Admiring someone from afar is a bit like reading the glowing reviews before buying something online because you build up this flawless image in your head, convinced they can do no wrong. However, reality shows up unannounced, and suddenly that five-star human starts looking more like a questionable return.
It could be as a result of a shocking revelation, a slow drip of red flags, or one truly unforgettable moment, netizens shared the people they once admired but have since lost all respect for. The stories ranged from disappointing behavior to outright shocking revelations, and in true internet fashion, some of the explanations are as funny as they are jaw-dropping.
More info: Reddit
#1
Will Smith comes to mind. Used to love his movies and of course, Fresh Prince. But now I just seem him as a broken, sad human being.
Image source: eternalhamburger, Complex
#2
Ellen DeGeneres. The whole “be kind” persona while allegedly treating her staff like garbage behind the scenes… that hypocrisy just ruined it for me.
Image source: Maureen-Crawford, TheEllenShow
#3
I’m gonna date myself for saying this…but Steve Jobs. I was an absolute Apple fanboy growing up in the 90s; I even asked my dad to gift me shares in Apple as birthday presents (back when they were a much more reasonable $20-ish a share). I thought he was the tech equivalent of the second coming of Christ for how he returned to Apple to bring it back from the brink of extinction to the world’s most valuable company.
Only near the time of his passing in the late 2000s did I find out about his bad side. Things like how he decided to forsake his own daughter, how he used to park in the handicap spaces at Apple buildings (plus how he always bought a new car every 6 months so that he could take advantage of a legal loophole where he didn’t have to put license plates on his car), and how he went around espousing lies that eating lots of nuts and doing cleanses could cure people of cancer. (That latter one eventually did him in.) I know that “visionaries” are complicated people like the rest of us, but boy was he a special kind of jerk.
Image source: VitaminDprived, CNBC
Humans naturally admire role models, mentors, and public figures because they embody qualities we aspire to, such as resilience, creativity, or moral integrity. As clinical psychologist Cody Thomas explains, this admiration provides inspiration, motivation, and a benchmark for self-improvement, often activating reward centers in the brain.
We frequently idealize these figures, overestimating their strengths as a way to protect ourselves from feelings of inadequacy or loneliness. By projecting our desired traits onto them, we create an almost flawless image that boosts our self-esteem. However, when reality reveals their imperfections, that carefully built image can collapse, leaving us shocked, disappointed, or even betrayed.
#4
Dr Oz, he was my MIL’s cardiac surgeon at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in the mid 1980’s when that’s all he did. He seemed to be genuine, empathetic and skilled heart surgeon at the time. What u see him promulgating and endorsing now is a far cry from the man I met years ago, I am very disappointed.
Image source: Early-Reindeer7704, NBC 10 WJAR
#5
I had a law professor who really believed in me and supported me when I was having a hard time. He helped me get a really good job. After our graduation ball he sent me an email saying he had a crush on me and it shattered everything. I thought he supported me for my brain not because he had feelings for me. This still affects my professional confidence.
Image source: Historical_Spell_772, ytshorts6619
#6
Bill Cosby was once a very wholesome character, until the truth came out.
Image source: Hot_Fix9033, Associated Press
This emotional crash is rooted in cognitive dissonance, the mental discomfort we feel when our beliefs about someone conflict with evidence to the contrary. As noted by Psychology Today, admiration often serves as a psychological anchor for self-worth, so when a once-idealized figure displays flaws, the tension between “they are flawless” and “They have serious flaws” disrupts emotional stability.
The brain seeks consistency, prompting rationalizations or denial to reduce discomfort. Over-idealization amplifies this effect, creating fragile mental models that collapse under contradictory evidence, which can lead to confusion, self-doubt, or anxiety when expectations go unmet.
#7
Well if I’m being honest I initially admired Elon. Admired not worshiped. Getting more people behind battery powered vehicles, space x. But I now see him for the embarrassment and crook he is.
Image source: GuzPolinski, Nikhil Kamath
#8
Guiliani. He’s not in my political party, but after 9/11 I kind of admired him. I thought. “well, he’s a republican, so I doubt I’d vote for him, but if he goes on to be President someday, he’d at least be rational and open to compromises.”
Boy was I wrong.
Left his place in history on the altar of shitler.
Image source: Sea_Organization1068, Joe Pags
#9
Oprah, oh my God don’t get me started.
Image source: coatedpatriot, CBS Sunday Morning
Our judgments of others are also filtered through ethical, moral, and cultural standards. Simply Psychology explains that people instinctively evaluate character based on trustworthiness, integrity, and adherence to group norms. Even extraordinary talent or charisma cannot compensate for perceived moral failings, because ethical breaches, like hypocrisy, dishonesty, or harm, trigger strong emotional responses such as disgust or contempt.
