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Some stars get canceled, and some just... don't. Join us as we count down celebrities who faced career-threatening scandals yet somehow managed to come out the other side with their platforms intact! Do you think any of them got off too easy — or was the backlash unfair? Let us know in the comments below!
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00:00The actor admits that at one point in his life, he wanted to kill a random black man.
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at stars who came dangerously close to being
00:09cancelled yet managed to keep their careers and public platforms intact.
00:12Sorry about that, by the way.
00:15Ansel Elgort.
00:16I'll have four black costumes, medium.
00:18Name.
00:19Baby.
00:20Baby.
00:21B-A-B-Y, baby.
00:22Thanks to films like Baby Driver, Ansel Elgort's rise as a major Hollywood player looked unstoppable
00:27in the late 2010s.
00:28But in June of 2020, that trajectory nearly collapsed when a woman accused him of indecently
00:33assaulting her years earlier, alleging she was underage at the time.
00:36Elgort denied the claim, stating that the relationship had been consensual.
00:39However, he did apologize for being insensitive during their breakup.
00:41Though the backlash was severe, his career didn't fall apart, as some expected.
00:45His starring role in West Side Story moved forward, and he went on to headline HBO Max's
00:49Tokyo Vice.
00:54And with additional projects lined up, Elgort has become a rare example of an actor who
00:58who's career survived such serious allegations.
01:00I gave him my word you'd show.
01:02Why would you do that?
01:04Because.
01:05Because.
01:05It's a rumble.
01:06We need you if we're going to war.
01:08Vanessa Hudgens.
01:09In March 2020, as the world was shutting down and events like that year's Coachella were
01:13being axed, Vanessa Hudgens decided to go on Instagram Live.
01:16And what did she have to say, you ask?
01:17Well, just that the potential for widespread death was inevitable.
01:20It's a virus.
01:21I get it.
01:22Like, I respect it.
01:23But at the same time, like, even if everybody gets it, like, yeah, people are going to die.
01:32It's just terrible.
01:33But, like, inevitable?
01:36Perhaps even worse than what she said was how she said it.
01:39It all came at the exact moment when uncertainty and grief were reaching a peak.
01:42I don't know.
01:43Maybe I shouldn't be doing this right now.
01:44Hudgens quickly issued public apologies and emphasized that she took the situation seriously.
01:48Rather than permanently harming her career, her swift backtracking calmed much of the
01:52online hate, allowing the high school musical alum to move on in new roles and brand partnerships.
01:56Jimmy Fallon.
01:57It turns out the king of lighthearted late-night fare isn't immune to storm clouds.
02:00Jimmy Fallon apologized to his Tonight Show staff in the wake of toxic workplace
02:05allegations in a Rolling Stone report.
02:08In 2023, a Rolling Stone expose detailed accounts from current and former staffers who described
02:13The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon as a toxic workplace.
02:16There were allegations of beat-a-littling behavior, erratic moods, and high staff turnover.
02:20Fallon responded with an apology to his staff in a Zoom meeting, taking responsibility for
02:24anything that caused his stress.
02:25Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends.
02:29I feel so bad, I can't even tell you.
02:32That wasn't his only scandal, though.
02:34There was also a past sketch in which Jimmy Fallon wore black makeup to impersonate Chris
02:37Rock, a misstep that drew comparisons to a similar controversy involving fellow late-night
02:41host Jimmy Kimmel.
02:42However, the backlash never snowballed into a career collapse for either.
02:45Nick Cannon In 2020, Nick Cannon faced the most serious
02:48controversy of his career.
02:50During an episode of his podcast, he made hateful remarks that included anti-Semitic conspiracy
02:54theories.
02:54Overnight backlash for Nick Cannon after these controversial comments on his podcast, Cannon's
03:00Class.
03:00At the time, Cannon had a long-standing relationship with ViacomCBS as the creator and host of the
03:05hit series Wild N' Out, which aired on its networks.
03:07After the comments went public, the company severed ties and halted production on the show.
03:11ViacomCBS saying in a statement overnight that they condemn bigotry of any kind.
03:16Cannon initially resisted issuing a straightforward apology, but soon released more direct statements
03:21of regret.
03:22He also began meeting with Jewish leaders for education and dialogue.
03:25Within months, the situation shifted enough that he returned to mainstream television,
03:28including continuing on as host of The Masked Singer.
03:30Ariana Grande
03:37Long before topping charts and starring in blockbuster musicals, Ariana Grande had her
03:41share of wild headlines.
03:42And perhaps none was more infamous than the viral 2015 Donut Geek.
03:46Footage from a California bakery showed Grande and friends licking donuts on display.
03:49The pop diva isn't jumping up and down for joy today.
03:53She's in crisis mode with her social media pages blowing up with negative reaction.
03:58Making the situation worse, she could be heard saying,
04:00I hate Americans, a remark that ignited social media fury.
04:03Grande offered multiple apologies explaining her words were taken out of context and stressed
04:07her pride in her country.
04:09She caused a huge uproar after she was caught on surveillance tape apparently licking a donut.
04:15I was so disgusted with myself.
04:17I wanted, I like shoved my face in a pillow and wanted to disappear.
04:20Rather than ending her rise to pop superstardom then and there, Grande was able to move past
04:24the moment, turning the scandal into a minor footnote.
04:26Kevin Hart
04:27That it was a dream of yours, you've always wanted to host the Oscars, I said you should
04:31host the Oscars, then you get asked to, I mean it must have been amazing when they
04:35asked you to host this year.
04:36Unreal.
04:37Kevin Hart learned firsthand just how quickly old jokes can come back to haunt you.
