15 Famous Men Who Did Horrible Things People Often Ignore

It’s been six years since the #MeToo movement’s genesis, and while several of the highest offenders are still behind bars, people too often forget about the crimes that some of America’s most famous men committed. And as more survivors gain the courage to speak out against their aggressors, we continue to learn of more men with dark histories.

*Please note that the following article discusses possibly triggering topics such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and more.

By now, many of us are familiar with the atrocities of Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein, who each wronged more than 80 and 23 women, respectively, in their schemes of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and rape. Due to the massive amount of media coverage on both Weinstein and Epstein, it’s difficult for me to claim that these two men’s crimes are “often ignored” by the public. But they need to be mentioned because it would be wrong to write an article about crimes committed by famous men without including them.

1. Bill Cosby

Even though he’s one of America’s most beloved TV stars and comedians, Bill Cosby has a long, dark history of non-consensual sexual mistreatment of women that pre-dates the #MeToo movement. Within the last decade or so, over 60 women have stepped forward with accusations of drugging, sexual assault, groping, and rape against Cosby, with many of these instances dating back to the 1960s. Due to Pennsylvania’s statute of limitation laws that declare a perpetrator cannot be tried for a crime more than 12 years in the past, all but one of Cosby’s survivors, Andrea Constand, were unable to testify against him. In 2018, Cosby was found guilty on three accounts of aggravated indecent assault and sentenced to 3-10 years in state prison.

However, in 2021, the star’s lawyers were able to appeal his case under the pretense that the criminal conviction violated his Fifth Amendment rights. Cosby walked out of the Pennsylvania state correctional institute on June 30, 2021, a free man. 

NBC News legal analyst Danny Cevallos said that “The vacated conviction had nothing to do with the credibility of the women who came forward and everything to do with the unique circumstances surrounding the decade-long journey to bring the case to fruition.”

Constand and her lawyers released a statement of disappointment and concern that the overturning of Cosby’s case will discourage future survivors of sexual assault from seeking justice. It’s outcomes like Cosby’s that perpetuate violence against women and demonstrate that powerful men will many times escape consequences for their unspeakable actions. 

2. Matt Lauer

Matt Lauer, former co-host of the TODAY show, was another favorite TV personality among Americans for years. But in 2017, at the emergence of the #MeToo movement, Lauer was accused of raping former NBC colleague Brooke Nevils at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Up to eight other anonymous women stepped forward with complaints of Lauer’s inappropriate behavior in the workplace. Though the former anchor vehemently denied all accusations of sexual misconduct or rape, he was fired from NBC News just 24 hours after the outlet learned of Nevils’ complaint. Because the alleged rape occurred in Russia, Lauer cannot be tried in an American court, which means it is highly unlikely that he will ever face criminal consequences.

3. Larry Nassar

By now, most Americans are familiar with the former USA Gymnastics team doctor’s atrocities against young women. But in case you’re not, it’s time to tune in. Larry Nassar’s case is undeniably one of the most despicable sexual abuse cases in recent American history. The exact number of survivors abused by Nassar is unclear – largely because several remained anonymous throughout investigations – but news sources report somewhere between 90 and 500 women stepped forward. Among these women were Olympic medalists Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, and world champion Maggie Nichols.

In 2018, Nassar was found guilty on all counts of possession of child pornography, sexual abuse, battery, molestation, and harassment between 1996 and 2016. While he was sentenced to 40-125 years in federal prison and several of his survivors received a substantial settlement, nothing can reverse the damage he did to the dozens of young gymnasts.

4. Chris Brown

Known for his successful singing and songwriting career, Chris Brown has also had his fair share of negative media attention. The first incriminating headline appeared in 2009, when Brown was found guilty of felonious assault against his then-girlfriend Rihanna. The couple had gotten into a fight that escalated into violence on Brown’s part, and Rihanna was left with such severe physical damage that she had to be hospitalized. Because Brown pled guilty, he received five years of probation, 180 days of community service, and extensive domestic counseling. 

According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Brown has been accused of over 20 violent or aggressive crimes since his 2009 incident. Some of these include violating Rihanna’s restraining order, getting into numerous brawls, being charged with a second account of felonious assault, physically abusing his former girlfriend Karrueche Tran, and being sued for sexual assault by an anonymous woman. Despite his laundry list of aggravated crimes, fans continue to support him by listening to his records and attending concerts. When, if ever, will they learn?

5. James Franco

Oscar-winning actor James Franco was among the group of men who were exposed during the #MeToo movement in 2018. In fact, it was Weinstein’s case specifically that urged one of his survivors, Violet Paley, to speak out. A total of five women, most of whom were his students at Studio 4 film school in Los Angeles, came forward, accusing him of coercion and sexual “exploitation.” He became known for using his power and fame to manipulate aspiring actresses to perform sexual acts or participate in nude scenes. While Franco refused to admit that the women’s accounts were truthful, he did confirm that the sexual relationships he had with students were inappropriate because of his position of authority.  

6. R. Kelly

Alongside Weinstein, Cosby, and Nassar, the R&B singer’s abusive and grotesque sexual crimes were brought to light through #MeToo. In Chicago, R. Kelly was charged with three counts of producing child pornography and three accounts of coercing a minor to engage in sexual activity. In New York, he was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and exploitation of a child. Eventually, he was found guilty on all accounts and sentenced to roughly 30 years in jail for his crimes. 

