The Price of Fame: 9 Public Figures Who Have Done Terrible Things But Are Still Revered by Fans

Many artists, celebrities, and public figures are revered for their talents and good deeds. However, there are some famous people who’ve done such terrible things that many people believe they no longer deserve their platform.

Redditor u/lattekosmiko took to r/AskReddit to discover which celebrities to avoid.

They asked, “What is a public figure or artist who has done horrible things but that people continue to follow or listen to?”

Other Redditors swarmed the thread with answers.

1: David and Leigh Eddings

u/Super_Jay shared, “David Eddings and his wife Leigh, authors who wrote several bestselling fantasy series. They had a horrible child abuse conviction prior to writing books.”

According to the Redditor, the Eddings kept a four-year-old boy locked in a cage in their basement. After the boy was discovered, the couple was arrested and served time in prison. However, their sentences were short and they’re now free.

The Eddings have gone on to write  “several bestselling series of fantasy novels, including The Belgariad, The Malloreon, The Elenium, The Dreamers, and The Tamuli,” u/Super_Jay added.

2: Ethan Kath

u/ghettoprisessa answered, “Not extremely well known I think but Ethan Kath (aka Claudio Paolo Palmieri) from Crystal Castles.”

“He abused Alice Glass physically, mentally, sexually, and financially for like a decade. Too bad he’s an awful person, he’s a very talented producer/musician.”

3: Local Celebrities

u/mcherrington said, “Let me just tell you that the weatherman from my hometown has more than a dozen aggravated assault charges from beating his wife and is still worshiped. I hate the man and all that he stands for.”

4: Gloria Trevi

u/Solid_Negotiation441 answered, “Gloria Trevi. She’s a Mexican singer who’s been popular since the 90s. During the 90s she and her husband (Sergio Andrade) were the head of a sex/human trafficking ring of underaged girls.”

“Basically, she would groom young girls and promise them a career in music. However, once they accepted, she would basically kidnap them and would force them to have sex with her clients and husband.”

“She was never convicted of any charges or sentence. She is still very famous in Mexico and a lot of people still listen to her songs and go to her concerts.”

5: Jerry Lee Lewis

u/freecain added, “Jerry Lee Lewis: was married seven times, and a couple overlapped. The third marriage (at age 22) was to his first cousin once removed who was 13 at the time.”

“She had a son at 14 that died in a pool accident at age three. She divorced Jerry at age 19 for adultery and abuse (physical and mental).”

6: Ezra Miller

u/Cars4fun said, “Ezra Miller should probably be in jail.”

“They could still very much go to jail,” replied u/Ok-Television-65. “Authorities will often investigate right up until the statute of limitations to make their arrests.”

“Some of their crimes were felonies, so they’ve got at least 3 years to make their move.”

7: Boy George

u/sovietsinspace shared, “Boy George – falsely imprisoned a male escort by handcuffing him to a wall and beating him with a metal chain.”

“He served a 4-month sentence and now he’s on all sorts of reality shows,” added u/justfay.

“no one seems to remember what a monster he is. In my opinion, he should never be allowed on television or to release music again.”

8: Steven Tyler

u/DefusedManiac said, “No one’s gonna mention Steven Tyler of Aerosmith? Fans signed over legal custody of their daughter to him at 16 y/o, he then raped and drugged her for a couple of years, made her get an abortion, and then dumped her back to her “parents” home.”

“He’s finally being charged, but holy s*** that was a long time.”

9: Joel Osteen and Peter Popoff

u/LGchan answered, “How about prosperity church cretins/faith healing con artists like Joel Osteen or Peter Popoff? I *cannot believe* that they have followers still, it’s unfathomable.”

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

Maya (she/they) is a queer entertainment and culture journalist. They cover interviews, reviews, roundups, news, and more. She loves horror, history, and creativity. They hope their writing both entertains readers and inspires them to think critically. Her favorite pastimes include needle felting, gaming, and drawing.