• Viral badge

22 Times Celebrities Had Everything Going For Themselves And Messed It All Up

SMH.

We can all name a celebrity who had everything going for themselves and lost it all because they said or did something, or became embattled in legal issues.

A white X in a red circle

Reddit user u/HumptyDumpty30 recently had people talking about some of the celebrities who ruined their own careers when they asked, "What famous person had everything going for him but managed to fuck it all up?" From TV hosts to world-famous athletes, here are 22 people they named:

1. "Matt Lauer. This guy was NBC royalty. Hosting the Olympics. He was there on 9/11. He was a fixture of the network. Then his [alleged] sex pervert abuser secrets got out, and he just fucking vanished."

Matt Lauer

2. "Oscar Pistorius."

Closeup of Oscar Pistorius

3. "Ezra Miller."

Closeup of Ezra Miller

4. "Subway Jared."

Closeup of Jared Fogle

5. "Robert Downey Jr. And then, he started all over. I admire him."

Closeup of Robert Downey Jr.

6. "Most recently? Kevin Porter Jr. [who is a former] NBA player for the Houston Rockets. He just signed a four-year, 80-million-dollar deal and got arrested and charged with assaulting his girlfriend."

Closeup of Kevin Porter Jr.

7. "Allison Mack. Her character in Smallville was original to the show and not part of the Superman mythos. She did so well by it that they introduced it in the comics. But she had to go [and get involved in a sex trafficking cult]. End of career, no reunion shows, no Comic Cons, character dropped from the comics, so no cool legacy, oh yeah...and jail."

Closeup of Allison Mack

8. "Kevin Spacey."

Closeup of Kevin Spacey

9. "Bit of an oddball answer but Andrew Cuomo. He was an ADA lawyer, founded a law firm, was a secretary under Clinton, AG, and then became NY governor. He was probably one step away from being the next DNC candidate for president. Then, as y'all probably all already know, several women came forward and told their story [of sexual harassment]."

Closeup of Andrew Cuomo

10. "Rudy Giuliani had hero status after 9/11 and now is a complete disaster anytime a camera is pointed his way."

Closeup of Rudy Giuliani

11. "Jussie Smollett."

Jussie Smollett

12. "Aaron Hernandez."

Closeup of Aaron Hernandez

13. "Lizzo, not sure her career will survive the banana incident."

Closeup of Lizzo

14. "John Wilkes Booth. He was a famous and highly regarded actor with a very successful career before he [assassinated] President Lincoln."

John Wilkes Booth

15. "Ellen DeGeneres. 'Be kind to one another' unless you work for me. Then all bets are off."

Closeup of Ellen DeGeneres

16. "Bill Cosby."

Closeup of Bill Cosby

17. "Henry Ruggs III, a first-round pick in the NFL. Racing his Corvette through Vegas at 3 in the morning, [prosecutors claimed] he crashed at over 100 mph and killed a woman and her dog. He was one of the top prospects in the game. At 24 years old, he’s going to spend 3–10 years in jail and lose out on any and all NFL hopes and dreams. He only made it two seasons in the league before essentially ruining his life."

Henry Ruggs III

18. "T.J. Miller was in every other comedy last decade but then made real bad life choices."

Closeup of T.J. Miller

19. "O.J. Simpson."

Closeup of O.J. Simpson

20. "Kanye West."

Closeup of Kanye West

21. "Debatable if you'd say he was super famous, but Armie Hammer before [the cannibalism claims] is up there."

Closeup of Armie Hammer

22. And lastly, "Most recently, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis."

Closeup of Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher

Did anyone else come to mind? Share them in the comments below.

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.

If you are concerned that a child is experiencing or may be in danger of abuse, you can call or text the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (4.A.CHILD); service can be provided in over 140 languages.