Amanda Bynes, once the shining star of Nickelodeon, fell from grace due to her battle with substance abuse. Her career plummeted as she faced legal troubles in 2013, with a string of DUIs and a shocking arrest for marijuana possession. Her downfall reached a new low when she started a fire near a stranger's house, putting her life and others in danger.
Amanda's erratic behavior and mental health were called into question, leading to her being placed under a psych evaluation. At just 28 years old, her parents were forced to take over her care, and her fans were left heartbroken by the tragic turn of events.
Tiger Woods, a once-revered golf legend, was catapulted into a whirlwind of controversy and scandal after a public fight with his wife over an alleged affair. The world watched in shock as Woods' pristine reputation was shattered and his personal life became front-page news. While the affair was never officially confirmed, the aftermath was littered with dozens of women coming forward claiming to have slept with the golf icon.
Woods' once-flourishing career took a massive hit as he lost many of his lucrative sponsorships and his personal life crumbled, culminating in a devastating divorce. The fall from grace was swift and brutal, leaving many wondering if Woods would ever be able to reclaim his former glory.
Paul Reubens was a beloved icon, adored by children and adults alike for his whimsical portrayal of Pee Wee Herman. But in 1990, his world came crashing down as he was arrested for indecent exposure at a seedy pornographic theater in Florida. The shocking revelation stunned fans worldwide, and the media went into a frenzy, speculating on Reubens' guilt.
Despite pleading no contest and maintaining his innocence, the damage had been done, and his career was shattered beyond repair. His once-bright future was now shrouded in darkness, and the shame and humiliation he faced would haunt him for years to come.
The Harvey Weinstein scandal sent shockwaves through Hollywood and beyond. For years, whispers had circulated about the movie mogul's predatory behavior towards young actresses and aspiring filmmakers. But it wasn't until 2017 that the full extent of his depravity was exposed to the world. The list of victims grew longer and longer as more and more women came forward with harrowing stories of sexual assault and abuse.
The industry was rocked to its core as Weinstein's once-untouchable reputation crumbled before the public's eyes. Law enforcement officials finally took action, and Weinstein was brought up on criminal charges, facing a reckoning for his crimes.
Phil Spector was a legendary music producer who revolutionized the industry with his innovative "Wall of Sound" technique in the 1960s and 1970s. But his life took a dark turn when he was accused of murdering actress Lana Clarkson in 2003. It was alleged that the two had a heated argument at Spector's home, which ended with him fatally shooting her.
Despite his protestations of innocence, he was found guilty and sentenced to 19 years to life in prison. Spector's fall from grace was a shocking twist in the story of one of music's most influential figures.
Oscar Pistorius, also known as the "Blade Runner," was once an inspiration to many. Despite controversy and criticism from the International Association of Athletics Federation regarding his prosthetic legs giving him an unfair advantage, he persevered and made history as the first-ever double amputee to compete in the Olympics.
However, his triumphs turned to tragedy when he was charged with the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in 2013. The world was stunned by the news, and Pistorius was no longer seen as a hero but a villain. The following year, he was found guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced to five years in prison.
Live Strong bracelets were removed so quickly they nearly broke after Lance Armstrong’s betrayal came to light. The world-renowned cyclist, known for his seven Tour de France wins, was revealed to have been using performance-enhancing drugs, casting a dark cloud over his legacy and the sport of cycling.
The bracelets, which had raised millions of dollars for cancer research, were now tainted by association with Armstrong's doping scandal. His lifetime ban from sports would be forever remembered as one of the most devastating falls from grace in sports history.
Once hailed as a hero on the football field, O.J. Simpson's reputation took a disastrous turn after his alleged involvement in a brutal crime that shocked the nation. In a case that would go down in history as the "trial of the century," Simpson was accused of brutally murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend Ronald Goldman.
Despite overwhelming evidence against him, Simpson was shockingly found not guilty, leaving the public in disbelief. But his troubles didn't end there. Years later, Simpson was charged with a violent armed robbery, further cementing his downfall. Now, after serving time and gaining release, Simpson has taken to social media to proclaim his innocence and attempt to rebuild his shattered reputation.
In 1991, Mike Tyson's world came crashing down when he lost his heavyweight title, only to be hit with a devastating accusation of rape. The former champion was convicted and sentenced to a grueling six years in prison, of which he could only endure three. After being released, Tyson desperately tried to resurrect his once illustrious career in boxing.
