Actors Who Ruined Their Careers On Social Media

Once upon a time, celebrities were seen, but had a bit more privacy than in today's social media and paparazzi-heavy climate. If you wanted to know what Will Smith likes to eat for breakfast or what Lindsay Lohan drank on her wild night out with Paris Hilton, you'd have to turn to magazines and newspapers as the best source of information for the latest gossip — tacky paparazzi pics and all. Yes, we could track our stars on various late night chat shows or Saturday morning television — but that was mostly the media-polished, kid-friendly version. These days, if you want to know what Will Smith had for his breakfast or how his marriage to Jada Pinkett is going, just head to Facebook and search "Red Table Talk." Or better yet, if you want to know how Selena Gomez feels about the Black Lives Matter movement, just tweet her directly. 

Stalking celebrities on their Instagram page to find out what area code they are in that day is one thing, but what about the information you didn't ask for? The kind of tweets you read five times and ask yourself: "did they really just say that?" Or how about that Disney star who ruined your childhood by sharing that extra saucy Instagram snap? It's a slippery slope between an open conversation with your fans and an overshare that leads to the cancellation of your Fashion Nova deal. These celebrities learned the hard way — sometimes, social media silence is the safest option.

Donald Trump: Love him or loathe him, he's a supposed billionaire — who, with no political background or experience whatsoever, became the leader of the free world. He literally had the codes to release nuclear weapons! Enter comedian/actress Kathy Griffin, who is no stranger to poking the bear and shaking the table when it comes to making fun of celebrities or touching upon hot-button issues. But when she held up a prop that resembled the severed head of Trump and tried to pass off the stunt as some type of protest art, the world of social media turned against her. 

Trump tweeted that his 11-year-old son Barron was particularly traumatized by the gruesome image. Griffin apologized profusely for the stunt, admitting that it went too far. The Emmy winner lost her longstanding gig as a host on CNN's "New Year's Eve Live." Even her friend and co-host Anderson Cooper turned his back on her. Griffin was blacklisted and subjected to death threats and even a federal investigation by the Justice Department. The "My Life on the D-List" star also told the Irish Examiner that she was put on Interpol's watch list.

When Caitlyn Jenner shared with the world who her soul always told her she was, the last person we expected to have a problem with it was Nickelodeon's Drake Bell. The child star rose to fame in hit shows such as "Drake & Josh" and starred alongside Amanda Bynes in "The Amanda Show." The unproblematic teen idol was funny and cute, and he even had his own band. But after Jenner proudly posed on the cover of Vanity Fair in a white corset dress with the caption, "Call Me Caitlyn," Bell refused to do that. Instead, he defiantly tweeted: "Sorry ... still calling you Bruce." 

After being called out by the LGBTQ community, Bell doubled down on his statement. "I'm not dissing him! I just don't want to forget his legacy! He is the greatest athlete of all time! Chill out!" But the fact that Bell referred to Caitlyn as "he" and "him" only incensed social media even more. It wasn't long before Bell deleted his tweets and apologized for his "thoughtless insensitive remarks." If Bell was having trouble shaking off his child star image and wanted to venture into more adult roles, this incident certainly didn't help increase his fan base.

James Franco was once the darling of Hollywood. In 2002, he won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of James Dean and even co-hosted the Academy Awards in 2011 with Anne Hathaway. Okay, so it wasn't the best received Oscar hosting gig of all time, but at least he got to dress up as Marilyn Monroe. Despite scoring rave reviews in such films as "Pineapple Express" and "127 Hours," rumors of Franco's off-set behavior began circulating online. Busy Philipps, Franco's co-star on "Freaks and Geeks," alleged in her memoir — "This Will Only Hurt a Little" — that he physically assaulted her on set. The tide began to turn against Franco in 2014, when he was caught messaging 17-year-old Lucy Clode, a Scottish student. 

Franco slid into her DMs after she tagged him in a selfie after watching him perform in "Of Mice and Men" on Broadway in New York. Although the age of consent is 17 in New York, the actor drew criticism for asking the young girl if he should "rent a room" for them. He later issued an apology on "Live with Kelly and Michael," telling the hosts: "I'm embarrassed ... I'm just a model of how social media is tricky." In 2018, Franco was accused by five women of sexual misconduct, which he has denied. 

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).

Who didn't have a soft spot for the doe-eyed Jason Biggs after he suffered for his art and became intimate with a warm all-American pie? Biggs has continued to play the hapless underdog in several movies and TV shows such as "Orange Is the New Black" and "Mad Love." But in a case of art imitating life, the actor has been very open about his own sexual misadventures. His wife, Jenny Mollen, revealed in her memoir — "I Like You Just the Way I Am" — that she hired a prostitute for Biggs for his birthday. However, he admits it didn't go as planned. It "took three ladies over the course of different days ... let's just say that I didn't complete the mission," he sheepishly revealed on "The View." But it's what Biggs said on Twitter that caused him to land in hot water — with kids channel Nickelodeon, no less.

In 2012, Biggs was getting his politics on by watching the Republican National Convention. But it wasn't the high-octane speeches that got him hot under the collar. The "Loser" actor made some highly inappropriate and sexualized comments about Ann Romney and Janna Ryan in a series of deleted tweets. At the time, Biggs had just signed on to voice Leonardo in Nickelodeon's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" series. In a strongly worded statement, the network wrote: "Nickelodeon does not support or condone the use of graphic or vulgar language on any of our platforms."

With his pretty boy looks and his deep family history that includes singers and movie production owners, Armie Hammer was destined for a role on the silver screen. He won rave reviews when he played the role of both Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss in David Fincher's "The Social Network." Hammer secured an Oscar nomination playing the dreamy Oliver opposite Timothée Chalamet in "Call Me by Your Name." But rumors of the "real" Armie Hammer were starting to emerge. On his verified Twitter account, Hammer was seen "liking" various BDSM posts. A scathing Buzzfeed article titled "Ten Long Years of Trying to Make Armie Hammer Happen" questioned whether his "white male" privilege awarded him numerous chances after a series of box office bombs. 

In early 2021, an Instagram account leaked shocking messages Hammer had sent various women — while he was still married to the mother of his two kids, Elizabeth Chambers. The "Birth of a Nation" star spoke candidly about his love for BDSM, cannibalism, and rape. Fans also noticed he was following certain BDSM hashtags such as "knifeskills" and "shibari." A woman Hammer dated for four months also came forward and claimed he branded her by carving his initial in her skin. In March 2021, a woman accused the actor of rape – something he has strongly denied. Hammer was dropped by his management team and forced to bow out of the film "Shotgun Wedding" alongside Jennifer Lopez. 

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).