Top 10 Celebs Who Keep Getting Cancelled
#10: Joss Whedon
He was once among the most beloved voices in pop culture, but the tides started to shift for Whedon in 2017 when his unproduced “Wonder Woman” script was leaked online. Some found his screenplay “sexist,” but since the film never got made, people didn’t dwell on it. Whedon found himself back in the hot seat, however, after taking over the “Justice League” reshoots. About three years later, actor Ray Fisher accused Whedon of “gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable” behavior. Fellow “Justice League” actors Jason Momoa and Gal Gadot also spoke out against Whedon, while WarnerMedia launched an investigation. The controversy didn’t end with the “Justice League” cast, as Amber Benson, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Charisma Carpenter of “Buffy” fame have since recounted their allegedly toxic experiences with Whedon as well.
#9: Jeffree Star
Jeffree Star broke out as a singer and fashion designer on MySpace, demonstrating how social media can provide a gateway to immense success. At the same time, social media has also been the forum for some of Star's biggest controversies. In addition to posting a long list of tweets labeled as offensive, the YouTube star has also been accused of much bad behavior and trying to pay off his accusers. Thus, Star keeps popping up in the news feeds for all the wrong reasons. Perhaps the most infamous story involved rival beauty vlogger James Charles. According to internet personality Tati Westbrook, Star “used, coerced and manipulated” her into making a video that portrayed Charles in a deeply negative light. Westbrook brought similar allegations against YouTuber Shane Dawson. Speaking of which...
#8: Shane Dawson
The controversy involving Tati Westbrook and James Charles sparked just one of the cancelations that Dawson has faced. Around the same time, older videos where Dawson used offensive makeup and vulgar language started making the rounds. In response to all the negative press, Dawson posted an apology video entitled “Taking Accountability.” The video triggered a negative response from Jaden Smith about the portrayal of his sister, Willow, in one of the resurfaced clips. Family matriarch Jada Pinkett Smith wasn’t pleased with Dawson either, tweeting to him, “I’m done with the excuses.” Shortly after the Smiths jumped on the cancel bandwagon, Dawson’s books were removed from Target’s inventory, while YouTube suspended his ability to monetize on his channels.
#7: Doja Cat
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Cats may have nine lives, but there are only so many cancelations a celebrity can endure. Back in the day, this rapper posted a number of tweets directed at the gay community that have been called insensitive. When they resurfaced years later, Dojo Cat apologized for the tweets, which have since been deleted. She seemed to overcome this cancelation with the success of her second studio album, “Hot Pink.” 2020 did Doja Cat few favors, however. Not long after she downplayed the severity of COVID-19 on Instagram, the internet revisited one of her old songs that mocked victims of police violence. Doja Cat was also accused of partaking in an offensive chatroom, although it was later reported that she didn’t say anything offensive on the site.
#6: Shia LaBeouf
Top 20 Ridiculous Shia LaBeouf Moments
This former child star’s public image has been a series of ups and downs. The first major media blowout came in 2008 when he received a DUI. LaBeouf was arrested again in 2014 for disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, and harassment at a performance of “Cabaret.” And that same year, LaBeouf addressed accusations of film plagiarism. In 2017, LeBeouf got in trouble with the law once more, leading to a year of probation. LeBeouf appeared to be making a comeback with acclaimed performances in “The Peanut Butter Falcon” and the semi-autobiographical “Honey Boy.” But the canceling started all over again in 2020, as LeBeouf faced more legal troubles, as well as accusations of abuse.
#5: The Kardashians & Jenners
Top 20 Celebs Who Keep Getting Cancelled
Gee, where do we even begin? The internet is constantly fluctuating between idolizing and canceling the Kardashian-Jenner clan. While there are far too many scandals to discuss them all, some resulted in bigger backlashes than others. In 2017, Pepsi removed an ad featuring Kendall Jenner that was accused of “trivializing” the Black Lives Matter movement. Two years later, Kim’s shapewear brand Kimono was accused of cultural appropriation, causing her to change the name to Skims. Most recently, Kendall landed in hot water for throwing a massive, maskless birthday party during the pandemic. Despite constantly being at the root of controversy, the family always seems to bounce back from cancelation. Of course, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” is indeed ending in 2021. So, what’s next?
#4: Kanye West
Top 10 Biggest Kanye West Feuds
Well, Kanye is still technically part of the Kardashian-Jenner family in early 2021. Even so, West is truly his own entity. While not the first time he got into trouble, his notorious confrontation with Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs is what originally made Kanye synonymous with “canceled.” West stirred up more controversy when he threw his support behind Donald Trump, although he rescinded that support upon announcing his own 2020 bid for president. Despite previously suggesting that slavery was a “choice” in 2018, West upset many on the campaign trail when he stated Harriet Tubman “never actually freed the slaves, she just had them work for other white people.” West didn’t win, but he seems content on making “KANYE 2024” happen, cancelations be damned.
#3: J. K. Rowling
10 Times Celebs Came Back From Being Cancelled
If there’s one person who audiences liked a lot more before they got a Twitter account, it’s J. K. Rowling. For a period, Rowling’s biggest Twitter offense was retroactively canonizing details about “Harry Potter.” What got her canceled the first time, though, was siding with researcher Maya Forstater, whose job contract wasn’t renewed due to her statements about the transgender community. Rowling was canceled again less than a year later when she commented on the term “people who menstruate.” Even as several “Wizarding World” actors condemned Rowling’s comments, she managed to get herself canceled a third time with a 3,600-word piece defending her views. Rowling has also signed an open letter against “cancel culture,” although some feel that she’s missed the point… repeatedly.
#2: Mel Gibson
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While Gibson was accused of homophobia in the ‘90s, his career didn’t suffer any significant blows throughout that decade. Even as “The Passion of the Christ” generated controversy in 2004, Gibson remained a respected member of the Hollywood elite. That image was shattered two years later when Gibson reportedly made anti semitic remarks during an arrest. Although many were ready to cancel him for good, Gibson’s acting career started to see a resurgence in 2010 with “Edge of Darkness.” That same year, however, a phone recording surfaced of Gibson speaking horribly to ex-partner Oksana Grigorieva. Despite these two highly publicized cancelations, Gibson has since seen some success, even scoring a Best Director Oscar nomination. His days as a bankable leading man are likely over, though.
#1: R. Kelly
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Long before “cancel culture” was even a phrase, R. Kelly had already been canceled quite a few times. What with his illegal marriage to Aaliyah and multitude of other accusations, we can only imagine how Twitter would’ve reacted to Kelly in the ‘90s and early 2000s, had it existed then. Much later, the singer faced his most severe cancelation with the rise of the #MuteRKelly movement, and the release of the docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly” in 2019. While Kelly had been at the center of numerous controversies for almost twenty-five years, this public airing appeared to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. And it wasn’t just the public that canceled Kelly again: just over a month after the documentary aired, Kelly was brought in on 22 counts and is currently awaiting trial.