7. Andrew Cuomo

In August 2021, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo was accused of sexual assault and groping by 11 women, one of whom was his former assistant Brittany Commisso. Shortly thereafter, Cuomo forfeited his title as governor. Due to a stark power imbalance, Commisso claimed she was forced to endure inappropriate touching, unwanted sexual advances, and sexual commentary from Cuomo on several occasions. When she allegedly rejected him, she was unfairly demoted to a lower ranking in his office.

Over two years later, in November 2023, a judge ruled that the case had insufficient evidence to convict Cuomo on any account. However, despite his bragging claim that he has been “vindicated,” the New York district attorneys thought the women were credible but that evidence could not confirm or deny any truth.

8. Prince Andrew

Through the Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich Netflix docu-series, the world came to find out about Prince Andrew’s somewhat secretive friendship with the deceased criminal. Epstein was responsible for an international sex trafficking ring with girls as young as 14 years old. And some of his ultra-wealthy and high-profile friends, namely Prince Andrew, would allegedly occasionally participate in sex scandals. In 2021, Virginia Giuffre sued Prince Andrew for sexual assault and emotional distress, and in February 2022, the case was dismissed after their lawyers came to an agreement that Prince Andrew would donate to Guiffre’s charity in support of survivor's rights.

9. Jack Nicholson

In 1996, actor Jack Nicholson beat a sex worker so aggressively that she continues to battle health issues today. A few years after the incident, she sued him for damages, and he quietly paid her $32,500. The victim, Catherine Sheehan, allegedly continued to struggle with brain injuries years later, and sued Nicholson again. While there are no updates on the case, Nicholson appears to have escaped the lawsuit with little to no penalty.

10. Mike Tyson

The professional boxer has recovered his reputation since the ‘90s, but people forget that Mike Tyson was convicted of rape in 1992 and served three years in prison. The victim, a beauty pageant contestant named Desiree Washington, explained that when she got into the back of a limo with Tyson, he aggressively forced himself onto her despite her physical and verbal resistance. 

11. Harvey Milk

Harvey Milk is most commonly known as the first openly gay person elected to a position of governmental authority in California and one of the first in the country. And many members of the LGBTQ community celebrate Milk for his advocacy for gay rights. But earlier this year, a California school board voted to omit a textbook that mentioned Milk’s advocacy work from the curriculum. The board president even called him a “pedophile.” In Milk’s autobiography, his relationship with a 16-year-old boy (when he himself was 33) was discussed, but details of the romance were left out. Since Milk is deceased, it is difficult to say if any more information will ever come out about his potentially inappropriate behavior toward young boys.  

12. Bryan Singer

Like so many of Hollywood’s powerful men, #MeToo exposed film director Bryan Singer for sexually assaulting Cesar Sanchez-Guzman 20 years prior, when he was underage. In 2019, the two agreed to a $150,000 settlement to end the lawsuit. This was not Singer’s first accusation of sexual assault, though. In 2014, actor Michael Egan III accused the director of drugging and raping him in 1990, but charges were dropped a few months later. Despite never admitting guilt, Singer is now self-financing a documentary to address the allegations in an attempt to refurbish his reputation.

13. Terry Richardson

In 2005, luxury fashion photographer Terry Richardson was sued by two models under clauses of fraud, misappropriation, invasion of privacy, breach of contract, and intentional infliction of emotional distress when he published nude photographs without their consent. However, later that year, the lawsuit was “quietly settled.” In March 2014, model Charlotte Waters accused Richardson of sexual assault, claiming that he turned her into a “sex puppet.” Apparently, when she reported the incident to the NYPD, they told her there were no grounds for a crime since she “never said no.”

By 2017, when #MeToo swept the American cultural landscape, several major fashion companies let Richardson go due to his history of sexual misconduct. Today, in 2023, two of the women who spoke out against him in 2017 are suing him under New York’s Adult Survivor’s Act. While he has yet to face criminal charges for his inappropriate behavior, Richardson has recently disappeared from the public eye and quietly settled the lawsuits.

14. Demna Gvasalia

Demna Gvasalia, Balenciaga’s creative designer, was the sick mind behind the 2022 holiday gifting campaign which depicted the gross sexualization of children. Young models were photographed holding teddy bears with garments that mimicked bondage. To say the images were disturbing is an understatement. While not a criminal, Gvasalia’s artistic depiction of these children speaks to his disturbed character. And his attempt at a public apology was pathetic at best. Weeks after the incident, he posted: “I want to personally apologize for the wrong artistic choice of concept for the gifting campaign…It was inappropriate to have kids promote objects that had nothing to do with them.”

Sadly, his upsetting behavior has been forgotten by the public and company alike – Balenciaga’s brand image has been recovered in the eyes of many, sales have begun to bounce back, and Demna still holds the title of creative director. 

15. Sean "Diddy" Combs

In November 2023, R&B singer Cassie accused Sean Combs, also known as “Diddy,” of battery and rape. The two have had a long-standing, on-and-off relationship since 2005, but Cassie claims that when she tried to end the relationship back in 2018, Combs attacked her. The day after she filed the lawsuit, the two agreed on a settlement to their “mutual satisfaction,” and the charges were dropped. 

Closing Thoughts

Among the famous men who have not been named but have been accused of sexual assault or domestic violence are Woody Allen, Charlie Sheen, David Blaine, Ryan Adams, Chase Finlay, Kevin Spacey, Boyd Tinsley, Jamie Foxx, Michael Weatherly, Charlie Rose, Snoop Dogg, Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, and many more. Whether behind bars or free, many of the accused will never understand the extent to which their abuse has damaged the hundreds of women (and handful of men) who were impacted. In order to support survivors, it is our responsibility to never forget or ignore their wrongdoings.  

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