The Most Hated Celebrities On Social Media
Celebrities tend to get a lot of love online — after all, the word describes people we celebrate. Still, in a world where everyone has a soapbox and a microphone, plenty of people come out swinging for all kinds of celebrities, and while many may love them, some are absolutely loathed on social media.
Often, a scandal erupts in a celebrity's life, precipitating an online lashing, but the hatred can stick around for years. Many celebrities experience cancel culture and are never heard from again, while others endure the storm and come out fresh and clean on the other side. It's different for everybody, but it happens so often that most celebrities — from Millie Bobby Brown to any of the Kardashian-Jenners – experience at least some online vitriol.
Various websites across the Internet have agreed on which celebrities on social media receive the most hate, and the top offenders are represented here. These celebrities made a name for themselves in their chosen fields, but they've also been number one on many people's hate radars on social media at some time during their careers.
Zach King
Many celebrities became famous in movies or television before making a splash on the Internet, but Zach King isn't one of them. King became famous by posting video shorts of him doing incredible magic tricks. In reality, his magical abilities amount to ingenious video editing, often resulting in people posting hate on social media, calling him out for his fake magic. Of course, King never claimed otherwise, but that's not how the Internet works.
King's rise in popularity online brought about a similar surge in vitriol, as a sizeable population of netizens hate him. Some on Reddit and elsewhere like to point out his punchable smug face as the primary reason. Some videos call King annoying, though much of the hate appears rooted in jealousy.
King isn't merely popular — he's one of the top-tier personalities online, with over 80 million followers on TikTok, over 24 million subscribers on YouTube, and so on. Despite amassing a great deal of hatred online, King remains one of the most popular celebrities who made social media their home, and that's unlikely to change regardless of how many people despise him.
Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner is ... well, she's a Jenner, and the family tends to build up quite a lot of equal parts love and loathing online. For her part, Jenner built an audience on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," "Life of Kylie," and other media ventures. She's also a businesswoman, having founded Kylie Cosmetics in 2014, and all of that helped make her incredibly wealthy.
As it often does online, wealth builds influence, and Jenner is easily one of the world's most powerful influencers, with nearly 400 million followers on Instagram alone. The ultra-rich tend to build up a following of people who hate them purely for being wealthy, but Jenner isn't entirely innocent in acquiring her large following of detractors. Over the years, Jenner has been the target of cultural appropriation allegations stemming from her wearing of traditional clothing and jewelry belonging to cultures of which she is not a member.
On top of that, a great deal of buzz surrounded her 2019 Forbes cover story, declaring the then-21-year-old Jenner the youngest self-made billionaire. Forbes later retracted this distinction after discovering doctored tax returns that made Jenner appear wealthier than she truly was. This and other incidents online brought forth a great deal of Internet wrath upon Jenner's various comment sections.
Kendall Jenner
Kendall Jenner is another member of the Kardashian-Jenner clan with incredible success, balanced with an almost equally sizeable army of detractors. Jenner became famous via "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," its spin-offs, and a modeling career. Despite her family ties making her technically a "nepo baby," Jenner's modeling is what helps her stand out, and in 2017, she became the world's highest-paid model and an influencer with a lot of clout online.
Like her sisters, Jenner isn't immune to controversy, and she's courted it quite a bit on social media. The model launched her own tequila brand, 818 Tequila, in 2021, accompanied by an ad campaign. Social media tore her up online, accusing her of cultural appropriation. One user on X, formerly known as Twitter, posted that Jenner used Mexican people as props while wearing a sombrero and more.
That came four years after the infamous Pepsi commercial many called tone-deaf for trivializing the Black Lives Matter protest movement. Like many in her family, Jenner's detractors enjoy pointing out how out of touch she is with her fanbase, most of whom aren't worth tens of millions of dollars like she is. Regardless, she remains incredibly popular and influential, which isn't likely to change anytime soon.
Drake
Drake is one of the world's best-selling musical artists, having sold over 184 million singles. He also became the top digital singles artist in 2018, so he's at the top of his game where his profession is concerned. On the other hand, his personal life and the choices he has made often land him in hot water with the public, many of whom regularly take to social media to point out his flaws.
These indiscretions include a perceived inappropriate relationship with Millie Bobby Brown, stemming from when she revealed in 2018 that the two often texted each other about "boys." The years-long negative reaction from this interview was so overwhelming that Drake even mentioned the Internet's hate for this age-gap friendship in his 2023 song, "Another Late Night." "Weirdos in my comments talkin' 'bout some Millie Bobby," he rapped.
Another fan-alienating moment for Drake was in 2018 when fellow rapper Pusha T spilled Drake's tea via a diss track, revealing Drake's secret love child with former adult film star, Sophie Brussaux. The revelation didn't sit well with fans, many of whom expressed disappointment on social media for hiding the child for so long. Drake's list of controversies is relatively long. On top of the above, he has been accused of sexual assault, gotten into fights, embarrassed himself at various nightclubs, and seemingly inserted himself into Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's failing marriage.
