13 Celebrities Who Were Dropped From Huge Endorsement Deals!

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12. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

Back in 2004, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were going to be featured in the “got milk?” magazine ads; however, after Mary-Kate entered a treatment program for a reported eating disorder, the ads were retracted. A director with the Milk Processor Education Program said the ads were pulled to show sensitivity to Mary-Kate’s situation.

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11. Michael Phelps

After winning eight gold medals at the 2008 summer Olympics, Michael Phelps was on top of the world! Unfortunately, in February 2009, a photo surfaced of Phelps smoking marijuana from a bong at a party. This did not sit well with Kelloggs! The company decided not to renew its deal with Phelps at the end of that February. Although it is unclear how much the contract with Kelloggs was worth, it was certainly worth somewhere between seven and eight figures.

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10. Kirstie Alley

In 2005, Kirstie Alley became a spokesperson for Jenny Craig until 2008 when the company released a statement stating that Alley did not accept their offer to continue appearing in their ad campaigns. At the same time, there are also rumors that Alley was dropped from the endorsement for regaining the weight she had lost while on Jenny Craig’s program. According to Kirstie, she decided to part ways with Jenny Craig because she wanted to develop her own weight-loss brand.

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9. Tiger Woods

After news of his multiple affairs broke, Tiger woods lost roughly $22 million in endorsements back in 2010. Some of the sponsors that Woods lost include Gatorade, EA Sports, AT&T, Gillette, Buick and Accenture. On the plus side, Nike is still willing to associate with him!

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8. Kate Moss

Back in 2005, Kate Moss was photographed doing lines of cocaine. This resulted in her being dropped from a number of endorsements, including Burberry, H&M and Chanel. Dubbed “Cocaine Kate” by the press, Moss went to rehab and promptly began rehabilitating her image. It looks as though all is now forgiven – Moss currently fronts campaigns for Rimmel, Dior and Mango.

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7. Lance Armstrong

In 2012, Nike dropped Lance Armstrong as a product endorser after he admitted to doping during his numerous Tour de France wins. After Nike dropped Armstrong so did Annheuser-Busch, Trek Bicycle Corp, FRS and Honey Stinger. This will cost Amstrong over $150 million in future endorsement income. Ouch!

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6. Britney Spears

Back in 2005, Britney Spears shot an infomercial for Proactiv, an acne treatment and skin care brand, but the ad never aired. Apparently Proactiv did not want to be associated with the singer because she often showed up in the tabloids without clear skin.

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5. Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan was dropped as the face for Jill Stuart back in 2008. Lohan was considered to be an unattractive spokesperson for the brand because she had been to rehab a couple of times that year, her films were flopping and she also posed nude in New York magazine. Stuart decided to use Hilary Swank instead. Makes sense to us! Swank definitely comes across as more professional!

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4. Katy Perry

Katy Perry was the global ambassador for GHD, a UK-based hair company; however, the company dropped Perry after market researched indicated that she was losing popularity in Europe. Perry had a $4.5 million written contract with GHD that was supposed to last two years beginning in 2011, so she took the company court. Perry and GHD ended up settling last summer for an undisclosed amount.

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3. Chris Brown

After Chris Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting his then girlfriend Rihanna, Wrigley dropped him as their spokesperson. Initially Wrigley had suspended the commercials featuring Brown until the matter was resolved, but Brown admitted his guilt, so the company severed ties with the singer. Apparently Wrigley felt that an admitted abuser didn’t fit with the company’s image – makes sense to us!

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2. Madonna

In 1989, Pepsi had selected Madonna to represent the brand; however, Pepsi dropped Madonna as their spokesperson after her music video for “Like a Prayer” came out. Apparently the burning crosses and bleeding stigmata didn’t sit well with them! It looks like the situation didn’t affect Madonna too severely though – she carried with her career as though nothing happened!

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1. Rihanna

Rihanna appeared in a series of advertisements for Nivea back in 2011. While Rihanna is well known for her sexy outfits and raunchy performances, the brand decided that Rihanna was too sexy for its family image. “The advert starring Rihanna was a no go. I do not understand how Nivea can be brought into association with Rihanna…Nivea is a company which stands for trust, family and reliability,” said a spokesperson for the company.

Cate

Cate has a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature and has been the Managing Editor of Fame10 for more than 6 years. Despite having a love for the works of Thomas Hardy, Leo Tolstoy and Lord Byron, she also has an intense fascination with pop culture. When she isn’t writing for Fame10, she’s planning her next big adventure in Southeast Asia.