8 viral tweets that changed a celebrity’s reputation overnight

2025 City Harvest Gala - Source: Getty
2025 City Harvest Gala - Source: Getty

A single tweet can rapidly change a celebrity's reputation, reshaping how they're seen by the public almost overnight. Social media has changed how people build their reputations. It's not just about press releases, interviews, or planned public events anymore.

Now, things can change in seconds, often with a short tweet. Twitter gives famous people a direct way to talk to fans, but it also puts them at risk. One tweet, a bad joke, a controversial view, or even a vague message, can flip how people see you overnight.

It can turn love into anger or sometimes create a wave of support. Some stars have shown new sides of themselves on Twitter to face pushback they didn't expect. Others have seen their careers slow down, or even end, after old tweets came up that didn't match their image. In a time when cancel culture, fan armies, and viral moments rule, Twitter has shown that one post can sometimes change a star's whole story.

Through the years, many famous people have figured out, often, that Twitter doesn't let things go. A quick thought or edgy joke can blow up into a big PR mess once people start talking about it. Twitter's quick spread means screenshots stick around forever even if you delete the original tweet. Comedians see old posts come back to haunt new projects, and singers face backlash for insensitive comments.

These online mistakes have shaped their careers in big ways. Sometimes, the fallout hits hard and fast: brands cut ties, actors get replaced, and apologies flood people's feeds. But not every tweet gone wrong leads to being shunned forever; some stars manage to fix their image, either by owning up to their mistakes or remaking their brand.

The takeaway is clear: in today's Twitter world, every word matters, and a single tweet can undo years of hard work in no time.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. The reader's discretion is advised!


Here are the top 8 viral tweets that changed a celebrity’s reputation overnight

Here are eight key tweets that made huge waves in pop culture, changing how we saw some stars. These posts did more than trend; they set off big media storms, started talks among people, and sometimes led to lasting impacts. It could have been a bad comment at the wrong time, an older tweet that didn't age well, or an open share that changed the story; each one lit up feeds and changed how people were seen.

Some stars had to deal with fast backlash and try to fix their image, while others found new support and understanding. These tweets, from big messes to moments that saved images, show how fast fame can flip in the online world.

1) Jason Biggs

After lots of bad talk, Jason Biggs went online to talk about the mess. He took down the bad tweets and said sorry in a big way. He knew his words made folks sad, and it was clear he didn't mean to upset them. "People got mad, and I didn't want that," he wrote, saying sorry to those hurt. He saw how big the issue was and said his words were "not kind and came at the wrong time."

City Harvest Presents The 2025 Gala: Carnaval - Arrivals - Source: Getty
City Harvest Presents The 2025 Gala: Carnaval - Arrivals - Source: Getty

He owned up to his bad choice. He also thought about how sad the bad event had made folks, sharing that he felt broken and mad too, like many did. His statement aimed not only to express remorse but also to align himself with the collective grief and anger felt by the public, hoping to clarify that his initial remarks did not reflect his true feelings about the tragedy.

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2) Lady Gaga

In 2012, while on her Born This Way Ball tour, Lady Gaga made a tweet after she got to Bangkok. She said, "I just landed in Bangkok, baby! Ready for 50,000 screaming Thai monsters. I wanna get lost in a lady market and buy a fake Rolex." She meant to share her joy about the show with her fans in Thailand. But the words she used upset many. They felt she used old, wrong ideas often linked to Thailand, like fake items and simple views of its markets.

Lady Gaga MAYHEM On The Beach: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Source: Getty
Lady Gaga MAYHEM On The Beach: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Source: Getty

What stands out now is that the tweet is still up, which is rare today when famous people often take down posts that get bad feedback. For a lot of fans in Thailand, Gaga's words seemed more like she didn't care, and less like she was showing love for the culture. This shows how even famous artists can get it wrong when they talk about other places and cultures.

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3) Blake Shelton

In a time that made many people online feel lost and uneasy, Blake Shelton set off a big stir with a tweet that seemed to make fun of hurting wildlife. He wrote, "Does anyone know if the Eastern Box turtle is safe in Oklahoma? If so, I didn't just swerve to the side of the road to hit one...," a line that many took as him saying he ran over a turtle.

Celebrity Sightings In New York City - May 13, 2025 - Source: Getty
Celebrity Sightings In New York City - May 13, 2025 - Source: Getty

When people started to hit back, Shelton stood his ground instead of pulling back, firing off a "shut up" to those against him before trying to justify his act by talking about his good deeds, saying he had raised more than a million dollars for animal help and saving nature.

The tweet faced a lot of heat, not just for being unkind, but also for the defensive reply that came after. This made it one of the most puzzling and self-harming star social media events in recent times.

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4) Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato once told a wild tale on Twitter about a bold joke with her bodyguard. She said she paid a sex worker, whom she called a "lady of the night," to go into his room without him knowing and touch him in his "area." This bold share didn’t last long online, as she took down the tweet soon after.

