From the penthouse to the outhouse: Dozens of powerful names in Hollywood have abruptly lost public favor in the past year, from the numerous men toppled by the #MeToo movement to figures who have been shunned for an inappropriate Twitter joke. Read on for shocking falls from grace in movie and television history, from director Roman Polanski to sitcom star Roseanne Barr to disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Fatty Arbuckle
After becoming one of the most successful stars of the silent film era, Roscoe Conkling “Fatty” Arbuckle abruptly fell from grace when he was put on trial for the rape and murder of actress Virginia Rappe in 1921. Arbuckle was eventually acquitted, but the scandal overshadowed his legacy as a pioneering comedian and actor.
Roman Polanski
The French-Polish director has been a fugitive from the U.S. criminal justice system since 1978, when he fled to Poland after being charged with drugging and raping a 13-year old girl. He continued making films in Europe, and in 2003, he earned an Academy Award for Best Director for his World War II drama “The Pianist.” In May, Polanski was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
OJ Simpson
Once an NFL superstar, Simpson fell from grace when he was arrested and charged with the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. He was acquitted after one of the most highly publicized trials in American history — 100 million people tuned in to watch the verdict. In 2007, Simpson was arrested and charged with armed robbery and kidnapping, and was sentenced to 33 years in jail. He was granted parole and released on Oct. 1, 2017.
Mel Gibson
In 2006, Mel Gibson was arrested for driving while under the influence and lashed out at a police officer, saying, “”F—ing Jews… the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world. Are you a Jew?” The arrest report leaked to the public and Gibson instantly became persona non grata in Hollywood. Film roles in works like “The Beaver” (2011) and “The Expendables 3” (2014) seemed to help restore his industry presence. Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge” (2016) appeared to mark a complete comeback. The World War II movie earned six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It took home two Oscars: for Best Achievement in Film Editing and Best Achievement in Sound Mixing.
Bill Cosby
Popular standup comedian and 1980s sitcom star, Cosby’s Hollywood prominence and squeaky clean image came crashing down after he was accused of sexual assault by more than 60 women in the 2010s.
Michael Richards
The “Seinfeld” star and standup comedian incited a media furor in 2006 when he was captured on video launching into an expletive-riddled racial tirade directed at audience members during a performance at a Los Angeles comedy club. His career swiftly took a nosedive and he “retired” from standup in 2007.
Charlie Sheen
In 2010, Sheen was the highest-paid actor on television, earning more than $1.8 million per episode of “Two and a Half Men.” In 2011, his contract for the show was terminated after he made derogatory comments about the series’ creator, Chucke Lorre. Sheen had a public meltdown after the dismissal, which included telling NBC that he had “tiger’s blood” and “Adonis DNA,” and that he was on a drug called “Charlie Sheen,” among other bizarre statements. Sheen was then the subject of a Comedy Central roast, which drew 6.4 million viewers and remains the highest rated roast from Comedy Central to date. Sheen starred on FX’s “Anger Management” from 2011 to 2015.
Paula Deen
Celebrity chef Paula Deen — already the subject of criticism for the high amounts of fat, sugar and salt in her recipes — fell from grace in 2013 when she became the target of a lawsuit accusing her of racial and sexual discrimination. Many of Deen’s cookery programs, publishing deals and endorsement contracts were subsequently cancelled.
Kathy Griffin
In May 2017, comedian and actress Kathy Griffin posted an image of herself holding “a mask styled to look like the severed, bloody head” of President Donald Trump, writing, “I caption this ‘there was blood coming out of his eyes, blood coming out of his…wherever,” referencing a past comment Trump had made about Megyn Kelly. She received immediate backlash for the post, along with responses from the Trump family, including Melania and Donald Jr. CNN booted Griffin from its New Years Eve broadcast with Anderson Cooper, while most of her tour dates were cancelled by her respective venues. Griffin later said she was also under a federal investigation by the Justice Department and on a No Fly List, detained at every airport during her Laugh Your Head Off World Tour.
Harvey Weinstein
In a matter of days, Weinstein came crashing down from his throne atop Hollywood when sexual misconduct accusations by numerous women surfaced in articles from The New York Times and The New Yorker. He has now been accused by more than 80 women. The initial accusations against him sparked the #MeToo movement, which has since toppled the likes of Kevin Spacey, Matt Lauer, Al Franken, Louis CK and several more.
Kevin Spacey
Known for his roles in “American Beauty” and “House of Cards,” Spacey fell from grace when he became one of the earliest and most prominent figures to face sexual abuse accusations in the wake of Weinstein and the #MeToo movement. He was booted from the last season of “House of Cards” and has maintained a low profile ever since.
