30 Career Finishing Scandals

30 Career Finishing Scandals

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be looking at the most notorious controversies that tainted the legacies of prominent celebrities and ultimately led to their downfall.


Sean “Diddy” Combs

Throughout his lengthy career, music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has faced several legal issues ranging from physical assault to weapons violations and sexual harassment. Surprisingly, none of these cases significantly affected his career, until 2023. In November of that year, Combs’ former partner, singer and actress Cassie, filed a lawsuit alleging sexual assault, sex trafficking and domestic violence during their decade-long relationship. Although Combs denied the allegations through his attorney, he swiftly reached a settlement with Cassie, the day after the lawsuit was filed. In the subsequent weeks, additional sexual assault lawsuits emerged, including one involving a minor. These allegations led to Combs relinquishing his position as the chairman of the digital cable network, Revolt TV.


Justin Roiland

Though not the most recognizable celebrity, Justin Roiland gained fame as the co-creator of the popular Adult Swim series “Rick and Morty”. However, his career took a hit in January 2023 when it was reported that he was charged with felony domestic battery and false imprisonment for a 2020 incident involving his then-girlfriend. This triggered a cascade of allegations against Roiland, ranging from predatory behavior towards minors to sexual harassment in the workplace. In the wake of these allegations, Adult Swim and other companies affiliated with Roiland severed ties with him. Although Roiland’s criminal charges were dismissed in March due to insufficient evidence, fresh accusations against him had emerged by September. He, however, denied the claims through his attorney.


Isaiah Washington

Hollywood actor Isaiah Washington is mostly known for one role and one role only: Dr. Preston Burke on “Grey’s Anatomy”. This is because after Washington was fired from the show, his career took a nosedive and never recovered. Washington’s dismissal stemmed from an on-set incident in which he called his co-star, T. R. Knight, a homophobic slur. Then, after the matter became public, Washington was questioned about it at the Golden Globes, and went on to repeat the same slur. A few months later, he was let go from the series. The media attention around the incident essentially forced Knight, who reportedly hadn’t even disclosed his sexual orientation to his family yet, to come out publicly.


Ryan Lochte

You know your career is in jeopardy when a scandal adds the infamous “-gate” suffix to your name. The incident now known as Lochtegate unfolded during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, involving U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte and three teammates. Lochte initially claimed that they were robbed at a gas station by armed individuals impersonating police officers. However, Brazilian authorities conducted an investigation and found no evidence of such robbery. Instead, they determined that the swimmers had vandalized the gas station and were made to pay for the damages by the security guards. Lochte later publicly apologized, admitting that he had exaggerated the incident. Consequently, he was suspended for 10 months by USA Swimming and lost all of his major sponsorships.


Amber Heard

Although the marriage between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp was brief, it triggered a series of events that would ultimately ruin Heard’s career. During their 2016 divorce proceedings, Heard accused Depp of domestic violence, a claim she appeared to reiterate in a 2018 article. As a result, Depp sued Heard for defamation, claiming that he was the actual victim of domestic violence. Heard countersued Depp, resulting in a trial that was widely watched and received extensive social media coverage, most of which was critical towards her. Ultimately, the jury dismissed all but one of Heard’s claims and ruled that she had defamed Depp. This portrayed her as dishonest in the public eye and effectively tarnished her reputation in Hollywood.


Jonathan Majors

Ever since his screen debut in 2017, Jonathan Majors had been on a steady rise in Hollywood. In 2023, he began portraying Kang the Conqueror in the MCU, a character expected to play a central role in the franchise’s sixth phase. However, that March, Majors faced a series of charges including assault and aggravated harassment, stemming from an incident with his then-girlfriend. Subsequently, multiple individuals came forward alleging that he had also assaulted them. The consequences followed swiftly. Majors was dropped by his management company and PR firm, and his film “Magazine Dreams” was removed from Disney’s release schedule. A criminal trial for the assault charges began in November 2023, finding Majors guilty of misdemeanor assault and harassment. Marvel dropped him from future productions.


Michael Vick

Once the highest-paid NFL player, Michael Vick enjoyed great success as a star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. However, in 2007, his career took a hit when it was revealed that he had operated a venture called Bad Newz Kennels, which organized illegal dog fights. Authorities searched Vick’s property in Surry County, Virginia and discovered disturbing evidence of animal cruelty. Consequently, Vick pleaded guilty to federal and state charges related to running the dog fighting ring, resulting in a 23-month sentence in federal prison. The scandal prompted the NFL to indefinitely suspend Vick and led to the loss of multiple sponsorship deals. Although he eventually made a comeback, this incident remains a significant stain on Vick’s once pristine career.


