Our favourite celebrities can rake in serious cash from endorsement deals and sponsorships with big-name brands. Image is everything, however, and all it takes is one brief blunder for stars to lose these lucrative contracts.
From comments that caused controversy to bad behaviour off the sports field, read on to see the stars who were dropped from money-spinning sponsorships. All dollar amounts in US dollars.
Whoopi Goldberg was fired from her multimillion-dollar spokesperson role with Slim-Fast in 2004.
The outspoken actress made a sexual innuendo about the then-President George W Bush's surname at a Democratic fundraiser, with her raunchy remark offending some of the diet aid company's customers.
At the time, Slim-Fast general manager Terry Olson said: "Ads featuring Ms Goldberg will no longer be on the air." He added that the company was "disappointed" over the comments.
Goldberg, however, refused to apologise for her comedic quip, stating: "While I appreciate what the Slim-Fast people need to do in order to protect their business, I must also do what I need to do as an artist, as a writer, and as an American, not to mention as a comic."
Supermodel Kate Moss was dropped by several brands in 2005 after a tabloid newspaper published photographs of her using cocaine.
Luxury fashion houses Chanel and Burberry both cut ties with Moss, as did high street retailer H&M.
Speaking on why it scrapped its campaign with the British beauty, H&M spokeswoman Liz Asarnoj explained: "After evaluating the situation, we have decided that a campaign with Kate Moss is not consistent with H&M's clear disassociation with drugs."
During a July 2022 appearance on the BBC radio show Desert Island Discs, former party girl Moss – who's now sober – got candid about her noughties narcotics scandal.
"I felt sick and was quite angry because everybody I knew took drugs," she told listeners. "So, for them to focus on me, and to try to take my daughter away, I thought was really hypocritical."
Nike cut ties with Michael Vick in 2007 after he pleaded guilty to involvement in illegal dog fighting – but that was only the start of the NFL star's troubles.
The hotshot quarterback spent 18 months behind bars for his role in the gruesome gambling ring, which saw animals killed and maimed for sport. He was also forced to declare bankruptcy in 2008.
In a shocking turn of events, Nike went on to bring the disgraced athlete back on board in 2011. In a statement defending the controversial decision, the sports brand said: "Michael acknowledges his past mistakes. We do not condone those actions, but we support the positive changes he has made to better himself off the field."
Meanwhile, Vick took to Twitter to express his gratitude to the company, writing: "I want to thank Nike and all my fans for the support throughout. Greatly appreciated".
Actress Sharon Stone was removed from Christian Dior's Chinese ad campaign in 2008. The decision followed an interview in which Stone suggested that an earthquake that had killed more than 80,000 Chinese people was the result of "bad karma" due to the country's treatment of Tibet.
Needless to say, her controversial comments sparked outrage, with one Chinese news outlet branding Stone "a public enemy of all mankind".
The Basic Instinct star swiftly issued a public apology, announcing: "Due to my inappropriate words and acts during the interview, I feel deeply sorry and sad about hurting Chinese people. I am willing to take part in the relief work of China's earthquake, and wholly devote myself to helping affected Chinese people."
Perhaps experiencing some karmic issues of her own, Stone's apology wasn't enough for the luxury fashion house to keep her on board.
Swiss watchmaker Raymond Weil called time on its contract with Charlize Theron after she was photographed wearing a watch by rival brand Dior at a film festival press conference in 2006.
Two years later, Raymond Weil went on to sue the Monster star for an eye-watering $20 million (£16m) for breach of contract. However, Theron's lawyers argued that she'd simply made a mistake by wearing the Dior timepiece.
A New York federal court sided with Raymond Weil, with Judge McMahon ruling: "By wearing a Christian Dior watch at the film festival, Theron breached her covenant not to 'wear publicly any watches other than Raymond Weil'. Theron recognises as much, calling her decision to wear the watch 'regrettable'. It was more than 'regrettable'; it was a clear breach of the agreement."
