Top 10 Career-Ending Scandals
#10: Armie Hammer
This actor was on the rise throughout the 2010s, starring in “The Lone Ranger” and “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” before earning critical acclaim as Oliver in “Call Me by Your Name.” But everything collapsed in January of 2021. It was then that text messages that revealed Hammer’s violent fantasies were made public. Other women also came forward with allegations of abuse, and the woman who leaked the original texts accused Hammer of sexually assaulting her in 2017. The actor dropped out or was fired from a string of projects and moved to the Cayman Islands, where he reportedly worked as a timeshare salesman.
#9: Charlie Sheen
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This actor enjoyed decades of success, with his mainstream popularity spanning back to the late 80s. However, he underwent a very public downfall throughout the 2010s, owing mainly to his problems with substance abuse. Following a stint in rehab, Sheen was fired from “Two and a Half Men” for making offensive comments about his boss, Chuck Lorre. The termination resulted in a lot of publicity for the actor, as did his increasingly erratic behavior. He rode this publicity and found consistent work, including an FX sitcom called “Anger Management” that ran for 100 episodes. However, Sheen’s star has undeniably faded, and he hasn’t worked in TV or film since 2017.
#8: Matt Lauer
One of the most prominent American newsmen, Matt Lauer found great success co-hosting the NBC program “Today.” He lasted 20 years on the show, with his tenure spanning from 1997 to 2017. It was in that year that a fellow NBC employee reported that Lauer had repeatedly harassed her. Many other allegations were reported throughout the following years, and according to journalist Ronan Farrow, NBC was fully aware of Lauer’s predatory behavior. They only acted following the public accusation and fired Lauer in November 2017. Lauer and his wife divorced in 2019, and Lauer has reportedly spent his time writing a tell-all book.
#7: Roseanne Barr
There once was a time when Roseanne Barr was the hottest name in television. Her eponymous sitcom was a huge success throughout the late 80s and 90s, running for ten seasons and earning Barr an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy. The show was revived in 2018, but it only lasted one season before Barr’s controversial actions got it canceled. On May 29 of that year, Barr wrote a racist tweet aimed at a government official Valerie Jarrett. The reaction was swift and severe, with ABC canceling the show that very same day. A spin-off titled “The Conners” was made without Barr, and she disappeared from the television landscape.
#6: Bill O'Reilly
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One of the most popular conservative commentators, Bill O'Reilly was known for hosting “The O'Reilly Factor” on Fox News. It ran for 21 seasons between 1996 and 2017. While the program was an enormous success in the ratings, it came to a sudden end once settlements against O’Reilly were made known. The New York Times broke a story and revealed that O’Reilly had been the target of five sexual harassment lawsuits. Both he and Fox News paid millions in settlements. Advertisers dropped their support for “The O'Reilly Factor” once the news was made public, and Fox fired their most popular host. He then started hosting a podcast called “No Spin News.”
#5: Jussie Smollett
Beginning in 2015, ex-child star Jussie Smollett began starring as Jamal Lyon on Fox’s “Empire.” The show was an immediate success, garnering several Emmy nominations and being named one of the ten best shows of the year by the American Film Institute. In January 2019, Smollett fabricated a fake hate crime and was later sued by the city of Chicago. They filed a lawsuit hoping to reclaim over $130,000 that they had spent fruitlessly investigating Smollett’s tall tale. He was also fired from “Empire” and hasn’t appeared on TV since. In December of 2021, Smollett was found guilty of five felony counts of disorderly conduct and sentenced to 150 days in county jail.
#4: Kevin Spacey
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Few actors have fallen so far from grace. Regarded as one of the finest performers of his generation, Kevin Spacey has won two Academy Awards for his acting. He also helped usher in the success of Netflix, starring as Frank Underwood in “House of Cards.” In 2017 however, actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of sexual misconduct, prompting 15 others to come forward with similar accusations. Spacey’s career collapsed, and he was fired from all future projects. His final major role was that of Doc in Edgar Wright’s “Baby Driver,” although he does have roles in upcoming films.
#3: R. Kelly
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A huge star of the ‘90s, R. Kelly is a multi-Grammy winner who has sold over 75 million records. However, he was also repeatedly accused of sexual misconduct and abuse for decades. He managed to evade consequences for this behavior for decades, until the release of the 2019 Lifetime documentary “Surviving R. Kelly,” which chronicles his history of allegations. Following its release, Kelly was dropped by RCA Records and charged with new crimes. He was found guilty of racketeering and of violating the Mann Act, which concerns the transportation of women for illicit activities. He was subsequently sentenced to 30 years in prison, and faces another trial in 2023.
#2: Harvey Weinstein
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This man was once a powerful figure in Hollywood. The co-founder of both Miramax and The Weinstein Company, Harvey Weinstein is the Oscar and Tony-winning producer behind works like “Pulp Fiction,” “Good Will Hunting,” and “Shakespeare in Love.” However, behind the scenes, he used his power and influence to sexually harass and assault women. Things came to a head in October of 2017, when The New York Times and The New Yorker reported over a dozen allegations against him, sparking the #MeToo movement. In total, over 80 women came forth accusing Weinstein of harassment and/or assault, including popular actress Rose McGowan. Weinstein was charged and found guilty of two felonies, and sentenced to 23 years in prison.
#1: Bill Cosby
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While he had been a successful comedian since the ‘60s, Bill Cosby is mostly remembered for starring as Cliff Huxtable in the enormously popular “The Cosby Show.” While he was known as “America's Dad” throughout the 1980s, this changed dramatically in the 2010s. After comedian Hannibal Buress drew attention to allegations against Cosby in 2014, numerous women came forward with further accusations of sexual assault, dating all the way back to the mid ‘60s. On September 25, 2018, Cosby was sentenced to prison for aggravated indecent assault. He remained behind bars for nearly three years, but his conviction was overturned on June 30, 2021. While Cosby was released from prison, his career is effectively over.
