10 Career Finishing Rumors That Turned Out to Be FALSE
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VOICE OVER: Patrick Mealey
WRITTEN BY: Claire Forth
Don't believe everything you hear! Join us as we explore celebrities whose careers took hits from false rumors and gossip. From Lauryn Hill's misquoted statement to Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction," these stars faced unfair scrutiny that impacted their professional lives. Which celebrity do you think was treated most unfairly by the rumor mill? Our countdown includes Lauryn Hill, Jenna Cooper, Chingy, Megan Fox, Fiona Apple, Monica Lewinsky, Janet Jackson, Shannen Doherty, Ashley Judd, and Courtney Love. These celebrities all experienced how damaging false narratives can be, even years after the truth comes to light. Did you fall for any of these? Share in the comments.
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at celebs whose careers were seemingly diminished over questionable gossip.
Lauryn Hill
Her only solo project to date, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” is revered as not just one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time but one of the most acclaimed albums ever. Unfortunately, Hill’s career has faced some setbacks since that generational project. In 1996, a quote emerged in which Hill allegedly asserted she would rather her children starve than for white people to purchase her music. This statement has since been thoroughly proven as false. Hill responded to the controversy, stating that the rumors had been disheartening because she considers her music universally appealing. This would still contribute to Hill’s struggle with fame, as would other controversies, including legal battles over “Miseducation” credits and facing heat for bravely criticizing the Catholic Church.
Jenna Cooper
“Bachelor in Paradise”’s Jenna Cooper finally got some peace of mind when, after over a year of rumors circulating she cheated on “Bachelor” costar Jordan Kimball, her name was cleared. The two got engaged in the season five finale of “Bachelor in Paradise,” but screenshots were posted by a blogger the same day it aired that embroiled the couple in scandal. The texts in the images allegedly show Cooper talking to her supposed “sugar daddy.” Although she denied the accusation, Kimball ended his relationship and engagement with her. Cooper felt vindicated after an investigation led by forensic investigators and lawyers hired by the star herself to look through her digital devices showed the texts were fake.
Chingy
According to rapper Chingy, a lie spread by social media influential Sidney Starr that the two had slept together hurt his career, even after she admitted to fibbing about the hookup. Chingy, who rose to rap stardom with his single “Right Thurr” in the early 2000s, elaborated that the rumor affected his bottom line due to dubious industry politics and subsequent sabotage. The rumors began to spread after a photo that Chingy and Starr took together started circulating online in 2010, with Starr claiming she was in a relationship with the rapper. It wasn’t until 2012 that Starr admitted to fabricating the relationship and apologized, clarifying that she only took the photos with Chingy as a fan of his.
Megan Fox
In 2009, Fox said that “Transformers” director Michael Bay was “a nightmare to work with.” This prompted an anonymous letter of defense from three male crew members who trashed Fox with allegations of unprofessional behavior. The star was dropped from “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and her reputation was tarnished. Fox returned to the zeitgeist with her very public relationship with Machine Gun Kelly. But what led to a reexamination of Fox’s career was a re-examination of a 2009 Jimmy Kimmel interview that saw Fox explain how she had been sexualized by Hollywood when she was only a teenager. The host’s response? To laugh and make a sexual “joke.” After the clip’s resurfacing, a conversation started about Fox’s treatment as a young star.
Fiona Apple
At 19, Fiona Apple shook the world with a raw, explicit acceptance speech at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. “I didn’t prepare a speech and I’m sorry, but I’m glad I didn’t because I’m not gonna do this like everybody else does it,” she explained. That she didn’t, calling for those watching not to model their lives after celebrities but to chart their own path. “It’s just stupid that I’m in this world, but you’re all very cool to me so thank you very much,” she concluded. The speech helped to amplify rumors that the singer suffered from mental health issues. While she has been vocal about her mental health challenges, the rumors misrepresented the problem.
Monica Lewinsky
In her early twenties, Monica Lewinsky had an affair with a (much older) married man. Yes, many might question her actions. Yes, that man happened to be the President. But that doesn’t mean that she deserves to be vilified for the rest of her life for something she did when she was young – especially given the considerable power dynamic at play. That didn’t stop the media at the time from placing much of the blame at the young woman’s feet, with inaccurate rumors dogging her for years. “...It wasn’t until the past few years that I’ve been able to fully reclaim my narrative, almost 20 years later,” Lewinsky said in 2019.