The Oscar-winning actress was ordered to pay the luxury watchmaker an undisclosed settlement sum.
Former Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps lost his lucrative endorsement deal with Kellogg's in 2009 after a photograph of him smoking marijuana was published in British tabloid News of the World.
The 23-time Olympic gold medallist was quick to apologise for his "regrettable" actions and "bad judgment".
However, the cereal and snack brand simply couldn't condone the athlete’s behaviour, with spokeswoman Susanne Norwitz stating: "Michael's most recent behaviour is not consistent with the image of Kellogg."
Fortunately, Phelps didn't sink his chances with all his sponsors: brands including Visa, Speedo, and Omega opted to stand by him throughout the scandal.
Chris Brown was dropped from Got Milk? and Wrigley campaigns in 2009 after his arrest for assaulting his then-girlfriend, the singer Rihanna.
"Wrigley is concerned by the serious allegations made against Chris Brown," the chewing gum brand said at the time. "We believe Mr Brown should be afforded the same due process as any citizen. However, we have made the decision to suspend the current advertising featuring Brown and any related marketing communications until the matter is resolved."
Brown ultimately pleaded guilty to a felony assault charge but avoided prison time. Instead, he received five years of probation and six months of community service, and was ordered to attend one year of domestic violence counselling.
The R&B star discussed the incident in his 2017 documentary Chris Brown: Welcome to My Life and was subsequently accused by numerous domestic violence organisations of "victim blaming" Rihanna.
Tiger Woods' private and professional lives came crashing down simultaneously in 2009 following the revelation that he'd conducted a string of extramarital affairs.
The disgraced golfer weathered a media storm that resulted in the loss of several major sponsors, including Gatorade.
"We no longer see a role for Tiger in our marketing efforts and have ended our relationship," a spokeswoman for the sports drink said at the time. "Our partnership with the Tiger Woods Foundation will continue. We wish him all the best."
Other big-name brands to end associations with Woods during this period included telecommunications company AT&T, consultancy firm Accenture, and razor blade brand Gillette.
The sports star has since restored his public image and was one of the world's highest-earning athletes in 2022. He reportedly raked in more than $68 million (£56m), partly due to juicy endorsement deals with Nike, Monster Energy, and Taylor Made, to name a few.
To top it off, Forbes announced last June that Woods had officially reached billionaire status.
In 2012, former professional cyclist Lance Armstrong lost multimillion-dollar contracts with Nike and brewing company Anheuser-Busch.
It came to light that Armstrong had been using performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career, including during the iconic 1999-2005 period that saw him win the Tour de France seven years in a row.
In a statement released at the time, Nike said: "Due to the seemingly insurmountable evidence that Lance Armstrong participated in doping and misled Nike for more than a decade, it is with great sadness that we have terminated our contract with him. Nike does not condone the use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs in any manner."
The sullied sports star initially denied the allegations but later confessed to doping during a 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey. He was banned from competitive cycling for life by the US Anti-Doping Agency and stripped of his titles.
Skincare brand Nivea announced Rihanna as its latest face in 2011 but ended the partnership just 12 months later. Stefan Heindenreich, then the freshly appointed CEO of Nivea’s parent company Beiersdorf, was clearly bewildered by the deal, describing an advert that featured the star as a "no-go".
"I do not understand how to bring the core brand of Nivea in conjunction with Rihanna," he said at the time. "Nivea is a company which stands for trust, family, and reliability."
Rihanna tweeted a cryptic response to his comments – a photograph of Heindenreich with the tagline "No caption necessary".
While headlines were quick to suggest that the Umbrella singer had been "dropped" by Nivea, Beiersdorf explained in a subsequent statement that "from the beginning [our partnership with Rihanna] was scheduled for one year and ended as planned at the end of 2011".
