14 celebrities who got cancelled in 2022, from Elon Musk’s Twitter mess and Kanye West’s controversial comments, to Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s trial, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Man U firing
Kris Wu, Cristiano Ronaldo, Elon Musk, Li Yi-feng and Nick Carter were among the biggest celebrity cancellations of 2022. Photo: @kriswu, @cristiano/Instagram; TNS; Getty Images
Some things in life are inevitable. Death, taxes … and the immutable fact that, every year, a handful of the world’s richest and most famous individuals take a blow in the public court of opinion and get themselves cancelled.
Whether it’s an Ill-advised remark – or a months-long anti-Semitic tirade, in the case of one rapper – a puzzling lapse of public judgment or even serious criminal charges, these 14 celebrities have earned their place on the year’s biggest cancellations.
1. Kanye West
Kanye West watches the first half of an NBA basketball game between the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles, on March 11. Photo: AP
This year’s biggest cancellation is – no surprise – Kanye West. The rap artist and fashion designer’s appalling anti-Semitic comments have cost him a literal fortune in 2022. Ye has been dropped by everyone from his lawyer and agent to lucrative endorsement partners like Adidas, and Forbes reported his estimated worth has plunged from US$2 billion to US$400 million.
2. Kris Wu
Singer Kris Wu celebrates his award for Fan Fave New Artist on the red carpet at the iHeartRadio MMVAs in Toronto, in August 2018. Photo: AP
Another stunning fall from grace is Kris Wu. Once a member of the wildly popular K-pop band Exo, the Chinese-Canadian performer had made a name for himself in recent years as a solo act and one of China’s most globally recognised celebrities.
But after dozens of women accused Wu of raping them at alcohol-fuelled parties – some while still underage – the singer was arrested and charged in 2021. Last month, The Guardian reported he was sentenced to 13 years in prison and he’s likely to face deportation from China.
3. Elon Musk
Elon Musk smiles as he addresses guests at the Offshore Northern Seas meeting in Stavanger, Norway, on August 29. Photo: TNS
This tech titan has become a walking punchline and a popular target for online trolls. His first few months as Twitter CEO have seen mass resignations and platform changes that have backfired massively, including paid-for verification badges, per CNBC.
And to add insult to injury: earlier this year, Musk’s daughter publicly disowned him and changed her name.
4. Will Smith
Cast member Will Smith attends the European premiere of the film Emancipation in London, Britain, on December 2. Photo: Reuters
“Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!” The slap was heard around the world and Will Smith’s assault on Chris Rock shocked audiences worldwide and overshadowed the other honorees at the Oscars earlier this year. The incident also left an embarrassing mark on Smith’s once-illustrious career and earned him a decade-long ban from future Academy Awards ceremonies.
5. Nick Carter
Nick Carter performs with Backstreet Boys during the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert at Madison Square Garden, in New York City, US, on December 9. Photo: Reuters
A fan with cerebral palsy and autism accused the singer and former boy band star Nick Carter of drugging and raping her in 2001 when she was 17. CNN reported that US television network ABC had to cancel a Backstreet Boys Christmas reunion show scheduled to air in December as a result.
6 and 7. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp divorced after just 15 months of marriage. Photo: TNS
The year’s most talked-about divorce irreversibly smeared both stars’ reputations. Depp’s own text messages revealed that he made disgusting remarks about burning and defiling Heard’s body, via Entertainment Weekly, while Heard was accused of defecating in her former husband’s bed, per US Weekly.
8. Adam Levine
Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine on The Voice’s live finale, in 2019. Photo: Getty Images
Who can forget those cringey sexts from Adam Levine? British media reported the Maroon 5 singer slid into the DMs of multiple Instagram models and influencers while his wife, Namibian model Behati Prinsloo, was pregnant. Levine’s advances were so embarrassing they spawned a viral wave of memes mocking his lack of game and charm.
9. Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde attends the 2022 People’s Choice Awards on December 6, in Santa Monica, California. Photo: Getty Images
A leaked video of Olivia Wilde revealed that she had begged Shia LeBoeuf not to quit the cast of Don’t Worry Darling, which she directed and starred in alongside her then-boyfriend Harry Styles. Buzzfeed reported that this directly contradicted her version of events, in which she fired LeBoeuf due to “poor behaviour” and a “no a**hole policy” on set.
From right to left: Gemma Chan, Harry Styles, Sydney Chandler, director Olivia Wilde, Chris Pine, Florence Pugh and Nick Kroll pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film Don’t Worry Darling during the 79th Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on September 5. Photo: AP
In the video, Wilde also appeared to speak derisively of the film’s lead, Florence Pugh, condescendingly referring to her as “Miss Flo” and saying Pugh had been given “a wake-up call” by LeBeouf. The incident led to Pugh pulling out of press events for the movie, with plenty of online speculation and criticism aimed at Wilde.
10. Lipstick King
Austin Li Jia-qi, aka Lipstick King, won his fans over by trying on dozens of lipstick shades during live-streams. Photo: Youku
Li Jia-qi, better known as China’s Lipstick King, vanished from the country’s online platforms for three months in 2022, per The Guardian. The celebrity live-streamer – famous for selling US$145 million worth of lipstick in 12 hours – inadvertently offended censors by featuring a cake decorated like a tank on his feed. The incident was likely viewed as a reference to the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, which is still heavily censored in China.
11. Sima Nan
Sima Nan, whose real name is Yu Li, is a Chinese blogger who writes fiery articles about the United States. Photo: Wiki Commons
Chinese nationalist blogger and journalist Sima Nan – whose real name is Yu Li – has built a career for himself for his outspoken rebukes and anti-US sentiments. When he took aim at China’s tech giant Lenovo over its questionable business practices, however, it appeared to be a step too far. Yu was blocked from posting on Weibo, WeChat, Bilibili and Douyin.
12. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo on the 2014 World Cup Group G game between Portugal and Ghana at Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha in Brazil. Photo: Shutterstock
The uber-wealthy footballer found himself cancelled in the literal sense. His lucrative Manchester United contract – worth nearly US$613,000 per game – was immediately terminated after the Portuguese forward gave an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, in which he criticised the team’s coaching, management and players.
13. James Corden
James Corden, the star of Mammals, poses at the premiere of the Amazon Prime Video series on November 2, in West Hollywood, California. Photo: AP
The owner of a trendy NYC restaurant called out this British celebrity for being “the most abusive customer” his staff had ever encountered, calling Corden “a tiny cretin of a man” and banning him from the establishment, as seen on Instagram. This was followed up by accounts from other witnesses who described similar incidents with the comedian, per British media. Not a great look.
14. Li Yi-feng
Actor Li Yi-feng attends a Tag Heuer promotional event in October 2019, in Shanghai, China. Photo: Getty Images
Also known as Evan Li, this actor landed in hot water in September when he was charged with, and confessed to, soliciting sex workers, according to the BBC. The revelation led to at least 10 different brands dropping him as a brand ambassador, including luxury fashion house Prada, as well as widespread criticism online.
Ye lost his Adidas endorsement and his net worth plummeted, but Will Smith, Harry Styles’ ex Olivia Wilde, James Corden, Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter and Maroon 5’s Adam Levine got massive backlash too
Over in Asia, singer Kris Wu is facing 13 years in jail, actor Li Yi-feng got dropped by Prada, and Lipstick King disappeared online after he showed a cake decorated like a tank on his feed
