Top 10 Movies Whose Legacies Were Tarnished by Scandals

These scandals make it hard to separate the artist from the art. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the films that are most remembered for their controversies instead of their storytelling. Our countdown includes "American Beauty," "The Wizard of Oz," "The Flash," and more! Do you still enjoy any of these movies? Let us know in the comments below!
Watch more great scandal videos here:
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MsMojo is a leading producer of reference online video content of Top 10 Lists, Origins, Biographies, Commentary and more on Pop Culture, Celebrity, Movies, Music, TV, Film, Video Games, Politics, News, Comics, Superheroes. Your trusted authority on ranking Pop Culture.
#Scandals #Controversy #Legacy #Tarnished #Movies

[@MsMojo]

Do you still enjoy any of these movies? Let us know below, and check out our video of the Top 10 Biggest Animated Movie Scandals - kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3Wml4Nmi76HnNk

[@justineves3588]

Yes I still enjoy the flash and the wizard of oz a lot 😊❤

[@suekelley2109]

Ezra Miller was a lousy choice for Flash even before the controversy.

[@Lana2k6]

"The Wizard of Oz" also had a setback when actor Buddy Ebsen, who was originally cast as the Tin Man, was rushed to the hospital after developing a severe allergic reaction to the silver makeup. The aluminum powder used in the makeup ended up being inhaled by Ebsen and others, but the actor got the worst of it and ended up in an oxygen tent. Subsequently, Jack Haley would take over the role.

[@mariyamarkova5672]

The sad truth is most of these movies involved the work of so many decent hardworking people and were ruined by the actions of one or few individuals.

[@elinesvendsen8046]

Yes, including some of the victims of the scandals.

[@Heavilybrokn]

It was not Margaret Hamilton that was burned during a flying scene, it was her stunt double. Margaret Hamilton was burned during an issue with the trap door in Munchkin Land as she exits the scene

[@cmkellygirl]

and the take where she was burned is what is in the movie if i remember correctly! that's awful!

[@trinaq]

Kevin Spacey playing a middle aged father who has lustful fantasies of his teenage daughter's best friend was icky enough in 1999, but post 2017, it's downright uncomfortable, with what we know now.

[@kamsismith]

When I found out about that, I thought of Lolita with slight changes. How did anyone at the pitch meeting not get uncomfortable listening to the synopsis of American Beauty?

[@bennywark3103]

Also kind of ironic if you think about it

[@tashacooper1753]

@@bennywark3103and him trying to go sorry I’m gay in apology for harming boys was wild

[@criminalmindsgirl2936]

If only the best friend was a male

[@bennywark3103]

@@tashacooper1753 Kevin: I'm gay Reporter: That's great to hear, but you do know those boys were underage right? Kevin: Yeah but it makes it okay right? Reporter: ...... Are you f@&#$&@ stupid!?

[@casandraoconnor7888]

Not all celebrities are mean but I find Hollywood to be very sketchy with the celebrities they have sometimes.

[@chewydewok]

Ezra Miller not only tarnished the Flash, but also one of the reasons the Fantastic Beasts movies were tarnished.

[@michaelmonthey5974]

Even before Spacey’s sexual harassment allegations were publicly revealed, I hated American Beauty. I never understood how a movie THIS BAD got SO much LOVE from the Oscars.

[@bethgoldman2560]

Wow…no Woody Allen. Very surprised.

[@multiverse_media2023]

It’s not just J.K Rowling. It was because of Warner Bros as a whole basically disrespected Johnny Depp by supporting Amber Heard, keeping Ezra Miller as The Flash, and don’t get me started on what David Zaslav is doing now. So many scandals from Warner Bros, a failing corporation. As if the DC movies weren’t all bad enough as a stain on their reputation.

[@222222ania]

Amber heard didn’t lie, y’all need a law class lol

[@YanaBana79]

The Blind Side! Since Michael Oher and the Tuohys are now in litigation, it's a lot harder to truly engage with the movie.

[@melissawickersham9912]

Especially since the whole plot of the Blind Side was basically a lie.

[@melissawickersham9912]

Especially since the whole plot of the Blind Side was basically a lie.

