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They've fallen from grace, sparked controversy, and earned public disdain! Join us as we count down the celebrities who've become the most reviled figures of the 2020s so far. From legal troubles and problematic behavior to PR nightmares and career meltdowns, these stars have earned their spots on the public's bad side. Which controversial celebrity has earned your criticism?
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00:00No matter what, no matter what nobody said, let's just, here and there, y'all are not working together the
00:05right way, we're losing.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:08And today, we're counting down our picks for the celebrities who fell out of favor and racked up the most
00:14public disdain in the 2020s.
00:17So far.
00:18Thank God for the money.
00:20Number 20, Russell Brand.
00:22Russell Brand's reputation has significantly cratered in the 2020s amid serious legal troubles.
00:29Russell Brand, the comedian and actor, was charged with five counts in relation to four alleged victims.
00:36Once celebrated for his comedy in films like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Brand now faces multiple UK charges, allegedly spanning from
00:45the late 1990s through 2009.
00:47In early 2026, following additional charges, he was granted bail ahead of upcoming court dates.
00:54While Brand has denied wrongdoing, the gravity of the allegations and ongoing investigations have turned him into one of the
01:01decade's most controversial and widely criticized celebrities.
01:06It all adds up to a dramatic fall from grace and has become anything but a laughing matter.
01:12There's no way I ain't getting laid after the show tonight.
01:15Number 19, Jared Leto.
01:18You're not really in LA until Jared Leto tries to force himself on you backstage in a kilt and a
01:24snow hat.
01:25To be fair, Jared Leto has some impressive achievements under his belt.
01:30While 30 Seconds to Mars never reshaped the music landscape, he has delivered memorable performances on the big screen.
01:37Still, Leto has increasingly become something of a Hollywood punchline.
01:48His recent career choices, especially in the superhero world, have left many scratching their heads.
01:55Morbin time?
01:57We think not.
01:58He's largely brushed off criticism, particularly around his much-debated method-acting habits.
02:03At the same time, though, ongoing accusations and uncomfortable predatory stories continue to shadow his public image, keeping his reputation
02:12firmly in the problematic column.
02:15He knew my age and didn't care.
02:17What he did was predatory, terrifying, and unacceptable.
02:21Number 18, Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Baldwin.
02:25Let's face it.
02:27The Baldwins are no stranger to public scrutiny.
02:29The couple sparked quite the firestorm after Hilaria snapped at Alec for interrupting her in a viral red carpet interview,
02:36with both Alec and Hilaria drawing criticism for their part in the awkward exchange.
02:41Oh my god, you're distracting me right now.
02:43I'm sorry.
02:43Like, now you're just doing that.
02:44Why?
02:44Why are you distracting me?
02:45I'm just capping it.
02:46Yeah, you're just distracting me.
02:48No, but, oh my god, stop.
02:49You're annoying me.
02:50Stop.
02:50It's not cute.
02:51No, he's distracting me.
02:52Meanwhile, the couple has been called out over their new reality series.
02:56The fly-on-the-wall look at their family in the lead-up to Alec's rust trial has been lambasted
03:02for being in extremely poor taste.
03:04Honestly, from the bottom of my soul, I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have you and these
03:10kids.
03:10I will leave you.
03:12It's okay, just ignore him.
03:14The pair's social media presence has also done little to help their reputation, with many calling their posts out of
03:20touch.
03:21When I'm talking, you're not talking.
03:22I'm sorry.
03:23No, when I'm talking, you're not talking.
03:24Number 17, Drake.
03:27The legal battle over Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us, a diss track directed at fellow rap superstar Drake, could be
03:34near its end,
03:35after a federal judge tossed Drake's defamation suit against his label, Universal Music Group,
03:40determining the song's lyrics in question, a non-actionable opinion.
03:44The fallout from Drake's brutal rap feud with Kendrick Lamar carried over from 2024,
03:50with Lamar's diss track, Not Like Us, explicitly framing Drake and members of his circle as predatory,
03:57a record that effectively cemented public perception that Drake lost the battle.
