Amber Heard, Meghan Markle Top 2 Most Disliked Celebrities Of 2023
Amber Heard and Meghan Markle received the highest disapproval ratings in one survey.
Over 16,000 voters participated in a poll created by Rankers for the Most Disliked Celebrities of 2023. The "Aquaman" star and Duchess of Sussex got over 8,000 votes, with Markle almost dethroning Heard on the list.
The "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" star received an intense backlash last year during a defamation trial between her and her ex-husband, Johnny Depp. She had been the face of the #MeToo movement, but that changed after the emergence of an audio of her telling Depp, "Tell the world, Johnny, tell them, Johnny Depp -- I, Johnny Depp, a man, I'm a victim too of domestic violence. [Let's] see how many people believe or side with you."
During the trial, Heard said that Warner Bros. didn't want to include her in the "Aquaman" sequel, but she fought for her role. They kept her as Mera, but her role had been "pared down." She was noticeably missing in the most recent "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" trailer and promo poster.
Depp won the defamation case, and Heard quickly announced plans to appeal the verdict. However, she eventually settled the case.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also landed on the list of the most disliked stars. Markle came second to Heard amid the allegations that she was involved in Omid Scobie's controversial book, "Endgame," which contained scathing attacks against the royal family members.
Former British journalist and investigative reporter Tom Bower claimed that the words against Kate Middleton in the book seemed to have come from her estranged sister-in-law, Markle.
"The point about the current book is this: that Omid Scobie clearly has nothing new to say. All he got [are] silly stories like King Charles irons his shoelaces," Bower said. "But worse than that, I do find his attack on Kate really gratuitous because that is very much Meghan speaking."
Prince Harry occupied the sixth spot. Prince William's younger brother also got scrutinized for airing his family's dirty laundry through his and Markle's Netflix documentary "Harry & Meghan" and autobiography "Spare," released earlier this year.
Prince Harry is currently in the midst of a legal battle over his security protection in the U.K., and his move raised some eyebrows, with some calling him entitled for still wanting 24/7 protection after stepping back from his royal duties.
"This is all complete nonsense, actually, because he is getting protection," said historian and broadcaster Rafe Heydel-Mankoo. "If he comes to attend royal events, he will receive royal protection. They have bespoke protection plans for him, depending upon his needs. But he has such an inflated impression of what he needs and his importance."
The other celebrities who made it to the top five were Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Cosby and Oprah Winfrey, respectively. Hilaria Thomas, James Charles, Chris Brown, James Corden, Jake Paul, Kris Jenner, Chrissy Teigen, Mark Zuckerberg, Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Logan Paul were also on the list.