However, his past haunted him, and his attempts were met with disastrous consequences. In a shocking turn of events, Tyson bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear during a heated match, effectively sealing his fate as a fallen hero and forever tarnishing his legacy in the sport.
For decades, Bill Cosby was the darling of the entertainment industry, hailed for his comedic genius and revered for his fatherly role on television. But beneath the surface of his carefully crafted image lay a dark and sinister truth. One by one, women began to come forward, sharing harrowing accounts of how Cosby had drugged and sexually assaulted them. As the accusations mounted, Cosby's pristine reputation crumbled before the public's eyes.
The once-revered comedian was stripped of his awards and accolades, his legacy tarnished by the sheer number of victims who had suffered at his hands. Despite his vehement denials, the mounting evidence against Cosby eventually led to his conviction in 2018 for aggravated indecent assault. His downfall was swift and devastating, leaving many to wonder how such a beloved figure could have been capable of such heinous acts.
Hugh Grant, the charming British actor, was at the pinnacle of his career when he was caught red-handed with a prostitute in a public place. The incident, which occurred in 1995, rocked the world, especially since Grant was in a high-profile relationship with one of the most beautiful women alive, Elizabeth Hurley.
Despite his fame and fortune, Grant couldn't resist the temptations of the flesh and ended up getting arrested for engaging in oral sex with a prostitute. The media went into a frenzy, and public opinion turned against him. Grant took full responsibility for his actions and apologized, but it was too little too late. The damage had been done, and his career never fully recovered from the scandal.
Jerry Lee Lewis could have been bigger than Elvis, but tragedy struck when he made a fatal mistake that would haunt him for the rest of his life. In a moment of passion, Jerry Lee Lewis married his 13-year-old first cousin, defying social norms and triggering a public outcry.
The media and music industry turned their backs on him, and he went from earning $10,000 per night to a mere $250. His career never fully recovered from this scandal, and he lived with the weight of his mistake for decades.
Matt Lauer was once the embodiment of the clean-cut, trustworthy dad figure on America's beloved Today show. But in November 2017, everything changed in the blink of an eye. Shocking allegations surfaced that he had sexually assaulted a female staffer during the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The news spread like wildfire and left the nation reeling with disbelief.
Within less than 30 hours of the accusations coming to light, Lauer was fired from his coveted position, and the true extent of his predatory deeds was exposed. It turned out that Lauer had been engaging in a long-standing pattern of inappropriate behavior, including sending explicit texts to his colleagues and even "gifting" them with sex toys and salacious notes. The scandal left Lauer's reputation in tatters.
Mel Gibson, the former Hollywood superstar, who once shone on the silver screen, now finds himself in the midst of a turbulent storm of controversy. The fame that once illuminated his career has turned into a blinding spotlight, exposing his wacky antics and explosive temper.
Gibson's outbursts have been caught on tape, spewing slurs against individuals based on their race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation, causing outrage and disgust amongst the public. The actor often uses alcohol as an excuse for his deplorable behavior, but his reputation as a bigot and a bully has left him isolated and shunned by his peers.
Michael Jackson, the legendary "King of Pop," was at the height of his career in 1993 when allegations of inappropriate and abusive behavior toward children surfaced. His reputation was left in tatters, and despite settling out of court, the scandal would haunt him forever. In 2005, he faced even more serious allegations of sexual abuse after a sleepover with a 13-year-old boy.
The trial was grueling, with the world watching as he fought to clear his name. Though ultimately acquitted, the damage was done, and his legacy was forever marred by the accusations. The once-beloved icon would never fully recover from the drama that engulfed his life.
Several celebs fell from grace in 2017, but one of the biggest was Kevin Spacey. He was once one of the best actors around, but all that changed when it was revealed that he sexually assaulted another actor when he was 14-years-old.
To make matters worse, he responded that he didn’t remember doing it and used the opportunity to come out as gay rather than show remorse.
Shia LaBeouf is a strange one. He was a young actor that people loved to watch in films, including Disturbia and the Transformers franchise. Then, he had a meltdown and was arrested for anger and alcohol issues.
Then, in 2005, he was charged for assault with a deadly weapon after he confronted his neighbor. Finally, the topper of the cake was when in 2007 he was outed for stealing an indie comic from Daniel Clowes.
Best known as Kramer from the hit show Seinfeld, Michael Richards went from loved to hated in moments. He performed a standup comedy set in November 2006.