04:02The Canadian rap superstar escalated things by filing a federal defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group,
04:08accusing his own label group of profiting off false allegations and claiming the song's promotion led to security incidents at
04:16his Toronto home and damage to his brand before contract talks.
04:20In October of 2025, a U.S. judge dismissed the case, ruling the lyrics were a non-actionable opinion within
04:29a rap beef.
04:30Drake has appealed the decision.
04:32The judge categorizing the lyrics as stealing the metaphorical killing blow,
04:36but adding the broader context of a heated rap battle with incendiary language and offensive accusations hurled by both participants
04:44would not incline the reasonable listener to believe Not Like Us imparts verifiable facts.
04:50Number 16, Kim Kardashian.
04:53Hi, you're late.
04:54For years, Kim Kardashian weathered waves of public criticism yet maintained an almost unshakable cultural foothold.
05:02In 2025, that balance finally tipped.
05:05The breaking point arrived with the premiere of All's Fair.
05:08The Ryan Murphy-helmed Hulu legal drama positioned as her prestige crossover to serious acting.
05:14Oh my god.
05:16Despite pulling in curiosity-driven early views,
05:19the show was demolished by critics who called it flat, inert, and devoid of dramatic credibility.
05:25The cultural conversation hardened within hours.
05:29Kardashian's performance became a punchline,
05:31and the entire project was framed as a vanity vehicle that collapsed under its own hype.
05:37Well done.
05:38Well, this information is, as usual.
05:41Unusable.
05:42I know the drill.
05:43Unusable in court, yes.
05:44But what we have here is knowledge.
05:48And knowledge is the key in the lock.
05:50Number 15, JoJo Siwa.
05:53Karma's a bitch.
05:55Oh, oh.
05:55And she's with you right now.
05:58JoJo Siwa has gone from child star to one of the most polarizing figures in entertainment.
06:04You see, in the mid-2020s, she took on a drastic image overhaul and defended her transformation
06:10as artistic expression.
06:12Meanwhile, critics argued she was trying too hard to be edgy.
06:16I used to be Rainbow Sparkles, and now I'm Black Sparkles.
06:21When JoJo suddenly updated her TikTok profile on New Year's Eve 2025 to read
06:26Joelle Siwa, it instantly sparked more conversation.
06:31After she swaps out her nickname in her TikTok bio for her full name, Joelle Siwa.
06:36The not-so-subtle switch came as she continued a relationship with fellow Celebrity Big Brother
06:41UK alum, Chris Hughes.
06:43Online reactions were a mix of confusion and curiosity.
06:47How many full-on rebrands can one person have?
06:51Oh, did we mention that Betty Davis Eyes cover?
06:54He's got Betty Davis Eyes.
06:59Number 14, Jake Paul.
07:02The former YouTuber-turned-Disney Channel alum has long-faced accusations of being an antagonizer
07:08and mistreating people in his inner circle.
07:11It's all over after this.
07:13Okay.
07:13Add in his bragging, sky-high ego, and constant flaunting of wealth, and his transition into
07:19boxing only amplified public irritation.
07:21His habit of taunting opponents hasn't helped either.
07:24The 27-year-old's headline-grabbing fight with 58-year-old Mike Tyson also drew heavy
07:29criticism.
07:30Many called it staged, while others blasted the massive age gap as unfair.
07:35Well, it happened.
07:37Jake Paul beat Mike Tyson.
07:40And the crowd here wondering what to make of it all.
07:45Rosie?
07:46I have to tell you, I'm just not surprised.
07:48No.
07:48With so many rooting for someone to finally shut him up in the ring, his eventual defeat
07:54to Anthony Joshua, where Paul walked away with a broken jaw, felt like vindication for
07:59many of his vocal critics.
08:02Number 13, James Corden.
08:04This is my last night with you.
08:11James Corden may have charmed audiences with viral hits like Carpool Karaoke, but off-camera,
08:17his reputation has taken a very different turn.
08:20Over the years, stories have circulated about the comedian being dismissive toward fans, rude
08:26to staff, and difficult with his own employees.
08:29Things came to a head in 2022, when New York's Balthazar restaurant briefly banned him following
08:35complaints about his behavior.
