25 Celebrities Who Were Blacklisted From Hollywood

Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl’s charm and wit made her one of the most in-demand actresses of the 2000s, until she started speaking her mind. After calling Knocked Up “sexist” and criticizing Grey’s Anatomy’s writing, Hollywood quickly labeled her “difficult.” Her candidness cost her major roles, and her film career fizzled.

Brendan Fraser
Brendan Fraser was once one of Hollywood’s most beloved leading men, until his career abruptly stalled. Fraser later revealed he had been sexually assaulted by former HFPA president Philip Berk during an industry event. The trauma left him withdrawn and disillusioned, and not long after, the offers stopped coming.

Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd was one of the first major stars to expose Harvey Weinstein’s misconduct—and she paid the price. After rejecting his advances, she discovered she’d been quietly blacklisted from major roles. Director Peter Jackson later confirmed Weinstein had warned him she was a “nightmare” to work with while casting The Lord of the Rings. In 2018, Judd sued Weinstein for defamation, accusing him of sabotaging her career.

Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen was once TV’s highest-paid actor, pulling millions per episode on Two and a Half Men. But after his infamous 2011 meltdown—filled with bizarre interviews, “tiger blood,” and feuds, Hollywood quietly turned its back. By 2014, his show Anger Management ended, and Sheen claimed he’d been blacklisted, unable to find steady work.

Megan Fox
Megan Fox had Hollywood in the palm of her hand after Transformers—until she didn’t. Her sharp comments about director Michael Bay, comparing him to Hitler, caused a media storm and reportedly led to her being dropped from the franchise. Hollywood painted her as “difficult,” sidelining her for years. But times changed.

Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby’s legacy as “America’s Dad” came crashing down in 2014 when dozens of women accused him of sexual assault spanning decades. Found guilty in 2018, he was sentenced to prison, though the conviction was later overturned. By then, it was too late; his shows were pulled, honors revoked, and sponsors gone.

Harvey Weinstein
Once one of Hollywood’s most powerful men, Harvey Weinstein’s empire collapsed in 2017 after dozens of women accused him of sexual assault and harassment. The revelations ignited the #MeToo movement, exposing years of abuse and silencing. Weinstein was swiftly fired from his own company, stripped of awards, and sentenced to 23 years in prison.

O.J. Simpson
O.J. Simpson’s fall from fame is one of Hollywood’s most infamous sagas. Once a beloved athlete and actor, his 1994 murder trial for the deaths of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman turned him into a global spectacle. Though acquitted, public opinion was brutal, and Hollywood wanted nothing to do with him.

Shia LaBeouf
Shia LaBeouf went from Disney’s golden boy to Hollywood’s wild card faster than anyone expected. After a string of bizarre public stunts and arrests, including a 2017 racist rant at police in Georgia, his career hit a major skid. Things worsened when ex-girlfriend FKA Twigs sued him for assault and abuse in 2020.

Josh Trank
Josh Trank was once Hollywood’s next big thing after his breakout hit Chronicle wowed audiences in 2012. But when he landed Fantastic Four, things spiraled fast. Rumors spread that he was erratic on set, clashing with cast and crew, and even causing $100,000 worth of property damage while filming.

Thora Birch
Thora Birch seemed destined for stardom after Hocus Pocus and American Beauty, but her career took an unexpected nosedive. The culprit was her father and manager, Jack Birch, whose overbearing and inappropriate behavior on film sets, including insisting on attending her love scenes caused chaos. His interference got Thora fired from multiple projects, leaving Hollywood wary.

Lloyd Bridges
Back in the McCarthy-era Hollywood witch hunts, even the beloved Lloyd Bridges found himself on the blacklist. His ties to the Actors’ Laboratory Theatre—rumoured to have communist links, got him in serious trouble. After testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee, his Hollywood career came to a screeching halt. Thankfully, the FBI eventually cleared his name, allowing him to return to acting.