We can't imagine the pop diva was troubled by the incident. Today, she's worth an incredible $1.4 billion (£1bn), partly thanks to her own skincare brand, Fenty Skin. Did someone say irony?
Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho was canned as Coca-Cola’s ambassador when he was photographed drinking rival brand Pepsi at a press conference in 2012.
"Coca-Cola recognises the career and the value of Ronaldinho. However, due to recent developments, it has become impossible to continue the partnership," said the soft drink company at the time.
The embarrassing blunder reportedly cost the now-retired soccer star $1.5 million (£1m).
Ronaldinho’s partying and poor performance on the football field also influenced the decision to can the partnership, with Coca-Cola's marketing chief Marcelo Pontes telling newspaper O Estado de Sao Paulo at the time: "The fact that the player has appeared with a can of Pepsi was the straw that broke the camel's back. The sponsorship had become embarrassing." Ouch...
Rapper Lil Wayne lost a multimillion-dollar endorsement deal with Mountain Dew over offensive song lyrics in 2013.
The contentious lyrics reference Emmett Till, the African-American teen who became a civil rights figure in 1955 after he was brutally murdered for allegedly wolf-whistling at a white woman.
After pressure from Till's family to remove adverts featuring the rapper, the soft drink brand, which is owned by PepsiCo, stated: "We do not plan any additional work with Lil Wayne moving forward. His offensive reference to a revered civil rights icon does not reflect the values of our brand."
The controversial musician issued an apology to the Tills, admitting: "As a father myself, I cannot imagine the pain that your family has had to endure."
Lindsay Lohan was dropped by Odaingerous in 2013 after her party girl image proved to be a little too dangerous for the fashion brand.
The edgy apparel company let the troubled star go after she drove her sports car into a truck on the Pacific Coast Highway in Los Angeles. The actress was ordered to spend 90 days in rehab as a result of the crash.
"In light of the recent conviction of actress Lindsay Lohan, clothing and lifestyle brand Odaingerous is officially withdrawing its offer for an endorsement agreement of actress Lindsay Lohan as the face of the brand," said Odain Watson, creative director and CEO, after Lohan’s arrest.
The reformed wild child – who's now sober and living in Dubai – reportedly lost out on a hefty $500,000 (£408k) when Odaingerous pulled the plug on the partnership.
Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte lost a slew of sponsors in 2016, including Speedo, Ralph Lauren, and Airweave, after it transpired that he’d fabricated a story about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.
In an NBC interview, the Olympic gold medallist later admitted that he had "over-exaggerated" the story, explaining: "All we know is that there was a gun pointed in our direction, and we were demanded to give money."
Brazilian authorities suggested that Lochte, along with three other men, had actually vandalised a petrol station while drunk, and paid security guards around $50 (£41) for the damage they'd caused before leaving.
In a statement about their decision to drop Lochte, Speedo declared: "While we have enjoyed a winning relationship with Ryan for over a decade and he has been an important member of the Speedo team, we cannot condone behaviour that is counter to the values this brand has long stood for."
The swimwear brand also added that it would donate $50,000 (£41k) of his fee to children’s charities in Brazil.
Car company Chevrolet ended its sponsorship of The Wendy Williams Show on US TV in 2016 following controversial remarks made by host Wendy Williams.
The star made contentious comments about historically Black colleges and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) during the Hot Topics segment of her talk show.
"I would be really offended if there was a school that was known as a historically white college," said Williams, adding: "We have historically Black colleges. What if there was the National Organization for White People, only? There’s the NAACP."
Chevrolet released the following statement on its split with Williams: "The brand is continuously evaluating its media and sponsorship opportunities, and we make periodic adjustments to ensure alignment with our overall marketing and communications goals."
When tennis pro Maria Sharapova failed a drugs test at the Australian Open in 2016, the sporting world was stunned. Key sponsors, including Nike, Tag Heuer, and Porsche were quick to suspend relations with the five-time Grand Slam champion.