08:37I've been walking around thinking that I haven't done anything wrong.
08:40Adding to the backlash is his ubiquity on the big screen, where his frequent appearances
08:45have sparked plenty of eye-rolling from moviegoers.
08:49I am still in my prime.
08:50I shall last half my time.
08:53At this point, it seems neither side of the Atlantic is exactly clamoring for more James
08:59Corden.
08:59Going back to London, are they like, welcome back?
09:02Do they reclaim you warmly?
09:04Yeah, I mean, people are very nice, but no one believes that I wasn't fired.
09:12Number 12.
09:14Meghan Markle
09:15Meghan Markle's rocky relationship with the British royal family has only continued to
09:20shape public perception, with critics accusing her of leveraging her status for personal gain.
09:25After stepping back from royal duties in 2020, she and Prince Harry relocated to California
09:30to pursue philanthropy and various media ventures.
09:33We really wanted to remove the supposed public interest argument that the press had over
09:39every element of our lives.
09:40But their high-profile Spotify and Netflix deals drew accusations of self-promotion and
09:46uneven follow-through.
09:48Meghan clearly remains focused on building her public image in the U.S., yet with several
09:53Hollywood efforts struggling to gain traction, many are left wondering whether she'll ever
09:57fully win over audiences on either side of the pond.
10:01Number 11.
10:02Vince McMahon.
10:03Vince McMahon, longtime head of WWE, has weathered scandals for decades, but the mid-2020s
10:12brought allegations he couldn't power through.
10:15This is one of the most brazen examples in a company setting that I've seen where an executive
10:22isn't really taking a lot of steps to hide the behavior.
10:26Despite a history of controversy, McMahon maintained an iron grip on his wrestling empire and helped
10:32turn WWE into a global powerhouse.
10:35But after an investigation into multi-million dollar hush money payments, he stepped aside, only to return
10:41as executive chairman in 2023 to help oversee WWE's merger with UFC under the new TKO banner.
10:48His comeback was short-lived as fresh accusations, including serious criminal claims of trafficking, forced him to step down once
10:57again.
11:09For many, the mounting allegations and ongoing investigations blurs the line between McMahon's on-screen villain persona and the real
11:18man behind the curtain.
11:19Number 10.
11:21Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.
11:24Tonight, scandal rocking Hollywood, as the fallout begins from Blake Lively's explosive allegations against co-star Justin Baldoni.
11:33As 2024 came to an end, a legal battle erupted between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni over their highly publicized
11:40dispute during the production of It Ends With Us.
11:43Lively surfaced first with a bombshell suit alleging Baldoni caused her severe emotional distress
11:49and orchestrated a social media smear campaign with a crisis PR firm.
11:54Baldoni followed with a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds,
12:00accusing the power couple of defamation, civil extortion, and interfering with his career.
12:05Ryan Reynolds, how's it going?
12:07Great.
12:08All right, what have you heard?
12:09With a 2026 court date looming, both stars continue to face a PR nightmare.
12:16There was a possible off-ramp here.
12:18This was the off-ramp, but neither side wanted to take it.
12:21Neither is ready yet to back down.
12:24Number 9.
12:25Rachel Zegler.
12:37There's no question Rachel Zegler is facing a rough point in her career,
12:42especially with 2025's Snow White flopping at the box office.
12:46Of course, her casting in the film was fiercely criticized from the get-go, with some arguing
12:53the role should have gone to a Caucasian actress, while others felt a more established star was
12:58better suited.
12:59Zegler also openly criticized the original Snow White, calling it outdated and sexist,
13:05further alienating fans.
13:07She's not going to be saved by the prince, and she's not going to be dreaming about true love.
13:11She's dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be, and the leader that her late father told
13:15her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave, and true.
13:18Plus, she and co-star Gal Gadot have clashed over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
13:24while conservatives have targeted her for denouncing Donald Trump's presidential victory.
13:29There are growing calls tonight for Disney to fire Rachel Zegler, the star of its widely
13:35anticipated Snow White remake. It's because of an anti-Donald Trump post she made after the election.
