Sometimes Hollywood stars get what they deserve, and sometimes they don’t! In this list though, these dodgy stars got what they had coming, and for good reason, as you will learn soon. We know you’re going to be surprised to learn who the actors featured in this list are, and why they got kicked out of their popular TV shows. There are plenty of reasons why showbiz stars get the boot from their prominent roles in sitcoms, talk shows, TV series, etc.
Every actor or actress included in this list got fired from their hit shows for completely valid reasons. Continue reading to learn all the details!
Nicolette Sheridan, Desperate Housewives
In 2004, Nicollette Sheridan played the role of Edie Britt in the comedy-drama series from ABC, Desperate Housewives. After her successful portrayal of the character, Nicollette got nominated in 2005 for the Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actress in the Series, Miniseries or Television Film category. She was also the 48th ranked personality in Maxim magazine's 2006 Hot 100 List.
Similar to her character’s feisty persona though, Nicollette quarreled with the rest of the cast of Desperate Housewives. The actresses of the miniseries would be upset if they felt that they were not getting the right screen time and emphasis, among others. It got to a point when the producers themselves couldn’t take it anymore and had to remove Nicollette’s character in the fifth season. The American actress then went on to file a lawsuit and claimed that she was physically assaulted on the set. In the end, though, her case was dismissed.
Alec Baldwin, Up Late with Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin rose to prominence following his performance as Joshua Rush in season six and season seven of the CBS television drama, Knots Landing. Since then, he has appeared in numerous movies portraying various distinguished roles, including Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October. From 2006 to 2013, the American actor gave an exceptional ongoing performance as Jack Donaghy on the NBC sitcom, 30 Rock, which garnered him an impressive array of awards, including two Emmys, three Golden Globe awards, and seven Screen Actors Guild awards, making Alec Baldwin the only male actor to have achieved such a number of SAG Awards.
In 2013, he became the host of 'Up Late with Alec Baldwin' on MSNBC, but the show quickly got shut down after just five episodes, mainly because of a street outburst recorded on video. Baldwin was seen bombarding a photographer with a series of angry homophobic rants. While he lost his show out of it, the award-winning actor managed to rebound in his acting career and his hilarious impersonation of Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live will always be remembered as legendary.
Leah Remini, The Talk
Leah Remini shined bright in her performance as Carrie Heffernan in CBS comedy series, The King of Queens, and as a co-host of CBS talk show, The Talk, together with Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Holly Robinson Peete, and Sharon Osbourne. The talk show shared many identical features to The View and mostly involved the women discussing motherhood and contemporary issues.
As it turned out though, Leah Remini didn’t mesh well with her co-stars on The Talk, including Sharon Osbourne. Leah shared to Howard Stern that she was fired because she refused to shut her mouth. Rather, she did what she thought was right, to the dismay of her bosses. The King of Queens actress is also an extremely candid critic (and former member) of Scientology. Since 2016, she was a co-producer and host of the Emmy Award-winning A&E documentary series, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. Today, Leah Remini is enjoying a starring role in the show, Kevin Can Wait.
John Amos, Good Times
John Amos received world recognition for his portrayal of James Evans, Sr. in the CBS television series, Good Times. He also appeared in the miniseries, Roots, for which he was awarded with an Emmy nomination. Amos has also participated in Broadway productions and in countless films during his career, that stretched for forty years. He was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy award and NAACP Image award.
In Good Times, John Amos’ character, James Evans, Sr., embodied the life of a father living in a dangerous area in Chicago. He started developing feelings of dissatisfaction with the direction of the show, however. For Amos, the show was becoming distant from its origins because it was concentrating on Walker and his “Dy-no-mite!” trademark line. John was eventually sacked while Walker was retained. Since his departure from the show, the American actor has slowly made his way back in numerous films and TV shows.
Suzanne Somers, Three's Company
In January of 1977, the late Suzanne Somers secured a prominent role in ABC’s sitcom, Three’s Company. When Susanne Zenor and Susan Lanier delivered mediocre performances during the first two dry runs, the president of ABA, Fred Silverman, recommended Somers after seeing her on The Tonight Show. She eventually passed the audition and secured an acting role for the character, Chrissy Snow, a stereotypical blonde simpleton who worked as an office secretary.
Three’s Company became an instant hit but, in the fifth season, Suzanne demanded an absurd salary increase five times higher than her original pay. She threw in numerous hefty demands as well. Naturally, the producers denied them, so Suzanne responded by boycotting a couple of episodes. In the end, she was booted out of the show after a few minor appearances. Suzanne managed to find plenty of success outside acting though, becoming a prominent product spokesperson (the Thighmaster!) and influencer. She even became an author of self-help books and a couple of autobiographies.
Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear
Jeremy Clarkson secured the biggest TV role of his career when he became a host of the British motoring program, Top Gear, during its original format. Later on, he hosted the show’s new format from 2002 towards 2015, together with James May and Richard Hammond. Many acknowledge Jeremy for transforming Top Gear into a top-viewed TV program on BBC Two, which was aired in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Despite his major participation and contributions to Top Gear, however, Jeremy Clarkson was put on hold and finally cut off by BBC following his altercation with producer Oisin Tymon in a hotel. He eventually admitted that getting the boot from the series was completely his own fault.
Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley
In 1975, Cindy Williams played Shirley Feeney in an episode of Happy Days, together with Penny Marshall who portrayed the character’s best friend and roommate, Laverne De Fazio. The two characters were presented as friends of Fonzie (played by Henry Winkler). Both their performances became so widely acclaimed that the show’s producer ordered a spin-off for the characters. Williams went on to star in the big hit, Laverne & Shirley, from 1976 to 1982.
In 1982, Cindy Williams was discovered to be pregnant and Bill Hudson, the actress’s husband during the time, gave producers a set of demands to cater to her. There was already growing friction between Cindy and her co-star, Penny, forcing the show’s management to move on in its final season without Shirley. Cindy Williams became separated from her husband Bill in 2000 and later on reconciled with her co-star, Penny Marshall.
Drake, Degrassi: The Next Generation
Determined to start his career as an actor, even at the very young age of 15, Aubrey Drake Graham (or Drake as he is famously known around the world), was introduced to an agent who happened to be the father of a high school friend. His friend’s father got Drake a role in a Canadian teen drama series, Degrassi: The Next Generation, where he played Jimmy Brooks, a basketball prodigy who ended up becoming crippled after he was shot by a classmate.
The producers of the show, however, found out that Drake was juggling his time between acting and music – often spending long hours at night recording. Upon their discovery, they insisted Drake choose between his acting and music career. The actor chose the latter and so he got fired. In the end, it appears that he made the right choice though, as Drake is currently a celebrated music artist and producer, and a Grammy winner who has broken an array of Billboard records.
Hunter Tylo, All My Children and Melrose Place
In 1984, depicting the character Deborah Morehart, Hunter Tylo was chosen as one of the casts of the sorority slasher film, The Initiation, alongside soon to be Melrose Place actress, Daphne Zuniga. The American actress, author, and former model became quite popular following her regular appearances in US daytime soap operas. Tylo’s first TV debut was on the show All My Children, in 1985. She is widely acclaimed for her portrayal of Taylor Hayes on The Bold and the Beautiful, starting from 1990 to 2018.
After it was discovered that Hunter Tylo was dating one of her co-stars, Michael Tylo, in All My Children, the actress was immediately laid off from the soap. She married Michael Tylo later on in her life. Tylo was then dismissed from Melrose Place without filming a single scene after the production crew found out she was with child. She filed a legal suit against them, won the case, and was awarded millions of dollars. Her most recent appearance is on the scripted reality series, Queens of Drama.
Robert Downey Jr., Ally McBeal
Starting from 1996 and nose diving into 2001, Robert Downey Jr. was apprehended multiple times for substance abuse and underwent numerous rehab programs that had little effect on his addiction. Downey revealed that his misuse of illegal substances started when he was just eight years old, thanks to his father who had the same addictive tendencies and even encouraged the actor to use as a young boy. Nonetheless, Robert Downey Jr. was and still is a great actor, even winning a Golden Globe award for his part in Ally McBeal.
The producers of the show had his back, even when he got caught using illegal substances because they believed in him and his acting prowess. After he was busted again though, the producers decided to move on from Downey Jr. and were forced to cut his character from the show. Robert Downey Jr. shared that the humiliation of getting arrested that time around was pivotal became it came with a moment of realization that ultimately obligated him to get serious with his rehab. As we all know, the actor made a huge comeback, best highlighted, perhaps, by his role in Iron Man, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Valerie Harper, Valerie
Valerie Harper started her career during the 70s, in the television series, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, portraying the character, Rhoda Morgenstern. Eventually, she landed a prominent role in the show, Valerie, playing the title role of Valerie Hogan. For the most part, she enjoyed a fruitful career, winning the Primetime Emmy award four times and being nominated numerous times for Golden Globe awards. Although the popular sitcom, Valerie, was named after Valerie Harper herself, the producers still kicked her out of the show before the third season because of an ugly salary disagreement.
The main character, Valerie, unexpectedly died on the show and the show’s title was changed to The Hogan Family, with Sandy Duncan replacing Harper as the star. Later on in her life, Valerie Harper came down with lung cancer which made its way into her brain in 2009. The doctors told Valerie that she had less than a year to live, but the American actress was able to respond well to treatment. Today, she continues to live and do the impossible in her battle against cancer.
Columbus Short, Scandal
Columbus Keith Short, Jr. is known for choreographing Britney Spears' Onyx Hotel Tour and partnering with Brian Friedman of So You Think You Can Dance. He became famous for his performance in the films Stomp the Yard, Cadillac Records, Armored, and The Losers. The American actor also starred as Harrison Wright in the ABC drama series, Scandal.
