A little controversy here and there can help to ignite a fanbase. It can stir conversation and further entice fans to keep watching and tuning in.
But when controversy gives way to a scandal , the whole house of cards is liable to come tumbling down. Have a look and check out these 10+ scandals behind popular TV shows that fans may not know about.
Mama June’s relationship in *Here Comes Honey Boo Boo*.
At the time, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo was one of the highest-rated shows on TLC.
But after reports that Honey Boo Boo’s mother was involved in a romantic relationship with the man convicted of sexually assaulting her oldest daughter — the network pulled the plug.
PETA defeats HBO’s *Luck* on the grounds of animal cruelty.
Luck was intended to be a high-stakes drama that focussed on the controversial world of horse racing. When one of the animals had an accident on set and had to be put down. PETA had a field day.
In the end, HBO chose to wash their hands entirely of the controversy.
Adam Richman from *Man Finds Food* gets pulled over an internet flame war.
Discovery Channel OGs will no doubt recall Adam from his groundbreaking series Man Vs. Food .
His new series, Man Finds Food , was dropped from the network after Adam got into a heated debate with a ‘fan’ in the comments section of his Instagram account.
Bill Cosby’s sexual assault allegations get *The Cosby Show* permanently pulled from syndication.
By this point, the despicable actions of Bill Cosby have become widely known. In the fallout of his heinous crimes, TV Land opted to pull the historic series from syndication.
Several other networks have since followed suit, making reruns of The Cosby Show harder and harder to come by.
Luke Grimes quits *True Blood* amidst allegations of homophobia.
Blink and you’ll miss him but Luke Grimes did have a short-lived stint on the groundbreaking HBO vampire drama.
But when Luke discovered his character was to begin a sexual relationship with a man — Luke promptly asked to be released from his contract.
Josh Duggar from *19 And Counting*’s sexual assault allegations.
Josh Duggar was the oldest of 19 children in the Duggar Clan.
The show was swiftly taken off the air once reports that Josh had molested his younger sisters began to surface.
Charlie Sheen got Selma Blair fired from *Anger Management* for going behind his back.
Selma Blair was growing tired of Charlie Sheen’s total lack of work ethic, so she went to the top brass in order to file a complaint.
When Charlie got wind of her ‘betrayal,’ he gave the network an ultimatum : either Selma was fired, or he would walk.
The death of Shain Gandee from MTV’s *Buckwild*.
MTV’s Buckwild was intended to be a backwoods redneck version of The Jersey Shore .
Sadly, Shain Gandee lost his life due to carbon monoxide poisoning , after his truck’s exhaust became accidentally plugged with heavy mud. The series was never renewed for another season.
Columbus Short’s domestic abuse scandal resulted in him being fired from *Scandal*.
Columbus Short barged into his wife’s room, poured a bottle of wine all over her head, then proceeded to choke her and stab an adjacent pillow with a knife. To make matters worse, Short’s two-year-old daughter was home at the time.
Once showrunners discovered these shocking claims, Short was fired.
When Angus T. Jones encouraged fans not to watch *Two And A Half Men*.
Two and a Half Men helped make Angus T. Jones one of the richest child stars in the history of Hollywood.
Which is why so many people were shocked when he appeared on YouTube to make a solemn plea for fans to stop watching the show.
Isaiah Washington’s homophobic slur on the set of *Grey’s Anatomy*.
While on the set of Grey’s Anatomy , Isaiah got into a heated war of words with fellow co-star, Patrick Dempsey.
Isaiah was fired after he allegedly referred to T.R. Knight using a homophobic slur .
When the Food Network’s Paula Deen was fired for using the n-word.
The n-word has no place in civilized conversation and is considered by many to be the most hateful word in human history.
After reports surfaced that Paula had used the word on more than one occasion, she was fired. As a result, Paula was forced to buy the rights to her own TV show.
TV Land pulls *The Dukes Of Hazzard* from syndication.
The world has undergone a serious socio-political revolution in the past 12 months. The death of George Floyd was a tipping point and has helped to spark serious and lasting change.
Changes that include getting a TV show like The Dukes of Hazzard , a series that freely waives the Confederate Flag, pulled from syndication.
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Janet Hubert’s firing from *The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air*.
According to Janet Hubert, the network was looking to not only cut her pay but the number of episodes she’d appear in as well. Janet protested, got herself fired, and was eventually recast.
She claims this was all at the behest of Will Smith .
Charlie Sheen’s firing from *Two And A Half Men*.
At the height of his popularity, Charlie Sheen was the highest-paid actor in the history of television, commanding a staggering $2 million per episode.
It all came crashing down after he publicly insulted show creator Chuck Lorre in his infamous ABC News interview.
