Randy Quaid
Randy Quaid, in his prime, could nail both a comic role and a serious one. The versatility of this man knew no bounds. From appearing in Kingpin to Independence Day, at one point, the actor threw hit after hit at us, and in 1974, he even got nominated for an Academy Award.
So, when did it all go south? That would be when Randy and his wife Evi decided to role-play Bonnie and Clyde and skipped towns after not paying their hotel bills. Though they even got briefly arrested, Quaid and the Mrs. left the country soon after the release and traveled to Canada.
Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Grey proved that, at times, you should accept yourself just the way you are. With hits like Dirty Dancing and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the actress became a fan favorite. Things were looking up for the starlet, for she was both pretty and talented, two signature traits of any successful artist in the film industry. But it all went south when Jennifer decided to get a nose job.
The operation made her nose look significantly smaller, and the once-celebrated actress now seemed almost unrecognizable. After witnessing her popularity taking a hit, Grey openly voiced her regret over the procedure.
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes had quick a rise to fame and an equally swift professional downfall. The performer first became a big deal in Hollywood after the movie Bad. Then, with films like White Men Can't Jump, he won both money and fame. Until one day, Wesley decided to throw it all away by not paying his taxes. The move landed him in confinement on several charges of tax evasion.
But thankfully, the star made it up by paying some penalties. In the books, Wesley made amends for the mistake, and everything went to normal. Though, the same is not true for the former A-list leading man's career.
Paz De La Huerta
Paz De La Huerta was once famous for her on-screen personas. Her Spanish and American roots only made her more popular on the big screen, especially in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. But off-the-screen, the starlet had a hard time keeping her wild-life under the wraps, frequently getting into trouble for it.
Paz was known for being a party girl, as her antics in the nightclubs often took rounds in the media, which caused her to fall from grace. As soon as the Boardwalk Empire casting teams got wind of her shenanigans; they terminated contracts with the artist.
Michael Richards
At one point, Michael Richards’ stand-up comedy shows were instant sell-outs. But the fabled comedian, known for the sitcom Seinfeld, did himself no favors when he lost his cool in front of a live audience.
Halfway through his stand-up act, Richards once came face to face with a heckler in the crowd with no intention of letting the thing slide. It turned into a confrontation with Michael using several inappropriate slurs in the process. Though he later apologized for his misbehavior in the Late Show with David Letterman, footage of the event made headlines everywhere, and there was no going back from the damage done.
Tila Tequila
Tila Tequila is the pioneer of internet fame. Through early social media platforms, she rose to public notice, becoming one of the earliest stars to become 'internet-famous. As soon as MTV sensed Tila's star on the rise, they gave her a dating show A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila.
But the stunner made a colossal blunder and bid any prospects of global fortune a goodbye when she posted an ill-informed article on her website titled Why I Sympathize with Hitler and went on to elaborate why she, well, does just that. Suffice to say, this aspiring reality tv starlet's journey to fame came to a screeching halt right there.
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan was once a Hollywood sweetheart, but she fell hard as soon as fame found her. Coming to public notice through the superhit family movie The Parent Trap, Lohan quickly followed with more blockbusters, including Mean Girls and Freaky Friday both of which rocketed the actress's popularity both locally and overseas.
But Lindsey's fame and fortune took a back-flip after a series of events contributing to her fall from grace. She reportedly escaped from rehab, was involved in a hit-and-run, and even faced several substance abuse charges. All of this culminated in an ousting order from Hollywood's elite, though Lohan has since been busy trying to sort herself out.
Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens infamous antics began in the 90s, after which the actor disappeared entirely from the acting scene for a while. From several public misdemeanor charges to owning a vast array of questionable material, Paul has been involved in troubles his entire career. But the performer was given a chance to make amends by participating in a campaign against substance abuse.
The comedian tried to make a comeback, but the public squashed his attempts. Though Rubens starred in a Netflix film Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday which was well-received, it didn’t return the artist any of his lost glory.