Milli Vanilli

For a short period in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, German-French duo Milli Vanilli were one of the biggest acts in pop music. They toured the world on the back of their hit debut album, released in the U.S. as “Girl You Know It's True,” and won the Grammy for Best New Artist. But their newfound fame vanished almost as quickly as it emerged when it was revealed that the two didn’t sing on any of their album’s tracks. Instead, their producer Frank Farian had hired other vocalists to perform the songs, while Milli Vanilli only lip-synced. As a result, the duo were forced to return their Grammy to the Recording Academy, and were dropped by their label, Arista Records.


Jeffrey Jones

With roles in iconic ‘80s movies like “Ferris Bueller's Day Off” and “Beetlejuice,” Jeffrey Jones became one of the most revered character actors in Hollywood. His career continued to blossom throughout the ‘90s, but came to a screeching halt in 2002 when he made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Jones had been indicted for possession of explicit photographs involving a minor and pleaded no contest to the charges. Although he received no jail time, he was sentenced to five years probation and made to register as a sex offender. Since then, Jones has managed a few film and TV appearances, but his career has never remained the same.


Pete Rose

As a Major League Baseball player, Pete Rose was outstanding. Among his plethora of accolades, Rose won Rookie of the Year, MVP and three World Series rings. Following a phenomenal career as a player, Rose began managing the Cincinnati Reds, the same team with which he got his professional start. In 1988, evidence surfaced showing that Rose had bet on baseball games, including those of his own team, the Reds. Although he initially denied the claims, Rose agreed to a lifetime ban from the sport, eventually ruling himself ineligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame. After years of repeated denials, Rose published an autobiography in 2004, in which he publicly admitted to the gambling allegations.


Danny Masterson

After rising to prominence on the Fox comedy series “That ’70s Show,” Danny Masterson further established himself with roles in other sitcoms like “Men at Work” and “The Ranch”. Controversy erupted in 2017, however, when Masterson was accused of sexual assault by four women. This led Netflix to fire him from “The Ranch”. The women claimed that Masterson assaulted them during their time in the Church of Scientology, of which he was also a member. Additionally, they alleged that other church members harassed them after they came forward with their allegations. Despite vehemently denying the accusations, Masterson was charged with three counts of sexual assault and ultimately convicted of two. He was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.


Anthony Weiner

Former New York congressman Anthony Weiner earned national attention in 2010 after giving an impassioned speech on the House floor. About a year later, he found himself in the headlines again, this time for sending lewd photos of himself to a woman on Twitter, who was not his wife. The ensuing controversy resulted in him resigning from Congress in June of 2011. Following an absence from the spotlight, Weiner resurfaced in 2013, announcing a bid for Mayor of New York City. But yet again, allegations of even more sexting ran his campaign to the ground. In 2017, Weiner faced criminal charges after it was revealed that he had exchanged explicit material with a minor. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison.


Kevin Spacey

Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey was at the peak of his career in 2017 when he experienced a dramatic downfall. It all began with actor Anthony Rapp accusing Spacey of sexually assaulting him when he was a minor. In response, Spacey publicly apologized to Rapp, then inexplicably decided to use the opportunity to come out as gay, a move that was met with swift backlash. Rapp’s claims were followed by a wave of other allegations, resulting in Spacey being fired from “House of Cards,” dropped by his publicist and talent agency, and quite literally scrubbed out of a film. Spacey faced multiple criminal sexual assault charges in both the U.S. and UK, but was ultimately cleared of all of them.


Michael Richards

As Cosmo Kramer on “Seinfeld,” Michael Richards was beloved by millions of fans who, for years, closely associated him with the eccentric but lovable character. In 2006, that perception changed drastically when a recording of Richards’ set at the Laugh Factory was released by TMZ. In the clip, Richards bursts into an expletive-riddled racist rant after he is heckled by some members of the audience. Days later, Richards made a virtual appearance on the “Late Show with David Letterman” in which he publicly apologized for his remarks. Many, including one of the affected audience members, were unconvinced by this apology. In 2007, Richards announced he was dropping his mic and retiring from stand-up comedy.


Mark Salling

Mark Salling rose to prominence playing football star and bad boy Noah Puckerman on the Fox musical series “Glee.” Salling lost significant favor in December 2015, when he was arrested based on the suspicion that he possessed many explicit pictures and videos involving minors. This suspicion was later confirmed after police discovered the unsavory material on his computer and flash drives. He was brought up on criminal charges the following May and eventually pleaded guilty to the crime. In light of the scandal, the actor was fired from an upcoming project with filmmaker Adi Shankar. While awaiting sentencing, Salling took his own life in January of 2018.