Janet Jackson
A scandal erupted in the wake of Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson’s performance at the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show. The term “wardrobe malfunction” was birthed from the incident, retroactively called “Nipplegate.” During the show, Jackson’s right breast was exposed for a fraction of live airtime after part of her outfit was torn away by Timberlake. The events puzzled many, and in the decades since, some have questioned what really went down and who’s to blame. “Was that whole thing planned or not? What’s the consensus?’’ said Trevor Reilly, linebacker for the New England Patriots, in 2018.
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty successfully made the leap from child stardom to adult roles. But her career faced some turbulence during the nineties due to an onslaught of sensationalized tabloid stories that earned her a reputation as a notorious “bad girl.” The instant her star had risen due to the teen drama “Beverly Hills, 90210,” the press scrutinized her every move. In 2019, Doherty said she had come to terms with her old rep – one she admitted she earned, although not every rumor was true. But she also said she’d “evolved” and that all of the negative things she’d done brought her to where she was then, as a much more mature human being, deserving of forgiveness. Tragically, Doherty passed away from cancer in 2024.
Ashley Judd
In 2018, Ashley Judd filed a defamation lawsuit against producer Harvey Weinstein, citing false and misleading statements he made to sabotage her career. Judd alleged that while filming the thriller “Kiss the Girls” in 1997, she was invited to Weinstein’s hotel room, where the producer offered her a massage and asked her to watch him shower. "I lost career opportunity. I lost money," she claimed, due to her rejection of his advances. “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson backed the actor’s allegations, saying he was warned by Weinstein’s production company that Judd was a “nightmare to work with.” “...In hindsight, I realize that this was very likely the Miramax smear campaign in full swing," he explained.
Courtney Love
At the height of the Me Too movement, several women in the entertainment industry bravely came forward with experiences of inappropriate sexual treatment at the hands of producer Harvey Weinstein. Courtney Love, however, had already issued warnings about his bad behaviour a decade earlier. At Comedy Central’s roast of Pamela Anderson in 2005, Love was asked to advise young women entering Tinseltown. After hesitating, she said, “If Harvey Weinstein invites you to a private party in his Four Seasons [hotel room], don’t go.” “Although I wasn't one of his victims, I was eternally banned by CAA for speaking out against #HarveyWeinstein,” Love tweeted after video of the interview was unearthed in 2017.
Did we miss another celebrity who was unjustly caught in the rumor mill? Let us know in the comments!
Lauryn Hill
Her only solo project to date, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” is revered as not just one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time but one of the most acclaimed albums ever. Unfortunately, Hill’s career has faced some setbacks since that generational project. In 1996, a quote emerged in which Hill allegedly asserted she would rather her children starve than for white people to purchase her music. This statement has since been thoroughly proven as false. Hill responded to the controversy, stating that the rumors had been disheartening because she considers her music universally appealing. This would still contribute to Hill’s struggle with fame, as would other controversies, including legal battles over “Miseducation” credits and facing heat for bravely criticizing the Catholic Church.
Jenna Cooper
“Bachelor in Paradise”’s Jenna Cooper finally got some peace of mind when, after over a year of rumors circulating she cheated on “Bachelor” costar Jordan Kimball, her name was cleared. The two got engaged in the season five finale of “Bachelor in Paradise,” but screenshots were posted by a blogger the same day it aired that embroiled the couple in scandal. The texts in the images allegedly show Cooper talking to her supposed “sugar daddy.” Although she denied the accusation, Kimball ended his relationship and engagement with her. Cooper felt vindicated after an investigation led by forensic investigators and lawyers hired by the star herself to look through her digital devices showed the texts were fake.
Chingy
According to rapper Chingy, a lie spread by social media influential Sidney Starr that the two had slept together hurt his career, even after she admitted to fibbing about the hookup. Chingy, who rose to rap stardom with his single “Right Thurr” in the early 2000s, elaborated that the rumor affected his bottom line due to dubious industry politics and subsequent sabotage. The rumors began to spread after a photo that Chingy and Starr took together started circulating online in 2010, with Starr claiming she was in a relationship with the rapper. It wasn’t until 2012 that Starr admitted to fabricating the relationship and apologized, clarifying that she only took the photos with Chingy as a fan of his.