In an act of life imitating art, Columbus was fired from Scandal following a scandal of his own. He allegedly threatened his wife with a knife to her throat, prompting her to place a restraining order against him. Will the famed but shamed celebrity make a bounce back to our TV screens? There’s a chance he will, but Columbus will need to fix his domestic affairs and marriage first.
Lisa Bonet, A Different World
As a child, Lisa Bonet was already a star in the making, participating in various beauty pageants and performing in guest spots on television series. Eventually, she secured the job of playing Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show, alongside Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad. After a short stint in The Cosby Show, she went on to star the spin-off series, A Different World, which centered on Denise's college life and first aired in 1987.
Before the filming of the second season of A Different World, Lisa Bonet became pregnant to rock star, Lenny Kravitz. Bill Cosby thought long and hard on Lisa’s situation but ultimately made the choice to cut her out of the show. Lisa Bonet has since enjoyed a revival in the Showtime hit, Ray Donovan.
Billy Bush, Today
Billy Bush was hired to co-host the third hour of NBC’s Today back in May of 2016, serving as a substitute for Willie Geist. He was also the first ever reporter to interview American Olympic swimmer, Ryan Lochte, following his claim that he got mugged by a gunman in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Bush’s competence as an interviewer though, was heavily questioned and doubted after critics asserted that he failed to consider the possibility that Lochte was simply making the whole story up.
His blind assumption, however, wasn’t the cause of his demise as a TV personality. Bush received a suspension and eventually a dismissal from Today after a controversial recording exploded with the TV show host offensively fooling around with Donald Trump. The scandalous “grab her by the p***y” quote came from the recording of Trump talking to none other than Billy Bush. His questionable behavior ended up getting him booted out of Today, while Donald Trump went on to become the 45th president of the US. What do you think about those quality control standards?
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men
In 2003, Charlie Sheen was chosen to play the character of Charlie Harper in the CBS sitcom, Two and a Half Men. His persona on the show was roughly centered on the actor’s own infamous bad boy figure. The role earned Sheen various accolades, including an ALMA Award along with three Emmy award nominations and a couple of Golden Globe award nominations. In his eighth and last season on Two and a Half Men, the iconic actor managed to rake in a whopping $1.8 million pay check for every episode.
On a live radio interview, he threw anti-Semitic remarks at Two and a Half Men creator, Chuck Lorre. Sheen was sacked for his comments and was immediately replaced by American actor, Ashton Kutcher. In 2012, Sheen returned to acting and enjoyed plenty of success with the show, Anger Management, which concluded in 2014. One year later, he admitted in public that he was positive with HIV after a past lover attempted to blackmail him.
Phil Robertson, Duck Dynasty
Phil Robertson had a passion for duck hunting and a strong distaste for the current and widely used state of duck calls. For that reason, he started testing a kind of call that would replicate actual duck sounds and developed his very own first “Duck Commander” call in 1972. His invention would, later on, grow into a multimillion-dollar business. Phil and his family were shown live on the A&E reality television series, Duck Dynasty, which was broadcast for 15 years until 2017.
During a GQ interview, however, Phil Robertson was recorded making anti-gay comments, which forced A&E to suspend his participation in the show. His avid viewers and supporters though, rallied to Phil’s side, so he was ultimately permitted to come back on the series. Naturally, the Duck Dynasty star remained unapologetic regarding his offensive remarks.
Paula Deen, Several Food Network Shows
Paula Deen was introduced to The Food Network in 1999 after her friend, Erin Lewis, introduced her to Gordon Elliott, who eventually recommended her to an agent. Later on, Paula would secure a couple of notable shows from her work on The Food Network: Paula's Party and Paula's Best Dishes which was aired in 2006 and 2008 accordingly.
The American TV personality and notable cooking show host was axed from The Food Network after admitting to having used racist insults during her time with the show. She managed to get back on track with her career after the unfortunate event though, securing a performance on Dancing with the Stars, creating a personal syndicated show and constantly being featured on Evine, a home-shopping network.
Thomas Gibson, Criminal Minds
In 2005, Thomas Gibson landed a major role in the CBS series, Criminal Minds, as Supervisory Special Agent Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner, the unit chief of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) team. Nine successful filming years later though, Thomas was temporally dismissed from the show after clashing horns with a writer/producer on-set. He later apologized for his actions. Before that incident, Gibson also had a dispute with an assistant director and went through an anger-management counseling program.
One day after the incident, ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios released a statement making it known that Thomas Gibson’s contract with the show was cut short. The proclamation featured details that the exit plot of the character, Aaron Hotchner, in the series would be determined in the near future.
Ann Curry, Today
Ann Curry has worked as a reporter for more than 3 decades, mainly covering human suffering related news in war torn areas, and those devastated by natural calamities. The American journalist has covered numerous different wars in countries like Syria, Darfur, Congo, the Central African Republic, Kosovo, Lebanon, Israel, Afghanistan and Iraq. When it came to disasters, she reported many of them, like the tsunamis in Southeast Asia and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, where her petition through Twitter topped Twitter's 'most powerful' list. Her social media campaign was also applauded for helping speed up the arrival of humanitarian planes.
