Sometimes, celebrities and notable figures land in a negative light for reasons we can understand. But there are many instances where they seem to get the short end of the stick for no good reason. A forum post sought answers as to which famous people were unfairly treated, and the answers came flooding in.

If I'm to throw my two cents in, I'd say Paris Hilton. Yes. She plays (key word there) a ditzy heiress with that obnoxious baby voice, but she didn't deserve to be exploited and the very personal leak certainly didn't warrant the subsequent hate that followed. Her opportunist ex sold their adult film as a form of revenge and completely got away with it. This is just one example. For more, let's look at some of the post's responses.

1. Laura Bailey

In 2020, video game developer Naughty Dog upset fans of The Last of Us in a deeply personal way. Or so they’d have you think with the death threats and hatred slung at Laura Bailey, the voice of Part II’s pseudo-antagonist, Abby.

“It’s honestly crazy that people were full-on threatening her and her newborn child with death for playing a character,” one forum member states. In fact, Laura was only half of the Abby equation, as the character’s face model, Jocelyn Mettler, helped bring emotion to her face.

And yes, as you could guess, she, too, received threats.

2. Ahmed Best

Admittedly Jar Jar Binks wasn’t among the best Star Wars characters. However, the heated reactions that led actor Ahmed Best to consider suicide were entirely unwarranted. “I didn’t like Jar Jar… but I’m not going to send death threats…” one user responded to the forum post, showing a level-headed reaction to disliking something.

But Jar Jar wasn’t universally hated. A response to the previous comment noted, “I loved Jar Jar and Ahmed almost took his life because of that…” Thankfully, Star Wars fans eased up and even celebrated the actor’s return to the franchise in a surprise cameo in The Mandalorian.

3. Corey Feldman

Once a celebrated child star, Corey Feldman made the “mistake” of trying to stand up to Hollywood’s sleaziest entities. A forum member recalls one interview that changed the world’s perception of Feldman after he made accusations of childhood sexual abuse. “Barbara Walters treated him awfully and basically told the world he was a liar.”

“You’re ruining an entire industry,” another commenter reiterates Walter’s words, adding “No Barbara, the pedophiles are the ones in the wrong.” Feldman did have a fairly noticeable fall from grace, as many child stars tend to, unfortunately.

4. Janet Jackson

“My first thought was why is she taking all the heat when [Justin Timberlake] clearly ripping off parts of her outfit.” This sentiment from one commenter is exactly the confusion that many had after Janet Jackson received immense hate and a blow to her career after the infamous Super Bowl XXXVIII incident.

After the alleged wardrobe malfunction, Jackson made headlines as a deviant while Timberlake skirted under the radar. Even as it became more and more the act had been staged, Jackson couldn’t escape the ridicule.

5. Anna Gunn

Walt may have thought he was the danger but for Anna Gunn, the real danger was the Breaking Bad fanbase. As one user and Breaking Bad viewer remembers, “She faced a lot of harassment for playing Skyler White in Breaking Bad. Her character doesn’t even compare to the most evil characters in the show, including Walter White.”

A follow-up comment points out the irony in all the hate Gunn received. “Skyler was basically the only one reacting realistically and rationally in that show.” Gunn’s experience became so bad that she even penned a New York Times op-ed, in which she points out some of the vile posts and comments made about her.

6. Pamela Anderson

Like Paris Hilton, someone exposed Pamela Anderson and then-husband Tommy Lee's most intimate moments. The individual in question broke into the couple's home, stole their adult film, and put it on the Internet for the entire world to see. Moreover, people accused her of staging the circumstances and releasing the tape to further her career. Imagine having something so personal stolen from you, put up for the entire world's viewing, and then falsely accused of the embarrassment and trauma you've endured.

Another user has a secondary reason why Anderson received a lot of criticism. “She also got a lot of hate because she crafted an out-of-touch, stupid, vapid, rich girl persona for herself on The Simple Life and her other TV shows.” Just to clarify one thing—that person was not one she perpetuated because she liked it.

7. Jake Lloyd

Jake Lloyd, the kid who played young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, was bullied without mercy. One user denotes the fandom mocked him so severely that it destroyed his love of Star Wars. Another clarifies that “it was his classmates in school.” Neither is entirely unthinkable or reasonable. Just look at how Star Wars fans dealt with Jar Jar Binks.

8. Sinéad O'Connor

Remember when Sinéad O'Connor ripped up a picture of the pope? That wasn't even her most controversial moment. A forum member recalls when she attempted to expose the abuse from the Catholic church and pretty much lost her career. People used her as a punching bag then, but nobody ever apologized.

9. Britney Spears

Britney Spears was harassed by people, including Barbara Walters, as a teenage girl about her virginity. Then again when she suffered a nervous breakdown. After fighting and being released from her conservatorship, people still come for her. There's no empathy or grace extended to her social media presence while processing her trauma. but she should know that there are plenty behind her, like this user who stated, “The way we treated her after the breakdown is downright sad.”

10. Monica Lewinski

Monica Lewinski was Bill Clinton's intern who was destroyed by the media and public opinion. One user rightly mentions that Jay Leno's monologue was jokes about Monica Lewinsky for years, noting that “He was so cruel to her nightly.”

11. Lindsay Lohan

Lindsey Lohan was labeled “overworked and pimped out by her parents.” Multiple people acknowledge the media's repulsive behavior toward her regarding her addiction. One comment says that David Letterman did an interview with her that is difficult to watch—further noting that the world owes her a sincere apology.

12. Dixie Chicks

The Dixie Chicks didn't deserve the hate they got for publicly criticizing President George W. Bush and the Iraq invasion. A forum member says they “were patient zero for cancel culture.” However, another argues it was Sinéad O'Connor.

13. Anna Nicole Smith

One respondent suggests that Anna Nicole Smith was a sincerely nice and hard-working woman who adored her billionaire husband, J. Howard Marshall. She believes they made each other happy, and she took care of him. While the world ridiculed her for being a “gold digger,” close friends say she was madly in love with him.

“I'll admit that I once believed that she was a cheap gold digger, but many of her friends' stories and my instincts tell me that she only had good intentions,” a user states candidly. 

14. Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway came up several times in the thread. Many believe she receives undeserved hate for being a theater kid who made it. “She reminds us of THOSE kids from high school, except there was no reason to hate those kids either.”

Another comment simply states that “she was maybe a little too prevalent on top of an earnestness/enthusiasm about her that I think rubs some people the wrong way in large doses.”

15. Nicolas Cage

Finally, people don't understand why Nicolas Cage gets so much hate. He has starred in classic films and is a talented actor. One respondent believes, “Being related to Francis Ford Coppola, he was expected to do much more highbrow artsy roles.” Others think the fact that he changed his name before taking roles is impressive and speaks more to being a great actor on his own.

Source: Reddit