During the show, he was filmed screaming racist comments and lynching references to a group of hecklers. He later apologized along with Jerry Seinfeld, but the world didn’t accept it.
Tonya Harding became one of Americas most hated athletes because of one action. In 1994, Tonya Harding’s ex-husband struck Nancy Kerrigan in the knee with a baton to prevent her from going to the Olympics.
The case went to trial, and Harding admitted to conspiring to injure Kerrigan. She received a lifetime ban from all United States Figure Skating Association sponsored events.
Bill Murray isn’t a stranger to controversy. In fact, he almost lives in it constantly. However, he seems to hold a strong fanbase that likes him because he’s so relatable and real. Thanks to recent news, we’re all being reminded about the kind of person Murray is, and this has caused a huge fall from grace.
Press has been buzzing about the $100,000 settlement between Murray and a “much younger” female crewmember of his recent film. The woman claimed Murray straddled her while on set. Murray stated he did “something I thought was funny.” That caused other stars like Geena Davis, Lucy Liu, and Richard Dreyfuss to come out and state how he’s been unpleasant to work with on a regular basis.
Once upon a time, Kayne West (or Ye) was hailed as one of the best music producers and artists in the world. He fought tooth and nail to become a top artist, but he’s more or less thrown it all away. At this point, it would be easier to say what Kanye West hasn’t done to offend someone.
Recently, however, he’s really messed up. He commented, saying that he could “say antisemitic things and Adidas can’t drop” him. Turns out, he was wrong. It took Adidas a hot second, but they ultimately decided to cancel their partnership with the artist, costing them approximately $250 million.
Miley Cyrus is another Disney star gone bad. Once the famous Hanna Montana, she changed her appearance that’s nothing like her former self. She started wearing extremely revealing clothing, doing drugs, and performing in a risqué manner on stage.
It alienated the fans that once followed her, causing them to avoid her. Now, she’s changing her image again, but is it too late?
No one expected Martha Stewart to go to jail, but she did in 2004. This was the year that she was convicted of inside trading.
Since then, she’s been working hard to restore her reputation, but it’s just too damaged. The name “Martha Stewart” will now be synonymous with her crimes.
Lindsay Lohan was a young actress many kids watched growing up, but that all changed when she got involved with drugs and alcohol. She had a series of legal issues, and even missed a mandatory DUI in 2010.
Even after mandatory rehab, she violated her prohibition and was sent to jail. This pattern continued for a year, and everyone got tired of hearing about it.
Many people knew that Chris Brown had anger problems before his fall from grace. What sealed his fate was when pictures of Rihanna’s bloody face showed what he’d done to her.
Brown pled guilty to felony assault of his girlfriend, but that was just the beginning. Since then, he’s had several run-ins with the law, including a 2013 assault arrest.
Josh Duggar was the eldest child of the well-known reality TV family, The Duggars. In 2015, Josh Duggar was a part of the Ashley Madison scandal. Not only was his name found on the infamous adultery website, but it was also discovered that he’d molested five girls.
Fast forward to 2021, and now Josh Duggar is being investigated for child pornography. The judge said it was one of the worst cases he's ever seen.
The worst thing you can do is hurt animals, and that’s what Michael Vick did. In 2007, he was arrested on felony charges related to an illegal dogfighting ring and failure to cooperate with police.
He spent 21 months in prison and two months of house arrest, but the public wouldn’t see his return.
Paula Deen was a major celebrity chef, but she fell from grace in 2013 when she was sued for racial and sexual discrimination.
After this, Paula Deen lost public approval as well as contracts with the Food Network and endorsements by several other companies.
Fatty Arbuckle is an old one, but it was easily one of the worst falls from grace. He was once on the track to be just as big as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton – in fact, he mentored and discovered the two!
His name was tarnished when he was the defendant of three widely publicized trials for the rape and manslaughter of actress Virginia Rappe. He was acquitted, but the scandal destroyed his career.
Louis C.K. was one of the most admired stand-up comedians around. He made a name for himself as a comic, actor, and even as a feminist. That was all until five women accused him of sexual misconduct.
His career has since picked back up a bit, but no one will ever look at him the same way again.
Jonah Hill has had a successful ride to the top, often appearing in movies with other big-name actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Channing Tatum. However, in 2014 the Oscar-nominated actor called a paparazzo a homophobic slur.