Sharapova claimed that she'd been taking the medication meldonium since 2006 on her doctor's advice and that she had "not tried to use a performance-enhancing substance". She also added that she was unaware that the drug – which is frequently used to treat heart disease – had been added to the World Anti-Doping Agency's prohibited list.
The Russian athlete was nonetheless handed a two-year doping ban, which was later reduced to 15 months following an appeal.
Nike and Porsche eventually reinstated their endorsement deals with Sharapova upon her return to the tennis court in 2017.
In 2017, Squatty Potty pulled adverts starring Kathy Griffin after she posted photographs of herself holding a Donald Trump mask that had been customised to look like the then-President's severed head.
"Kathy Griffin is not, nor ever has been Squatty Potty's spokesperson," the toilet stool brand clarified in a statement. "She was hired to make one commercial. Squatty Potty has pulled said commercial as well as other promotional and marketing content featuring Kathy Griffin."
Understandably, Donald Trump wasn't amused by Griffin's antics, tweeting: "Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself. My children, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!"
The controversial comedian later apologised for the gory photoshoot, telling her Instagram followers: "I beg for your forgiveness. I went too far. I made a mistake, and I was wrong."
NFL star Cam Newton was dropped by yoghurt brand Dannon following sexist remarks he made to a female journalist in 2017.
When Charlotte Observer reporter Jourdan Rodrigue asked Newton a question about his teammate Devin Funchess, he laughed at her and said it was "funny to hear a female" talk about football.
A Dannon spokesperson said the brand was "shocked and disheartened" by the quarterback's comments. The company then went on to clarify its relationship with Newton, stating: "The agreement has not been terminated. However, we will no longer work with him and are removing advertising with him in it."
The former Carolina Panthers player later issued the following apology: "After careful thought, I understand that my word choice was extremely degrading and disrespectful to women. And to be honest, that was not my intention. If you are a person who took offence to what I said, I sincerely apologise to you."
Lea Michele was dropped by HelloFresh in 2020 following claims of workplace bullying.
Michele’s former Glee co-star Samantha Ware accused the actress of making her life a "living hell" on set, adding that Michele's "traumatic microaggressions" towards her made her reconsider a Hollywood career.
"HelloFresh does not condone racism nor discrimination of any kind. We are disheartened and disappointed to learn of the recent claims concerning Lea Michele," the meal-prep company shared on Twitter. "We take this very seriously, and have ended our partnership with Lea Michele, effective immediately."
Michele posted an apology on Instagram, telling her followers: "I have never judged others by their background or color of their skin, that’s not really the point. What matters is that I clearly acted in ways which hurt other people."
A number of big-name brands ended relations with Kanye West this year after the rapper made a series of anti-Semitic comments.
Adidas, Gap, Balenciaga, and Foot Locker were among the companies to cut ties with the troubled star, who started the year with an incredible $2 billion (£1.6bn) net worth. West's fortune has since reportedly plummeted to $400 million (£326m) as a result of his various outbursts.
The disgraced rapper appears to be unphased by his losses, posting on Instagram in October: "I lost 2 billion dollars in one day. And I’m still alive."
He also denied accusations that he was spreading hate speech, adding: "This is love speech. I still love you. God still loves you. The money is not who I am. The people is who I am."
The latest athlete to be given the boot by Nike is Kyrie Irving, who'd worked with the company for eight years.
The sportswear brand officially ended its contract with the NBA star in December after he shared anti-Semitic content on Twitter, with a spokesperson telling Forbes: "Kyrie Irving is no longer a Nike athlete."
In 2019, it was reported that the athlete had been raking in $11 million (£9m) annually from the deal, and the end of his deal came just weeks after Nike cancelled the release of their new Kyrie 8 sneaker line.
Presumably in response to being ditched, Irving later tweeted a GIF that read: "There's nothing more priceless than being free."
Now take a look at the highest celebrity endorsement fees of all time