Ann Curry was hired as both the national and international correspondent-anchor for NBC News and the co-anchor for the Today show but made a tearful good-bye in 2012. Apparently, her chemistry with co-anchor Matt Lauer wasn’t that great, and there was a rumor flying around that there was a plan to get Curry out of the show, called “Operation Bambi”. In January 13, 2015, it was officially declared that Ann Curry would be exiting NBC News following almost 25 years of service. Soon after, she developed her own multi-platform media startup. Today, Curry still performs major news interviews on networks, most recently landing an exclusive interview with Iranian Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, regarding the Iran nuclear talks.
Star Jones, The View
Starting from 1986 towards 1991, Star Jones worked as a prosecutor for the Kings County District Attorney's Office, in Brooklyn, New York, and in 1992 was promoted to the senior assistant district attorney. Jones was then enlisted by Court TV as an analyst for the William Kennedy Smith rape trial and worked for a number of years as a legal correspondent for NBC's Today and NBC Nightly News. Two years later, she landed her personal court show, Jones & Jury, which simulated The People's Court.
Star Jones became a celebrity when she co-hosted the ABC morning talk show, The View, starting from 1997 to 2006. Supposedly, Barbara Walters became “blindsided” by Jones's declaration about her departure to the talk show, prompting Walters to advance Jone’s exit. As it appeared, Jones was accepting gifts for her wedding as a trade for a mention on the show. She stated that ABC approved her actions, but the network refuted her claim. The TV host made a comeback to The View in 2012 and has appeared various times on the show since then.
Kim Delaney, Army Wives
Kim Delaney achieved celebrity status for her role as Detective Diane Russell on the ABC drama television series, NYPD Blue. She also received an Emmy award for her performance on the show. At the start of her acting career, Kim was cast as Jenny Gardner on the ABC daytime television drama, All My Children. Eventually, she managed to land prominent roles on the TV drama, Philly, and in Army Wives, from season one to season six.
One year following Kim’s circuitous speech during an event that honored Defense Secretary Robert Gates, she was given her marching orders from Army Wives. The American actress also suffers from a long history of substance abuse. To this day, Kim Delaney continues to search for a stable gig after the aftermath of her abrupt exit from Army Wives.
Janet Hubert, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Janet Hubert is best known for her performance as the original Vivian Banks of the sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, starting from its first season in 1990 up until the finale of season three, in 1993. For her portrayal of Vivian Banks, Janet received an NAACP Image award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series nomination in 1991. Despite her widely acclaimed performance on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Janet Hubert was fired and replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid for season four, which commenced later in 1993.
According to Will Smith, the show's star, he didn’t get along well with Janet long before she was pregnant, although there were plenty of rumors that Smith wasn’t able to stand the actress’ critical comments while they were on set. Since then, Janet Hubert has appeared on numerous different TV shows including Friends, One Life to Live and Tyler Perry’s House of Payne. In November 2018, it was made public that Janet was chosen to play the role of Yvonne on the daytime soap opera, General Hospital.
MacKenzie Phillips, One Day at a Time
MacKenzie Phillips was born to be an actress. At the young age of 12, she was already performing in the coming-of-age comedy film, American Graffiti. She became a star in the 1970s after portraying the boy-crazy teenager, Julie Cooper, in the television show, One Day at a Time. The show also paid her handsomely, with $50,000 a week, the current equivalent of $232,808.
Unfortunately, MacKenzie suffered from substance abuse issues during her stint with One Day at a Time. Because of that, she was cut off from the show and underwent a rehabilitation program to get clean. She made a comeback in the show’s final season, but was then booted out for the second time when she got back to using and fainted on set. Today, Mackenzie Phillips is a counselor and made an appearance in the 2017 reboot of One Day at a Time, playing a counselor who helps individuals with substance abuse problems.
Jennette McCurdy, Sam & Cat
Jennette McCurdy became a celebrity when she co-starred with Ariana Grande in the Nickelodeon series, Sam & Cat. Jennette played the character, Sam Puckett, while Ariana played Cat Valentine. The show was first aired on June 8, 2013, and revolved around the story of two girls who became roommates and began a babysitting business.
Jennette’s acting career for the Nickelodeon series was jeopardized when provocative photos of the female star started going viral. It made things even worse when she posted even more photos of the same kind on Instagram. After matters got out of hand, Nickelodeon decided to shut down the show entirely. Currently, Jennette McCurdy is enjoying success on the Netflix sci-fi series, Between.
