1. In 2014, State Farm pulled an ad starring Rob Schneider. The comedian had been vocal about his belief that vaccines can lead to autism (which they don’t) and therefore should be optional. Pro-vaccination groups put pressure on State Farm to drop Schneider from their ad, which ultimately happened.
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In a statement, State Farm said, “State Farm advertising is intended to inform and entertain. This particular ad has unintentionally been used as a platform for discussion unrelated to the products and services we provide. With that, we are working to remove the ad from our rotation at this time.”
After being dropped, Schneider doubled down on his views, tweeting, “If the Freedom of Speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” He also tweeted, “Thanks to all my supporters who believe as I do that parents should decide what’s in the best interests of their child, not Gov’t mandates.”
2. In 2022, Adidas and Gap terminated their partnerships with Kanye West following his antisemitic remarks. Balenciaga, Foot Locker, Vogue, and Anna Wintour have also cut ties with the musician over his comments.
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Adidas released a statement when they terminated this partnership saying, “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
Gap also made a statement saying, “In September, Gap announced ending its Yeezy Gap partnership. Our former partner’s remarks and behavior further underscore why.”
In January 2026, Kanye apologized for his antisemitic remarks in a lengthy, full-age advertisement in the Wall Street Journal. In the letter, he said that his bipolar disorder made him lose his grip on reality and led him to make poor choices. “In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it. One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments – many of which I still cannot recall – that led to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body-experience,” he wrote. “I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”
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3. In 2008, Sharon Stone was dropped as the face of Christian Dior’s advertisements after implying that an earthquake in China was karma for the country’s treatment of Tibet.
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After Stone’s comments, Christian Dior released a statement from Stone apologizing for her remarks: “Due to my inappropriate words and acts during the interview, I feel deeply sorry and sad about hurting Chinese people. I am willing to take part in the relief work of China’s earthquake, and wholly devote myself to helping affected Chinese people.”
However, days later Sharon later denied the apology, claiming that she never wrote or approved that statement. She told the New York Times, “I’m certainly not going to apologize for something that isn’t real and true — not for face creams.”
4. In 2011, Gilbert Gottfried was dropped as the voice of the Aflac duck after he made a series of jokes on Twitter referencing a massive tsunami that had hit Japan.
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A statement at the time by Aflac’s Senior VP and Chief Marketing Officer said, “Gilbert’s recent comments about the crisis in Japan were lacking in humor and certainly do not represent the thoughts and feelings of anyone at Aflac. There is no place for anything but compassion and concern during these difficult times.”
The day after Aflac dropped him, Gilbert apologized. “I sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by my attempt at humor regarding the tragedy in Japan,” he said. “I meant no disrespect, and my thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
5. In 2004, Whoopi Goldberg was dropped as SlimFast’s spokesperson after she made sexually explicit puns about President Bush’s name at a fundraiser in New York for Democratic nominee John Kerry.
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A SlimFast general manager at the time stated that some customers were offended by her jokes. Whoopi responded with a statement saying, “While I appreciate what the SlimFast people need to do in order to protect their business, I must also do what I need to do as an artist, as a writer and as an American, not to mention as a comic.”
6. In 2016, Ryan Lochte lost his endorsements from Ralph Lauren, Speedo, Airweave, and Gentle Hair Removal after he admitted to “exaggerating” a story that he and three of his teammates had been robbed at gunpoint at a gas station. The real story was that the “armed robbers” were security guards that the swimmers gave money to after they had vandalized the gas station.
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Soon after the scandal, Lochte posted an apology on Instagram saying, “I want to apologize for my behavior last weekend — for not being more careful and candid in how I described the events of that early morning and for my role in taking the focus away from the many athletes fulfilling their dreams of participating in the Olympics.”
7. In 2016, Chevrolet dropped its sponsorship of The Wendy Williams Show after Wendy questioned why HBCUs exist, saying, “I would be really offended if there was a school that was known as a historically white college.”
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After the backlash, Wendy apologized on her show. “I want to apologize to everyone that I might have offended regarding my remarks,” she said. “I was wrong.”
8. In 2005, Chanel and Burberry severed ties with Kate Moss after she confirmed that the tabloid reports of her cocaine use were correct.
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A spokeswoman for Chanel perfumes at the time, said Chanel wouldn’t renew Moss’s contract, which would expire the following month. “The contract was always going to end in October,” she said.
After canceling an advertising campaign featuring Moss, Burberry issued a statement saying that it was “mutually agreed that it is inappropriate to go ahead.” They also said that “Kate has always been a fantastic model and highly professional for Burberry”.
Moss issued a statement apologizing for her actions, saying, “I take full responsibility for my actions. I also accept that there are various personal issues that I need to address and have started taking the difficult, yet necessary, steps to resolve them.”
