Celebrities who lost endorsement deals
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is losing an endorsement deal with Oikos yogurt after his sexist remark to a woman sportswriter on Wednesday. Newton, who had been pitching for the Dannon-owned brand since 2015, told reporter Jourdan Rodrigue it was "funny to hear a female talk about routes" after she asked him a question at a press conference.
U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte lost marketing deals with Speedo, Ralph Lauren, mattress company Airweave and Syneron-Candela, the parent company of Gentle Hair Removal, after the 12-time Olympic medalist and three teammates falsely claimed they had been robbed at gunpoint during the 2016 Rio Olympics. It was soon discovered the four athletes allegedly vandalized a gas station and urinated on the building. Lochte eventually apologized, saying he should have been "more careful and candid."
Maria Sharapova held onto some of her endorsement deals in the wake of a two-year suspension for testing positive for the banned drug meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open, but lost some others. While Nike and racket manufacturer Head stood by the Russian tennis star, with the latter actually extending Sharapova's contract and saying she'd made an "honest mistake," Porsche suspended its marketing deal with her and Swiss watch brand Tag Heuer decided not to renew her contract. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Nike announced on Feb. 17, 2016, it was ending its endorsement deal with Manny Pacquiao. The decision came days after the eight-time world boxing champion made comments about how gay people are "worse than animals" while campaigning for a seat in the Philippine senate. In a statement, Nike said it found Pacquiao's comments "abhorrent." (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
After Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was indicted on child abuse charges in September 2014 for hitting his 4-year-old son with a switch, Nike soon announced it was dropping Peterson, as did Castrol motor oil, and stores were quick to pull his jerseys and other merchandise. He eventually pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of reckless assault and was sentenced to probation and community service.
In September 2014, the Baltimore Ravens released Ray Rice after a video surfaced showing him punching his then-fiancee and dragging her limp body out of an Atlantic City casino elevator in February. Shortly after, EA said it was removing him from the football video game Madden NFL 15. Nike also reportedly cut ties with Rice. His Ravens game jerseys were also quickly pulled from the shelves of sporting goods stores and stripped from online retailers.
(Rob Carr/Getty Images)
After biting an opponent in the 2014 World Cup (the third time he has done so in a match) Uruguayan soccer striker Luis Suarez not only got a stiff nine-match ban and four-month suspension from FIFA, but also lost some sponsors. Online betting company 888poker immediately dropped the Liverpool star as its global brand ambassador and Adidas, which makes the official World Cup match ball, did not use Suarez for any additional marketing activities during the tournament and said it would review their long-standing relationship.
(Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
Southern chef Paula Deen lost endorsements from Walmart, Smithfield Foods, Target, QVC, Home Depot, diabetes drug company Novo Nordisk, Caesars Palace and more after a video deposition leaked in June 2013 in which she admitted to using racial slurs in the past. Her contract with Food Network also was not renewed.
Nearly two weeks after Ryan Braun was suspended for 65 games without pay for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy, Nike announced on Aug. 2, 2013, that the company had terminated its contract with the Milwaukee Brewers outfielder.
(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
In May 2013, Pepsi dropped Lil' Wayne as the face of Mountain Dew over the rapper's crude lyrical reference to civil rights martyr Emmett Till in the song "Karate Chop." A spokeswoman for the rapper described the split as amicable and due to "creative differences."
(Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
In April 2013, rapper Rick Ross lost a Reebok endorsement deal reportedly worth up to $5 million over a lyric in his song "U.O.E.N.O." that appeared to condone date rape.
(Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Rihanna's risque image was apparently too much for Nivea and its new CEO, Stefan Heidenreich, in August 2012, when he told a German newspaper that the singer was a "no go" as the face of the brand. "I do not understand how to bring the core brand of Nivea in conjunction with Rihanna," he said. "Nivea is a company which stands for trust, family and reliability."
(Christopher Polk/Getty Images for MTV)
After the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency handed down a lifetime ban in 2012 that also cost him his record seven Tour de France victories, Lance Armstrong immediately started losing sponsors, including Anheuser-Busch, Trek Bikes, and Nike. Forbes estimated the cyclist had lost $150 million in endorsement revenue. He was also let go from the LiveStrong company that he started.