Selma Blair, Anger Management
In 2012, Selma Blair starred in the short film, Slideshow of Wieners: A Love Story, a satirical love story regarding the internet. Shortly after her admirable performance in the short film, Selma came back to our TV screens as a lead actress in the first showing of FX's Anger Management, with Charlie Sheen as her co-star. Selma Blair starred in a total of 53 episodes of Anger Management, portraying Dr. Kate Wales, Charlie Sheen's therapist, and romantic partner. The series drew a mixed bag of critical reviews but, nevertheless, proved to be a big hit – it garnered 5.74 million viewers when it debuted and is ranked as the #1 viewed sitcom premiere in cable history.
Selma Blair exited Anger Management during the filming of the second season because of disputes with her co-star, Charlie Sheen. She apparently enraged Sheen while they were filming, prompting the actor to work on her immediate firing. Her exit on the show was made official in June of 2013. Selma continues to star in various Hollywood roles, including the horror movie, Mom and Dad, with the inimitable Nicolas Cage, in 2017.
Shannen Doherty, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed
Back in the early 90s, Shannen Doherty earned global recognition and popularity for her breakout role as Brenda Walsh in the Aaron Spelling-produced TV series, Beverly Hills, 90210. Her performance garnered her a Young Artist award nomination for Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series. Outside her success on the screen though, the American actress was infamous for her troublesome ways on set, forcing her to leave the Beverly Hills TV series.
Shannen went on to enjoy much success during her time on Charmed, although she would end up crossing swords with another co-star, Alyssa Milano, which ultimately got her kicked out of the hit show. Doherty has endured a long and drawn out battle with advanced breast cancer, and depending on your opinion regarding her latest interviews, the experience appears to have humbled her and offered the actress a new and better perspective on life.
Brian Williams, NBC Nightly News
On December 2, 2004, Brian Williams was named lead anchor of NBC Nightly News, a replacement for Tom Brokaw who was already heading for retirement. Brian’s first year in NBC was highlighted by two major news coverages: the Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, with the latter garnering him critical acclaim. The New York Times described his coverage of the hurricane as a defining moment in his career.
Amidst his success with NBC Nightly News though, he was still kicked out following his confession that a story involving his helicopter being shot down in the air during the war on Iraq was a hoax. Today, Brian Williams is the host of The 11th Hour, with Brian Williams, on MSNBC.
Dana Plato, Diff'rent Strokes
Dana Michelle Plato was cast as Kimberly Drummond on the U.S. television sitcom, Diff'rent Strokes. In the show’s first debut on NBC, in 1978, it instantly became a big hit. Dana was featured on the popular TV sitcom at the start of 1978, well into 1984 and again from 1985 to 1986. The show was broadcast by two separate networks during Dana’s term.
With her sparkling charm, Dana Plato gave Diff’rent Strokes a unique flavor that contributed to its wide appeal to a broad range of audiences. The vibrant persona that she embodied on our TV screens, though, was entirely different from her real life persona, which was deeply affected by substance abuse. The actress tied the knot with a rock star, which led both to her pregnancy and, unfortunately, to her getting fired after producers became uneasy with her status. Dana Michelle Plato died at a very young age in 1999. The actress was just 34.
Pat O'Brien, The Insider
Because of his Irish lineage, Pat O’Brien typically performed Irish and Irish-American roles and was coined as "Hollywood's Irishman in Residence" by the media. He also starred as various characters including priests, cops, military figures, pilots, and reporters from the 30s and 40s. The Irish American actor was often in duo with Hollywood icon, James Cagney.
During his time with The Insider, his status was already in a precarious state following the appearance of voicemail recordings that contained provocative, lewd messages to an unidentified woman. The versatile actor was then formally discharged from the show when he sent a rude email to other workers regarding his (soon-to-be) replacement, Lara Spencer. Pat O’Brien authored his own autobiography, I’ll Be Back Right After This, that was published in 2014
Bill Maher, Politically Incorrect
Bill Maher played the main role in Politically Incorrect, which was broadcast on Comedy Central for four years and then on ABC for a further five years. The late-night political talk show raked in an assortment of awards, including the Emmy award for Outstanding Technical Direction, Best Talk Show Series and a Genesis award for Best Television Talk Show. Bill Maher achieved a lot of award nominations, including 10 Emmy nominations, 2 TV Guide nominations, and 2 Writers Guild nominations.
In spite of the show’s success, Bill Maher was still axed following the 9-11 attack in New York because of his disturbing statements describing the people who “Kamikazee-d” their planes into the buildings and claiming they weren’t cowards and that the Americans “have been the cowards.” Those who loved Bill’s critical humor though, were able to see their idol rebound quickly. Today, the American comedian hosts Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO, a position he’s safely held onto since 2003.
Isaiah Washington, Grey's Anatomy
In 2005, Isaiah Washington was given the opportunity to play the part of talented cardio-thoracic surgeon, Dr. Preston Burke, on the ABC medical drama, Grey's Anatomy. Isiah’s performance in the show garnered him a couple of NAACP Image awards for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, as well as a Screen Actors Guild award. Aside from those awards, he was also named as one of "TV's Sexiest Men” by TV Guide in June of 2006 and one of “TV's Sexiest Doctors” in June of 2008. Before that, he was also considered as one of People magazine’s "50 Beautiful People” in May of 2006.