[@KristineElizabethKraycer]

There are alot of stories about the Wizard of Oz: first witch getting burned and them not helping with her medical bills, Tin Man being allergic to the paint, the dog getting paid more that the munchkins, the asbestos snow, Judy's mom making her smoke cigarettes and eating nothing to stay skinny, the witch's makeup was copper based and the list goes on...

[@michaelmonthey5974]

WB should never have released The Flash in the first place.

[@rustygribbler1380]

I feel the suffering for HP franchise on both sides of frustration I mean it had potential. I have been an HP fan since I was 7 years old 😢

[@BlueB360]

Man…Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore REALLY could not have come out at a worse time!

[@wgcooke1]

Birth of a Nation with Nate Parker

[@nuwildcat90]

I found it surprising that you discussed "Wizard of Oz, The" without indicating that the aluminum dust they Buddy Ebsen wear on his face for the "Tin Man" got into his lungs and made him extremely sick.

[@stitchlover4381]

I think Ghost Dad could have been given a dishonorable mention since we all know what happened to Bill Cosby.

[@liampatrick3110]

He's the victim of a witch hunt!

[@stitchlover4381]

@@liampatrick3110 who? Bill Cosby?

[@c00mgoblin]

I actually really liked American Beauty (many years after it came out I was younger when I didn’t know about him) and I thought it was a complicated interesting (albeit uncomfortable) story. It’s really sad that a shitty person can ruin so many good movies.

[@HejaWolf]

Interesting list but I'm surprised the Bryan Singer X-Men movies aren't on the list. While those movies did make Hugh Jackman famous, were positively reviewed (save for Apocalypse), and paved the way for the following superhero movies, along with Blade and Spider-Man, its legacy was somewhat tarnished by Bryan's onset behavior and a lot of horrible allegations against him. I still love those movies, but it's hard to ignore that piece of detail sadly.

[@ItzMzJulez2U]

How does Bryan Singer even show his face in public? Thank goodness ‘BhoRap’ survived his BS and became the great movie it is. 🎶❤️

[@LeonardoKlotz]

I was still able to enjoy THE FLASH I went to see it mostly because of Andy Muschietti He was really able to make the movie fun and exciting

[@VJAllison1974]

I saw Sixteen Candles as a preteen and even back then, the portrayal of Long Duck Dong made me uncomfortable because it put Asian people in such a negative light. They made him seem really stupid, crazy and a lot of other nasty stuff. I can't watch those parts of that movie without cringing, ugh.

[@criminalmindsgirl2936]

When I think of The Disaster Artist. I don't think of James Franco's personal issues. It isn't something that comes to mind. And nobody really thinks of that when it comes to the film itself. I think the film itself is just an after thought but still worth watching.

[@phantomrequim]

I can't even watch The Usual Suspects anymore and it was one of my favorite Kevin Spacey movies. I know he was found not guilty but the icky feeling just won't go away.

[@tinas_hotdog_sophie]

"Terrible people and where to find them" was more like it. The bad outwighted the good and the good were put aside like Katherine Waterston who publicly spoke out against JKR.

[@wendygreene]

J.K. Rowling has also doubled-down on her efforts by sueing anyone who speaks against her and her views on social media using a British law as a loophole. She is unapologetic to the teeth on her hateful beliefs and unfortunately a lot of people in the fan base ignore it.

[@briannastultz1468]

I think you can despise JK’s comments and still love the series. The HP books and movies are some of my favorites. I was never a huge fan of Fantastic…., but I think that its biggest failure was also WB firing Johnny due to Amber’s lies.

[@samuelcollantes1175]

Definitely Mulan. Happy monday night, Sophia. Take care and God bless you. Greetings from Colombia to you as well

[@trinaq]

It seems unlikely that we'll ever get another "Fantastic Beasts" movie, in light of the scandals. Which is a pity, because I liked the first one, and there was apparently supposed to be five films in total.

[@Omar-wq9dz]

I liked the 1st one, didn't like the 2nd, and never saw the 3rd. The one thing I liked the most out of them is Dan Fogler as Jacob. I thought his and Newt's friendship was the best thing about those movies, since those were the best parts

[@ernapalomar8267]

Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom. This film got a lot of Backlash after Amber Heard’s Trial and WB decided to keep her as Mera which was a BAD idea for DC and this caused The End of The DCEU and The Start of James Gunn’s DCU.

