Kathy Griffin

Project: CNN’s New Year Show

Mixing politics with entertainment is a very tricky thing to do and only few can pull it off successfully. Others fail to land their punchlines, while the truly unlucky ones fall into controversy. In 2017, comedian and TV host Kathy Griffin experienced this firsthand, following her mocking of then-president Donald Trump. The photo spread like wildfire and before Griffin knew it, she had been officially booted off CNN’S New Year show, which she was set to host with Anderson Cooper. Since then, she has been blacklisted and has been slowly working on recovering her career.

On top of losing the hosting job, the backlash also resulted in her getting fired from an endorsement deal. While Griffin has since apologized for the photo and taking accountability for its disturbing nature, it certainly tainted her reputation in the industry. This is quite a loss considering this is an artist’s biggest investment if they want to maintain their success.