Rob Lowe
When Rob Lowe rose to fame through the Brat Pack, the prospect of a promising career opened up before the young man. But a series of unfortunate incidents, which included the leakage of a compromising tape featuring Rob, shattered the actor's chances of making it big.
The performer's fortune and reputation both took a hit. Though Rob was awarded projects after a brief period of radio silence, the artist's reputation remains firmly in tatters. For our part, we sincerely hope the misstepping performer went home with a handful of lessons learned and a commitment to right the wrongs.
Brendon Fraser
Who knew Brendon Fraser’s reluctance to commit to a franchise would be the cause of his downfall? The Mummy actor indeed had a promising career in front of him, thanks to his talents and witty humor. But certain erroneous professional decisions of the performer barred him from establishing himself as an entertainment legend.
Fraser's foremost blunder remains to be rejecting the offer of starring in the box-office hit Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. We suppose this error of judgment continues to haunt the artist. But we bet bagging a role in DC’s Doom Patrol may compensate for the missed opportunity.
Jeffrey Jones
When Jeffrey Jones gained fame with the '80's hit Ferris Bueller's Day Off, we thought he'd be here to tell the tale of long successful work life, but alas, the guy who steered clear of negative roles somehow became the villain of his otherwise significant career.
Jeffrey's well-going life took a rocky turn around in 2002. He was under the radar of law enforcement officers for almost a decade for sketchy undertakings. The infamy resulted in Jones scoring only a total of two movies and a small part in Deadwood on HBO. We hope budding artists today take this as a lesson to stay focused!
Dani Mathers
Dani Mathers thought she would be doing something cool and relatable while posting a questionable picture of an old lady in the gym without consent. Needless to say, it backfired, and there was a massive uproar about Mather's lack of sensitivity. The whole fiasco even resulted in a court case, where Dani got three-year probation and 30 hours of graffiti removal as community service in her sentence.
The model was once featured on magazine covers and was well on the rise. Sadly, Dani could not live this controversy down and is struggling to rise once more to date.
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes became a household name in the early 2000s with successful projects like She's The Man and What A Girl Wants. However, it was only a short trip from this rise to the star's fall. The celeb made a dent in her professional life for multiple misjudgments such as driving under the influence, possession of illegal substances, and setting a fire in a stranger's driveway in Thousand Oaks! Isn't that hard to believe?
Further, having a meltdown on social media calling out her co-stars did not prove helpful either! The public later found that Amanda had bipolar disorder, and we hope things are okay with the young lady now!
Stephen Collins
Even though Stephen Collins's performance as a moralistic pastor on the drama series 7th Heaven was a treat for sore eyes, it seems like the actor was nothing close to his character in real life!
According to People magazine, in 2012, Stephen confessed that he had solicited minors, and his then-partner Faye Grant even had the recordings to verify his purported crimes! Though Collins later revealed that he regrets his wrongdoings and hasn't repeated his mistake since it was too late to mend his professional life! Getting fired or rejected had become an everyday thing for Collins. How sad it is when people with potential ruin their chances!
Jared Fogle
We know him for being the guy who lost extra pounds by eating Subway sandwiches regularly and from shows like Saturday Night Live and WWE Raw. It's also hard to believe that the same person running an NGO to spread awareness about child obesity could do the unimaginable to those innocent souls!
Jared pleaded guilty for his involvement in illegal videography with minors, hoping for mercy from the officials, but he got incarcerated for around 13-15 years with a considerable penalty amount. And obviously, Subway fired Jared for being their spokesperson, his wife divorced him, and SyFy cut his part out from Sharknado 3.
Paula Deen
Paula Deen's case is a classic example of never judge a book by its cover. The favorite cooking show host and the judge might have gorgeous looks and a poised demeanor on camera, but reportedly, the lady isn't that soft-spoken off-screen.