Isaiah, however, was permanently suspended from the Grey’s Anatomy show because of an epic homophobic rant in 2007. He made a comeback on the show in 2014, but only as a guest to expound one character’s history. Today, he plays a major role in the post-apocalyptic CW series, The 100.
Naya Rivera, Glee
In 2009, Rivera was chosen to play the part of the high school cheerleader, Santana Lopez, in the hit musical comedy series, Glee. As her appearance and musical participation improved during the next half of the first season, Naya enjoyed a staple role at the start of the second season. In July 2011, Rivera received nominations for two ALMA Awards in the categories of Favorite Female Music Artist and Favorite TV Actress – lead actress in a Comedy.
No one knows for sure what became of Naya Rivera near the finale of season five in the casting of Glee. Many gossiped that she butted heads with the show’s producers. Regardless of what it was, Naya didn’t receive an invitation for the casting of the sixth season of Glee. After her time with the show, Naya made regular appearances on Devious Maids and was a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Dave Hester, Storage Wars
Dave Hester is best known for his role in the “Storage Wars” show. The American TV personality has worked in the storage auction business for more than 25 years now. The Golden Pool painting by Jack Wilkinson Smith is considered one of the biggest finds in his career, after buying the painting for only $750 and selling it for a whopping $155,000. Hester is also the CEO and owner of Dave Hester Auctions.
David was canned from the show “Storage Wars” in 2012, but he fired back with a lawsuit of his own in December 2012, with the claim of wrongful dismissal. According to the auctioneer, the show was a setup, because there were valuable items that were purposely installed on the storage units. The case was settled in July 2014 and quickly after, he came back to the show. Hester has a popular trademarked catch phrase “YUUUP!”, which has been imprinted on products like hats and T-shirts.
Erinn Hayes, Kevin Can Wait
Erinn Hayes became popular for her performance as Dr. Lola Spratt in the Adult Swim sitcom, Children’s Hospital. Aside from that, Erinn has starred in a number of other roles in several network sitcoms, playing Alison in The Winner in 2007, Melanie Clayton in Worst Week, from 2008 to 2009, and Sheila in Guys with Kids, from 2012 to 2013. In 2012, the American actress landed her first feature film role in the black comedy, It's a Disaster.
Erinn Hayes is also best known for her role on the Amazon series, The Dangerous Book for Boys, and the first season of the CBS sitcom, Kevin Can Wait. After the end of season one of Kevin Can Wait, Errin was stunned to discover that her character would pass away in the second season and be replaced by Leah Remini. Kevin James later revealed that the reason behind her character’s death was to change the show’s plot. In the wake of her dismissal, Erinn Hayes secured a repeating role on the TBS comedy, Wrecked.
Brett Butler, Grace Under Fire
Brett Butler made distinguished showings on Dolly Parton's ill-fated 1987 variety series, Dolly. Parton appointed Brett to write the rest of the show’s run, although it was shut down not long after due to consistently poor ratings. Butler wasn’t to be stopped though, becoming a star in the ABC Television show, Grace Under Fire, enjoying a good run from 1993 to 1998.
She was eventually dismissed from Grace Under Fire, however, due to prescription medication problems. The actress revealed in TV Guide how terrible the experience was for her. In just one day, she lost her husband, got booted from the show and had to give her beloved dog to her sister. Since then, Brett Butler regained her stardom in Anger Management and appeared in two episodes of The Leftovers.
T.R. Knight, Grey’s Anatomy
T.R. Knight played the character of Dr. George O’Malley on the hit show Grey’s Anatomy. He was fired from the show after five seasons and his character was killed off due to what he strangely described as a “breakdown of communication” with show creator Shonda Rhimes.
Knight has publicly accused Rhimes of firing him after he came out as gay, but she emphatically denies these allegations. He must have made somebody angry, though, because his character was hit by a bus, horribly disfigured and died shortly after.
Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros, Lost
Hawaii is a magical place, with sea and sun and little drinks with umbrellas in them. It’s easy to start thinking you are on vacation and not focus on your acting work. During the shooting of Lost, Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros did too much partying and both received DUIs.
The creators and producers of Lost were mortified by the bad publicity and decided the actresses were too big of a liability. Soon after, both their characters, police officer Ana Lucia Cortez and Libby Smith, met their untimely end on the show.
Dominic Monaghan, Lost
Dominic Monaghan played the role of the complex character, Charlie Pace, on the series Lost. Charlie died a hero’s death, choosing to sacrifice himself for the other survivors on the island at the end of season 3. Charlie may have died for a reason, but the reasoning behind the decision may have not been as inspiring.
Monaghan did not get along with fellow castmate Matthew Fox and openly shared his opinions about the direction he believed his character should go. The actor has stated that he was relieved to hear about his character’s death, because he was unhappy playing a small role in a large cast.