04:40In 2018, a series of the comedian's past tweets containing homophobic remarks resurfaced
04:44just as he had been announced as host of that year's Academy Awards.
04:47Rather than continue with the role, a long time dream of his, Hart decided to withdraw
04:51from the Oscar gig.
04:52He also openly addressed the controversy acknowledging that the jokes were hurtful and emphasized
04:56the commitment to personal growth.
04:57I've done all that I can do.
05:00So, that was done within hopes that people can hear and understand how heartfelt and authentic
05:05it was.
05:06If you didn't, then I don't know what to tell you or do.
05:10I don't know what you're looking for.
05:11Kevin's willingness to confront the issue, paired with sustained professionalism, helped
05:15rebuild his public standing and restore his place as a major force in the entertainment
05:19industry.
05:20Liam Neeson.
05:20But what I do have are a very particular set of skills.
05:25Skills I've acquired over a very long career.
05:27When Liam Neeson opened up about a dark moment from his past, the reaction was immediate and
05:31explosive.
05:32In a 2019 interview, the actor revealed that decades earlier, after a close friend was assaulted,
05:36he spent days roaming the streets with a weapon, hoping to encounter a random black man to attack
05:41in retaliation.
05:42The actor admits that at one point in his life, he wanted to kill a random black man.
05:47Naturally, the admission ignited backlash for its racist implications.
05:51Neeson responded with a series of follow-up interviews expressing deep regret.
05:54I'm ashamed to say that.
05:56And I did it for maybe a week.
05:58He insisted that he shared the story to highlight how dangerous and ignorant his mindset had been.
06:02Despite the controversy, Neeson's long-established career and continued industry support helped
06:06the uproar fate, and he has since continued working steadily in major film projects.
06:11To get rid of this, and I'm not racist.
06:16This was nearly 40 years ago, but because I was brought up in...
06:20Maybe I'm rabbiting on, Rob, so forgive me.
06:22I was brought up in the north of Ireland and brought up in The Troubles.
06:26Justin Bieber.
06:27I could be a buzz light, yeah, fly across the globe.
06:30I don't ever want to fight, yeah, you already know.
06:32Justin Bieber's rise from teen idol to global superstar came with turbulence that nearly
06:36knocked his career off course.
06:37By the early 2010s, a string of missteps had his behavior under a harsh microscope.
06:42In 2013, German authorities seized his pet Cappuccine Monkey after he brought it into
06:46the country without proper paperwork.
06:48Not making this one up.
06:49The pop star's former pet monkey has emerged.
06:51Pet monkey?
06:52Yes.
06:52Pet monkey?
06:53He had a pet.
06:54I didn't know that.
06:54Some people have cats.
06:55Some have dogs.
06:56Justin Bieber had a monkey, and it has emerged from quarantine in Germany three months after
07:00Bieber brought the monkey to the country.
07:02That same year, he faced backlash for writing in the Anne Frank House guestbook that he hoped
07:06Anne would have been a Belieber.
07:08And here's what he wrote, and I quote, truly inspiring to be able to come here.
07:12Anne was a great girl.
07:13Hopefully, she would have been a Belieber.
07:15Combined with viral footage of public urination, tense paparazzi clashes, and brushes with
07:20law enforcement, his image was taking serious damage.
07:23But as Bieber matured, he apologized for past behavior, spoke openly about mental health,
07:27and shifted focus back to his music, ultimately steadying a career that once seemed in serious
07:31jeopardy.
07:32James Gunn.
07:32James Gunn was already one of Hollywood's most beloved filmmakers when a storm hit that
07:36threatened everything.
07:37This is weird.
07:37We've got a sovereign fleet approaching from the rear.
07:39Why would they do that?
07:40Probably because rockets stole some of their batteries.
07:42Dude!
07:43In July of 2018, Disney dropped Gunn from directing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after
07:47screenshots circulated of decade-old tweets he had posted.
07:50The messages were posted more than seven years ago, but Disney says they have ended their
07:54relationship with Gunn.
07:56The director was back on Twitter today where he apologized for what he had written.
08:00The tweets contained shocking jokes about a series of taboo subjects, leading Disney to
08:04label them indefensible and inconsistent with our values.
08:07Gunn apologized, explaining that he had once aimed to shock and provoke, but no longer held
08:11those views.
08:11Widespread support from fans, former cast members, and fellow filmmakers helped shift
08:15the narrative.
08:16And in a rare reversal, Disney rehired him in 2019.
08:18Since then, Gunn has continued to rebuild his reputation, notably directing Superman to
08:22critical acclaim.
08:23Superman said that.
08:24Yeah, I interviewed him right afterwards.
08:26Great guy.
08:26Dave Chappelle.
08:27I've gone too far.
08:28I've said too much.
08:32And I gotta tell you, I'm very worried about it.
08:34I'm not even joking.
08:34Let's face it, Dave Chappelle has never been a stranger to controversy.
08:38But his 2020s Netflix specials sparked some of the most heated debates in modern comedy.
08:42No, I'm not gonna feel that way at all.
08:44I'm gonna feel very uncomfortable.
08:46Chappelle's jokes about the transgender community didn't only draw protests from viewers,
08:49but Netflix employees, who participated in organized walkouts.
08:52The constant criticism generated headlines and social media firestorms for weeks.
08:56However, despite the backlash, Netflix stood firmly behind Chappelle, emphasizing creative
09:00and artistic freedom.
09:01Dave continued headlining major comedy tours and even released more specials on Netflix,
09:05proving that even amid unrelenting controversy, audiences and the industry are still willing
09:09to support his work.
09:10Sorry about that, by the way.
09:11Do you think there's a celebrity that was unfairly canceled?
09:14Share your takes in the comments below.
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