Scott Disick
While the Kardashians and Jenners often find themselves in trouble with their fans, their significant others tend to get torn up on social media far more. Scott Disick previously dated Kourtney Kardashian, and he appeared on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and its spinoffs for many years. Throughout this time, he launched a clothing brand, ran vitamin supplement companies, invested in nightclubs, and other ventures that kept him busy.
Disick's association with the Jenners and Kardashians made him a target on social media haters for years, but it wasn't borne from nothing. Years of Disick's so-called bad behavior found its way to social media constantly, making him into something of a celebrity pariah. Folks on the Internet called Disick out for being rude to food servers, punching a mirror, calling his wife fat, texting other women, partying like there's no tomorrow, and cheating on his wife ... a lot.
That's not even to mention his controversial romantic relationships with significantly younger women. The most public-facing of these relationships was with Sophia Richie, who was 16 years younger than Disick and was 19 years old when they began dating in 2017. Over the years, the reality TV star has caught flack online for his tendency to court much younger women.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry's music entertains millions of people around the world, and she has an extensive platform. Perry has fans worldwide, and her influence on modern pop music cannot be overstated. In 2018, she joined the cast of judges on "American Idol" during its rebooted 16th season. On top of that, she's an influencer with a significant following of over 206 million on Instagram and 106 million on X.
Perry's platform is massive, and it's often controversial when she says or does something people don't like. This results in a great deal of nasty comments on social media, and she has had more than a few gaffs. In 2019, Perry's fashion brand released a pair of shoes that many online said resembled blackface, resulting in a lot of social media backlash.
Perry also raised some eyebrows during the 21st season of "American Idol," when she said contestant, Sara Beth Liebe, was "laying on the table too much" (via Billboard) after discovering she had three children at just 25 years old. The singer's comments led to accusations of mom-shaming. The backlash was intense, leading to calls for Perry to discontinue her judging duties for the 22nd season. Perry still has a huge following of loyal fans, but she did some damage on "American Idol" and paid the price on social media.
Dan Bilzerian
Dan Bilzerian became famous by playing poker, and as a professional poker player, he amassed more than $50 million in prize money. Or, at least, that's what he wanted people to believe. Bilzerian likely received much of his wealth from his father, Paul Bilzerian. Still, whatever the case, it's undeniable that Bilzerian is incredibly wealthy with a massive following online.
Bilzerian built up a fanbase and his brand through the 2010s, but found his way into controversial territory many times. Bilzerian's lifestyle brand, Ignite, posted a $50 million loss in 2020, costing his investors a ton of cash. He was also accused by his critics of using women as props on his social media. Despite this, he maintained the image of his playboy lifestyle online and continued to foster a substantial following.
Still, he got to a point where he needed to take a break and stepped away from the limelight. Bilzerian told Inside Hook in 2022, "I just lived in the circus for so long that I kind of just — I really needed a break." Even with a short break from social media, Bilzerian continues to take flak for claiming his wealth originated from poker winnings.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus gained fame and fortune playing the titular lead role in "Hannah Montana" on the Disney Channel. As such, she cultivated a wholesome persona that made her popular with fans and parents. When she matured, she broke out of her Disney mold and stormed onto the scene to become one of the biggest pop superstars of all time. Of course, when you grow up on the Disney Channel before the world, unveiling who you really are can be controversial, and Cyrus is no stranger to that sort of thing. While maintaining vast global popularity, Cyrus's behavior, which became far more mature than her earlier work, offended many parents worldwide.
This was especially true during Cyrus's performance alongside Robin Thicke at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. Cyrus twerked all over the stage, angering plenty while establishing herself as an adult separate from her childhood career. Then came her 2013 music video for the song, "Wrecking Ball," which featured a nude Cyrus swinging on an actual wrecking ball. From there, Cyrus grew her fanbase considerably while equally increasing the number of people online who didn't like what she was doing. In the years since, Cyrus's various gaffs have brought plenty of online ire her way, but she never seems too bothered by it and continues doing what she does.
Cara Delevingne
Cara Delevingne's career began in modeling, but before long, she transitioned into acting, taking on roles in all manner of projects. She has played a princess and a supervillain and voiced robots, and she's grown in popularity over the years. Delevingne has many strong opinions about topics important to her, and she's not afraid to share them, though this sometimes costs her on social media.
In 2019, Delevingne posted about her outrage in learning about the sexual assault allegations made against R Kelly, who's since been convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison. At the time, Delevingne's comments about the allegations cost her a lot in terms of followers because 24 hours later she lost 50,000 of them on Instagram.
This prompted Delevingne to post a follow-up: "Every time I say something real, something I truly believe, something others may think of as controversial, something that makes people think and ask questions, I lose followers." Delevingne also took some flack in 2023 for bluntly refusing an interview with commentator Martin Brundle at the British Grand Prix, which caused some offense and resulted in more online backlash.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Kourtney Kardashian
Kourtney Kardashian's rise to fame mirrored her sisters', having taken part in "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and several spin-offs. Also, like her sisters, Kardashian is involved in the fashion industry, having launched clothing lines and more. She's incredibly popular online, boasting a sizeable following of over 224 million followers on Instagram and millions more on other platforms.