In 2012 began the downfall of Paula's empire when a restaurant manager sued her for being rude, mean, and discriminatory towards people of a different ethnic background. When confronted, the celeb agreed and acted like this kind of behavior was no big deal! Well, after losing multiple contracts, we are sure Deen must have understood that such remarks are unacceptable!
Kathy Griffin
Whether in a good way or not, controversies do make a person famous. Take Kathy Griffin, for instance. The comedian posted a picture of a former politician's mannequin head held aloft in her hands in response to his mocking comments on a female reporter.
While it may seem like a harmless act to some, Kathy's brilliant CNN career came to a halt shortly after this episode caught the limelight, and organizers also canceled her standup tour. After losing some friends, money, and jobs, things have been going smoothly for the superstar. Kathy has done projects like Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work and Hysterical since bouncing back.
CeeLo Green
CeeLo Green might sweep his fans off their feet with his singing, but he also says offensive things with the same mouth, which has had him in trouble multiple times. However, one incident may just have destroyed his career beyond repair!
Green faced intoxication and harassment charges in 2012. While he received probation and community service after two years of trials and pleading no contest, the musician showed no change in his perception. Ceelo went on social media to explain how consent is out of the picture if the other party involved is unconscious. How bizarre! All this, undoubtedly, made the ill-advised musician lose most of his gigs and live concerts.
Amber Heard
The split between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp was one of the highlights of 2020. The A-list pair went head-to-head in highly publicized and long-winded legal proceedings that made headlines everywhere. It ruined Depp's career, as many productions backed out from hiring the star.
While you may think this case did not affect Amber's work prospects, you would be wrong. The star of Aquaman is still finding it hard to return to her usual post in the entertainment world. One would think all this free publicity would have gotten Heard better offers, but we are yet to see her complicated marriage's side effects in the professional sphere.
Robert Blake
Erstwhile Star of In Cold Blood and Baretta Robert Blake had won our hearts with his remarkable acting skills until he brewed an elaborate plan to illegally get rid of his wife Bonnie Lee Bakley in 2001. Though Blake was successful in the deed, the celeb ended up guilty, losing his striking career and paying thirty million dollars to Bakley's kids in reparation.
Ever since his acquittal, Blake has kept a low profile, filed for financial ruin, and announced himself open for work to achieve financial stability. But we believe even he knew after such a colossal misstep, most people in Tinseltown would maintain their distance from Robert.
Fatty Arbuckle
Being at the pinnacle of your career doesn't make you immune to scrutiny, as the silent film actor Fatty Arbuckle found out in 1921 when a woman succumbed to fatal injuries at a party the star was throwing in a hotel.
Although Fatty would find himself eventually acquitted after a long and arduous legal battle and two mistrials, the stain on his reputation was nothing short of a life sentence. It signaled a fade into complete obscurity, the likes of which many famous people such as himself never thought they would ever experience for themselves. So much for being a legend, Fatty.
Sung Hyun-Ah
Former Miss Korea contestant Sung-Hyun-Ah could've had it all, and for a while, she did. However, negative headlines seemed to plague the pageant queen wherever she went.
After already being caught with illicit substances in 2002, Hyun-Ah couldn't afford another setback, but one came anyway when she got accused of soliciting a prominent business person and being found guilty. Even though the fading star managed to get the verdict overturned eventually, the trial's publicity did the damage, and her career had to take a back seat while Sung took the time necessary to sort out her personal life.
Eileen Bowman
Getting a gig in Hollywood is hard enough, so there is no need to ruin your career on the first try. Yet it seemed that was just precisely what rising star Eileen Bowman set out to do when she performed a horrendous medley of re-imagined classics dressed as the beloved Disney character Snow White.
The press slandered the entire ordeal as nightmarish, and it forced Eileen to return home and wait out the storm after being in the entertainment industry for less than two days! After that, things weren't ever quite the same for Eileen regarding booking a decent part or two.
Jamie Kennedy
Actor Jamie Kennedy's part in the Scream movie could have led to great things for the star, yet somehow he managed to sabotage all the excellent work he did on that film.