13:41With controversy following her at every turn, public support for Zegler has been nearly
13:46non-existent. Number eight, Andrew Tate.
13:50Tonight, disturbing allegations being made against one of the most controversial figures on social media.
13:56Andrew Tate's reputation was already controversial, but the 2020s have brought new allegations and
14:02legal troubles that have further cemented his status as one of the most disliked figures on
14:07the internet. The social media influencer is facing a new lawsuit from ex-girlfriend Brianna Stern,
14:13accusing him of indecent assault and battery.
14:17I was scared to death. I was terrified that I might die.
14:23She claims Tate lured her into an abusive relationship and caused her physical harm.
14:29This adds to Tate's existing legal troubles in Romania, where he and his brother were charged
14:34with trafficking and exploitation. Through his attorney, Tate denies all allegations,
14:39but with mounting public outrage, his influence appears to be waning in a big way.
14:45You want to talk big man, huh? You want to be big man? Whoa, whoa, okay, I think I need
14:50to explain
14:51something to you, okay? Number seven, Ellen DeGeneres.
14:55Thank God for the money.
14:57Ellen DeGeneres' carefully crafted image as the Queen of Kindness took a major hit in the 2020s.
15:04Former employees continued to come forward with allegations of a toxic workplace on her now-ended
15:09daytime show. The claims first erupted in 2020 and included accusations of racism, bullying,
15:16and harassment.
15:17So when Ellen says she's not aware of this environment, you don't think that rings true?
15:23It's a lie.
15:24The controversy flared up again after the release of her 2024 Netflix special,
15:29in which Ellen called the ordeal devastating.
15:31Oh yeah, I got kicked out of show business.
15:35But ex-staffers blasted her remarks, saying she minimized their experiences and tried to cast
15:41herself as the real victim of media scrutiny. Many agreed, seeing the special as an attempt
15:47to rewrite the narrative.
15:49Had I ended my show by saying go f*** yourselves, people would have been pleasantly surprised.
15:55By 2025, she had quietly relocated out of the country with Portia.
16:01Number 6. Jada Pinkett Smith
16:04Throughout the 2020s, Jada Pinkett Smith became widely seen as the Queen of Oversharing.
16:10I don't want to share all of this and not also share some breadcrumbs along the way of how I
16:21got
16:21through.
16:22Her tell-all memoir, Worthy, and the non-stop press tour that followed only amplified the
16:28public fatigue around her.
16:30As time went on, there were different stages in my marriage where Will and I decided we were
16:36not together.
16:37She revealed that she and Will Smith had actually been separated since 2016, described the late
16:43Tupac Shakur as the true love of her life, and even claimed that Chris Rock once asked
16:48her out.
16:49Yes, the same Chris Rock who was slapped at the 2022 Oscars by her husband, Will.
16:55So he called me and he was like, hey, you know, basically he was like, I'd love to take
17:00you out.
17:00And I was like, who's me?
17:01For many, the constant stream of personal bombshells turned Jada's name into an instant
17:06eye roll.
17:07Number five, Kanye West.
17:10Will Kanye West ever regain public favor?
17:14Once considered uncancellable, Ye's ongoing controversies, marked by anti-Semitic remarks,
17:20strange behavior, and provocative stunts, have strengthened his status as one of pop culture's
17:26most polarizing figures.
17:28So the answer to why I wrote White Lives Matter on a shirt is because they do.
17:35It's the obvious thing.
17:37Kanye sparked outrage by selling highly offensive shirts featuring a hate symbol on his website.
17:42He also faced backlash for his ex-Bianca Sensori's nearly nude appearance on the Grammy's red carpet,
17:49reportedly his idea.
17:51Kanye's erratic postings on social media have left the public both perplexed and increasingly
17:56concerned about his well-being.
17:58We're all worried about Kanye, but at this point, we're all also angry and offended and
18:02hurt.
18:03However, in early 2026, Ye took out an ad in the Wall Street Journal apologizing for his
18:09actions.
18:10Will this set the stage for redemption?
18:12Time will tell.
18:14Number four, Amber Heard.