Isaiah Washington
Isaiah Washington’s breakout role on Grey’s Anatomy made him a fan favorite—until an on-set scandal derailed everything. Reports claimed he used homophobic slurs during a dispute with a co-star, leading to his firing in 2007. His attempt to defend himself on Larry King Live only made things worse. Despite undeniable talent, Washington’s Hollywood reputation took a permanent hit, and major roles became scarce.

CeeLo Green
CeeLo Green’s career once sparkled with hit songs, TV gigs, and undeniable charisma, until controversy dimmed his shine. In 2012, he was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman, leading to a three-year probation sentence. His reality show CeeLo Green’s The Good Life was swiftly cancelled after he posted tone-deaf tweets about the case.

Lena Horne
Lena Horne was the epitome of talent; singer, actress, dancer, and trailblazer. But in the 1950s, her activism and alleged communist ties landed her on Hollywood’s blacklist. At the height of her fame, Horne was suddenly shut out of major film roles. Undeterred, she pivoted to live performances, dominating nightclubs and concert stages instead.

Michael Richards
Michael Richards, best known as Kramer from Seinfeld, went from sitcom legend to pariah overnight after his infamous 2006 Laugh Factory meltdown. His racist tirade against audience members, caught on camera, sparked widespread outrage. Though Richards quickly apologized, the damage stuck. Hollywood turned cold, and the comedian’s career never fully recovered.

Jim Caviezel
Jim Caviezel’s career soared after starring in The Passion of the Christ, but that same role effectively sidelined him in Hollywood. While praised for his performance, the film’s graphic violence and controversial themes made studios wary. Even director Mel Gibson warned Caviezel that taking the part might end his career, and he was right.

Kathy Griffin
Comedian Kathy Griffin has always lived for shock value but in 2017, she took it too far. A photo of her holding a fake severed head resembling Donald Trump sparked massive backlash. CNN dropped her, her comedy tour was cancelled, and talk show invites vanished overnight. Griffin, never one to back down, stood by her artistic expression, even reposting the image years later.

Tippi Hedren
Tippi Hedren’s career should have soared after starring in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds but the director’s obsession destroyed it instead. When she rejected his relentless advances, Hitchcock retaliated by keeping her under contract but refusing her work. It was the ultimate act of control in an era when actresses had none.

James Woods
James Woods built a respected career in Hollywood, earning Oscar nominations and critical acclaim. But his outspoken political views ended it all. After sharing a stream of controversial, pro-Trump and anti-Obama tweets in 2017, Hollywood cut ties. Woods claimed he’d “accepted being blacklisted,” wearing it like a badge of honor. Still, the offers stopped coming, and his once-steady stream of roles vanished.

Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson went from Hollywood royalty to its most notorious outcast. After a 2006 DUI arrest turned into an anti-Semitic rant, the actor-director’s image crumbled. Add in reports of racist and sexist outbursts, and his A-list reputation was toast. Though Hacksaw Ridge reignited some goodwill, and he’s set to star in The Continental, Gibson remains a divisive figure.

Dalton Trumbo
Dalton Trumbo was one of Hollywood’s most brilliant writers until politics made him a pariah. During the McCarthy era, he refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee, landing him in jail and on the blacklist. But Trumbo didn’t stop writing; he used pseudonyms and even won two uncredited Oscars for Roman Holiday and The Brave One.

Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin was the face of Hollywood’s golden age, until politics turned him into an exile. Accused of communist sympathies and moral misconduct, Chaplin refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. When he left for London to premiere Limelight, the U.S. government revoked his re-entry visa, effectively banning him.

Rose McGowan
Rose McGowan became one of the earliest and loudest voices against Harvey Weinstein, long before the #MeToo movement erupted. She alleged that Weinstein raped her in the late 1990s and then blacklisted her from major roles afterward. Director Robert Rodriguez later confirmed Weinstein sabotaged her film Grindhouse to punish her.

Roseanne Barr
Roseanne Barr’s fall from grace was swift and public. After the huge success of her sitcom Roseanne, her 2018 reboot was cancelled overnight following a racist tweet about former White House adviser Valerie Jarrett. ABC cut ties immediately, calling the post “abhorrent.”