Paula Deen

The one celebrity chef famous for her traditional, Southern recipes, Paula Deen led a successful cooking empire, with multiple restaurants and TV shows. This empire began to crumble, however, when a former employee sued Deen for discrimination. The lawsuit brought with it a deposition, during which Deen admitted to having used racial slurs in the past. Once the transcript found its way to the public in 2013, Deen released multiple tearful apologies, pleading for forgiveness. That did little to stop her from losing several sponsors, and her contract with the Food Network. Since then, the Georgia chef has attempted a comeback, opening even more restaurants and launching her own online food channel. However, she has yet to attain the same level of success.


Jared Fogle

Beginning in the early 2000s, Jared Fogle became a spokesman for Subway restaurants after claiming that their meals played a part in his rapid weight loss. Fogle began appearing in a series of commercials for the company and reportedly contributed to significant growth in Subway’s sales. Things took a shocking turn in 2015, however, when Fogle’s home was raided and he was arrested as a result of a lengthy FBI investigation. Apparently, Fogle had engaged in inappropriate relationships with minors and distributed obscene material involving youth. He pleaded guilty to multiple criminal charges and was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison.


Stephen Collins

For more than a decade, Stephen Collins led the TV series “7th Heaven,” starring as Protestant minister Eric Camden. He made a number of appearances in films and TV shows afterwards, only to completely disappear from the screen in 2014. Collins had been embroiled in controversy that year when a tape recording leaked featuring a man, who sounded like the actor, admitting to assaulting a minor in the past. He eventually confessed to the crime, disclosing that he had engaged in “inappropriate sexual conduct with three female minors” in 1973, 1982 and 1994. Although he evaded prosecution reportedly due to the statute of limitations, Collins was fired from multiple Hollywood projects and has stayed away from the spotlight ever since.


Lance Armstrong

Once widely regarded as one of the greatest cyclists of all time, Lance Armstrong brought global attention to the sport. Armstrong won seven consecutive Tour de France titles, a feat made more impressive by the fact that he had beat cancer a few years prior. Despite all of that acclaim, Armstrong faced allegations of doping for years, which he continuously denied. It all came to a head in 2012, when the United States Anti-Doping Agency found him guilty of not only taking enhancement drugs, but also of running a doping syndicate. Armstrong was stripped of all his titles and received a lifetime ban from all sports under the World Anti-Doping Code.


Armie Hammer

This actor was on the rise throughout the 2010s, starring in “The Lone Ranger” and “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” before earning critical acclaim as Oliver in “Call Me by Your Name.” But everything collapsed in January of 2021. It was then that text messages that revealed Hammer’s violent fantasies were made public. Other women also came forward with additional allegations, and the woman who leaked the original texts accused Hammer of sexually assaulting her in 2017. The actor dropped out or was fired from a string of projects and moved to the Cayman Islands, where he reportedly worked as a timeshare salesman. In 2023, the Los Angeles DA declined to charge him criminally due to insufficient evidence.


Charlie Sheen

This actor enjoyed decades of success, with his mainstream popularity spanning back to the late ‘80s. However, he underwent a very public downfall throughout the 2010s, owing mainly to his problems with substance use. Following a stint in rehab, Sheen was fired from “Two and a Half Men” for making offensive comments about his boss, Chuck Lorre. The termination resulted in a lot of publicity for the actor, as did his increasingly erratic behavior. He rode this publicity and found consistent work, including an FX sitcom called “Anger Management” that ran for 100 episodes. However, Sheen’s star has undeniably faded, and he has only had minimal work in TV or film since 2017.


Matt Lauer

One of the most prominent American newsmen, Matt Lauer found great success co-hosting the NBC program “Today.” He lasted 20 years on the show, with his tenure spanning from 1997 to 2017. It was in that year that a fellow NBC employee reported that Lauer had repeatedly harassed her. Many other allegations were reported throughout the following years, and according to journalist Ronan Farrow, NBC was fully aware of Lauer’s predatory behavior. They only acted following the public accusation and fired Lauer in November 2017. Lauer and his wife divorced in 2019, and Lauer has reportedly spent his time writing a tell-all book.


Roseanne Barr

There once was a time when Roseanne Barr was the hottest name in television. Her eponymous sitcom was a huge success throughout the late ‘80s and ‘90s, running for ten seasons and earning Barr an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy. The show was revived in 2018, but it only lasted one season before Barr’s controversial actions got it canceled. On May 29 of that year, Barr wrote a racist tweet aimed at former White House senior advisor Valerie Jarrett. The reaction was swift and severe, with ABC canceling the show that same day. A spin-off titled “The Conners” was made without Barr, and she disappeared from the television landscape.