[@tylerrodriguez4445]

She didn't get third degree burns from the "flubbed flying scene". It was from where she exiting the scene back in Munchkin Village where she vanished via trapdoor mechanic that releases a burst of flames

[@autumbreeze1129]

I can't lie, due to not learning about the behind the scenes of The Wizard of Oz until almost 20 years after I first watched it, the behind the scenes doesn't cone to mind whenever I actually watch it. Perhaps too much Time had passed prior for it to effect my viewing experience of the film while watching, while I can acknowledge it all when not watching it. She Who Will Not Be Named's horrible words on the transgender community and Depp being fired because of Amber Turd's BS claims against Depp however? Clearly close enough to the releases to negatively effect the viewing experience of the Fantastic Beasts movies. I still only rewatch the first one.

[@KadeemG61]

I enjoyed American Beauty back then, but I agree, the movie hasn’t aged well because of Kevin Spacey’s allegations.

[@briannastultz1468]

I think another thing that didn’t help The Flash was James Gunn announcing that he was upending the DCEU and all the actors we knew and loved in roles (Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill) were out but yet Ezra was in.

[@kendrarasberry3078]

Jason Sudeikis deserves better.

[@hopedavis285]

There’s been a lot of debunking of the wizard of oz controversies. Judy Garland herself said it was one of the happiest times of her life.

[@bryana50cents16]

So TWILIGHT victims were TWO children and a adult..... not sure why youre not being clear about that

[@troyandrew6154]

Any film directed by brett ratner should also be on the list

[@scarmucci1918]

Leave it to Ms Mojo to say that ''The Wizard of Oz'' has been ''tarnished''.

[@javib2978]

Movies That I Still Enjoyed. Don't Worry Darling. The scene where two children are giving beverage orders to the customers. The two ladies say to the kids like, "Good Job!". To the kids. Then, the two kids nod gratefully to the women. And leave. Who are only cameos in the film. That is how I am grateful to other people. I act like a child in my mindset. Sixteen Candles. The Disaster Artist. Any film by Casey Affleck, Woody Allen, and Armie Hammer. Twilight Zone The Movie. John Landis denied being ignorance. He realized the accident on set was too late to prevent it. It shook the film industry. This scene was never used in the final cut for the director's reasons. And any Miramax and The Weinstein Company films. Harvey Weinstein I thought he an average producer in Hollywood in my viewpoint. But, years later, in 2017. I was shocked! That Harvey Weinstein was not thought the person he was before. I blindly idolize someone, who was actually an awful person decades ago! Bob Weinstein on the hand, made mistakes too. He has remorse about it. I have severed my ties to Mr. Harvey Weinstein. I find Bob Weinstein as an underdog. A hero in the wake of MeToo. I think Harvey Weinstein wasn't just a villain for the sake of being one. He was a far more complicated character to analyze in character study. That's all I know. These are the movies I still enjoyed.

[@justineves3588]

Very very great crazy list I like it a lot very very great job miss mojo 😊❤

[@Hp-Fan2010]

So, I completely disagree about The Fantastic Beast Series being overshadowed by J.K. Rowling's comments. The movies flopped because they just weren't anywhere near as good as the original Harry Potter Franchise, and not because of J.K. Rowling, she did nothing wrong. And as many awful things happened behind the scenes of The Wizard of Oz, most of which I already knew about, I still love the movie, because the acting, music, and story are all wonderful.

[@jamesheatherly4209]

Even without the controversy. Flash probably still would’ve bombed due to poor timing by being released a few weeks after the CW’s series’s final episode.

[@ThePinkDragon]

i liked Flash

[@kamsismith]

Blonde and Back to Black. Both movies are about iconic female celebrities marred by constant media scrutiny and personal demons, the social media backlash pre and post-release for exploiting them beyond the grave.

[@trinaq]

I agree, while the respective actresses playing Marilyn and Amy were brilliant, they romanticised several aspects of their lives, as well as fabricating events which never actually happened.

[@kamsismith]

When both Blonde and Back to Black were released and before they were released, there were plenty of discussions and articles about whenever there's a biopic about a female celebrity, specifically ones who died young from personal demons, they shove trauma porn down the audiences’ throats rather than showing their talent. Yes, these women had their demons, but there was much more to them than that. I can't imagine a movie similar to Blonde and Back to Black and Kurt Cobain was given similar treatment in his biopic.

