Fame can be dazzling—but it’s also fleeting. A scandal, a misstep, or a media meltdown can quickly topple even the most powerful stars. Many celebrities on this list once ruled Hollywood but made career choices that led to their downfall. Here are 10 of the biggest instances where self-destructive decisions derailed careers in film and TV.
10. Felicity Huffman
Huffman was loved as Desperate Housewives’ Lynette Scavo, but after she pleaded guilty in the college admissions scandal, her career went into free fall. Eleven days behind bars, hefty fines, and all that public disdain left her standing in tatters. Since then, she’s picked up a few smaller parts, but her once-thriving career has never recovered.
9. Lori Loughlin
Aunt Becky from Full House was also implicated in the same admissions scandal. Loughlin spent two months behind bars and was hastily cut from Fuller House and When Calls the Heart. While she’s attempted to return to the spotlight, none of her work in recent years has approached what she had previously done.
8. Charlie Sheen
At the height of his career on Two and a Half Men, Sheen earned the most money of any TV actor. But drugs, wild antics, and notorious interviews (“tiger blood,” “winning”) canceled out his gifts. Fired from the sitcom, Sheen was a tabloid staple and not a working actor—and he never achieved that same level of celebrity.
7. Michael Richards
Eternalized as Seinfeld’s Kramer, Richards’ career collapsed after a 2006 stand-up routine devolved into an on-stage racist tirade that was recorded. The repercussions moved quickly and mercilessly. He made some token appearances afterwards, but the harm was irreparable—he’s all but vanished from Hollywood.
6. Gina Carano
Carano was poised to become Disney’s next major action star following her breakout in The Mandalorian. But incendiary social media statements got her fired by Lucasfilm, her agency, and her scheduled Star Wars spinoff. Her subsequent projects hardly registered—her career steam is all but lost.
5. Jussie Smollett
Smollett’s tale went from sympathy to scandal when the police accused him of faking a hate crime against himself. Let go from Empire and convicted of making a false report, he did time in jail and is still convinced of his innocence. Whatever the case, Hollywood has left him behind.
4. Armie Hammer
Once on track to become a leading man following The Social Network and Call Me By Your Name, Hammer’s career imploded in the face of shocking assault claims and leaked texts containing fantasies about cannibalism. Abandoned by his agency and every big project, he’s been seen taking menial gigs away from the red carpet.
3. Roseanne Barr
The Roseanne reboot was an enormous success—until Barr posted a racist statement about Valerie Jarrett. ABC promptly canceled the show and went on without her as The Conners. Ever since, her attempts at a comeback have been minor and contentious.
2. Shia LaBeouf
After being Hollywood’s go-to young star, LaBeouf’s career has been marred by arrests, lawsuits, and abuse allegations, with a big-name case against FKA Twigs. Although he has appeared in a couple of indies, the baggage attached to him doesn’t suggest a legitimate comeback is possible.
1. Will Smith
The 2022 Oscars should have been Will Smith’s glory prize—he received the Best Actor award for King Richard. Instead, it was tainted by “the slap” that made headlines worldwide when he slapped Chris Rock live on television. Stripped of attending Academy events for 10 years and having projects in stasis, Smith’s previously untouchable status has suffered a great blow. His next film, Emancipation, crashed and burned, and everyone wonders if he will ever be able to regain his former glory.
Redemption arcs are Hollywood’s favorite, but they don’t come to everyone. These celebrities serve as a reminder about just how fast fame can disappear—and how difficult it is to regain once it does.