I can’t imagine a worse job than constantly being in the limelight. Having eyes on you all the time, with people critiquing your every choice, move, and action. I shudder just thinking about the constant surveillance and judgment.
But for some people, that may sound like a dream job. Countless eyes on you, praising your art and applauding just for you — it must undoubtedly do something for their ego. Still, it can’t be easy to accept that everything might be over, and unfortunately, for some celebs, fame comes with an expiration date. So, here are some celebrities whose careers are hanging by a thread, according to netizens.
More info: Reddit
#1
JLo
Made pathetic attempts to make a comeback in Acting with Netflix on 2 failed films. Her 2/3 tour was cancelled due to massively low ticket sales. And her documentary about her self was a t**d that made no money.
Image source: CantAffordzUsername, jlo
#2
Tyra Banks oh my god.
Image source: oonastellaluna, WSJ. Style
#3
I think the Kardashians are *finally* falling out of favor. Gen Z doesn’t buy into their shtick.
Image source: Neat_Seagull_1842, FilmSelect+
It can’t be easy to see yourself at the peak of your career and then suddenly realize it’s all gone downhill. It makes sense that someone would try to hold on to that feeling of adoration, but that desire can become a burden. In fact, research suggests that fame can alter a person’s sense of self.
Celebrities often end up splitting into two identities: their public persona (which receives all the love and validation) and their authentic self. If their career takes a turn and, for whatever reason, starts hanging by a thread, that “celebrity self” begins to fade away, leaving them feeling empty, isolated, and unable to recognize who they are. In many ways, it can feel like grieving a part of their own life.
#4
Post Malone. He’s abandoned what got him famous and people aren’t buying tickets to his overpriced shows anymore.
Image source: concrete_loretta, Apple Music
#5
Ariana Grande.
I am concerned.
Eta: like genuinely concerned about her health- I like her music, but she’s disappearing right in front of our eyes.
Image source: FractalledCat, Apple Music
#6
Will Smith. The post slap fall off is insane. People don’t even remember the amount of clout he had just 10 years ago, insane.
Image source: AdeptCredit1492, Complex
There’s even the possibility of a kind of dependence developing when celebrities lose that part of their lives. They can become reliant on fame, constant applause, media attention, praise, and life in the spotlight. And this dependence isn’t purely psychological — it’s chemical.
Essentially, experts say that constant validation floods the brain with dopamine, often referred to as the “feel-good” chemical. If a celebrity suddenly loses that steady source of dopamine, they can experience a form of withdrawal, leading to severe depression, anxiety, and a desperate need to get in the spotlight through overworking or erratic behavior.
#7
Dwayne Johnson.
People liked him when he made dumb-but-funny movies.
They are fed up with the guy who thinks he’s reached a sort of legendary status, and that he could be the linchpin of entire movie universe. His attempt to hijack the DCU has ended humiliatingly.
#8
Oprah Winfrey. Nobody cares anymore. She needs to accept it and ride off into the sunset.
Image source: SororitySue, Bill Ebbesen
#9
Cristiano Ronaldo.
Image source: OldDutchJacket, WHOOP
And this doesn’t only apply to musicians or actors. Psychologists have long studied athletes who have had to cope with the major life changes that come with losing their livelihood — a reality for most professional athletes. Experts refer to it as the loss of the “fishbowl,” meaning that when athletes lose their daily structure and their social network (their team), they lose their primary source of self-worth.
In fact, research shows that nearly half of retired athletes develop serious mental health struggles. Many feel completely disconnected from reality because they no longer know who they are without their sport and everything that came with it. It isn’t easy, and it’s even harder to accept that your entire life is changing because of a number on your birth certificate.
#10
Okay, I created a positive comment about this person the other day. It was really positive and received a lot of positive feedback. So hopefully this criticism is understood. The answer is Elliot Page. Sure, they had a tremendous career pre-transition. Post-transition has been tougher. I’m not saying they haven’t had work. They obviously have the big movie, The Odyssey, coming out soon. I feel like their career really, really is relying on this to do well. Or their performance to be perceived well here. If it goes well, great. If it doesn’t, man. I think that tanks his career.