Cultural context and in-group dynamics can heighten this scrutiny, making deviations feel like a threat to shared values. Cognitive dissonance intensifies this process, forcing admirers to reconcile the “talented hero” with the “immoral actor”, often resulting in a complete withdrawal of respect to protect one’s self-concept.
#10
Back in high school, I loved my French teacher. She was so kind to me and encouraged me at every opportunity and I always did my very best in her class. She was part of the reason I wanted to become a French teacher. Cut to when I was in college and working part-time at McDonald’s: one night this lady pulled up to the drive-thru speaker and was crazy rude. Just unnecessarily nasty! She pulled around and it was…my French teacher from high school. Lost all respect for her at that moment, and gave up on my French teacher aspirations (not totally because of her).
Image source: Commercial-Manner256, Ambreen
#11
It’s my comfort show so it’s sad to say, but most of the main cast from That ’70s Show. .
#12
Elon Musk. I used to think he was a modern day inventor breaking barriers and pushing the limits but with all the news about his history, he comes off like a guy who can talk his way into news headlines and steal the credit of the true engineers doing the work.
Image source: ShredInTheWoods, Farzad
Yet, disillusionment isn’t always entirely negative. According to Reserve Optimism, losing respect for someone we once admired often prompts deep self-reflection. Individuals replay events, question the projections they placed onto the admired figure, and recognize personal insecurities that may have fueled their idealization.
This process often follows stages of anger, grief, and eventual acceptance, helping people reconcile conflicting beliefs. Many report emerging from the experience with greater clarity, acknowledging overlooked red flags and establishing firmer standards for future admiration. In this way, losing respect, even when painful or frustrating, can become a powerful opportunity for personal growth and self-awareness.
#13
Tom Cruise. Thought he was a great action star growing up, then later saw how much he creeps on younger actresses and now don’t care to watch his movies anymore. Not to mention he’s kind of a nut.
Image source: leatherwolf89, 60 Minutes Australia
#14
Bill gates … Let’s hope he really helps people in Africa.
Image source: PinkPacificWhale, CBS Mornings
#15
Rolf Harris was a national treasure at one point. I loved his TV show and wanted to be a cartoonist. My uni had a bar named after him with a picture he did when he came to open it.
When a friend of mine who worked at the BBC first told me the rumours I didn’t believe her, a few years later of course we all knew. He wasn’t as bad as Savile but in a way that was worse because I always found Savile creepy.
Image source: Locktopii, Channel 10
At the end if the day, losing respect for someone you once admired is a window into human expectations, behavior, and sometimes just how wildly people can surprise you. Whether it was a betrayal, a shocking opinion, or just an eye-roll, worthy moment, these experiences remind us that admiration is fragile and perspective is everything.
Everyone’s threshold for disappointment is different, and the reasons we lose respect can be as varied as the people we once looked up to. Some moments make us laugh, some make us shake our heads, and others stick with us as cautionary tales. Keep reading to dive into these stories, some ridiculous, some revelatory, and see why admiration isn’t always forever.
#16
Joe Rogan
There was a golden era when he had on so many interesting and entertaining guests every week then he went so anti-woke/MAGA and only surrounded himself with sycophants and idiots. Now he’s completely dug in, cringe and un-selfaware, and I’m genuinely mind blown that people still listen to him regularly or take him seriously. .
Image source: Unlucky_Internal9686, Jesse Michels
#17
Snoop showing trump support just ruined him for me.
Image source: drodenigma, Jimmy Kimmel Live
#18
My grandparents. For putting the church above caring for their own children.
Image source: libulatimmeh, The Yuri Arcurs Collection
#19
The emeritus King of Spain, Juan Carlos I… It turned out he was a womanizer who cheated on his wife with as many women as he could (and the queen was perfectly happy with her infidelity), cheated on his taxes, and collected commissions from countries like Saudi Arabia. Now he lives in Abu Dhabi and will continue with his ladies, never returning to Spain to avoid paying taxes.
Image source: Proper-Photograph-76, euronews
#20
Nicki Minaj…I mean I don’t know if I would say I “admired” but I was definitely a huge fan. Now I can’t even listen to what used to be my fave tracks.
Image source: Fancy_Airport2807, Katie Miller Pod
#21
Dave Grohl went from the wholesome rockstar to the same as the rest of them (yes even her) when it turned out he had a baby with a woman he had an affair with.
Image source: emdeebie, First We Feast
#22
Niel Gaiman. I enjoyed his work but he is gone to me now. It was the way he spoke about the allegations of violence that turned my stomach.
Image source: squirrel-eggs
#23
Jack Horner the paleontologist.
He uncovered some stellar finds in the 70s, wrote some important papers on dinosaur behavior and life cycles, and was one of the scientific consultants for the Jurassic Park series. A massive star for any paleontology kid of the 90s-00s.
