Top 10 Cancelled Celebrities: Where Are They Now?

Top 10 Canceled Celebrities: Where Are They Now?

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Canceled Celebrities: Where Are They Now?

For this list, we’ll be looking at famous people who faced widespread backlash and/or were embroiled in controversies, and examining what they’ve been up to in recent years.

Do you still follow these celebrities’ lives and output? Let us know in the comments below!

#10: Ellen DeGeneres

This comic was once an icon of pop culture, paving the way for LGBT representation in television and subsequently launching a beloved talk show. Her accomplishments cannot be forgotten, but DeGeneres herself was called out in 2020. It was alleged that the production of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” was full of problems, including racism, harassment, and wanton terminations. Other reports also came to the surface, notably accusing DeGeneres of being less than kind. She failed to renew her contract when it expired in 2022, effectively bringing her long-running talk show to a close. DeGeneres revealed to the Hollywood Reporter that she will be taking a year-long hiatus to “sit still.”

#9: Gina Carano

After finding great success in mixed martial arts, Carano became a household name by playing Cara Dune in “The Mandalorian.” Her use of social media drew some controversy in 2020, but it wasn’t until the following year that things publicly came crashing down for the popular actress. She continued to craft contentious posts, notably shaming the use of masks for protection against COVID-19 and making inappropriate comparisons to the Holocaust. She was ultimately fired from Lucasfilm and removed from “The Mandalorian.” After being effectively excommunicated from Hollywood, Carano began partnering with conservative media companies and is now starring in their movies. In 2022, she appeared in The Daily Wire’s “Terror on the Prairie” and Breitbart News’ “My Son Hunter.”

#8: Jussie Smollett

Like Ellen DeGeneres, Jussie Smollett paved the way for representation in TV, playing a gay Black man in Fox’s “Empire.” The role earned him popularity and a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist. But the actor made headlines in January 2019 when he was supposedly the victim of a hate crime. It was eventually alleged that he lied about the story, and was charged with felony disorderly conduct for filing false police reports. Smollett was convicted, but is still battling the legal aftermath of the ordeal on appeal. Though he continues his creative output, it’s at a highly reduced rate. He co-wrote, produced and directed the 2021 movie “B-Boy Blues,” which is about two Black men falling in love in New York.

#7: Dave Chappelle

Following the end of the “Chappelle's Show,” Dave Chappelle went on an extended break and only made occasional appearances in the media. That changed around the mid-2010s, when he started regularly doing stand-up again. However, this return has been marred in various controversies, with the comedian making some ill-advised jokes throughout his specials. In 2021, “The Closer” was released on Netflix to mixed reviews and widespread controversy. Chappelle was accused of making transphobic remarks, and the special caused various Netflix employees to walk off the job in protest. Regardless, Chappelle continues his stand-up career. In 2022, he headlined four nights at the Hollywood Bowl and hosted “Saturday Night Live.”

#6: Roseanne Barr

Barr made headlines when it was revealed that her long-running and beloved sitcom, “Roseanne,” was returning to the airwaves. However, that highly anticipated return did not last long. Just two months after the season debuted in 2018 to enormous success, Barr tweeted a racist insult aimed at government official Valerie Jarrett. The “Roseanne” revival was swiftly axed by ABC, and Barr largely disappeared from the public spotlight. She was notably excluded from “The Conners”, a follow-up to the sitcom. However, the actress now seems to be trying to revive her career. In 2023, she will deliver a brand new comedy special on Fox Nation, the companion streaming service to the conservative network.

#5: Bill O'Reilly

Speaking of Fox, Bill O'Reilly was one of its biggest stars throughout the ‘90s and 2000s. He hosted the popular talk show “The O'Reilly Factor,” which ran between 1996 and 2017. It was then that The New York Times broke a story, claiming that numerous sexual harassment suits against O’Reilly worth millions of dollars had been settled. He was promptly fired from Fox, and his show came to an end after more than twenty years. O'Reilly then started “No Spin News,” a podcast to which he eventually added a video component. He also continues to write with author Martin Dugard, notably publishing two books in 2022. Another, “Killing the Witches: The Horror of Salem Massachusetts,” is scheduled for release in 2023.

#4: Armie Hammer

Armie Hammer was on the come-up throughout the 2010s, starring in the likes of “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and “Call Me by Your Name.” The latter earned him widespread attention and praise, and he was even nominated for a Golden Globe for his work in it. But in January of 2021, various allegations were made against him, claiming that he had disturbing proclivities and would subject his partners to abuse. He left many of his pending projects behind (while others cut ties with him), and basically fled the entertainment industry. His final film to date, “Death on the Nile,” was released in 2022. Hammer is now thought to be residing in the Cayman Islands and reportedly works in the timeshare-selling business.

#3: Louis C.K.

This comedian was among those whose inappropriate behavior was exposed amid the #MeToo movement. After years of speculation and rumor, C.K. was officially accused of sexual misconduct by numerous women in 2017. Some of those women had also reportedly been threatened by his then-manager, Dave Becky, who was said to have intimidated them into silence. C.K. disappeared for some time following the allegations, but has since made a comeback of sorts. He put out the stand-up specials “Sincerely Louis CK” and “Sorry,” the former of which won a Grammy in 2022. “Fourth of July,” a movie on which he served as co-writer, producer, and director, also came out that year.

#2: J. K. Rowling

The cultural heights reached by “Harry Potter” are hard to overstate. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon, and it came from the mind of J. K. Rowling. However, the author has come under fire in recent years, as she has made a series of problematic claims regarding sex and gender. Her remarks have widely been dubbed harmful and transphobic, and she has received backlash from the media, activists, and “Harry Potter” fans alike. However, she continues on with her career. She’s still writing the “Cormoran Strike” series under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith, with the sixth book being published in 2022. That year also saw the release of “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” which Rowling co-wrote with Steve Kloves.

#1: Kevin Spacey

Very few actors have experienced a downfall quite like Kevin Spacey. The man, who was once a respected actor and two-time Oscar winner, is now a disgraced ex-celebrity accused of sexual misconduct and abuse. Spacey was accused by over a dozen people throughout the mid-to-late 2010s, which effectively ended his acting career. He is still facing legal repercussions stemming from the claims, and is due to face trial in the UK in the summer of 2023. In the midst of these court battles, however, he is attempting a semblance of a return to the spotlight. He has notably been cast in a movie called “Peter Five Eight,” and his voice will appear in the 2023 thriller “Control.”