Image source: Ramble86, elliotpage
#11
Nicki Minaj.
Image source: IAmLordApolloXXIII, Gage Skidmore
#12
Mr beast! With all the allegations about toxicity in his workplace it’s just a matter of time .
Image source: TechnologyMuted6222, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ezEDkuo8F4
Other times, it isn’t even a single event that leads to a career decline — like, say, slapping someone on the Oscars stage — but rather the public moving on to the next big thing. This is something some experts refer to as “parasocial desynchronization,” which basically means that the one-sided bond you form with a celebrity can fade once the persona you’ve built in your head no longer exists.
Fans start expecting certain things from that star, and if that expectation, for some reason, misaligns with the image they’ve presented, people often become disappointed or upset and move on instead. A new, shiny up-and-coming star takes their place, usually one whose public image and actions tend to feel more stable at the start of their rising career.
#13
God I hope Jared Leto is one of them.
Image source: Kelimnac, Apple Music
#14
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. That post Danny Masterson hole they are still trying to crawl out of.
Image source: Gold-Article7567, Matt Winkelmeyer
At times, this need for fame can be so intense that some celebrities may come to feel that some attention is better than none at all. And frankly, my theory is that reality stars will often share their own marital issues, dating scandals, and family problems just to get a bit more fame and a few extra seconds in the limelight. It becomes a real dependence.
With all of this being said, what celebrity would you add to this list? Who do you think has truly fallen out of favor with the general public, and what do you think they should do next? Let us know who and why!
#15
Meghan Trainor seems to only be discussed when it’s about her change of appearance. I can’t even name a song she’s made in the last few years and I think she canceled her tour?
Image source: conformtyjr, 104.3 MYfm
#16
Russel Brand.
Dude, it’s over, stop fighting it.
Image source: CheezyMcWang, Russell Brand
#17
Kid rock obviously. Hell be tossed to the side of the magaverse pretty soon and then it will all just be a weird fever dream. How some rich kid got famous screaming bawadabadabangdanag will be a mystery.
Image source: MrPhilLashio, PowerfulJRE
#18
Gweny Paltrow.
Image source: katyboots, The Hollywood Reporter
#19
Feel like Lizzo is right now.
Image source: danzigwiththedead, And The Writer Is…
#20
I saw a pretty hammered Shania Twain performance the other day.
Image source: RagnaBrock, AXS TV
#21
Justin Timberlake.
Image source: SassyLass496, NPR Music
#22
Less famous than a lot of these, but YouTuber Ned Fulmer, formerly of BuzzFeed & The Try Guys fame.
He disappeared from the internet for a few years following a cheating scandal that cost him his marriage and his ownership in the company he’d built with the other Try Guys. He’s recently reappeared and keeps making content that nobody wants. Except for maybe his first comeback video with his ex-wife Ariel, where she basically destroys him and he makes himself look even worse.
Image source: Axolotl_Impersonator, Ned Fulmer
#23
Ellen Degeneres.
Image source: Mrs_Mars1975, TODAY
#24
Saw an advertisement for Engelbert Humperdinck, who is still touring.
Diminishing audience, surely. He’s 90yo.
Image source: themyohmy, Raph_PH
#25
Katy Perry.
Image source: bunkie18, Apple Music
#26
Rebel Wilson.
Image source: No_Contest6175, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
#27
Shia Leboeuf.
Image source: TwistedSistaYEG, Pietro Luca Cassarino
#28
Jonah Hill seems like the American James Cordon.
Image source: Pure_Choice_8459, GQ
#29
Rob Schneider.
Image source: Hulk_Hogans_Toupee, Tucker Carlson
#30
Blake Lively.
Image source: bakeland, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
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