Cancel culture: Celebrities under scrutiny

Johnny Depp is set to be honored for his life's work at the San Sebastian International film Festival, despite allegations of domestic violence. A court has been dealing with allegations made by his ex-wife, Amber Heard, since July 2020. Critics argue Depp should not be honored for his career as long as the case is ongoing.

Often enough, artists shape entire generations with their music, films or books. But what happens when they display questionable morals? R&B star R. Kelly (photo) faces charges including sexual abuse. He is snubbed in social networks.

The German singer ("99 Red Balloons") has raised eyebrows with her statements about COVID restrictions. During recent performances, she encouraged her fans to disregard hygiene and distance rules. She claims she is no pandemic denier, but has been known to celebrate with well-known conspiracy theorists. Two concert promoters canceled her concerts as a result.

Since 1992, Mia Farrow has been accusing her ex-husband Woody Allen of having abused their jointly adopted daughter, Dylan. Allen was never convicted but the public hasn't forgotten about the case. In 2021, the HBO documentary series "Allen V. Farrow" brought it all back again. Allen's colleagues in the film industry distanced themselves from the director, Amazon canceled a production contract.

Allegations of sexual abuse long overshadowed Michael Jackson's life's work. The accusations in the 2019 film "Leaving Neverland" came across as so strong and emotional that radio stations around the world took songs by the late "King of Pop" from their playlists.

In his works and when he appeared live on stage, Peter Handke trivialized war crimes allegedly committed by Serbs during the Yugoslav war. The debate flared again when the Austrian writer was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize for Literature. The public urged the Swedish Academy to push him to apologize, but Handke never made concessions.

In 2011, the French Dior luxury fashion label terminated its long-standing collaboration with chief designer John Galliano, who had shocked the the public with anti-Semitic and racist insults at a Paris restaurant. Galliano did not remain banned in the industry for long, however: He made his comeback in 2015 at Maison Margiela.

J.K. Rowling repeatedly tweeted about transgender issues, making statements that offended many trans people. Reaction on the web was enormous, including by LGBTQ organizations. The Harry Potter author, however, stands by her statements.

In the course of the #MeToo campaign, Kevin Spacey faced accusations of sexual abuse. Another actor said Spacey abused him when he was a minor, an incident the "House of Cards" star said he does not remember. Accusations and lawsuits from dozens of other alleged victims followed. Spacey has avoided the public eye ever since, and Netflix dropped him from "House of Cards."

Under the hashtag FireGinaCarano, people urged Disney+ producers in 2020 to fire the actress who starred in "The Mandalorian" — she had shared voter fraud theories on social media. When she suggested in 2021 that conservatives in the US were treated like Jewish people during the Nazi regime, Disney fired her.

The scandal was the main trigger for the #MeToo protests in 2017: More than 90 actresses, including Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek, accused Weinstein of sexual harassment or abuse. The Oscar Academy fired him, his own production company parted ways with him. In 2020, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison.