Top 30 Reporters Who RUINED Their Career in One Moment

#30: Angel Cardenas

In 2019, Good Day Sacramento visited the Sacramento International Auto Show to show off the car event at the Cal Expo with the help of Cardenas. The segment started off pretty normal, but once the reporter admitted he was winging it, it soon went downhill. While showcasing rare, vintage motors, Cardenas then lay on one vehicle. But it got worse when he opened the door of another, causing it to smack into a nearby car. Finally, to finish the segment, he jumped onto the hood of a modern one, causing someone off-camera to try to get him off. Yikes. Car enthusiasts were livid at what they saw as disrespect. Seemingly, CBS affiliate KMAX-TV agreed as the local news channel fired Cardenas.

#29: Scarlett Fakhar

Usually, TV news reporters shouldnt announce their political allegiances as their work could be seen as having bias. Well, in 2016, Scarlett Fakhar ignored this completely. While working as a reporter for Fox affiliate KRIV-TV, a company shed only joined the year before, she released a statement on Facebook the day after Donald Trumps first Presidential victory. Fakhar was giddy with delight, talking about praying for Trumps win, and then heavily criticized the former President, Barack Obama, and his administration. She also slipped in some racial bias about crime. Fakhar apologized for her words following backlash, and was soon fired.

#28: T.J. Holmes & Amy Robach

Chemistry between co-hosts on a news show is great. However, when it goes too far, it can become a problem. In 2020, Holmes and Robach became the co-hosts of ABCs GMA3: What You Need to Know. Only 2 years later, it all came crashing down. It was discovered that Holmes and Robach had been having an intimate relationship, despite both being married to other people. The hosts were immediately pulled off the air as ABC investigated. A couple of months later, they were both fired. Holmes and Robach stayed together, even getting divorced from their former spouses, as they went on to create a podcast together. Strangely, in 2024, reports came out that both their exes had started dating each other as well.

#27: Jon Warech

In 2016, US Weekly released an interview with Chrissy Teigen. This seemingly innocuous article led to a snowball effect that smashed into the journalistic career of Warech, who conducted the interview. Once the article titled Chrissy Teigen: Were Hiring a Night Nurse for Baby was published, Teigen criticized it on X, formerly Twitter. She questioned the headline, deeming that it was set that way to make her look bad. Warech responded to Teigen on the platform to defend himself and point out that he didnt write the headline. However, the big mistake was when he went to prove it by publishing screenshots of quotes hed sent the editor. Due to the breach, Warech was fired.

#26: Desiree Fontaine

Usually, news reporters report on the news. After all, its in the title. However, Fontaine decided to make the news for all the wrong reasons instead. In 2010, the morning news traffic reporter and host of Connecticut Style at ABC affiliate station WTNH-TV was at a Sears in Milford, Connecticut. Fontaine was accused of shoplifting $105's worth of items, for which she was soon arrested and charged. After pleading not guilty, the charges against Fontaine were dismissed, unless she committed another crime within 13 months, due to having completed 25 hours of community service. At the same time, Fontaine resigned from WTNH and announced her plan to do volunteer work abroad.

#25: Colleen Campbell

Instead of a nice night watching comedians at the Helium Comedy Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Campbell had a much nastier time. While a reporter for PHL 17, she was asked to leave the club after drinking heavily. While outside and speaking to the police, comedian Will Sylvince recorded the interaction, which got progressively worse for Campbell. She went on an expletive tirade against the officer, who amazingly took it in his stride. Then, Campbell seemingly spat on a club employee, resulting in her arrest. As the video went viral and she publicly apologized, Campbell claimed she received thousands of threats. She was soon fired from PHL 17. Campbell has since retrained as a meteorologist for news channels.

#24: Jayson Blair

In 2003, the New York Times editor James Roberts received a phone call that led to Blairs career collapsing. A senior editor at the San Antonio Express-News told him that Blair's article for the Times was very similar to that of theirs by Macarena Hernandez, which had been released over a week before. The floodgates soon opened as an investigation found a massive collection of articles by Blair had either been plagiarized from other sources or contained lies about incidents. The Times wrote a scathing report about the investigation as Blair resigned. He soon released a memoir that detailed what happened. A combination of discovering, after the investigation concluded, that he had bipolar disorder, on top of substance use, led to him fabricating stories.

#23: Ron Atkinson

After a successful football and managerial career, Atkinson took the step into broadcasting as a pundit for ITV. However, in 2004, any goodwill he had accumulated over his years in the sport evaporated. While covering the Champions League semi-final first leg between Chelsea and Monaco, he believed his microphone was off as he uttered a racial slur about Chelsea's Marcel Desailly. Instead, Atkinsons terrible words were broadcast across several Middle Eastern countries. Due to the outrage, he resigned from ITV and has struggled for mainstream pundit work since. Atkinsons reputation has further nose-dived since with underwhelming excuses such as claiming he was only repeating what others had said and stating he was fed up with apologizing.

#22: Huw Edwards

For decades, Edwards was the de facto face of BBC News as he anchored its flagship programs, earning the respect of many. He was even the person responsible for announcing Queen Elizabeth IIs passing in 2022. However, everything changed in 2023. That year, the Sun newspaper released an article about an unnamed BBC presenter paying a teenager for images. Within days, Edwards was outed by his wife as the presenter as he got treatment for his mental health. While off air for medical reasons and for a BBC investigation, Edwards resigned from his job. However, shortly after, he was charged with exchanging and downloading indecent images of minors. In 2024, Edwards pleaded guilty and received a 6-month suspended sentence.

#21: Marina Ovsyannikova

In 2022, after working at Channel One Russia since 2003, Ovsyannikova had had enough. While a live segment on the Russian invasion of Ukraine was underway, she walked behind the host with a placard that demanded a stop to the war and that the viewers were being lied to. A pre-recorded video by Ovsyannikova was then uploaded online that further detailed her stance. After being arrested and getting a minor fine, Ovsyannikova resigned from the channel and continued protesting the government. This led to her being under house arrest. However, Ovsyannikova and her daughter escaped to France with aid from the non-profit group Reporters Without Borders. In 2023, she was sentenced in absentia in Russia to 8 and a half years in jail.

#20: A.J. Clemente

On the first day of a new job, most people, especially on TV, want to make it memorable. However, A.J. Clemente became famous for all the wrong reasons. In 2013, he was the new weekend co-anchor for the NBC affiliate news program KFYR-TV in Bismarck, North Dakota. Yet seconds into the opening, Clemente mumbled multiple swear words on live TV, leaving co-host Van Tieu to pretend that wasnt the worst news debut ever. While Clemente apologized for his outburst, he was still fired by KFYR-TV. Instead of marinating in the scandal, the former news anchor quickly returned to his previous job as a bartender in Delaware, as offers to be on reality TV trickled in.

#19: Trent Evans

At one time, Trent Evans was enjoying life as an award-winning TV reporter for Australias Channel 7 in Queensland. However, in 2016, as the pressures of the job mounted, his mental health deteriorated, causing him to leave his position. Evans spent several years struggling financially and getting help from mental health services. In 2021, he and Rex Willox spent the day drinking several bottles of champagne in Melbourne. Evans then drove Willoxs car with the owner in the passenger seat. After driving nearly double the speed limit, the vehicle struck a power pole. While Evans survived, Willox sadly didnt. In 2022, after pleading guilty, Evans was sentenced to 7 years and 10 months in jail.

#18: James Gordon Meek

As well as working as an advisor to the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, James Gordon Meek was also an investigative producer for ABC news programs such as 20/20 and Nightline, specializing in national security. However, all the respect he had accumulated over the years evaporated in 2022. That year, Meek was arrested by the FBI for possession of indecent child focused media and exchanging them with other people. Meek quickly vanished from public life after resigning from ABC, causing a lot of speculation in the media. In 2023, after pleading guilty to the offense, the former reporter was sentenced to 6 years in jail.

#17: Thom Brennaman

When it comes to apologizing, sincerity really matters. Otherwise, you could become a viral meme. Since 1994, Thom Brennaman had worked for Fox Sports, typically covering football and baseball. In 2020, he was commentating on the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals. During it, Brennaman used a homophobic slur when talking about San Francisco that went out live. Just before he was pulled from the game, Brennaman attempted to apologize and use his faith as an excuse. However, during it, he suddenly got distracted by calling a Nick Castellanos home run before switching back to his apology. It was bonkers. Brennaman was soon fired by Fox. Since the incident, he has worked with Puerto Ricos Roberto Clemente League and Chatterbox Sports.

#16: Sabrina Erdely

In 2014, the world of education was rocked by Sabrina Erdely's article for Rolling Stone about student Jackie Coakleys account of a horrible incident at the University of Virginia. Coakley spoke about how she was assaulted in 2012 by a group as part of a fraternity initiation ritual. The article also explored the universitys lack of support for her. However, as the media examined the story in more detail, Erdelys article wasn't adding up, and her bias was questioned. A police investigation also found no evidence to support the article's claims. In 2015, Rolling Stone retracted the story. Regardless, the magazine and Erdely faced several defamation lawsuits. In 2017, Rolling Stone settled one case with the University of Virginia for $1.65 million.

#15: Dan Rather

Starting in 1962, Dan Rather worked for CBS in various capacities, even anchoring CBS Evening News. Seemingly, he was going to retire at the company. However, that changed in 2004 when Rather hosted a 60 Minutes II exploring what were called the Killian documents. These papers were apparently written in 1973 and contained criticism of President George W. Bushs time at the Texas Air National Guard. However, after their release, their authenticity was questioned, as they appeared to have been written with modern typography. After defending the papers, Rather and CBS admitted they were wrong. In 2005, Rather stepped down from his anchor role and was fired the following year. He attempted to sue CBS, only to have the case thrown out.

#14: Don Lemon

In 2006, Don Lemon joined CNN. By 2014, he was becoming one of the news most well-known faces as he was showcased across the channels programming as a host. But then things took a turn. In 2023, Lemon was heavily criticized for the misogynistic comments he made about Nikki Haley not being in her prime as she was not in her 20s, 30s, or 40s. Yikes. Not long after, Variety reported on allegations that Lemon had a history of misogynistic and abusive comments toward female colleagues. As the scandal grew, CNN fired Lemon. In 2024, the former anchor received around $24.5 million from his former employers as part of a separation deal.

#13: Ken Rosato

Having joined New Yorks WABC-TV in 2003 as a reporter, the Emmy Award-winning Ken Rosato eventually became the channels anchor for Eyewitness News This Morning. Yet after decades in the business, in 2023 Rosato found himself in hot water. Reportedly, he was heard calling co-host Shirleen Allicot an insult on an open microphone. While the show was off-air and the audio wasnt broadcast to the viewing audience, it was heard by production staff in the studio. There were allegations the comment was offensive. However, Rosatos representatives denied this to be the case. Regardless, WABC-TV moved quickly and fired the anchor.

#12: Charlie Rose

Charlie Rose was noted for his work on both CBS and PBS, hosting a self-titled talk show for the latter. He was one of the most famous interviewers on US television. But in 2017, all of that fell apart. The Washington Post released an article with allegations of Roses sexual misconduct against several women who were his employees or hoping to be. After a brief suspension, Rose was fired by CBS and PBS as he apologized for his behavior. By 2018, 35 women had accused him of harassment, resulting in lawsuits against him. Rose attempted to dismiss one case by claiming the women were exploiting the #MeToo Movement. In 2022, he began releasing interviews on his own website.

#11: Tucker Carlson

In 2009, Tucker Carlson found his home with Fox News after working with other channels. He got his own show with Tucker Carlson Tonight in 2016, soon becoming one of the channels most-watched series. But in 2023, that relationship abruptly ended when Carlson was fired by Fox. While no reason was given immediately, reports soon came out about Carlsons behind-the-scenes attitude. Its alleged he sent several inflammatory messages about Fox higher-ups and used racist language. With that and other incidents, there were liability concerns from the networks lawyers. Afterward, Carlson created the Tucker Carlson Network and released controversial interviews there and on X, formerly Twitter.

#10: Brian Williams

Brian Williams was a high-profile managing editor and anchor for NBC Nightly News. But in 2015, his rep took a big hit due to allegations concerning his coverage of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. At first, Williams claimed he had been in a helicopter in Iraq that had to land after another chopper was nearly struck by an RPG. Over the years, his story changed to his aircraft needing to land after being hit. Soldiers who were there at the time contested the newer versions of Williamss story. While the anchor eventually apologized for exaggeration, the damage was done, and he was suspended and eventually moved to a lesser position.

#9: Ivory Hecker

Its not often a reporter purposely tanks their career live on TV. But in 2021, thats what Ivory Hecker did on the local news affiliate Fox 26 Houston. On the air, Hecker launched into a rant that Fox had been what she called muzzling her and other reporters about topics she wanted to cover. She stated she would release secret recordings made with the right-wing activist group Project Veritas. These revolved around promoting the disproven hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment. After being initially suspended for her on-air outburst, unsurprisingly, Hecker was fired.

#8: Aaron Calvin

It started with a man named Carson King in the background of ESPNs College GameDay coverage, holding a jokey sign with his Venmo stating he needed beer money. After a big response, King started raising money for The University of Iowa Stead Family Childrens Hospital and finished his campaign with millions in donations. During the fame, reporter Aaron Calvin did a profile on King for the Des Moines Register, in which he mentioned the fundraisers problematic social media account from years before when he was a teen. After making the post, and Kings apology, Calvin was harassed, had his life threatened, and his own potentially problematic tweets parsed. Eventually, the Des Moines Register fired Calvin.

#7: Lydia Cumming

Its usually not great when a reporter becomes a viral meme. But thats what happened to reporter Lydia Cumming in 2016 as she covered a flood in Puebla, Mexico, for TV Azteca. Taken by a photographer at the scene, Cumming was hoisted up in the air by two locals, seemingly to avoid her shoes getting wet. After the image got out, she was photoshopped into all sorts of situations. However, TV Azteca was less than impressed with the social media fame. They fired Cumming for disrespectfully using local residents in a trying time. In an interview afterward, Cumming claimed the residents wanted to show her their elderly disabled neighbor and offered to carry her, which she briefly agreed to.

#6: Rick Sanchez

After joining CNN in 2004 as a reporter, Rick Sanchez quickly rose up the ranks as a news anchor, even getting his own program with Ricks List. But in 2010, that vanished when he appeared on Sirius XM's radio program Stand Up With Pete Dominick. Angered by reports about his shows time slot being replaced, and with Jon Stewart for comedic jabs at him, Sanchez called Stewart a bigot. Sanchez then claimed CNN and other networks discriminated against him, and made comments about Stewarts ethnic background and the news business. Very unsurprisingly, Sanchez was soon fired from CNN and later joined Fox.

#5: Bill OReilly

After making his name on various channels, in 1996, Bill OReilly joined the brand-new Fox News and was handed his own show, The O'Reilly Factor. He regularly courted controversy, but that didnt stop him from becoming one of the country's biggest political commentators. But then, in 2017, the New York Times released an article detailing sexual misconduct lawsuits issued against O'Reilly. It stated that Fox had helped him settle cases issued by 5 women at the cost of $13 million. Quickly, advertisers began dropping The O'Reilly Factor. After another lawsuit was discovered that was settled for $32 million, Fox and his talent agencies fired O'Reilly. Since then, hes hosted the show and podcast No Spin News and had a speaking tour with Donald Trump.

#4: Marly Rivera

As a reporter for ESPN and the Spanish-language channel ESPN Deportes, Marly Rivera was one of the biggest names in sports journalism. After all, she was included in the Sports Illustrated article The 30 Most Influential Hispanics in Sports in 2017. But in 2023, that reputation took a hit. Before a New York Yankees game, freelancer Ivón Gaete tried to interview Aaron Judge, but Rivera argued with Gaete that she had already scheduled an interview with the MLB star. The faceoff was recorded, which included Rivera using an expletive while insulting Gaete. To make it worse for Rivera, Gaete is married to the MLB vice president of communications, John Blundell. While Rivera apologized, Gaete reportedly rejected it, and Rivera was soon fired by ESPN.

#3: Chris Cuomo

Prominent anchor and journalist Chris Cuomo joined CNN in 2013 and eventually got his own program, Cuomo Prime Time. And with his brother, Andrew Cuomo, being the governor of New York, he had some pretty good connections. Well, that was until multiple misconduct allegations came out about the governor. While Cuomo publicly stated he couldnt talk about the story due to his close connection, reportedly, behind the scenes, the anchor and licensed attorney advised his brother on dealing with the scandal and used his sources to gather information on the accusers. After being briefly suspended by CNN during an investigation, Cuomo was let go by the network in 2021.

#2: Megyn Kelly

After leaving Fox, Megyn Kelly became one of the highest-paid anchors when she joined NBC in 2017. And one of her main tasks was hosting her own talk show, Megyn Kelly Today. Yet in 2018, one segment, in particular, caused a massive scandal for Kelly. As a panel discussed the topic of offensive blackface, Kelly stated when she was a child, that was okay as long as people were playing a character. She then defended the actions of Luann de Lesseps, who was criticized when cosplaying as Diana Ross. Days later, Kellys show was canceled. In early 2019, she was dropped by NBC but also received the remaining $30 million from her contract.

#1: Matt Lauer

After joining NBC in 1992, Matt Lauer would become one of the networks most recognizable and marketable faces. On top of being an anchor for the Today show, Matt Lauer also hosted the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Olympic Games opening ceremonies. Then, in 2017, NBC received a detailed report from a female colleague accusing Lauer of harassment that began during the coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia. After an investigation by the network, they fired the host from his hosting and reporting.duties. And not long after, further allegations came out about Lauer during his time at NBC.

Are there any other reporters who ruined their career in one moment? Let us know in the comments!