[@melissawickersham9912]

Unfortunately no one can sue the films for defamation or libel on behalf of the dead because defamation and libel laws do not apply to the dead. The dead no longer have a reputation to maintain. No case for defamation or libel concerning “Blonde” and “Back to Black” would stand up in court, since the celebrities in question that were depicted in the films are no longer around to defend their reputations.

[@Taylorstyles101]

I still enjoyed Don’t Worry Darling

[@ThatGirlShelbyy]

Ohhhh so early! I saw fantastic beasts and immediately clicked 😅😅

[@Animeguy300]

Incredible facts

[@benfromthebunker9621]

very few of these are factual accurate.

[@melissawickersham9912]

@@benfromthebunker9621 Their description of the death of Vic Morrow was accurate.

[@dennislogan6781]

Two points. One Kevin Spacey was found not guilty recently. Two, Harvey Weinstein's assistant Headland is allowed to make horrible Star Wars shows even though she knew what was going on and didn't try to stop it.

[@louisel.sinniger2057]

Ah, the webs we weave…..

[@AJ-xc4qe]

#1 various live action DC movies

[@Hammermantv]

Even before ezra had problems he was a crap actor during justice league they should have given the role to grant gustin

[@matthewbaduria]

The Bonfire Of The Vanities was a complete box office disaster, the feud between Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis was documented.

[@jessetrimbach5908]

The Interview thanks to Sony being hacked

[@OTWarrior02]

"Weinstein didn't just ruin a single Studio it tainted an entire corner of Hollywood". Who cares about the women who were abused eh? Great take from this horrible situation. I feel more for the poor women and what they had to go through than "oh no I can't watch those films anymore"

[@benfromthebunker9621]

The disaster artist was never an awards leader. It was always behind shape of water, dunkirk, lady bird, and the post. The academy bent to a few loud individuals on Affleck's being a presenter, but it has not affected his career. It is very likely that Johnny Depp being proven innocent and still fired was what hurt the box not the case itself. It's weird to bring up Spacey when he has also been found innocent of all charges. Don't worry Darling would have done poorly no matter the drama. It was a terrible film. People haven't stopped liking miramax films. Especially since Harvey didn't contribute to them in any real way.

[@conoroflaherty2433]

If Ellen Degeneres Was In The MCU Movie That Ripped Off A 2000s DC Movie, The MCU Is Officially Dead

[@criminalmindsgirl2936]

I understand there are certain things that we can't ignore and talk about. But in today's world, we have gotten over sensitive.

[@Tulsalum98]

The Flash was a horrible movie and good press wouldn’t have saved it.

[@michaelmonthey5974]

Even if you can overlook the racist caricature, Breakfast At Tiffany’s is overrated. I can’t relate to a story that celebrates materialism.

[@Luce632]

Kevin Spacey was declared not guilty by the courts, you should say that also in here

[@SirAsdf]

6:22 "A few choice comments" lady, Joanne has made being anti-trans her main personality trait. She literally can't go one day without saying something that openly incites hatred against trans people

[@mr.x8259]

They are a ridiculous people. It’s not her fault if the emperor isn’t wearing clothes.

[@olliesmith2890]

Awww is he gonna cry. I stand with Jo all day long, what in the heck is wrong with standing for women's rights. Men and women my friend, there isn't anything else.

[@melissawickersham9912]

Rowling had bigoted, hateful, and problematic views even before she became obsessed with trans people. Her depiction of a fantasy slave race in the books essentially glorified slavery and dismissed concerns about slavery as silly. Her depiction of the goblins in the books were an antisemitic stereotype that only became worse in Hogwarts Legacy. She even gave Hogwarts students of racial minorities questionable names like “Shacklebolt” and “Cho Chang”.

[@olliesmith2890]

@@melissawickersham9912 Are you of this planet. Do you wake up each day getting offended by something. Perhaps the color of your tv remote offends you, or the color of a dog, or even the color of the sky when its raining hard. Offended by a fictional goblin, behave.

[@melissawickersham9912]

@@olliesmith2890 I’m not the one who’s offended by fictional goblins. I am just going by what The zeitgeist of the Internet is saying.

[@ronaldmalfoy]

i hope anyone still working on any jk rowling film feels deep shame

[@BigfootBourbonNerd]

To be fair, the fantastic beasts movies just weren’t very good. People just get mad when people have their own views on things. The small are always louder than the majority.