Jamie went on to star in some very dreadful roles, and some of the jokes he made along the way and other jobs he accepted left a lot of people speechless at his blatant disrespect for other cultures. After that, it was just a matter of time before Jamie put the final nail in his entertainment coffin by hosting a new year's show in 2013 that was absolutely horrifying to watch.
Warren Beatty
We all know that actor Warren Beatty is a Hollywood legend, but after the 2017 Oscars fiasco where he was part of the duo that gave the best picture award to the wrong movie, he should've just kept his mouth closed.
However, Warren insisted on going around long after the whole deal was done and explained away what happened on that fateful night. If the iconic actor had let it go, everything would've been fine, and Beatty wouldn't have ended up just looking like a senile older man who wasn't ready to admit to an honest mistake.
Robin Thicke
Singer Robin Thicke hit it big with his single Blurred Lines, but everything started going downhill for the pop star after that moment. Not only did singing legend Marvin Gaye's estate win a copyright lawsuit against Robin and his creative partners, but his wife started the proceedings to file for separation.
This led Robin on a very public quest to win back the love of his life with a bizarre concept album that failed miserably in both selling any worthwhile number of copies and getting back the apparent love of his life. Maybe you shouldn't have given Paula a reason to think that you were unfaithful, Robin.
Anthony Weiner
Social media can be a hazardous place to air your private photos, as former congressman Anthony Weiner found out. If you're wondering what he sent out over the digital sphere, the answer lies in the offender's name.
That said, Anthony could've avoided the backlash if he was just honest from the start instead of trying to cover the whole mess up as a targeted attack on his account. Sometimes it's better just to take the hit, Anthony. If you did, people might have backed you, but cheaters never prosper in the end.
Brian Williams
The conflict between nations is something that people take very seriously, so it was no surprise when it turned out television anchor Brian Williams had made up stories about his coverage of the Iraqi events involving US forces in 2015.
His network didn't take the initial allegations lying down, and it wasn't long before Brian's fraudulent claims got thoroughly debunked. Needless to say, the presenter's contract got terminated with immediate effect, and it was goodbye for his career. Though Williams crawled back into an awful nighttime slot eventually, we all know that things for the former NBC golden boy will never be the same in his career.
The Dixie Chicks
Even though a music career should be a valid way to voice your opinions, it is wise to keep your thoughts to yourself. Unfortunately, country band The Dixie Chicks did precisely the opposite during a performance in 2002.
In a bold move, the musical group vocally bashed both their home state of Texas and former President George W. Bush, which enraged the public instead of uniting them with the artists. After that, no amount of shows booked or singles recorded could get them back to their former glory as country stars as they got shunned by both on-air broadcasters and their colleagues in the industry.
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods is famous for two things. The first is his prowess on the golf course, and the second is the headline-worthy life he apparently lives when the public isn't watching.
Over the years, Tiger has been in the news for crashing his SUV, breaking his marriage vows, and being unfaithful to the Mrs. with more than a dozen women! Overnight, millions of dollars got flushed out of Tiger's accounts as sponsors withdrew and tournaments became dubious of his participation. However, Tiger is still going, even if he isn't the golfer he used to be.
Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong was unplayable at the peak of his career, winning the Tour de France seven consecutive times, with the feat following winning his battle against terminal illness. That was the most consecutive wins by anyone in history, with the cyclist achieving that feat between 1999 and 2005.
However, due to some off-the-track issues involving illegal substances, Armstrong got stripped of all his accolades from 2012 and was banned from any sports participation. After the incident, the athlete disappeared from the public eye, although he gives television commentary on cycling competitions once in a while.
Kanye West
Any avid hip-hop fan has most likely come across Kanye West's music, with the rapper enjoying a majorly successful career and is among the best-selling artists of all time. Apart from his musical achievements, the star is also a shrewd businessman and fashion designer, with his Yeezy shoe line a hit among the youth.
