Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share The People The Media Did Dirty

I was recently thinking about Winona Ryder, an actress I've always loved, who was crucified by the media because of her shoplifting arrest. Ryder dealt with emotional problems for several years and she was treated terribly at trial. The media circus cost her acting work and she took a long break before re-emerging as a character actress and slipping back into more substantial roles.

It was grossly unfair, and an example of the power the tabloid press can wield. Ryder is fortunate to have a successful career and has for the last few years starred on Netflix's Stranger Things. But she is sadly not the only person to be crucified by the media.

People shared their thoughts after Redditor Mush_Committee_9335 asked the online committee,

"Who was someone done dirty by the media?"

Christopher Jefferies

"Christopher Jefferies who had the bad luck to be a bit strange-looking and eccentric and be the close neighbour of a murdered woman. Originally questioned over the murder and released, he was hounded by Britain's tabloid papers right up to the point where it was proved that someone else was the murderer."

jwelshuk

The Lost Honour of Christopher Jeffries is such a good miniseries.

Lindy Chamberlain

"Lindy Chamberlain was charged with her baby's murder and jailed for several years. It wasn't until someone found the baby's bloodied jacket beside a dingo den that she was released. The trauma of that is unimaginable. You lose your baby AND get thrown in jail for her murder."

llamaunepredo

Perhaps the most well known miscarriage of justice on the part of the Australian justice system.

Richard Jewell

"Richard Jewell. He was a hero that likely saved dozens of lives. Instead of praising for the hero he was, the FBI and the media rushed to judgement and labeled him a terrorist."

Thatguy755

Too bad the film about his story didn't seem to do him much justice.

Brendan Fraser

"Brendan Fraser. Was shamed and blacklisted for admitting to being sexually assaulted in the industry. Wow."

[deleted]

And he's enjoying quite the comeback! The Whale looks amazing.

Britney Spears

"Britney Spears. They loved her mental breakdown."

TraditionalLiving

And she's free now! Thankfully!

Lindsay Lohan

"Lindsay Lohan. David Letterman made fun of her for going to rehab on national television, to the point where she began to cry. She had her demons, but was treated disgustingly."

Catwymyn

I remember that. It was terrible. No wonder she was on a downward spiral for such a long time.

Stella Liebeck

"Stella Liebeck. Nearly died from 3rd degree burns courtesy of McDonald’s coffee, gets them to stop serving coffee at a hazardous temperature, and what does she get? Her name synonymous with stupid lawsuits and even Darwin-esque awards for stupidest lawsuits."

LegalAssassin13

All she wanted was for them to cover her medical expenses and they refused. She had no option but to sue or go bankrupt.

Monica Lewinsky

"Monica Lewinsky. There's a huge issue of power going on here and it was mostly ignored like she was the temptress who lured poor innocent Bill into her den of iniquity."

eddyathome

Thankfully opinions on her have changed as culture has changed. Sadly, we probably don’t know the worst examples because we’ll never hear their side of the story.

Jake Lloyd

"Jake Lloyd. Not his fault much of Phantom Menace was cringe, especially the dialogue. Personally, I think Anakin should’ve been introduced and played by a teenager. Would’ve made his relationship with Padme less creepy. But that was all Lucas. Kid didn’t need to crapped on by fans and the media."

MurkyConflict3737

He was later diagnosed with schizophrenia. He's had a sad life since that film exposed him to so much mockery.

Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson. Also why did people care so much; it's a breast. I've never understood America's obsession with nudity. Put as much violence on the screen for my kid as possible, but god help you if you show the little boob for half a second."

HairyTesticleMonster

The public freakout over this was RIDICULOUS. It absolutely hurt her career and should not have.

Consider: Would you want to be treated the way these people were treated? Think before you pass judgment. You don't always know the whole story.

Have some observations of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Doug Bergum; Jared Huffman
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Dem Rep. Hilariously Trolls Trump Official For Having No Idea How Solar Power Works In Viral Clip

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum was trolled by California Democratic Representative Jared Huffman after he, testifying before the House Natural Resources Committee, seemed to think solar panels are unreliable because they don't work when the sun goes down.

The sun produces heat and light through solar, or electromagnetic, radiation. Solar energy technologies capture that radiation and convert it into usable power. The two primary forms of solar technology are photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP).

Keep ReadingShow less
Catherine O'Hara and Macaulay Culkin at the star ceremony, where he is honored for the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

Macaulay Culkin Just Opened Up About The 'Unfinished Business' He Felt He Had With Catherine O'Hara—And We're Sobbing

More than three decades after they first starred together in Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin is opening up about the emotional bond he shared with Catherine O’Hara, and why her passing left him feeling like he “owed” her something more.

The former child star, now 45, discussed O’Hara’s recent passing with Gentleman’s Journal. O’Hara died on January 30 at age 71 from a pulmonary embolism linked to an underlying illness.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jason Collins
Maya Dehlin Spach/Getty Images

Tributes Pour In For First Out Pro Basketball Player Jason Collins After His Tragic Death At 47

The sports world lost a legend this week. And not just any legend: one who made history.

Jason Collins was the first openly gay active NBA player and the first openly gay professional athlete in any of the four major American sports leagues when he publicly came out in April 2013.

Keep ReadingShow less
Julia Louis-Dreyfus; Stephen Colbert
CBS

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Channeled Her 'Veep' Character To Epically Roast Stephen Colbert In Send-Off For The Ages

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is set to air its final episode next Thursday, May 21.

The controversial cancellation will end Colbert's 11-year tenure at the late night desk, and end the Late Show franchise on CBS, which hit the airwaves in 1993 with host David Letterman—who shared his own message for the network over the cancellation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Melania Trump
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Kevin Hart Roast Writer Reveals Melania Joke That Got Cut—And It's Absolutely Savage

In an interview with Variety, writer Madison Sinclair revealed some of the jokes that got cut from Netflix's The Roast of Kevin Hart—including a joke about First Lady Melania Trump and MAGA comedian Tony Hinchcliffe that is as savage as it is nasty.

Hinchcliffe is best known for having called Puerto Rico "a floating island of garbage" during a Trump rally at New York City's Madison Square Garden in October 2024, just weeks before the election.

Keep ReadingShow less