Thousands of artists around the world can only dream of reaching the kind of fame where people know their name, look forward to their next album, or buy tickets to see their latest film. Unfortunately, some celebrities failed to appreciate just how privileged they were and fell from grace for various reasons.
In some cases, stars were solely responsible for their own “cancelation,” like Kanye West, who reportedly lost a billion dollars due to his hateful remarks about Black and Jewish communities. In other instances, former child stars faded into obscurity after their fortunes were mismanaged by their parents.
On Reddit, one user asked, “Which celebrity had everything but then lost it all?” Here are some of the most interesting responses, along with the reasons for these A-listers losing their money, respect, or both.
Kanye West
“He was the most wealthy rapper in history, and he still might be, but his ego got the best of him and now he’s just crazy.”
Kanye, who has legally changed his name to Ye, has been involved in numerous controversies over the past years. The rapper infamously claimed that slavery was a “choice,” wore a Klan hood and “White Lives Matter” T-shirt, and made a series of antisemitic remarks, including releasing a song that glorified Adolf Hitler.
This behavior escalated in 2022 and became increasingly difficult for brands to ignore. That year, Gap announced the end of their billion-dollar Yeezy Gap collaboration after just two years, despite it being planned as a ten-year partnership.
He was also dropped by Adidas, one of his biggest partners and the producers of his famous Yeezy sneakers.
Ellen Degeneres
“I mean she is still filthy rich but she lost her reputation for being kind to one another really fast.”
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ended in 2022 after nineteen successful seasons. Two years earlier, BuzzFeed published a report in which eleven employees of the show alleged mistreatment, including instances of racial microaggressions and being penalized for taking medical leave.
Ellen apologized to her staff but attributed the decision to end the show to no longer enjoying it and not feeling creatively “challenged” by the experience.
The comedian moved to the UK following the 2024 US presidential elections and announced her retirement from the entertainment industry.
R. Kelly
“R Kelly messed up his entire career.”
Known as the King of R&B, Robert Sylvester Kelly has released 18 studio albums, won three Grammys, and collaborated with Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Céline Dion, among other world-famous musicians.
In 2002, the hip-hop star was prosecuted on ch*ld p*rn*graphy charges, leading to a controversial trial that ended with his acquittal in 2008 on all charges.
A new investigation in 2019 resulted in multiple indictments and Kelly’s arrest. He is now serving a 31-year combined sentence at FCI Butner Medium I in North Carolina for child s*xual ab*se.
OJ Simpson
“I still remember being a teenager and watching that white Bronco live on TV. Crazy stuff.”
The NFL star stood trial and was acquitted of the m*rders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman, in 1994. Three years after his acquittal, he was found liable for the homicides in a civil suit from the victims’ families.
In 2007, OJ was arrested in Las Vegas and charged with armed robbery and k*dnapping. He was sentenced to 33 years’ imprisonment with a minimum of nine years without parole, and was released in 2017.
The football player lost his life following a battle with cancer in April 2024. He was 76.
Amber Heard
“A bombshell who had Hollywood by storm. Women wanted to be her and men wanted to date her until she pooped in Johnny Depp’s bed.”
In 2022, Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife, Amber Heard, for defamation over an op-ed she published in the Washington Post titled “I spoke up against s*xual violence – and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.”
In the piece, Amber referred to herself as “a public figure representing domestic ab*se,” though she didn’t name her ex directly.
The world watched as the two actors exchanged accusations of assault during a six-week televised trial, which concluded with the jury largely ruling in Johnny’s favor and awarding him over $15 million in damages.
After losing the trial, the Aquaman actress relocated to Madrid, Spain, where she lives with her three children.
Armie Hammer
“Went from Hollywood star to selling timeshares in the Caribbean.”
In 2021, Armie, who starred alongside Timothée Chalamet in Call Me by Your Name, was accused of ab*sing three women, including his ex-girlfriend, Paige Lorenze. The accusations led to the actor being dropped from his talent agency, publicist, and several future projects.
Armie has not been charged in the case and has denied any wrongdoing, stating that the allegations were “outrageous” and that his relations had been “completely consensual.”
One of the women who claimed he r*ped her in 2017 shared screenshots of texts allegedly sent by the actor, which included one where he appeared to declare himself a cannibal.
After the scandal erupted, Armie worked a short-term job selling timeshares in the Cayman Islands and also as a school greenskeeper and an apartment block manager.
The star is set to make his acting comeback with two movies, Frontier Crucible and Citizen Vigilante, which don’t have a stellar cast like his previous projects.
Will Smith
“On a night that should’ve been his crowning achievement he slapped Chris Rock over a joke towards his wife who doesn’t even respect him as a man.”
The actor had viewers doing a double take when he unexpectedly stood up from his seat and smacked Oscars presenter Chris Rock across the face for making a joke about his wife’s shaved head. Will then returned to his seat and shouted profanity twice at Chris.
Later in the ceremony, he won an Oscar for his performance in the sports drama King Richard.
In the years since, Will has issued a number of apologies, calling his behavior “unacceptable” and saying that violence “in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive.” He has also resigned from the Academy and has been banned from attending any Academy events or programs for ten years.
After the scandal, the star released his fifth studio album, Based on a True Story, marking his return to music after 20 years.
Danny Masterson
“I loved Hyde on That ’70s Show, but when I learnt about the accusations, I was horror struck.”
Danny was convicted of r*pe and sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2022. He was accused of s*xually assaulting three women at his Hollywood Hills home in 2001 and 2003. Two of the women claimed that he had taken them to his room after giving them drinks and they were unable to give their consent.
The actor pleaded not guilty to the charges and claimed that he only had consensual relations with the women.
The women who testified were members of the Church of Scientology, like Danny, and alleged that the group threatened to excommunicate them if they reported the incidents.
The 49-year-old is serving his sentence at the California Men’s Colony state prison.