[@BallymurphyBabe]

Wretched video!! What the ell is the awful annoying background noise that ruined the video!! I had to stop at 4 minutes! 🤬 Ms. Mojo I am disappointed in you!!

[@sifilore9462]

I never acknowledge the scandals of actors. I would rather watch a good movie and give my opinions on them instead. The Flash was slightly okish; it taught a lesson the hard way like in Arrowverse. U can't change the past no matter how selfless it may seem. But changing before that moments was farfetch. The Wizard of Oz, nothing will ever stand in the way of a wonderful movie that takes us back to our childhood, for all times to come. As a potterhead, I wish the planned last 2 Fantastic Beasts movies for a total of 5 still came. They brought us all around the globe of the wizarding world, and introduce all kinds of creature. Mulan was filmed next to a prision camp, how r we the audience suppose to know that. Lets just watch the show.

[@tjm7028]

Kevin Spacey was found not guilty on all charges, don't you think that was worth mentioning?

[@maddalonefarms]

So was O.J.

[@octaviosanchez1051]

Do top 10 worst my little pony friendship is magic episodes

[@johnseelinger9803]

I actually like "The Flash" and the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise. I think those movies are rather good. I started hating the movie "The Wizard of Oz" more than 10 years ago upon realizing it was NOT loyal to the book. One set of movies that Harvey Weinstein worked on that I still really like are "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. I'm a big fan of Middle-Earth, been a fan since I was a kid. By the way, one can like somebody's work but not the creator of the work themselves. For example, I love some of Joss Whedon's and James Gunn's work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe, thought they did a good job making some of those movies, but I hate Joss Whedon and James Gunn themselves. I think both of those men are assholes. Another example is my sister's roommate (and maybe my sister herself, but I don't completely know for sure) is a fan of Steven Moffat's work, but hates Steven Moffat himself. He hates Moffat because he views Moffat as an asshole, too, at least I think he said that he hates Moffat. Point is that you don't need to let what the creator of some work done ruin stories you enjoyed, you can like that person's work but hate the creator of that work. As long as their work doesn't reflect the dark side of those people and stuff like that, I think it's okay to enjoy their work.

[@Jeremiah_Rivers76]

JK Rowling did nothing wrong by declaring her stance on the issues that made her and the Wizarding World controversial.

[@rosebookfan7677]

Honestly people need to get over it 😤

[@anayajohnson3493]

Exactly ❤

[@KadeemG61]

calling out transgender people is wrong and her reputation is trash. She’s a hypocrite.

[@voutsider190]

Wish we had someone like her in America

[@jackdavinci]

​@@rosebookfan7677 she just keeps getting worse, she really needs to find a new hobby

[@AudreyC379]

Give the J.K Rowling "controversy" a rest already. Jesus christ. 🙄 Talk about watchmojo milking it.

[@gevorg1989]

JKR didn't say anything wrong, unless you mean "outing" Dumbledore

[@michaelmonthey5974]

The backlash against J.K. Rowling is utterly ridiculous. She was speaking for women’s rights and Hollywood cast her out for no logical reason.

[@melissawickersham9912]

The Harry Potter series isn’t just controversial for Rowling’s views on the trans community, it’s also got a lot more controversial stuff within the books and films themselves. The depiction of house elves as a slave race that’s happy to be enslaved, the depiction of the goblins as antisemitic stereotypes, the fact that the wizards who want to prevent WW2 are depicted as the bad guys in the Fantastic Beasts film series...it all adds up as a portrait of bigotry that extends way further than just anti-trans comments online. Even the use of a surname like “Shacklebolt” for a Hogwarts student of color is deeply problematic.

[@michaelmonthey5974]

@@melissawickersham9912 I honestly don’t see any signs of problematic depictions of any races or communities even after rewatching the series. I don’t like the Fantastic Beasts sequel, but narrative wise, wizards weren’t supposed to interfere with Muggle matters, even if their fate hung in the balance. It sucked, but it was wizard law.

[@erdvilla]

JKR Represents the vast majority of people who don't support an ideology. We tolerate it, but we cannot be forced to put it on display in our works of fiction. And Hogwarts Legacy goes to show that no matter how much some groups yell and try to boycott stuff, in the end the real fans speak louder.