Top 10 Times Celebrities Desperately Tried to Cling to Fame
#10: Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino
MTV’s “Jersey Shore” was a product of its time and launched its cast of gym-obsessed, tan-happy coeds into stardom. Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino certainly stayed in the spotlight, but not for the best reasons. Between a shuttered tanning club, lawsuits, and tax evasion, his business ambitions seemed to outweigh his acumen. The Situation pled guilty to tax evasion in 2018, and served eight months in jail. But he even found a way to monetize that, making a YouTube series about his prison experience. Since his “Shore” days, though, he’s turned to a sober life and seems to have come a long way from the self-obsessed young guy whose only priorities were GTL.
#9: Aaron Carter
2020 wasn’t just the year of COVID. It was also the year OnlyFans’ popularity increased substantially. In March of that year, former teen heartthrob Aaron Carter made his play for renewed fame by announcing that he was joining the platform. Considering his history, the news itself wasn’t exactly surprising. The content he posted on the service, however, was not well-received. His photos were called “bizarre” and characterized as being way too expensive for what subscribers got. He even asked them to send him their own racy photos, offering to rate them for $50. Needless to say, not many saw that as a good deal.
#8: Ramona Singer
Original “The Real Housewives of New York City” cast member Ramona Singer is known for her controversial actions. Allegations of obnoxious behavior at the Broadway musical “Diana” are just the tip of the iceberg. Commenting on an announced “RHONY” spin-off set to involve many of her former co-stars, Singer implied that the show’s potential cast would be “losers” and doubted she would participate. It’s not a stretch for anyone who’s watched her to think these comments are just sour grapes and a ploy for attention. She and her fellow housewives were, after all, reportedly let go ahead of the original show’s 14th season, which is apparently starting “from scratch.”
#7: Dr. Oz
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Mehmet Oz, aka Dr. Oz., is known for highlighting unconventional and inflammatory approaches to health and well-being. However, the scrutiny only increased during his Pennsylvania Senate campaign. His insensitive remarks about his rival candidate John Fetterman’s stroke notably crossed a line. He’s also flip-flopped on topics like abortion and climate change throughout his career, which has left him open to criticism. In addition, Dr. Oz has faced allegations that he’s not an actual resident of Pennsylvania and only moved there to run his campaign. Plus, his constant reminders that’s been endorsed by Donald Trump despite minimal governing experience make it seem like the spotlight is more important to him than competence.
#6: Sharon Osbourne
The members of the Osbourne family are no strangers to drama. However, Sharon Osbourne’s outburst on a 2021 episode of CBS’ “The Talk” set off a tidal wave. Allegations of behind the scenes racist and homophobic comments emerged, which led to an internal investigation that resulted in her leaving the show. And the TV personality seemingly decided to monetize her scandal in a four-part docu-series called “Sharon Osbourne: To Hell & Back.” Supporters were adamant that her freedom of speech was curtailed. But her docu-series is available on Fox Nation, the official streaming service of the one of the most-watched networks in the United States.
#5: DaBaby
The rapper behind the hit song “Rockstar” has made more headlines for his controversial statements than his music lately. Several insensitive comments made during a 2021 set in Miami at Rolling Loud Festival earned the ire of the Internet, and he was soon accused of homophobia. When his gigs started getting canceled, he made a desperate attempt to save face and his career in an apology on Instagram. But any goodwill he might have earned was crushed when he seemingly removed the post about a week later without explanation. Despite containing a salacious reference to superstar Megan Thee Stallion, his 2022 album “Baby on Baby 2” hasn’t generated much in the way of sales.
#4: Scott Disick
For nearly a decade, Scott Disick was a household name due to his connection with the very famous Kardashian family. Once he and ex Kourtney Kardashian called it quits in 2015, he still made appearances on their shows. However, after Kardashian was linked to Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, Disick’s shady DMs about her new romance circulated in the press. Beyond that, his opinions about the couple’s relationship became a subplot all their own on the family’s Hulu show, to the extreme discomfort of Kourtney herself. Many felt like Disick should simply let go of chasing fame through his Kardashian connections.
#3: Jussie Smollett
Almost immediately, the alleged racist and homophobic attack on “Empire” star Jussie Smollett inspired scores of support from all corners. But as facts came out, suspicion grew that it was a hoax conceived by Smollett himself. His supposed attackers, brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, were said to have been hired by the actor. The motive was allegedly to drum up sympathy for Smollett, further his career, and potentially get a raise on “Empire.” Instead, the actor and musician was written out of the Fox show, and he was later convicted of disorderly conduct. It was not only a desperate act, but made a mockery of the very real violence that minority communities in America face daily. In June 2022, Smollett maintained his innocence.
#2: J. K. Rowling
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It started, as so many things do, with a tweet. Once beloved “Harry Potter” author J. K. Rowling first came under fire in 2018 when she liked a transphobic tweet. Her spokesperson assured that this was merely an accident. But Rowling has only doubled-down on her controversial thoughts about gender, sex, and freedom of speech since this alleged mishap. In 2020, she even wrote an essay on her website defending her problematic views on transgender women, and claiming that harmful modern-day trans activism is harmful to cisgender women. Whatever this essay was supposed to do, it only further alienated her from anyone who found her views deeply disrespectful, if not dangerous.
#1: Kanye West
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This rapper, who now primarily goes by Ye, has never shied away from controversy, whether it’s with his music or his egotism, but his behavior has reached new levels of unhinged. Since 2020, Kanye West has run for president, opened an unaccredited Christian school, worn a “White Lives Matter” shirt, and branded himself a truth teller, among other things. However, his disturbing antisemitic comments on social media and in unaired segments of his interview with Tucker Carlson seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. The dangerous statements have led to an immense amount of backlash, and have cost him many high-paying sponsorships and deals. It goes without saying, but a lot of people have had enough.