18:16Amber Heard's reputation took quite the nosedive in the 2020s.
18:21And it was all thanks to her highly public legal battles with ex-husband Johnny Depp.
18:26Johnny Depp, he said, she said, $50 million defamation lawsuit against his ex, Amber Heard.
18:32Their 2022 defamation trial over her Washington Post op-ed became a global spectacle, with the
18:39U.S. jury largely siding with Depp.
18:41Her testimony and appearances fueled massive social media backlash and memes.
18:46My dog stepped on a bee.
18:47The fallout also damaged her Hollywood standing, resulting in a reduced role in Aquaman and
18:53The Lost Kingdom.
18:54Since then, she has relocated to Spain to focus on family life.
18:59It's clear that the trial and its viral aftermath have left her image in tatters.
19:04Um, and on my side of the bed, um, was human fecal matter.
19:17Number three, Danny Masterson.
19:20Hey man, you missed your shift at the photo hut.
19:23You better have a damn good excuse.
19:26I got busted.
19:27Danny Masterson's That 70s Show character Stephen Hyde was once a breakout favorite, so
19:33much so that many viewers carried that affection over to the actor himself, even as his career
19:38cooled after the sitcom ended.
19:40But by late 2023, that goodwill had all but vanished.
19:45You see, in 2017, Masterson was accused of multiple assaults, leading to a long and highly
19:51public legal battle.
19:52He was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to 30 years to life.
19:56One of them called the actor, quote, pathetic, disturbed, and completely violent, unquote.
20:02The case's disturbing revelations left his public image beyond repair.
20:06Heck, it even dragged longtime friends Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis into the backlash.
20:12The actors were criticized for calling their former co-star a role model, among other things.
20:16And the consensus in is that that video didn't help.
20:20Number two, Elon Musk.
20:23Whether he's a visionary leading humanity to new heights or an outsider intent on dismantling
20:28the U.S. government, there's no denying Elon Musk's appetite for attention.
20:33Or better or worse.
20:352025 started with Musk giving a highly speculative salute at Donald Trump's victory rally and
20:41later wielding a chainsaw at a conservative event.
20:44Meanwhile, takedown Tesla protests were seen across the globe.
20:48With activists targeting the CEO and his Tesla dealerships.
20:52I totally understand if somebody doesn't want to buy a product.
20:55Yeah, it's up to you.
20:56It's free country, you know, but you don't have to burn it down.
20:59They are encouraging the public to sell their Tesla electric vehicles, dump their stock,
21:03and stop Elon Musk.
21:05Musk rather memorably fell out and later made peace with President Trump.
21:10But the damage is done.
21:11How much are his antics costing him in the long run?
21:15Awesome, awesome, awesome.
21:16You've got to make a joke.
21:18You know, you're going to really...
21:18Legalize comedy!
21:20Legalize comedy!
21:21Come on!
21:22Legalize it!
21:26I'm so comfortable with all of that.
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21:43Number one, Sean Diddy Combs.
21:47Now to Sean Diddy Combs, a music mogul is facing a series of new civil lawsuits, including
21:52allegations he sexually assaulted two teenagers.
21:56The mid-2020s have solidified Sean Diddy Combs' place as the most reviled name in Hollywood.
22:02Facing federal charges, including racketeering, trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, Diddy's
22:09trial spanned May to July of 2025.
22:12Prosecutors detailed an alleged criminal enterprise involving forced labor, kidnapping, and bribery,
22:18not to mention his so-called freak-offs.
22:21He's accused of trafficking women and male sex workers to perform depraved freak-offs,
22:28drug-fueled sex parties for his own twisted enjoyment.
22:32The disgraced rapper also faced an onslaught of civil lawsuits alleging various unlawful acts
22:37against men, women, and even youths.
22:39While Combs consistently denied all allegations against him, he was ultimately found guilty
22:44of transportation to engage in those exact unlawful acts, and handed down a 50-month prison sentence.
22:52We'll see them trying to suppress or keep out certain evidence out of the case, or try to bolster it.
22:57Which of these scandal-ridden celebs have raised your ire?
23:01Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
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