Success is a fickle thing that can disappear in the blink of an eye.
These aspiring mega-stars were really going places — before one flip comment, brash
action, or untimely revelation stopped their careers in their tracks.
Maybe it's just a little mistake, but add live TV to the mix, and you've got a recipe
for disaster.
Record skips
German R&B and dance pop duo Milli Vanilli rose to prominence at the end of the eighties
with crossover hits such as "Girl You Know It's True" and "Blame it on the Rain," selling
millions of records, and earning the duo the trophy for best new artist at the 1990 Grammys.
"Milli Vanilli."
But to anyone paying close attention, the group's musical chops didn't hold up.
First, the guys' voices didn't quite sound like their recordings, prompting questions
from the press.
But the moment that destroyed their careers happened live, well, live on tape.
The duo was performing "Girl You Know It's True" when the backing track began to skip
— revealing Milli Vanilli wasn't actually singing at all.
MTV recorded the entire concert live with the intention of playing it back at a later date.
but the record skipping altered that plan slightly.
"Girl you know it" "Girl you know it"
"Girl you know it"
In a media blitz, the duo were labeled as frauds, lawsuits were filed, and fans demanded
refunds for albums.
Their Grammy was revoked, and they never performed again.
Hot topic
Irish singer Sinead O'Connor used her spot as musical guest on a 1992 episode of SNL
to make a political statement — and a rather provocative one at that.
Concluding an a cappella performance of the Bob Marley song "War," O'Connor sang her last
lines while reaching for a photograph of John Paul II — and then she tore it to pieces.
"Fight the real enemy."
The move torpedoed the singer's burgeoning career in the U.S., and turned many people
off her music, branding her as a high-risk, controversial act — a reputation she's maintained
to this day.
But that wasn't even the worst career ender on SNL — for that, we have to go all the
way back to the early 1980's...
Network take-down
With an untested cast under the guidance of new producer Jean Doumanian , the 1980 to
81 season of SNL started badly and got worse.
The show dragged on throughout the winter as a national joke — its own sketches displaying
a sharp awareness of its declining quality.
An historic low was reached in the 11th episode of the season, when cast member Charles Rocket
dropped the F-bomb.
"It's the first time I've been shot in my life.
I'd like to know who the f--- did it."
It was the last straw for the studio, which began cleaning house promptly after the episode
aired.
But Rocket actually came dangerously close to sinking the entire show.
NBC also fired Doumanian, and SNL went off the air for a month.
By the time it returned, the show had replaced most of its writing staff and was in the process
of purging every single one of its cast members, except Joe Piscopo and Eddie Murphy — the
sole survivors of a disastrous era.
Too harsh
On New Zealand's version of The X Factor, one singer-turned-judge definitely crossed
the line.
British singer Natalia Kills lit into contestant Joe Irvine in 2015.
"Ladies and gentlemen I'm just going to state the obvious we have a doppelgänger in our
midst"
Kills essentially accused him of copying his act and persona from her own husband, singer
Willy Moon, who was also sitting on the panel as a judge.
The intensity of Kills' disgust turned off viewers in droves, and both Kills and Moon
were soon removed from the judging panel.
For his troubles, Irvine reportedly received consolations and cupcakes from fellow singer
Lorde, but he told the New Zealand Herald in 2016 that he's still traumatized.
Roasted
Comic Doug Williams found himself in the hot seat at Shaq's All Star Comedy Roast of football
player Emmitt Smith.
Following an introduction by host Jamie Foxx, Williams' set started slowly, but about three
jokes in, Foxx began sniping at the comic, mocking Williams' punchlines and all but telling
him to get off of the stage.
"where is he right now?"
We're here for Emmitt Smith.
Do you have any jokes for him tonight?"
Foxx later defended his actions, calling his barrage, quote, "very dark liquor-induced."
While the production wasn't broadcast live, there were no second takes for Williams.
His bomb of a set lives forever online.
Two words
The first day on a new job is always stressful, especially if your job subjects you to the
scrutiny of everyone who might be tuned into the Bismarck local news.
Aspiring young broadcaster, AJ, let his anxiety get the best of him, right off the bat.
"F------ s---."
Clemente was promptly fired from the station and supposedly hasn't helmed a broadcast since.
"Did you think your life was finished when it happened?"
"Extremely.
I went home, crawled in bed, and called my parents."
The scream
During the 2004 presidential election, Democratic contenders lined up for the chance to contest
Republican incumbent George W. Bush for the White House.
Vermont governor Howad Dean had an impressive lead over opponents Dennis Kucinich and John
Kerry in early polls.
But as the race went on and Kerry closed the gap, the margin for error got smaller and
smaller.
Chastened by a rough showing at the Iowa caucuses, Dean addressed a crowd with a rousing speech,
making big promises to supporters.
And then this happened:
"(the scream)"
The media destroyed him.
"(the scream)"
Any chances his campaign even had of coming back, were terminally derailed.
"(the scream)"
But at least it gave us this classic Dave Chappelle moment:
"then I'm coming to Washington DC to take back the White House…"
"BYEOOAAAHWWWW"
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