(Gail Oskin/Getty Images)
Comedian Gilbert Gottfried was fired from his gig voicing the Aflac duck in commercials after he tweeted several insensitive jokes in response to the Japanese tsunami in March 2011.
(Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
Rapper T.I. lost out on endorsement deals with Rémy Martin Cognac, GM and Axe Body Spray after his arrest for drug possession in West Hollywood, Calif,. in 2010. While the drug charges were eventually dropped, the incident earned him an 11-month sentence for violating his probation for a 2007 gun case.
(Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
While video game developer Electronic Arts and Nike stuck by Tiger Woods after news of his extramarital affairs hit the tabloids in late 2009, he lost his endorsements with Gillette, management consulting firm Accenture, AT&T, General Motors and Gatorade. According to Business Insider, Woods lost roughly $22 million in endorsements the following year.
(Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Chris Brown lost his Wrigley's and Got Milk ad deals in 2009 after pleading guilty to assaulting his then-girlfriend, Rihanna.
(Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps came under fire in February 2009 after a photo of him using a bong surfaced. The swimmer lost a reported $500,000 deal with Kellogg's and his deals with AT&T and Rosetta Stone were not renewed when they expired at the end of the year.
(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Lindsay Lohan was dropped as the face of New York-based designer Jill Stuart after the actress' legal issues started mounting in 2008.
(Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department via Getty Images)
After Sharon Stone implied that a deadly 2008 earthquake in China's Sichuan province was karma for the Chinese government's treatment of Tibetans and the Dalai Lama, Christian Dior dropped all Chinese advertisements featuring the actress.
(Mike Windle/Getty Images)
NFL quarterback Michael Vick's endorsement contract with Nike was suspended without pay after he was indicted in a federal court for dog fighting. Once he pled guilty in August 2007, the company canceled the deal completely.
(Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images)
Oscar-winner Charlize Theron was not only dropped by Raymond Weil watches in 2006, but also sued for $20 million, with the luxury watchmaker claiming the South African actress was in breach of her contract for wearing watches by Christian Dior and Montblanc while representing the company. Theron eventually settled the suit in 2008.
(Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
After a photograph appearing to show Kate Moss snorting cocaine came to light in 2005, the model lost her endorsement deals with H&M and Burberry. Chanel also decided not to renew its contract with Moss when it expired about a month later, but said its decision had nothing to do with the drug scandal. Moss quickly issued an apology, but stopped short of admitting any drug use.
(Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Slim-Fast dropped Whoopi Goldberg from its advertising in 2004 after the comedian made a sexual joke about President George W. Bush and called him a "thug" at a John Kerry fundraiser.
(Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)
McDonald's, Nutella and Coca-Cola all decided not to renew their contracts with Kobe Bryant after the Lakers star was accused of rape in 2003. The case was eventually dropped in September 2004.
(Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
NBA player Latrell Sprewell lost his endorsement deal with Converse sneaker company after he choked his coach P.J. Carlesimo in 1997.
(Otto Greule Jr./Allsport)
Both the Florida Citrus Commission and Quaker State Motor Oil eventually dropped Burt Reynolds due to bad publicity generated by his bitter divorce from Loni Anderson in the mid-1990s.
(Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Spike TV)
Even before he was charged with murder, O.J. Simpson was let go by Hertz, who he had famously endorsed since the 1970s. The rental car company distanced itself from the former NFL star when uncontested allegations of domestic abuse were first reported in 1992.
Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson announced he was HIV-positive in 1991 and immediately retired (although he did return twice before retiring for good). Johnson, who had made as much as $12 million a year from a variety of endorsements, saw his deals with Pepsi, Nestle, Converse, KFC, Target and Spalding quietly go unrenewed when they ran out.
(Stephen Dunn/Allsport)
Pepsi paid Madonna $5 million at the peak of her fame in 1989 for a two-minute commercial featuring her song "Like a Prayer." However, she was canned just several months into the deal after her music video for the song came out and caused controversy with scenes of murder, burning crosses and bleeding stigmata.
The American Beef Industry Council decided to part ways with "Moonlighting" star Cybill Shepherd after she admitted in 1987 that she tried to "stay away from red meat."
(Jason Merritt/Getty Images for ELLE)