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.
@BosniaNTBall/X
@BosniaNTBall/X
@theecoobadass/Bluesky
@BosniaNTBall/X
New York Post
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social