Roger Ailes
The late CEO of Fox News resigned from his position in November 2017 after facing numerous accusations of sexual misconduct. His accusers included Fox anchors Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson. Ailes died in May 2017.
Bill O’Reilly
The anchor of the highest-rated cable television program in America took a major career blow when the New York Times revealed that he had paid half a dozen women nearly $50 million to settle various sexual harassment lawsuits. In the fallout, “The O’Reilly Factor” lost half its advertisers within a week, and O’Reilly was subsequently fired from Fox. He has since founded his own podcast, “No Spin News.”
John Lasseter
Lasseter is widely regarded as the visionary who turned Pixar Animation Studios into one of the most critically and commercially successful film studios in the world. However, the exec took a six-month leave of absence from the company in November, acknowledging inappropriate hugging and “missteps” after some former Pixar employees accused him of unwelcome touching and presiding over a fraternity-like culture. He is leaving the company, now owned by Disney, for good in December and will be replaced by Pete Docter.
Matt Lauer
The co-host of NBC’s “Today” was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in November 2017. He was quickly fired from NBC and replaced by Hoda Kotb.
James Toback
The screenwriter and director behind “Bugsy” and “Two Girls and a Guy” was accused of sexual harassment by more than 38 women in a Los Angeles Times report in October 2017.
Louis CK
The Emmy-winning standup comedian was accused of sexual misconduct by numerous women in November 2017. He admitted to misconduct, stating that he thought his behavior “was O.K. because I never showed a woman my d— without asking first.” As a result, C.K.’s film “I Love You, Daddy” was pulled from distribution, his animated series “The Cops” was cancelled, and C.K. lost his role in “The Secret Life of Pets.” FX also cut ties with C.K., who co-created “Baskets.”
Mark Halperin
The acclaimed political journalist and MSNBC analyst was accused of workplace sexual harassment in a CNN report in October 2017. He was subsequently fired by Showtime Networks and NBC News.
Charlie Rose
The host of “Charlie Rose” on PBS and co-anchor of “CBS This Morning,” Rose was accused of sexual harassment in a detailed Washington Post investigation in November 2017. He was fired by CBS and his PBS talk show was cancelled.
Brett Ratner
The director and producer behind “Rush Hour” and “X Men: The Last Stand” was accused of sexual misconduct by seven women in a Los Angeles Times article in November. Warners Bros. decided not to renew a $450-million co-financing deal with Ratner in April.
Jeffrey Tambor
Known for roles in “The Hangover” trilogy and Amazon’s “Transparent,” Tambor was accused of sexual harassment by his former assistant, “Transparent” actress Trace Lysette,” and several others in November 2017. He denied the accusations but decided to leave “Transparent” due to the “the politicized atmosphere that seems to have afflicted our set.” He still appeared in the fifth season of “Arrested Development” on Netflix in May, 2018.
Mario Batali
Known for appearances on “Iron Chef” and other food shows, Batali was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in December 2017. Batali denied the accusations, but ABC pulled him from its weekday talk show “The Chew.” The Food Network canceled plans to remake his first program “Molto Mario.” Eataly, Target, and other suppliers took his products off its shelves. In May 2018, more accusations against Batali were aired on “60 Minutes,” and the New York Police Department said it was investigating Batali.
Al Franken
A former comedian who became Minnesota Senator, Franken resigned from his post in January after multiple accusations of sexual misconduct were made against him.
Aziz Ansari
The man behind the Netflix series “Master of None” was accused of sexual misconduct in a first-person account published on Babe.net in January. The article was met with mixed reviews: Some argued the incident detailed a consensual sexual encounter and others said his actions were misogynist and lacked affirmative consent.
Roseanne Barr
Two months after her eponymous sitcom was revived on ABC, Roseanne made a series of Twitter jokes — where she referred to Obama senior advisor Valerie Jarrett as an “ape,” among other comments. She was promptly fired and the show was cancelled.
James Gunn
The “Guardians of the Galaxy” director was fired from the third installment of the franchise after alt-right media figure Mike Cernovich dug up Twitter jokes that Gunn had made years earlier on topics like pedophilia and rape. Disney has received backlash for firing Gunn, and the cast wrote a letter asking for him to be reinstated as director.
Les Moonves
The CEO and President of CEO — aka one of the most powerful men in television — was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in a recent article from The New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow. He will remain at CBS during the investigation, but his name has been removed from the website of his alma mater Bucknell College, and the University of Southern California suspended his name from its Media Center. Moonves also recused himself as a commissioner of an Anita Hill-led group aimed at ending sexual harassment in the workplace.