Isaac Hayes, South Park
Isaac Hayes was the iconic voice of Chef on Comedy Central's animated classic, South Park, for years. The show is famous for holding nothing sacred and manages to offend a lot of people in the process. On one occasion, the creators went too far, according to Hayes, and the actor got so offended that he decided to quit the show.
He did not approve of the way the show poked fun at the religion of Scientology. It seems like Hayes and South Park’s creators did not have an amicable parting because his character was killed off in an extremely gruesome way.
Jay Thomas, Cheers
Jay Thomas played hockey star Eddie Lebec on legendary sitcom Cheers from 1982 to 1993. Eddie was an actor but also worked as a morning DJ for KPWR-Power 106 in Los Angeles. One day he was questioned about his role on Cheers while on the air and he replied with a complaint about having to kiss fellow cast member Rhea Perlman, who played his wife Carla Tortelli.
Allegedly, Perlman heard what he said on the radio and Eddie Lebec never entered the Cheers bar again. Turns out that he died on the ice in some kind of freak Zamboni accident. Guess that’s what happens when you disrespect your wife.
Mandy Patinkin, Criminal Minds
Veteran actor Mandy Patinkin played Special Agent Jason Gideon in the successful CBS crime drama, Criminal Minds. The actor was with the show from the very beginning, but he was killed off after only two seasons for a couple of reasons. He talked about his feelings with New York Magazine, saying: “I thought [Criminal Minds] was different. I never thought they were going to kill and rape all these women every night, every day, week after week, year after year. It was very destructive to my soul and my personality.”
His unhappiness affected his work and he began missing shoots, so the producers decided to kill him off, which worked out well for everyone.
Patrick Dempsey, Grey’s Anatomy
Derek Sheperd, also known as “McDreamy”, was one of the most beloved characters in the many seasons of Grey’s Anatomy. The character, played by Patrick Dempsey, was killed off in a shocking car accident in the eleventh season, leaving many fans heartbroken. Although the show is known for twists and tragedy, Sheperd’s death may not have been part of the storyline.
There have been rumors that Dempsey’s departure from the show may have been caused by his affair with a younger staff member. An insider said, “It got very messy and emotional on set and became a huge liability.” The rumor was not confirmed, but this is the widely accepted reason for the character’s death.
Michael Pitt, Boardwalk Empire
The second season finale of Boardwalk Empire featured Jimmy Darmody, played by Michael Pitt, being shot in the face and killed. This dramatic moment may have been an important part of the plot, but it was also a good way to get rid of Pitt. The actor was known for not having a great work ethic or a good attitude and would often forget his lines.
He also famously went off-script, all of which added up to wasting the production’s time and money and eventually getting Pitt canned from the show. Things must have been pretty bad because Pitt’s own agent told Deadline that UTA dropped him as a client because he’s really difficult on set.
John Rhys-Davies, Sliders
Sci-fi fans everywhere know Professor Maximillian Arturo from 'Sliders' and the actor who played him, John Rhys-Davies. He was on the show from 1995 to 1997, but was ultimately shot dead when the show’s writers and creators couldn’t take it anymore. Apparently, Rhys-Davies called the show’s scripts “incomprehensible gibberish” and would fight with the writers all the time, calling them unintelligent and useless.
His response to being killed off in season three was claiming the writers “screwed up because they didn’t have the vision.” We’re pretty sure they were envisioning getting rid of him since the very beginning.
Mischa Barton, The O.C.
Mischa Barton starred as Marissa Copper in teen soap opera, The O.C. This was Barton’s breakout role and fans of the show loved her character, which is why they were heartbroken when she died in a car accident on the third season. While the fans were still reeling, the showrunners revealed that they just couldn’t stand working with Barton any longer.
Apparently, the actress believed she was too good for TV and her bad attitude drove everyone crazy. Other cast members also felt that she was hard to work with but weren’t sure she should have been killed off, because of the impact on the fans.
Raymond Cruz, Breaking Bad
Tuco Salamance, played by Raymond Cruz, is one of the most memorable characters from AMC’s acclaimed series Breaking Bad. Tuco is a meth-taking drug dealer with crazy energy, but the actor who plays him is a low-key kind of guy who surprisingly asked to be killed off the show. Cruz expressed apprehension about returning to the series and said the role was extremely difficult to play due to Tuco’s violent and explosive energy.
The producers asked him to do just eight more episodes, but the actor declined. They then mentioned that no one had ever asked to be killed off before, the actor explained that they didn’t understand what the role demanded from him.
Maggie Roswell, The Simpsons
Maggie Roswell did the voice for Maude Flanders’ character on the long-running animated series, The Simpsons, but the actress threatened to quit the show because she didn’t want to pay for her own tickets from Denver to Los Angeles anymore. Apparently, she made untrue claims about her salary and said she couldn’t afford the flights.
