Blacklisted: Stars Who Were Penalized By Hollywood

Looking for these stars in “Where Are The Now?” articles? You might be looking a long time. These stars have reportedly been blacklisted from appearing on certain shows, in movies, and in some cases, from appearing on-screen in general for a variety of reasons.

Tim Hardaway

Tim Hardaway left the public eye in 2007 when he told a sports radio audience how much he hated gay people. Since then, he’s lost a lot of opportunities (and respect), but he’s since turned his opinion around and had a change of heart.

Cee Lo Green

Cee Lo Green is still making music, but after his inappopriate comments about rape when speaking on his recent drug case, we’re probably not going to see him front and center on another major network anytime soon.

Kirk Cameron

The Growing Pains star was an 80’s TV staple, but you won’t see him back on prime time anytime soon. Why? A series of anti-gay and intolerant comments got him so thoroughly blackballed that even links to his 2013 documentary, Unstoppable, were banned on Facebook and YouTube.

Martin Lawrence

Most comedians crave an opportunity for a guest spot on Saturday Night Live when their new movies come out. But Martin Lawrence hasn’t been eligible to host since 1994. During his first and only guest hosting gig, he ignored censorship rules and made so many jokes about feminine hygiene that he was banned from the show afterward.

Demetria McKinney

Why wasn’t Demetria McKinney at the most recent Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion? Because she was banned. And you’ll never believe the alleged reason: for not acting a fool. That’s a first for this list!

Rose McGowan

A tweet outing Adam Sandler’s “sexist” casting policies could be the reason behind McGowan’s recent struggles. Not only was not hired for that film, but she was dropped from her casting agency, and word on the street is that she’s having trouble finding a role in any other movie after her moment of Twitter activism. When asked by Good Morning America if she was worried about being blacklisted, McGowan said, “I don’t care, bring it. You want to play, let’s play.”

Denzel Washington

No more leading roles for Denzel Washington in films dependent on international support? That’s what this Sony email suggested. Why? Apparently, international audiences don’t like films with Black lead actors.

Donald Trump

Mogul Donald Trump is still on Twitter and TV (where he’s the butt of a lot of jokes), but he has been blacklisted by plenty of businesses and stars, and the list keeps growing every day. NBC, Univision, Macy’s and New York city officials are just some of the entities who aren’t interested in doing business with Trump after his statements about Mexican immigrants.

Penelope Cruz

Where has Penelope Cruz been? On a blacklist. Why? She joined 100 other film professionals, including husband Javier Bardem, calling for an end to “Israel’s military operation in Gaza.” When they accused Israel of “genocide,” all broke loose. Sometimes Hollywood and politics really don’t mix.

Victoria Rowell

Despite tons of Young and the Restless fans demanding her return, Victoria Rowell has been effectively blacklisted from daytime TV — for standing up for black actors’ rights on set. And now she’s suing.

Mel Gibson

After his erratic, racist behavior, Mel Gibson has been persona non grata around Hollywood for years. But that doesn’t mean he’s not still making movies. He’s signed on to make a WWII movie in China (that will have no Jewish people). But it’s unlikely that American audiences will get a chance to see it.

Mo’Nique

Who could forget about Mo’Nique? Earlier this year she revealed that after winning an Academy Award for her role in Precious, director Lee Daniels told her that she had been blacklisted for not “playing the game.” Somehow, that turned into the star being accused of being too difficult to work with, and then it turned into a messy beef between Mo’Nique and her husband, her former buddy Daniels, and Empire co-creator, Danny Strong.