We live in a culture that loves to idolize famous people. They often contribute to our everyday lives as they may be responsible for our favorite shows, films, and music. Therefore, it is extremely jarring when we discover that one of our favorite celebrities is actually a heaping pile of garbáge.
Going off of this phenomenon, redditor u/ohwowsports6 recently asked the experts and celeb scholars of r/AskReddit, "What famous people turned out to be creepy?" Their responses did not disappoint, as they responded with some truly icky, trifling answers. Some of the famous people mentioned are actual criminals, and some have gotten off the hook for some nasty ass stuff. It's a bit of a spectrum. Here's who the people of Reddit came up with:
Warning: This post has mentions of sexual assault and abuse.
1. Armie Hammer
"He [allegedly] tried to convince women he’s dating to get a rib surgically removed so he can eat it.
What he wants, though, is to own those women. He wants them to submit to him- not because he’s paying them off, but because they want to. It’s a sexual thing for him (like it is with many serial killers). But the willing submission I think is a huge part of the appeal to him."
Another interesting addition to this story:
"Armie Hammer's grandfather was an industrialist and oil tycoon named Armand Hammer. No, Arm & Hammer baking soda was not named after him, and, no, he didn't own the company that makes it. But so often would people ask him if that was the case, that in the '80s he bought a controlling interest in the company for no other reason than to be able to answer 'yes.'
Armie Hammer's family has MORE MONEY THAN GOD, is what I'm trying to say! If Armie Hammer genuinely has a desire to consume human flesh? Then, I promise you Armie Hammer has eaten human flesh."
2. James Franco
"He preyed on girls through Instagram and [allegedly] flew to places where the age of consent was lower to have sex with 16/17 year old"
—deleted user in pickanamehere's thread
3. Jared Leto
"He has been accused of sexual assault a few times tbf, and there’s compelling evidence against him, but for some reason not enough to get him charged."
"Nothing illegal yet, but just general weird stuff like [allegedly] harassing other actors on set in the name of ‘method acting’ and being a cult leader."
In response to CyclicDombo:
"Yeah, he sent Margot Robbie a dead rat. Sick ass mofo."
4. Woody Allen
"Big time creepy here! Waited until his stepdaughter was 18 (if you believe that part), then started banging her right away! While still with her mom!!"
5. Mahatma Gandhi
6. An obvious one: Bill Cosby
"You know at first I was skeptical. I thought that there's probably a lot of vultures in Hollywood just waiting for a lawsuit to get their pound of flesh in. But then I saw this clip from The Cosby Show, and I immediately was put off. It's right there, he's grinning as he admits it to the world, but nobody knows but him — delighted that his secret is hidden in plain sight. There's old comedy bits about him giving women 'Spanish fly,' too."
"He's the first person I thought of when I saw this thread. Bill Cosby — fun comedy, The Cosby Show, even some cheesy movies, but then everything came out."
If you would like to be further disturbed, this is the clip that u/Uncle_Rabbit was referencing:
View this video on YouTube
Literally... fuck this man.
7. Ezra Miller
"Ezra Miller. He’s gotta have something wrong in the head, and the fact that he didn’t lose his acting job truly upsets me."
"Hope that young girl he [allegedly] groomed is far away from him and back home."
"He's the Reverse Flash IRL."
(Note: Both Miller and the child mentioned are nonbinary and use they/them pronouns.)
8. Jerry Seinfeld
"Jerry Seinfeld dated a 17-year-old when he was 42. That's very creepy."
"By the way, and I had forgotten about this before, but does anyone remember the episode where they ogled a 15-year-old and Jerry defended it as being normal?"
(Correction: Seinfeld was 38...still creepy, though.)
View this video on YouTube
The episode "The Shoes" where Jerry and George ogle the 15-year-old daughter of the NBC president.
9. Another obvious one: Roman Polanski
"No one's mentioned Roman Polanski? Shocked quite a few people when his arrest/prosecution/flight from justice became news."
"When he won the Academy Award for best director, he got a standing ovation. Harrison Ford accepted the award on his behalf and made a special trip to Paris to hand deliver the award. Hollywood is full of pedo-loving scumbags."
10. Andy Dick
"But Andy Dick is famous for being an asshole already. He was never an A-list actor or comedian"
"Turned out to be creepy? I assumed everyone has always known this about Andy Dick."
11. Marilyn Manson
"Manson doesn't surprise me, though it does disappoint me as Holy Wood is one of my two all-time favorite albums."
"MM are Nazi memorabilia collectors and prey on very young women."
12. Which then brings us to... Johnny Depp
"I also think Johnny Depp is creepy...or at least those texts he wrote Amber Heard really make me side eye him. I think Amber Heard sucks, too, though. :/"
The same user then added:
"I largely put that last part to avoid the wrath of Depp stans that buy into the myth that he was abused and a victim of domestic violence. At one point, it did seem that way...but the more I learned about Johnny Depp, the more I realized he is truly a scary person. She obviously has issues herself, but there is no way he isn't a thousand times worse. It is scary how many people think he is a really good person still. I didn't know Depp also collected Nazi memorabilia. What a psycho."
13. Alfred Hitchcock
"Basically stalked some actresses and tried to control their lives; told them what they could/couldn’t eat, where they could/couldn’t go. He sent Tippi Hedren inappropriate Valentines letters. She claims he threw himself atop her in a hotel room and kissed her — and in her biography accused him of sexual assault."
14. No one can (nor should) forget: Michael Jackson
"Michael Jackson. Even dead he can’t be canceled."
15. Kevin Spacey
"Kevin Spacey, but he seemed a little off to me at the peak of his career."
"Kevin spacey. Remember all that?"
16. Jim Carrey
"Jim Carey with his Emma Stone video."
View this video on YouTube
17. John Travolta
"I remember the whole scandal with John Travolta and his masseuse; that was pretty creepy."
18. Dan Schneider
"Dan Schneider. Looking back at Victorious or iCarly, he really made the cast do weird things (especially with their feet…)."
"That one producer from Nickelodeon with foot fetish. Dan Schneider I think?"
This 2013 Vine by Jennette McCurdy is telling.
View this video on YouTube
19. And the subject of a three-part docuseries: R. Kelly
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.