Kanye's career hasn't been all smooth sailing, though; the producer has been on the receiving end of fans' anger after he made inappropriate comments repeatedly, among other reputation-ruining actions. Somehow, he seems to always rise above the backlash and continues to enjoy vast popularity.
Mariah Carey
Most musicians are good at what they do, although time and again, they rely on lip-syncing to deliver flawless performances, and frankly, it works until when it doesn't. Mariah Carey is known for her melodious voice, but an incident happened when she was performing live, with millions of people watching, and her in-ear audio failed.
That led to the star walking away in frustration and later claiming that the show's producers sabotaged her. We have no idea what really happened that day, but the embarrassing occurrence affected Mariah's reputation, and we hope she bounces back.
Ashlee Simpson
In another case of lip-syncing gone wrong, this time, the error put an end to a budding singer's career. When Ashlee Simpson landed a rare opportunity to perform and promote her new album on Saturday Night Live, her musical journey had just begun. Yet sadly, after audiences found out that she was harmonizing, it all went downhill from there.
Simpson tried to revive her music by releasing two more albums after that incident, but it didn't work out, finally shutting down shop in 2018. Currently, she's actively involved in film, having appeared in numerous television shows and movies.
Tonya Harding
We all want to win in life, and for athletes, the desire is tenfold since their careers depend on it. However, some of them go through unimaginable lengths to ensure that they emerge top, but those actions come back to ruin them instead.
Tonya Harding was a majorly successful figure skater and became the first American woman to land a triple Axel in a competition. Sadly, she won't be remembered for that, but instead, an incident that involved her competitor suffering injuries to give Harding the upper hand led to the acclaimed skater getting banned from the sport for life.
Ryan Lochte
Ryan Lochte is an American swimmer who is the second-most honored swimmer in Olympic history, with twelve medals under his belt. The athlete earned millions from numerous companies' endorsements until an incident during the 2016 Rio Olympics led to his sponsors withdrawing their association with the star sportsman.
Lochte gave false information about a gas station incident with a made-up event, something his sponsors didn't take lightly, and the USA Swimming national team also punished him. However, the ban has ended, and Ryan eventually took part in the 2020 Olympics.
Chris Meloni
If you have followed Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, then you probably fell in love with Detective Stabler, played by the formidable Chris Meloni. After twelve seasons in the lead role, the star left the show, citing disagreements over his salary with the program's producers.
The actor reportedly wanted more money for his work, and his bosses weren't ready to offer him that, so they parted ways. Though it's definitely not advisable to leave your job, we commend him for standing his ground, and it seems Meloni got what he wanted as he landed the lead role in the Law and Order: Organized Crime series, reprising his role.
Aaron Hernandez
Before his NFL career came to an abrupt end, Aaron Hernandez was unplayable, winning crucial points for his New England Patriots team playing as a tight end during his three-season stint. A harrowing incident that drew worldwide media attention led to the star being put behind bars.
With his career over and struggling to cope, Hernandez passed on in 2017, finally putting an end to what was once a fantastic talent. Sometimes you're better off avoiding situations that might land you in trouble, lest they ruin your whole life in the process.
Gilbert Gottfried
Gilbert Gottfried has been cracking our ribs for over five decades now, with his witty humor winning the hearts of many people worldwide. The comedian has headlined numerous high-profile shows and appeared in countless films and television shows, cementing his status as a legend in the laugh business.
Gottfried has made some massive blunders during his long career, with some of his jokes leaving a bad taste in the mouth, leading some of his bosses to remove him from ongoing projects. It seems the actor has learned from his mistakes, and his work life is back on track.
Mike Vick
Former NFL player Mike Vick was a super talented lad during his playing days, setting the most career runs by a quarterback record during his thirteen-season stint in the game with Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons. Sadly, some off-the-field issues put an abrupt end to the star's sports days, leaving the world wondering what happened to the impressive player.
Vick tried getting his career back on track, appearing for several teams, but that didn't work out as expected, and he officially retired from the game in 2017. Currently, he works as an NFL analyst on the Fox Network.