But he had some weird ideas ranging from Triceratops not being a valid genus to T-rex being an obligate scavenger to pushing his Build A Dinosaur project, which had the intended goal of making Jurassic Park real with genetically defective chickens. And he’d push these ideas to the public directly rather than submit actual papers for peer review, which is just plain academic dishonesty.
And his image has completely crumbled over the past few years as it came out what a terrible human being he is. Apparently his groundbreaking research on Maiasaura involved him “borrowing” other people’s finds and then not giving them back, in 2012 he married one of the students at the college he worked at while she was 19 and he was 65 (they divorced a few years after), and he was recently listed in the Epstein files where he sent a personal e-mail to Epstein thanking him for “a lovely weekend with the girls.” He apparently had a lot of friends in high places making generous donations for the colleges he worked at, which is a can of worms in itself.
But yeah. Awful scientist, awful human, and a massive stain in the history of the community.
Image source: 2Scarhand, The Backcountry Manifesto Podcast
#24
Tiger Woods. Sad state for a gazillionaire.
Image source: Muzzledbutnotout, World Golf Hall of Fame
#25
I used to like a lot Anthony Kiedis and the Red Hot Chili Peppers but I cannot close my eyes to the indecent behavior allegations and his preference to extremely young women. It disgusted me.
Image source: Complex-Arugula-2233
#26
Thomas Edison. Always thought he was this cool inventor growing up. Nope. He was just a rich jerk who stole other people’s inventions and profited off of them. He used a team to help him invent things, but took sole credit for them. He also actively tried to suppress other inventors to try and corner the market. The man was a giant jerk.
Image source: zorggalacticus, Joseph Corl
#27
John Kricfalusi. He’s what got me into animation and art, and I’m truly grateful for that. But he’s a very sick man who hurt a lot of girls.
Image source: raeann559, Lost Coconut Archive
#28
Eric Clapton
When he came out as an anti-vaxxer during COVID, I thought it couldn’t get worse… and then it did. Him being an anti-vaxxer is the least of his problems.
Image source: G-Unit11111
#29
I used to love woody Allen.
Image source: th4d89
#30
The downfall of Bill Burr is wild to me. He ripped on hypocrites and jerks for 30 years then jumped in bed with them and chucked it all away. The weirdest part is that he seems baffled as to why people turned on him. I don’t understand how self awareness can completely evaporate overnight. .
Image source: WombatRustler, Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM
#31
Louis CK. He’s not on the same tier of awfulness as most of the other people mentioned here, but I loved his body of work and now it just feels tainted.
Image source: doctor_x, Adam Carolla
#32
Joss Whedon. He was one of the reasons I got into writing and film making when I was younger. (Luckily Peter Jackson is the other and he’s not done anything that I know of beside not wear shoes and drink copious amounts of tea)
Finding out how he really was, and cast would not let him be alone with Michelle Tractenberg whilst shooting Buffy and Angel, both shows I loved growing up has tainted them for me. And his treatment of Charisma Carpenter as well. Then there is the stuff around Justice League.
#33
Russell Brand -He used to speak of compassion and universal acceptance. Now he’s closed minded and judgmental.
Image source: Teacherforlife21
#34
My dad.
I grew up and matured and my eyes were opened. Lots of stuff I couldn’t see before or didn’t want to or wasn’t able to understand.
Image source: -Red_Lightning_
#35
Wayne Gretzky. Greatest hockey player ever, but he went MAGA so the hell with him.
Image source: YVRJon
#36
Kanye west. The constant attention seeking, Satanic symbolism in his art, i could go on….
Image source: Wonderful_Hat_8347
#37
The punk band Anti-Flag. They were really good, did a great show, and had a great political message. Then we found out that the singer is allegedly a criminal. Whether the rest of the band members knew or not is still debated. They disbanded the DAY the allegations came to light, and have vanished from the internet.
Image source: Anishinaapunk
#38
Win Butler of Arcade Fire… I always figured he and the band were pompous tricks, as Wayne Coyne of Flaming Lips said but admired their musicianship and songwriting. Turns out he is a major criminal and had never held himself accountable since the allegations went public.
Image source: Exotic-Ferret-3452
#39
Pretty easy choice: Noam Chomsky. The father of modern linguistics and cognitive science. A personal hero that stood up against US imperialism and advocated for social justice. I mean the man literally wrote Manufacturing Consent. It’s one of the seminal works that forms the basis for my moral and ethical framework in life. And then we find out that he hurts kids. Like what? What in the actual heck?
Image source: Iniquity___
#40
Russell Brand.
I thought he was a good guy. I was wrong.
Image source: Flakarter
#41
JK Rowling. Just completely tainted a foundational part of my late childhood.
Image source: SystemOfAmiss, The Rowling Library
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