He went on The Tonight Show to apologize, but his apology seemed insincere and the damage was already done.
David Letterman has had a long, influential career that ended on his famous talk show when he told the audience about his crimes. After appearing before a grand jury, Letterman decided to beat the news stories and come clean on air.
He admitted to inappropriate relationships with his staff and a $2 million extortion scheme that shocked his fans and ruined his public image.
We’re used to hearing stories about entitled celebrities, but you might not have expected that behavior out of Reese Witherspoon. The A-list actress was arrested for disorderly conduct after her husband had been pulled over for suspicion of driving under the influence.
She asked officers, “Do you know who I am?” and reacted badly when she was cuffed, destroying her image as America's sweetheart.
Jared Fogle used to be the success story and face of Subway—at least before he was arrested for child pornography. Fogle skyrocketed to fame for making the "Subway diet" popular, but that all ended when his secret behavior came to light.
The weight loss hero was charged with multiple sexual misconduct crimes against children and was quickly cut out of the Subway advertisements.
Katherine Heigl used to be a highly sought-after actress in Hollywood and even landed a recurring role on the popular hospital drama Grey’s Anatomy. However, Heigl let the success go to her head and is now well-known for being hard to work with and extremely disrespectful.
After she publicly bashed a film she appeared in with Seth Rogan, Knocked Up, nobody wanted to work with her because of her bad attitude.
To the complete surprise of many, The Wizard of Oz actress Judy Garland died from a drug overdose in 1969 shortly after her 47th birthday. Her death shined a light on a long-time drug habit that Garland had struggled with since childhood.
Workers at MGM studios would supply her with amphetamines and barbiturates to keep her slim and ready to work, leading her down a dark path. Fans were shocked to learn the sad truth about one of Hollywood's greatest actresses.
Rob Lowe is still a successful actor—even if he shouldn’t be. He was in trouble in 1988 for a sex tape scandal with an underage girl. Lowe claimed he didn’t know the girl was underage, but the damage was done.
His career was dead for many years and now he’s slowly working on rebuilding it after the bad publicity from his sexual misconduct scandal.
Roseanne Barr was loved by millions for her depiction of a relatable person on her show Roseanne. The popular show was brought back for a reboot but Barr quickly ruined the debut.
She was slammed for racist tweets that effectively ended her career and led to her being removed as a character from her own show.
Woody Allen was a staple in Hollywood and loved by many people for years. His influence is undeniable, but his past is dubious. He was accused of sexual abuse by his adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow, but the allegations were never proven.
Perhaps just as scandalous, Allen married his ex-wife’s adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, which led to a series of weird arguments about age, consent, and incest about the pair.
R. Kelly’s career was filled with controversy surrounding his sex life. He married Aaliyah Haughton in 1994 when she was 15 and Kelly was 27.
After this, the next few years were filled with women coming forward about the abuse they’d suffered from R. Kelly, all of which were underage.
Winona Ryder starred in iconic, generation-defining movies like Heathers and Beetlejuice, and seemed unstoppable. She was stylish, funny, and representative of a grunge-loving audience.
However, in 2002, Ryder was found guilty of grand theft and vandalism for stealing more than $5,500 worth of designer gear in Beverly Hills. The arrest led to Ryder leaving the public eye for many years.
Charlie Sheen was a must-have actor in the ‘80s all the way through the early 2000s. He fell out of the limelight for a bit and tried to make a comeback.
Then, he had a series of ranting radio interviews and a TV interview where he said he wasn’t on drugs–sort of. He said, “I am on a drug. It’s called Charlie Sheen. It’s not available ‘cause if you try it once, you’ll die.” Sheen was fired from Two and a Half Men and was replaced with Ashton Kutcher.
For years, Ellen Degeneres was a beloved comedian, actor, and talk show host, but in 2020 all that began to change. Allegations that range from minor (she was rude to a waitress) to severe (turning a blind eye to sexual harassment on her talk show) began to pop up with more frequency around 2020.
However, some of the allegations of her rude behavior go back decades—it's allegedly a well-kept Hollywood secret.
Jerry Falwell Jr. is the son of famous American evangelical preacher Jerry Falwell Sr., and, until recently, he was the president of Liberty University--a Christian college his father helped found.
However, in the summer of 2020, several public scandals came to light that led him to resign from his position. This included a claim from a man who allegedly had a sexual relationship with Falwell Jr. and his wife.
