10 Times Celebrities Ruined People's Lives
Lance Armstrong
Between 2002 and 2004, Mike Anderson worked as the personal assistant and bike mechanic for disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong. According to Anderson, they had known each other since their adolescence and got much closer in those two years, to the extent that Armstrong’s wife referred to him as ‘Husband Two’. However, their relationship turned sour in 2004 when Anderson stumbled upon the steroid Androstenedione in Armstrong’s bathroom. Armstrong subsequently terminated his employment and Anderson went public with the discovery soon after. The former cyclist dragged him to court and soured his name in the media. With no prospects left in the U.S., Anderson had to start life over in New Zealand, where he now resides with his family.
Kanye West
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In February 2021, nearly seven years after their high-profile wedding, Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from Kanye West. Months later, Kardashian began dating then ”Saturday Night Live” cast member Pete Davidson. This new relationship didn’t go down well with her ex-husband. West repeatedly attacked Davidson on social media, to the point where he was barred from performing at the 2022 Grammys due to his “concerning online behavior”. In January 2022, he released a controversial music video for his song “Eazy,” showing an animated figure of Davidson being kidnapped and buried alive. The comedian has stated that these continuous attacks tormented his life and made him feel like he was personally going through the COVID-19 pandemic again.
Justin Bieber
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You’d think it’ll be nice living next-door to a globally recognized pop star. But according to Jeffrey and Suzanne Schwartz, the former neighbors of Justin Bieber, it is anything but. The couple first made the news in early 2014 when Bieber was investigated for throwing eggs at their house. He later pleaded no contest and was made to pay about $80,000 in restitution to his neighbors. In 2015, Jeffrey and Suzanne Schwartz filed a lawsuit for damages against the artist, citing the egging incident, as well as repeated cases of harassment from Bieber, his entourage and his fans. The case was finally settled out-of-court in 2018.
Jake Paul
Seems it’s not only Justin Bieber who’s made his neighbors’ lives a living hell. In 2017, YouTuber and professional boxer Jake Paul was accused by his neighbors of constituting a nuisance in their West Hollywood community. According to reports, Paul organized parties and orchestrated elaborate stunts that turned their peaceful neighborhood into “a war zone”. He also apparently made his address public, drawing hordes of fans to his house. As a result of this, Paul’s neighbors filed a class-action public nuisance lawsuit against him. The YouTuber seemingly moved to another property, but his behavior never changed. In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he threw a large party that violated nearly all public safety rules, resulting in complaints from nearby residents.
Ellen DeGeneres
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For years, Ellen DeGeneres won the hearts of millions around the world with her lovable personality and mantra of always being kind to everyone. But turns out it was an entirely different story behind the scenes. A few months after a Twitter thread about her being mean went viral, multiple former employees of DeGeneres’ show came forward with allegations of a toxic workplace. They claimed that she created a culture of “racism, fear and intimidation,” and in some cases, would fire people for flimsy reasons, leaving them without a source of income. Following an internal investigation, three executive producers were fired, and the show ultimately came to an end in 2022.
Ashley Greene
Best known for her turn as Alice Cullen in the “Twilight” franchise, Ashley Greene made headlines in 2013 when her West Hollywood apartment was gutted by flames. The incident was apparently an accident, caused by a candle that lit a couch on fire. But according to Greene’s building manager, Adrian Mayorga, he found certain drug paraphernalia on the scene that he seemed to believe might’ve caused the incident. Mayorga, along with other residents of the building, filed a lawsuit against Greene, claiming he suffered permanent respiratory damage as a result of the fire. In 2016, a settlement was reached between both parties for an undisclosed amount.
Remy Ma
In July 2007, Grammy-nominated rapper Remy Ma was involved in an altercation with her childhood friend Makeda Barnes-Joseph that ended with Barnes-Joseph getting shot. Apparently, the dispute was over about $2,000, which Ma accused her friend of stealing from her. The rapper was arrested on multiple charges including attempted murder and assault, but she vehemently denied pulling the trigger. Barnes-Joseph, on the other hand, denied stealing from Ma and had to spend three weeks in the hospital receiving treatment. She later filed a $10 million civil suit, claiming that the incident had inflicted “physical harm and mental anguish” on her. In the end, Ma was found guilty of assault, weapons possession and attempted coercion, and received an eight-year sentence.
Val Chmerkovskiy
Top 10 Times Actors Ruined Their Own Lives
Val Chmerkovskiy from “Dancing with the Stars” was the subject of a defamation lawsuit in 2016 that sought a payment of $6 million. The suit was filed by a girl living with Down Syndrome, who appeared in a meme that the dancer posted on his Facebook page. The picture included a caption that was seemingly intended to body shame the young girl and blame her parents for her weight. Although he eventually deleted the picture from his page, Chmerkovskiy refused to apologize for posting it, and instead doubled down on his stance. In her suit, which also included CBS News as a defendant, the unnamed girl claimed that the meme had caused her severe emotional distress.
Nick Hogan
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You may not know Nick Hogan, but you most likely know his father - wrestling icon Hulk Hogan. In 2007, the junior Hogan made the news when he was involved in a ghastly car crash that nearly claimed the life of his best friend, John Graziano. Hogan was reportedly driving under the influence with Graziano in the vehicle, when he lost control and crashed into a tree. While they both survived the accident, Graziano, who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, sustained severe brain injuries that have left him needing full-time care for life. Hogan pleaded no contest to the felony charge of reckless driving involving serious bodily injury, and was sentenced to eight months in jail.
Vince Neil
The early ‘80s saw Vince Neil rise to stardom as the frontman of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. In 1984, Neil was driving with Nicholas “Razzle” Dingley, the drummer of the Finnish band Hanoi Rocks, when he crashed into an oncoming vehicle. The accident claimed the life of Dingley and left the two passengers in the other car, Lisa Hogan and Daniel Smithers, with brain damage. Hogan is said to have remained in a coma for nearly one month as a result of the crash. Neil pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving, and spent 15 days in jail. He was made to pay a $2.6 million settlement to the victims of the accident.