Megan Fox
In 2009, Fox said that “Transformers” director Michael Bay was “a nightmare to work with.” This prompted an anonymous letter of defense from three male crew members who trashed Fox with allegations of unprofessional behavior. The star was dropped from “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and her reputation was tarnished. Fox returned to the zeitgeist with her very public relationship with Machine Gun Kelly. But what led to a reexamination of Fox’s career was a re-examination of a 2009 Jimmy Kimmel interview that saw Fox explain how she had been sexualized by Hollywood when she was only a teenager. The host’s response? To laugh and make a sexual “joke.” After the clip’s resurfacing, a conversation started about Fox’s treatment as a young star.
Fiona Apple
At 19, Fiona Apple shook the world with a raw, explicit acceptance speech at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. “I didn’t prepare a speech and I’m sorry, but I’m glad I didn’t because I’m not gonna do this like everybody else does it,” she explained. That she didn’t, calling for those watching not to model their lives after celebrities but to chart their own path. “It’s just stupid that I’m in this world, but you’re all very cool to me so thank you very much,” she concluded. The speech helped to amplify rumors that the singer suffered from mental health issues. While she has been vocal about her mental health challenges, the rumors misrepresented the problem.
Monica Lewinsky
In her early twenties, Monica Lewinsky had an affair with a (much older) married man. Yes, many might question her actions. Yes, that man happened to be the President. But that doesn’t mean that she deserves to be vilified for the rest of her life for something she did when she was young – especially given the considerable power dynamic at play. That didn’t stop the media at the time from placing much of the blame at the young woman’s feet, with inaccurate rumors dogging her for years. “...It wasn’t until the past few years that I’ve been able to fully reclaim my narrative, almost 20 years later,” Lewinsky said in 2019.
Janet Jackson
A scandal erupted in the wake of Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson’s performance at the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show. The term “wardrobe malfunction” was birthed from the incident, retroactively called “Nipplegate.” During the show, Jackson’s right breast was exposed for a fraction of live airtime after part of her outfit was torn away by Timberlake. The events puzzled many, and in the decades since, some have questioned what really went down and who’s to blame. “Was that whole thing planned or not? What’s the consensus?’’ said Trevor Reilly, linebacker for the New England Patriots, in 2018.
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty successfully made the leap from child stardom to adult roles. But her career faced some turbulence during the nineties due to an onslaught of sensationalized tabloid stories that earned her a reputation as a notorious “bad girl.” The instant her star had risen due to the teen drama “Beverly Hills, 90210,” the press scrutinized her every move. In 2019, Doherty said she had come to terms with her old rep – one she admitted she earned, although not every rumor was true. But she also said she’d “evolved” and that all of the negative things she’d done brought her to where she was then, as a much more mature human being, deserving of forgiveness. Tragically, Doherty passed away from cancer in 2024.
Ashley Judd
In 2018, Ashley Judd filed a defamation lawsuit against producer Harvey Weinstein, citing false and misleading statements he made to sabotage her career. Judd alleged that while filming the thriller “Kiss the Girls” in 1997, she was invited to Weinstein’s hotel room, where the producer offered her a massage and asked her to watch him shower. "I lost career opportunity. I lost money," she claimed, due to her rejection of his advances. “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson backed the actor’s allegations, saying he was warned by Weinstein’s production company that Judd was a “nightmare to work with.” “...In hindsight, I realize that this was very likely the Miramax smear campaign in full swing," he explained.
Courtney Love
At the height of the Me Too movement, several women in the entertainment industry bravely came forward with experiences of inappropriate sexual treatment at the hands of producer Harvey Weinstein. Courtney Love, however, had already issued warnings about his bad behaviour a decade earlier. At Comedy Central’s roast of Pamela Anderson in 2005, Love was asked to advise young women entering Tinseltown. After hesitating, she said, “If Harvey Weinstein invites you to a private party in his Four Seasons [hotel room], don’t go.” “Although I wasn't one of his victims, I was eternally banned by CAA for speaking out against #HarveyWeinstein,” Love tweeted after video of the interview was unearthed in 2017.
Did we miss another celebrity who was unjustly caught in the rumor mill? Let us know in the comments!