Kardashian has found herself in hot water on social media for a variety of things, including the highly publicized feud with her sister, Kim, over Kourtney's wedding in 2022. The following year, Kardashian upset the mayor of Malibu, California, by throwing a party without a permit. She often stirs up online hate when she says or does anything to offend her sisters' fans, which happens somewhat regularly. Also, her posts featuring her husband, Travis Barker, receive droves of hate comments, with many criticizing their unrelenting public displays of affection.
Kardashian isn't unaware of the hatred she sometimes receives online. In 2023, Kardashian posted herself reading and reacting to hateful comments on TikTok. Despite the hatred some have for Kardashian and her family, she continues to sustain and build her sizeable fanbase and growing career.
Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen began her career as a model, having debuted to the mainstream in the 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. After that, she began working in television and fostered a large fanbase through social media. While her career flourished online, it's also where Teigen endured numerous scandals, some of which brought forth backlash against her. As a result, she has seen her follow count shoot up and drop precipitously.
It all really came crashing down in 2021 when media personality Courtney Stodden revealed that Teigen was one of her biggest cyber-bullies, having threatened her, and even going so far as to encourage her to die by suicide. Teigen responded with a now-deleted Tweet, confirming that she did what Stodden claimed, leading to massive hate online, the ending of a Netflix contract, and more bullying allegations from Lindsay Lohan, Farrah Abrams, and others.
At one point, Teigen boasted 13.7 million followers on X, but after deactivating her account for less than a month in 2021 due to the online negativity, the number dropped to 1.5 million. It's since rebounded to more than 12.6 million followers, while her Instagram boasts nearly 43 million.
Jake Paul
Jake Paul found fame on the app Vine before landing a role on the Disney Channel's "Bizaardvark." As he matured, Paul became a dominating force on YouTube, where he gained an incredibly large fanbase. With millions of subscribers, Paul's platform reached far and wide, and people loved and hated him for his pranks and seemingly constant controversies.
At the height of his career on YouTube in 2017, Paul focused much of his channel on pranking people, and his fans goaded him to make the stunts bigger and bigger. But the social media star ultimately became a nuisance to his neighbors after revealing his address online, drawing hundreds of Paul's young fans to park outside of his residence at all times, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. He also notably set a mattress on fire in his backyard, causing a fire hazard to the Los Angeles neighborhood.
Paul created Team 10 — a social media group that lived and posted content together — in 2016, and he earned backlash when his former members later exposed him for his shady personal and business dealings. Paul's other business ventures involved telling his young fans that they didn't need to go to school to become rich and famous like him, encouraging them to follow his lead. He also sold access to exclusive videos to those fans, which many labeled a scam. Frankly, Paul's list of controversies is long and varied, and he's one of the most followed and hated celebrities online.
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres spent decades building a reputation as one of the nicest people in the entertainment industry. She started as a comic before landing an eponymous sitcom in 1994 that made her a household name. DeGeneres transitioned to daytime television by hosting "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," which ran from 2003 to 2022. The show made DeGeneres an even bigger media personality, and she was beloved for her preaching of kindness to the world.
It all came crashing down in 2020 following allegations about a toxic workplace on the set of her talk show. On the surface, DeGeneres's TV personality and show gave the appearance of a well-run machine that fostered friendly values. Underneath, the staff and former employees came out of the woodwork to detail the anguish they endured working on the program, and the online backlash came at DeGeneres quickly.
Calls to have DeGeneres replaced or outright canceled littered the Internet, and eventually, that's what happened. DeGeneres revealed to The Hollywood Reporter in 2021 that she was choosing to end the show. She explained: "My whole being is about making people happy. And with the talk show, all I cared about was spreading kindness and compassion and everything I stand for was being attacked. So, it destroyed me, honestly. I'd be lying if I said it didn't."
Amber Heard
Amber Heard rose to fame by appearing in "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane," "Pineapple Express," and "Zombieland," to name a few. Her acting skills put her on the fast track to leading roles in big-budget films, including playing Mera in the "Justice League" and "Aquaman" movies. While her time on the silver screen distinguished Heard from her peers, her time outside the limelight made her a pariah.
While Heard courted controversy a few times over the years, her acrimonious divorce from actor Johnny Depp and the allegations that followed made her the most hated celebrity on social media. In 2016, Heard was granted a restraining order and accused Depp of domestic abuse. There was a lot of back and forth, which included Depp's alleged removal from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise due to the case and an engrossing public trial over defamation claims.
The 2022 trial played out in full public display, and it certainly didn't paint Heard in a positive light. Depp's claim that a 2018 op-ed written by Heard claiming domestic abuse and sexual violence was false, and a jury agreed, awarding Depp $10 million for defamation while awarding Heard $2 million in compensatory damages. It was an ugly trial, and Heard temporarily disappeared from the public after it concluded, though she remains the target of hate online.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.