Bill O’Reilly

One of the most popular conservative commentators, Bill O'Reilly was known for hosting “The O'Reilly Factor” on Fox News, which ran for 21 seasons between 1996 and 2017. While the program was an enormous success in the ratings, it came to a sudden end once settlements against O’Reilly were made known. The New York Times broke a story and revealed that O’Reilly had been the target of five sexual harassment lawsuits. Both he and Fox News paid millions in settlements to keep them under wraps. Advertisers dropped their support for “The O'Reilly Factor” once the news was made public, and Fox fired their most popular host. He then started hosting a podcast called “No Spin News.”


Jussie Smollett

Beginning in 2015, ex-child star Jussie Smollett began starring as Jamal Lyon on Fox’s “Empire.” The show was an immediate success, garnering several Emmy nominations and being named one of the ten best shows of the year by the American Film Institute. In January 2019, Smollett fabricated a fake hate crime and was later sued by the city of Chicago. They filed a lawsuit hoping to reclaim over $130,000 that they had spent fruitlessly investigating Smollett’s tall tale. He was also fired from “Empire” and hasn’t appeared on TV since. In December of 2021, Smollett was found guilty of five felony counts of disorderly conduct and sentenced to 150 days in county jail.


Kanye West

Ever since making his debut as a recording artist in the early 2000s, Kanye West became one of the most influential figures of the 21st century, in hip-hop and fashion. Throughout his career, West has been at the center of controversy more than just a handful of times, but perhaps the most consequential came in 2022. The rapper was first criticized for wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt at the Paris Fashion Week. Soon after, he tweeted anti-Semitic remarks when he was locked out of his Instagram account. West faced immediate backlash, resulting in the loss of his billionaire status and multiple business partnerships with companies like Balenciaga, Gap and Adidas. Safe to say, his career will likely never remain the same.


Phil Spector

Throughout the 1960s and ‘70s, Phil Spector was a highly sought after music producer, having worked with acts like the Beatles, the Righteous Brothers, and Ike & Tina Turner. Over the next few decades, he retreated from the spotlight, only to make headlines in 2003 for all the wrong reasons. On February 3rd of that year, Spector fatally shot actress Lana Clarkson in his Alhambra, California home. This led to murder charges, and in 2007, he faced a trial that ended in a mistrial. A second trial commenced the following year, ultimately resulting in his conviction and a prison sentence of 19 years to life. In January 2021, while serving his sentence, Spector died, reportedly from complications of COVID-19.


R. Kelly

A huge star of the ‘90s, R. Kelly is a multi-Grammy winner who has sold over 75 million records. However, he was also repeatedly accused of sexual misconduct and assault by multiple individuals. Kelly managed to evade consequences for this behavior for decades, until the release of the 2019 Lifetime documentary “Surviving R. Kelly,” which chronicled his history of allegations. Following its release, the singer was dropped by RCA Records and charged with new crimes. He was found guilty of racketeering and of violating the Mann Act, which concerns the transportation of women for illicit activities. Kelly faced another trial in the state of Illinois and was found guilty, bringing his total prison sentence to 31 years.


Harvey Weinstein

This man was once a powerful figure in Hollywood. The co-founder of both Miramax and The Weinstein Company, Harvey Weinstein is the Oscar and Tony-winning producer behind works like “Pulp Fiction,” “Good Will Hunting,” and “Shakespeare in Love.” However, behind the scenes, he used his power and influence to sexually harass and assault women. Things came to a head in October of 2017, when The New York Times and The New Yorker reported over a dozen allegations against him, sparking the #MeToo movement. In total, over 80 women came forth accusing Weinstein of harassment and/or assault, including popular actress Rose McGowan. Weinstein was charged and found guilty of two felonies, and sentenced to 23 years in prison.


Bill Cosby

While he had been a successful comedian since the ‘60s, Bill Cosby is mostly remembered for starring as Cliff Huxtable in the enormously popular “The Cosby Show.” He gained a reputation as “America's Dad” throughout the 1980s, but this changed dramatically in the 2010s. After comedian Hannibal Buress drew attention to allegations against Cosby in 2014, numerous women came forward with further accusations of sexual assault, dating all the way back to the mid ‘60s. On September 25, 2018, Cosby was sentenced to prison for aggravated indecent assault. He remained behind bars for nearly three years, but his conviction was overturned on June 30, 2021. While Cosby was released from prison, his career is effectively over.


Which of these washed up celebrities do you think we'll be seeing again? Let us know in the comments.