architect of a digital dystopia.
07:02And if this is the future that you want to see, then I hope that you will join us.
07:07Elizabeth Holmes.
07:08Elizabeth Holmes was selling the world on a product, sure.
07:11She was also selling herself as the next Steve Jobs.
07:14So how does it work?
07:15First, we've created these little tiny tubes, which we call the nanotainers, which are designed to replace the big traditional tubes that come from your arm.
07:27Her black turtleneck and contrived baritone voice were her secret weapons.
07:32She convinced billionaires, politicians, and the media that Theranos could revolutionize medicine.
07:38The people who are putting in tens of millions, hundreds of millions of dollars fully understand Theranos.
07:43They understood the, I'm trying to think of the best way to answer that, the reasons they invested in the first place.
07:53Her magic machine could perform miraculous analyses with a single drop of blood.
07:57Rupert Murdoch, the Waltons, and countless others poured in millions.
08:01By 2015, her company was valued at $9 billion.
08:05There was only one problem.
08:07The whole project was a scam.
08:09There was so much pressure from above to get good-looking results that are going to be able to pass FDA guidelines that people were pressured into making things disappear.
08:21The bad results.
08:22The bad results.
08:22Whistleblowers eventually revealed patients were misdiagnosed.
08:26Investors were duped.
08:27Holmes denied and deflected until the house of cards collapsed.
08:30In 2022, she was convicted of fraud and sentenced to more than 11 years in prison.
08:35So many people wind up in jail for such little things.
08:39This is not a little thing.
08:40Imelda Marcos.
08:42Imelda Marcos lived like royalty while millions of Filipinos suffered in poverty.
08:47As first lady of the Philippines, she and her husband, dictator Ferdinand Marcos, were said to have looted billions from the state.
08:54The reality is she is a thief married to a murderer.
08:57The couple amassed an obscene level of personal wealth.
09:00She grew infamous for her lavish shopping sprees.
09:03At one point, it was reported that she squirreled away a horde of more than 3,000 pairs of designer shoes.
09:08There are some people who would look at the Marcos style and call you extravagant.
09:14Yes, it is an extravagance and not.
09:20But at the same time, as first lady, I have to flaunt, practically flaunt, love and beauty.
09:26Meanwhile, ordinary Filipinos struggled to eat.
09:29Her husband was ousted in 1986.
09:31The years that followed saw Imelda facing trial after trial for graft, racketeering and corruption.
09:38The charges relate to the transfer of $200 million to Swiss foundations while she was serving as Manila's governor.
09:45Though convicted in 2018, she managed to avoid prison thanks to appeals and political connections.
09:49Today, her shoe collection exists as an enduring monument to greed and excess.
09:55So I've always claimed to be some kind of a soldier for beauty and a soldier for love.
10:00The Sackler family.
10:01The Sacklers literally built an empire on pain.
10:04Tell me what companies that you currently have a role with that involve Purdue.
10:11Purdue Pharma.
10:12Do you sit on the board of any other Purdue companies?
10:17Not to my knowledge.
10:19Through Purdue Pharma, the family unleashed Oxycontin on the public in the late 1990s.
10:24The company marketed it as a miracle drug while downplaying its dangers.
10:28It's a story about a family with tremendous ambition.
10:31People who set out to really leave a mark on the world.
10:34And they did.
10:35An enduring mark that we're all living with now.
10:38Backed by aggressive sales tactics and misleading claims, prescriptions skyrocketed.
10:43So did America's opioid crisis.
10:46Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost to overdoses.
10:48And the Sacklers pocketed billions allegedly.
10:51From 2008 to 2017, even as the opioid epidemic was kicking into high gear,
10:57more than $10 billion was transferred out of the company for the benefit of the family.
11:02Now, the Sacklers fiercely maintained that those transfers were proper.
11:06But the DOJ alleged that they were made to hinder future creditors.
11:10Even as lawsuits piled up, the family shifted profits into trusts and offshore accounts to shield their fortune.
11:17Purdue declared bankruptcy in 2019.
11:19And the Sacklers agreed to pay settlements without admitting wrongdoing.
11:22Their name was once etched onto museums and universities.
11:26Now, it's a global synonym for greed at any cost.
11:30I want pills off the streets.
11:32Do you understand that?
11:36I think I understand that.
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11:58Bill Cosby
11:59For decades, Bill Cosby was America's dad.
12:03He was a black man in America who was beloved by most thanks to The Cosby Show and his wholesome image.
12:09Hold it down! Hold it down! That is not the civilized way to act!
12:14Little did anyone know, behind the sweaters and sitcom smiles looked a supposed predator.
12:19Starting in the mid-2010s, dozens of women came forward, accusing Cosby of assault.
12:24The accusations just keep coming.
12:27The stories fit a pattern.
12:28He would drug women before attacking them, with some allegations stretching back to the 1960s.
12:33He really duped America, as far as I'm concerned.
12:37In 2018, he was convicted of aggravated indecent assault and sentenced to prison.
12:42A stunning fall for a man known for respectability politics.
12:45In 2021, his conviction was overturned on illegal technicality, and Cosby walked free.
12:51He still denies wrongdoing despite over 60 accusers.
12:54I've come way too far to go back to that place to wonder whether it's all worth it, or to have regrets.
13:03It was worth it.
13:04But it was worth it because I didn't feel alone.
13:08Do any of these folks fool you with their PR rebrands before their lies came crashing down?
13:12Let us know in the comments below.
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