Fox was unwilling to pay for her travel and eventually she left the show. Several other actresses voiced the part for a while until in the end Maude was killed off. Fox was willing to get rid of the character rather than pay the bill for Roswell’s commute.
Jon Polito, Homicide: Life on the Street
John Polito played the character of Detective Steve Crosetti on 'Homicide: Life on the Street'. When a producer let the actor know he was going to be written off the show temporarily, the actor overacted and went public with negative remarks about the show and its creators.
Unsurprisingly, on the next season, his character tragically commits suicide, with his body being found floating in the bay days later. Polito later admitted that he acted poorly and patched things up with the producer. They even ended up working together again on a different project.
Kal Penn, House
The doctors on 'House' had to deal with a lot from their mentor and no one rose to the challenge quite as well as fan-favorite, Dr. Lawrence Kutner. The cast and crew of the show didn’t seem to share the same attitude towards the actor playing the part, Kal Penn. He was not known for bad behavior or drama on the set, but was apparently mostly focused on politics during filming.
Penn joined the Obama Administration as an Associate Director of Public Engagement for the White House in early 2009. This led to him being written off the show and his character was killed off in a heartbreaking suicide.
Taylor Momsen, Gossip Girl
Taylor Momsen got her start in acting playing the role of Cindy Lou Who in the 2000 film, 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'. But the sweet Who girl was soon replaced with a rebellious teenager, as Momsen was cast in CW series 'Gossip Girl' as Jenny Humphrey. She started out as a series regular but began to appear less and less over time. There were whispers about her bad behavior and by the time season four rolled around, she was gone.
Momsen stated that she had decided to take a break from acting to work on her music, but Hollywood Life claims she was actually fired from the show due to her “unreliable and erratic behavior” on set.
Danny Masterson, The Ranch
Danny Masterson played the beloved character of Hyde on the long-running sitcom 'That ‘70s Show'. He joined up with old cast member Ashton Kutcher for Netflix series, 'The Ranch', in 2016. The series was a hit with fans and critics until Masterson was accused of attacking four women in the early 2000s. There was public pressure on Netflix to take action and they decided to kick Masterson off the show in late 2017.
Masterson, who was also an executive producer on the show, is another name on the long list of Hollywood celebrities being accused of attacking women. After an investigation by the LAPD and a trial, he was convicted and will face the consequences. 'The Ranch' is still in production and will continue without Masterson.
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
Kevin Spacey was among a growing number of actors who were accused of sexual assault in 2017. After the allegations came to light, Netflix decided to fire Spacey from their successful series 'House of Cards'. The streaming giant later announced that they would be cutting all ties with the actor on any projects.
At the time, production was already taking place for the sixth season of the show, but by the time the season aired, Spacey’s character Frank Underwood had been killed off. Spacey responded to the claims with an unconvincing apology and opted to come out as gay on Twitter to try and shift the story’s focus.
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
Amazon Studios fired Jeffrey Tambor from their critically acclaimed show, 'Transparent', in February 2018, after investigating claims of sexual harassment by the actor. Tambor allegedly propositioned and groped his assistant, a transgendered woman named Van Barnes.
He denied the accusation vehemently, but another transgender woman spoke out with similar complaints. Although Tambor plays the lead role of Maura in the series, the next season will continue without him.
Mario Batali, The Chew
ABC announced in May 2018 that after seven seasons, the talk show 'The Chew' would not return for an eighth. The show first aired in 2011 and was hosted by chefs Michael Symon, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, and, until recently, Mario Batali. Batali was dropped from 'The Chew' at the end of 2017, when multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, taking place over 20 years, came to light.
Even though Batali was let go, the controversy had an adverse impact on ratings, with female viewing numbers dropping by 17 percent.
Roseanne, Roseanne
In the era of reboots, Roseanne returned to ABC in 2018 to revive the sitcom bearing her name. The network was nervous about working with her again because recently, she has been more famous for her provocative opinions than her comedy skills. The premiere was a hit, with 22 million viewers, and the network crossed its fingers that nothing would hurt their success. Unfortunately, Roseanne couldn’t help herself from going on a late-night Twitter tirade, which she later blamed on Ambien.
The actress tweeted that Valerie Jarrett was the child of the “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes”. The show was canceled the very next day, and ABC is trying to bring it back in a different format without Roseanne. Hopefully, the cast and crew get another chance to make it work.
Jeremy Piven, Wisdom of the Crowd
Jeremy Piven also faced accusations of sexual misconduct in 2017. Three women came forward with allegations about the actor. At the time, Piven was playing lead character Jeffrey Tanner on 'Wisdom of the Crowd'. He starred in only 13 episodes before the network not only got rid of Piven, but canceled the show entirely.
He has spoken out regarding the claims saying, “I unequivocally deny the appalling allegations being peddled about me. It did not happen.” Nevertheless, CBS decided to pass on a second season of the show due to the accusations and poor ratings.