Later, she showed how mad she was that even simple posts could cause a big fuss, saying, "I could tweet about wanting jelly beans and it would upset someone."

Project Healthy Minds World Mental Health Day Gala - Source: Getty
Project Healthy Minds World Mental Health Day Gala - Source: Getty

Demi then urged her followers to focus on her music, specifically pointing them to her song "Warrior," emphasizing her personal experience and strength by stating, "Of all people I know about sexual abuse. You don't have to educate me." This episode highlights not only her boldness in sharing raw moments from her life but also her resilience in confronting sensitive issues on her own terms.

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5) Kevin Hart

When Kevin Hart was picked to lead the 2018 Academy Awards, lots of fans were happy to see him bring his fun way of talking to such a big event. Yet, this joy got lost soon after as old tweets he made came up again, which upset many.

A tweet from 2011 made people mad because it had a mean joke about his son and a dollhouse, using words that felt mean to some and unfair. At first, Hart told everyone to stop digging up those old tweets and asked them to get over the bad vibes and forgive his old errors.

Apple TV+'s "Number One On The Call Sheet: Black Leading Men In Hollywood" New York Premiere - Source: Getty
Apple TV+'s "Number One On The Call Sheet: Black Leading Men In Hollywood" New York Premiere - Source: Getty

Despite his initial stance, the mounting pressure and growing public criticism compelled him to reconsider his position. Eventually, Hart decided to step down from hosting the Oscars, recognizing that his past remarks had caused real harm and distraction from the event itself.

Along with withdrawing, he issued a heartfelt apology, expressing remorse for the offense his words had caused and emphasizing his intention to grow and learn from the experience.

Apple TV+'s "Number One On The Call Sheet: Black Leading Men In Hollywood" New York Premiere - Source: Getty
Apple TV+'s "Number One On The Call Sheet: Black Leading Men In Hollywood" New York Premiere - Source: Getty

This episode not only underscored the power and permanence of social media history but also revealed the challenges celebrities face in reconciling their past actions with the evolving expectations of audiences and cultural sensitivity.

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6) 50 Cent

One of the worst shows of hate for gay people on social media was from 50 Cent, whose tweet went way past being kind and fair. After Perez Hilton called him a 'douchebag,' 50 Cent hit back with a mean post saying he got a friend to 'shoot up a gay wedding.'

Even though he said it was not Perez’s real wedding, he said the idea still made him happy. With this bad post, he also put up a picture of two men in suits running from an angry crowd, making the hurtful words even louder.

50 Cent Performs At BC Place - Source: Getty
50 Cent Performs At BC Place - Source: Getty

This tweet stands as a glaring example of how celebrity influence can be misused to propagate hateful and violent rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community. It not only trivializes the trauma and danger faced by queer individuals but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes and incites fear, showing a reckless disregard for the impact such words can have on vulnerable groups.

Such an incident highlights the urgent need for accountability and sensitivity when discussing marginalized communities in public forums.

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7) Cee Lo Green

After claims that Cee Lo Green had drugged and hurt a woman in 2012 came up again, he made tweets that started a lot of talk. In his posts, he said if a person is out cold or has passed out, they cannot agree to be "with" someone who is awake and willing.

He seemed to say that being "with" someone means saying yes on your own. He also said that those who were really hurt by such acts would always recall them well.

Many found this view too simple and hurtful. He did not see the hard truths that those who face such harm deal with, including how being hurt or drugged might mess with remembering, sometimes leading to broken or not full memories of what took place.

Wednesday Wind Down In The Point Concert - Source: Getty
Wednesday Wind Down In The Point Concert - Source: Getty

By making a very hard issue too simple, Cee Lo Green's words made light of many survivors' pain and led to a big push back from people and those who support them. They stress that okaying something is never real without knowing, and that not remembering is a sad thing that often happens after such bad acts.

This event showed that there's still a lot of mix-up in how people talk about giving consent, the harm that follows, and how different survivors deal with what they went through.

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8) Kelly Clarkson

After the 2013 VMAs, Kelly Clarkson caused a stir with a sharp tweet that many read as a hit at Miley Cyrus. Her tweet said, "Just saw a couple performances from the VMAs last night. 2 words.... #pitchystrippers," making many people guess who she meant. Since Miley’s bold twerk act with Robin Thicke got so much talk, most thought Clarkson was talking about Miley's show style.

2024 Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony - Source: Getty
2024 Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony - Source: Getty

This moment showed the deep and often harsh talks about how female artists show intimacy on stage, with Clarkson's words seen as slut-shaming. This led to strong talk and questions about how much we should say about women's acts on stage.

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Tweets are strong tools that can quickly change how people see a star, often for the worse. In our quick digital age, one tweet can start big waves of love or anger and quickly shift how fans and haters see a celeb. It may be a bold view, a quick joke, or a raw feeling, but these short looks into stars' minds can spread fast and have big effects on their work and reputation.

In the end, this shows the huge power and duty that comes with being on social media, where one tweet can change stories and make or break legacies in no time.


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Edited by Zainab Shaikh