Top 10 Celebs Who Have Ruined Their Careers in 2020 (So Far)
#10: Lea Michele
Top 20 Celebs Who Ruined Their Careers in 2020
In May 2020, Lea Michele tweeted her support for the Black Lives Matter movement, but the tweet became a lightning rod for controversy when her former “Glee” co-star Samantha Ware replied to the post. Ware said that Michele had insulted her, targeted her, and threatened to get Ware fired off the show. Shortly after these accusations became public, many other actors and actresses told their own stories about Michele’s bad behavior on the hit musical series, as well as other productions. As the controversy continued, food delivery company HelloFresh severed their ties with Michele. The actress eventually issued an apology on Instagram for her past behavior. But, in an interview with Variety shortly after the blowup, Ware questioned whether Michele had truly learned from her mistakes.
#9: Taylor Selfridge
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Taylor Selfridge starred in the MTV reality show “Teen Mom OG”. But a few days before a special episode about her family was set to air, the network pulled it. MTV said they canceled the special, and would be firing Selfridge because of racist social media posts she made in the past. Selfridge was quick to apologize for her comments. However, she claimed that she wasn't actually fired and had chosen to leave reality tv for her family. Whether she was forced out or resigned, MTV made it clear that racist comments would not be tolerated by their network.
#8: Hartley Sawyer
Team Flash might have to save the day without the Elongated Man next season. Hartley Sawyer played the stretchy superhero in seasons four through six of “The Flash”. But before he put on the mask, the actor joked about racism, sexism, assault, and other taboo subjects on Twitter. When these tweets re-emerged in 2020, Sawyer was fired from his role on “The Flash”. After he apologized for his actions, both his former showrunner Eric Wallace and co-star Grant Gustin expressed their anger and disappointment at his distasteful tweets.
#7: Ellen DeGeneres
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The voice behind “Finding Nemo’s” Dory can't seem to stop swimming into controversy in 2020. When Ellen joked that quarantining herself in her mansion was like being in jail, she was called out for not recognizing her privilege. Shortly after she made this joke, numerous people shared stories about Ellen being mean and disrespectful to her guests and staff. But the biggest controversy revolved around her show’s production. Several members of her television crew had their pay reduced and saw their roles replaced by freelancers when Ellen’s show moved to a virtual format. Amidst all the controversy, Ellen won a Daytime Emmy Award for the best daytime talk show in 2020, but even so with some, her reputation has taken a hit.
#6: Jeffree Star & Shane Dawson
YouTube sensations Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson are known for their controversial behavior and feuds, but 2020 took things to a whole new level. Controversial content from both creators resurfaced that year, including screenshots of an old Jeffree Star Cosmetics website featuring Nazi imagery, as well as old Shane Dawson videos featuring blackface and use of racial slurs. Dawson was also called out by Jada and Jaden Smith for making inappropriate sexual remarks about Willow Smith when she was only 11 years old. As a result, Shane’s YouTube channel was demonetized and he lost other business deals, while Jeffree remained silent. If the past has taught us anything, however, it’s that this Dramageddon is far from over.
#5: Doja Cat
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Shortly after Doja Cat’s single “Say So” trended up to the top of the charts in May 2020, #dojacatisoverparty started trending on twitter. The hashtag picked up traction after rumors and questionable videos suggested that Doja Cat made appearances in racist chat rooms. Twitter users also alleged that the title of her “Dindu Nuffin” song was a racist reference meant to mock African-Americans who experienced police brutality. While Doja Cat apologized for using the term, she said it was never meant to reference current events. She also denied taking part in any racist conversations or associating with white supremacists.
#4: Lana Del Rey
Singer Lana Del Rey felt her songs were constantly being criticized for “glamorizing abuse”. So in May 2020, she took to Instagram to defend her works. Del Rey started the post by claiming artists like Nikki Minaj, Beyonce, Cardi B, and more were able to sing about sexuality without being called out. Fans felt Del Rey needlessly criticized her fellow female artists while ignoring the fact that they have received backlash in the past. They also felt like she was specifically targeting women of color in her complaint. Unlike other celebrities, Del Rey skipped the apologies and started defending herself against angry fans. Although her Instagram post was meant to reduce criticism coming her way, she may have drawn more critics against her.
#3: Four Members of the "Vanderpump Rules" Cast
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Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules” reality show may have set the record for the most cast members fired in 2020. Max Boyens lost his job after screenshots of various racist tweets emerged. Brett Caprioni was dropped for repeatedly dropping racial slurs in his tweets. But Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Dout’s actions may have been the most dangerous. In 2020, a story re-emerged of the incident where they called the police on their African-American co-star Faith Stowers for a crime she didn’t commit. Although all four of the fired reality stars apologized, neither the network nor the fans seemed ready to forgive them. Between the bad press and the loss of so many cast members, some fans are ready for Bravo to cancel “Vanderpump Rules” altogether.
#2: Chris D'Elia
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During his tenure on Netflix’s “You”, Chris D’Elia played a predatory comedian. In 2020, a number of Twitter users claimed that art may have imitated his real-life behavior. Multiple women accused D’Elia of asking them to meet privately, send explicit photos or do both while they were under the age of 18. While D’Elia has strongly denied all the accusations against him, he also apologized for how he’s behaved with his “lifestyle”. Although he has yet to be charged with a crime as of early July 2020, he still faced consequences: D’Elia was fired from his talent agency, had his comedy special removed from Comedy Central, and had his episode of “Workaholics” taken off of multiple streaming services. Before we cancel our top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions. Abby Lee Miller Allegations of Toxic, Biased Behavior Peter Hunziker Racist, Sexist Instagram Post Vanessa Hudgens Disturbing Coronavirus Comments Victoria Fuller Modeling in a White Lives Matter Photoshoot Dee Nyguen Tweets about Black Lives Matter
#1: J. K. Rowling
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A series of statements made by “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling in June 2020 had some fans calling her Voldemort - or, more specifically a TERF, which stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist. Following up her earlier Twitter history on the subject of transgender women, she released an online essay explaining her views. Although Rowling’s post discussed many topics, her opinions on biology and gender, as well as “concerns” with people who identify as women using female bathrooms and spaces, drew the most criticism. The author’s statements inspired Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Stephen King and many other celebrities to voice their support of trans people. Her words also caused multiple authors to resign from the same literary agency as her.