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9. In 2016, Maria Sharapova’s relationships with Porsche, Nike, and Tag Heuer were suspended after she failed a drug test. She said the drug was Meldonium, that she’d been prescribed it by a doctor, and was on it for 10 years. Before then, Meldonium wasn’t on the list of banned substances and Maria was not aware when it was added to the list.
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“We are saddened and surprised by the news about Maria Sharapova,” Nike said in a statement at the time. “We have decided to suspend our relationship with Maria while the investigation continues. We will continue to monitor the situation.”
TAG Heuer also released a statement saying, “Maria Sharapova was under contract with TAG Heuer until December 31, 2015. We had been in talks to extend our collaboration. In view of the current situation, the Swiss watch brand has suspended negotiations and has decided not to renew the contract.”
At this time, Porsche said, “Until further details are released and we can analyze the situation, we have chosen to postpone planned activities.”
10. In 2017, Squatty Potty, a toilet stool company, pulled Kathy Griffin’s commercial after released photos showed her holding the fake head of a decapitated President Trump.
Hours after the photos went up, Kathy issued an apology. “I went too far,” she said. “I made a mistake and I was wrong.”
Following these photos, the Squatty Potty CEO said, “We were shocked and disappointed to learn about the image Ms. Griffin shared today, it was deeply inappropriate and runs contrary to the core values our company stands for. In response, Squatty Potty has suspended its ad campaign featuring Ms. Griffin. We have acted swiftly and decisively to demonstrate our commitment to a culture of decency, civility, and tolerance.”
Squatty Potty also said, “Kathy Griffin is not, nor ever has been Squatty Potty’s spokesperson. She was hired to make one commercial. Squatty Potty has pulled said commercial as well as other promotional and marketing content featuring Kathy Griffin.”
11. In 2009, Tiger Woods was dropped by Accenture and AT&T after news of his several extramarital affairs was made public.
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Following the scandal, Accenture issued a statement ending its sponsorship of Tiger Woods, saying, “After careful consideration and analysis, the company has determined that he is no longer the right representative for its advertising.”
AT&T also announced they were dropping Woods in a released statement: “We are ending our sponsorship agreement with Tiger Woods and wish him well in the future.”
Woods apologized for his actions in 2010 saying, “I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in.”
12. In 2007, Nike cut ties with Michael Vick after he was convicted for his participation in an illegal dogfighting ring.
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After Michael pled guilty in court, he made a statement apologizing. “I take full responsibility for my actions. For one second will I sit right here — not for one second will I sit right here and point the finger and try to blame anybody else for my actions or what I’ve done.” In 2011, Nike re-signed the athlete, saying, “Michael acknowledges his past mistakes. We do not condone those actions, but we support the positive changes he has made to better himself off the field.”
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13. In 2009, Kellogg’s decided to end its endorsement deal with Michael Phelps after photos were leaked of him smoking marijuana. Kellogg’s said it wouldn’t renew Phelps’ contract once it ended because his behavior was “not consistent with the image of Kellogg.”
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After the photos were leaked, the athlete apologized for his “regrettable behavior” and “bad judgment.”
14. In 2013, Paula Deen was dumped by Food Network, Smithfield Foods, and Caesars Palace after she admitted to making racist remarks, racist jokes, and using the n-word in the past.
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Following the backlash, Deen posted two apology videos online saying “I want to apologize to everybody for the wrong that I’ve done.” She also said, “I want to learn and grow from this. Inappropriate and hurtful language is totally, totally unacceptable.” Dean added, “I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way but I beg you, my children, my team, my fans, my partners, I beg for your forgiveness. Please forgive me for the mistakes that I have made.”
In a statement issued at the time, a spokesperson said, “Food Network will not renew Paula Deen’s contract when it expires at the end of this month.”
Smithfield Foods also released a statement then saying, “Smithfield condemns the use of offensive and discriminatory language and behavior of any kind. Therefore, we are terminating our partnership with Paula Deen.” They added, “Smithfield is determined to be an ethical food industry leader, and it is important that our values and those of our spokespeople are properly aligned.”
Caesars also cut ties with Dean following the scandal. A representative of the company said, “While we appreciate Paula’s sincere apologies for statements she made in her past that she recently disclosed during a deposition given in response to a lawsuit, after thoughtful consideration of their impact, we have mutually decided that it is in the best interests of both parties to part ways at this time.”
15. And lastly, in 2017, Dannon dumped Cam Newton as their spokesperson after he got backlash for saying “it’s funny to hear a female talk about routes” when a female reporter asked him a question during a press conference.
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Dannon explained cutting ties with him in a statement. “We are shocked and disheartened at the behavior and comments of Cam Newton towards Jourdan Rodrigue, which we perceive as sexist and disparaging to all women. It is entirely inconsistent with our commitment to fostering equality and inclusion in every workplace. It’s simply not OK to belittle anyone based on gender. We have shared our concerns with Cam and will no longer work with him.”
Cam apologized and expressed that “what I did was extremely unacceptable.”
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