10 celebs who lost major brand deals over one wrong step: From Johnny Depp to Tiger Woods
10 celebrities who lost major brand deals due to controversy
Facing consequences for their actions, several high-profile celebrities have found themselves axed from lucrative brand partnerships. Whether due to controversial remarks, scandalous behavior, or legal issues, these stars saw their endorsement deals vanish in the blink of an eye. Here are 10 notable cases of celebrities who were dropped by major brands.
1. Kanye West
Adidas terminated their partnership with Kanye West following antisemitic remarks in 2022, citing violations of their values of diversity and inclusion. Adidas released a statement saying,"Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness."
2. Whoopi Goldberg
was fired as spokesperson for sexually explicit jokes (Getty Images)
Whoopi Goldberg was fired as SlimFast's spokesperson for cracking sexually explicit jokes about President George Bush's name at a fundraiser for Democratic candidate John Kerry in New York in 2004, and which offended consumers.
3. Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods was dropped by Gillette amidst public revelations of extramarital affairs, tarnishing his public image. Tiger Woods and his then wife Elin Nordegren divorced in 2010 shortly afterward.
4. Rihanna
Rihanna was removed as the face of Nivea in 2012 due to her raunchy image conflicting with the brand's values of dependability and trust. The decision came after Stefan Heidenreich, the CEO of Beiersdorf, Nivea's parent company, expressed concerns over Rihanna's provocative image not aligning with Nivea's core brand values. Heidenreich stated to the German newspaper Welt, "Rihanna is a no go. I do not understand how to bring the core brand of Nivea in conjunction with Rihanna."
5. Johnny Depp
Disney fired Johnny Depp from its multibillion-dollar 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise following allegations of domestic abuse against ex wife Amber Heard.
6. Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon was dismissed from Wild'N'Out in 2020 for antisemitic comments made on his podcast. Richard Griffin, who was expelled from Public Enemy for blaming Jews for "the preponderance of depravity that goes on over the globe," was interviewed by Cannon who questioned why "we give so much power to the 'theys,' and 'theys' turn into illuminati, Zionists, and Rothschilds" on the podcast, using the wealthy Jewish family as a code word for antisemitism.
7. Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen lost multiple brand deals after allegations of cyberbullying surfaced, including harassing a 16-year-old girl on Twitter in 2011.
8. Michael Phelps
Kellogg's ended their endorsement deal with Olympic winner Michael Phelps in 2009 after photos of him consuming illegal substances surfaced.
9. Charlize Theron
Swiss watchmaker Raymond Weil in 2006 terminated their contract with Theron for breaching an agreement not to wear watches from rival brands publicly. The Oscar-winning actress was ordered to pay the luxury watchmaker an undisclosed settlement sum.
10. Kate Moss
Chanel and Burberry ended their relationships in 2005 with Moss after she acknowledged accusations of illegal substance use.
