Celebrities Who Flew Too Close To the Sun

In the past few years, a number of celebrities have fallen from public grace for one reason or another. A downfall in public opinion is often due to tasteless remarks, unsavory political ideologies, or a misconduct of some sort. These issues don’t arise overnight. They are often present in the celebrity for years being hidden by their PR teams. A lot of these celebrity behaviours are often tied to their egos. Some celebrities think their well-liked image and large fanbase makes them invincible, thus granting  themselves permission to say or do anything, without considering the controversy it may cause. Other celebrities allow the fame to get to their heads, and use their power over others to get what things want, then use that same power to silence their victims. 

However, public opinion is fickle and quick-changing. Any celebrity who’s been in the public eye long enough could tell you that with one wrong move, their entire brand could be lost overnight. Blake Lively is an example of how quickly one incident can change public opinion so drastically in so little time. Lively, and her husband Ryan Reynolds, were beloved actors. They were seen as a power couple, two people who were so well-liked they could do no wrong. That was until she decided to promote her new movie It Ends with Us, as a girly, flower-y, fun movie. This was in incredibly poor taste, as the movie itself is centered around domestic violence. Her refusal to acknowledge the sensitivity of the movie’s subject matter, or apologize for her promotional material, has severely impacted her reputation in subsequent years.

Many male celebrities have been exposed as sexual predators, preying on those who rank below them. Dan Schneider, for example, has been under fire for years for his treatment of the Nickelodeon child actors on set. Several actors like Jeanette McCurdy and Jerry Trainor have spoken out about his abuse. Trainor would reportedly stay on set after his shifts were over to keep a protective eye on his younger co-stars. Schneider’s behaviour was part of why he left Nickelodeon in 2018, and hasn’t produced anything since. 

Sydney Sweeney is the most recent example. She was a rising star, renowned for her beauty and her role in Euphoria. She began receiving backlash months ago when she opted to sell her own bath water, a move that many saw as  opposing the feminist movement. In a recent interview, Sweeney was confronted with the fact that her recent American Eagle jeans ads had white supremacy undertones. Her response was flippant, essentially confirming people’s suspicions. As a result, her fan base was significantly shrunken, and her recent films have been box office flops. 

What is often forgotten is that celebrities aren’t just people. They are brands. They are the figure heads for large companies that sell a certain product, whether it be music, film, etc. The PR teams in these companies work hard to tailor a brand that will apparel to the widest possible audience, to maximize revenue. If any part of that system taints the brand image, whether it be from the company or the celebrity themself, then the resulting public scorn will be swift and often long-lasting.