Kanye West, Elon Musk, Amber Heard lead global rankings of most cancelled celebrities

A report by digital entertainment platform JB.com has ranked the most publicly criticised celebrities in the world, with Kanye West topping the list amid escalating legal disputes and international backlash.

The study, which analysed negative media coverage, Reddit discussions and social media calls for deplatforming, concludes that West has become the most “cancelled” public figure in entertainment, with more than 68 million negative headlines and over 95,000 Reddit threads referencing controversies linked to his behaviour. His peak controversy periods were recorded in October 2022 and again in March 2026, with issues ranging from antisemitic remarks to ongoing legal disputes.

In second place is Elon Musk, who attracted approximately 50 million critical articles relating to his business decisions, political commentary and activity on social media platform X. The report notes that Musk’s most intense backlash peaked in October 2025, with sustained online criticism across Reddit and mainstream media.

Third is Amber Heard, who faced around 18.8 million negative headlines during and after her widely publicised defamation trial with Johnny Depp. Depp, ranked fourth, generated 10.9 million critical mentions, with controversy peaking during legal proceedings in 2021 and 2022, though public sentiment towards him later shifted more favourably.

Fifth place goes to Andrew Tate, who accumulated 54.3 million negative articles amid repeated platform bans and ongoing legal investigations, including allegations linked to organised crime and human trafficking.

The top ten list also includes Logan Paul, JK Rowling, James Charles, Ezra Miller and Sean Combs.

According to the report’s methodology, the rankings were derived from a combined “cancellation score” factoring in negative press volume, online debate intensity and public calls for deplatforming.

A spokesperson for JB.com noted that Kanye West’s case marks a shift in the nature of celebrity backlash, stating that his controversies have escalated beyond social media criticism into real-world restrictions, including attempted government-level interventions affecting travel and live performances.

The report concludes that the scale of online outrage surrounding public figures has reached unprecedented levels, with celebrities increasingly subject to sustained global scrutiny across both traditional and digital media platforms.