If you thought the most disliked celebrities were those convicted of sex crimes, assault, and other heinous activities, think again. Up until Thursday (May 16), the least popular celebrity of all was Meghan Markle, preceded by Amber Heard. Growing backlash on social media has since influenced new results.
As per The Mirror, which tracked the Ranker website that features crowdsourced rankings, yesterday, users voted the Duchess of Sussex as the most disliked celebrity of 2024.
Meghan, who is of mixed-race heritage with an African-American mother, Doria Ragland, has faced criticism and negative portrayals from some sections of the British tabloid media.
Over the years, some commentators and observers have suggested that some of the coverage she received contained elements of racism or racial bias.
Meghan Markle’s ranking as the most disliked celebrity garnered significant public disapproval considering the many famous people convicted of serious crimes
Image credits: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
In 2016, when the Suits star and Prince Harry had just started dating, The Daily Mail published an article with the headline “Harry’s girl is (almost) straight outta Compton,” referencing Meghan Markle’s mixed-race heritage and upbringing in the diverse neighborhood of Crenshaw in Los Angeles.
In 2019, one year into Meghan and Harry’s marriage, The Sun published a headline that read “Meghan Markle’s exotic heritage revealed,” which some critics argued reduced the former actress’ diverse background to an exotic curiosity, thereby marginalizing her identity.
In 2021, after moving to the US and following the retired actress’ bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, The Daily Express published an article with the headline “Meghan’s Oprah claim torn apart as expert exposes major inconsistencies.”
While the headline itself may not have explicitly contained racial bias, critics argued at the time that the tone of the article and its portrayal of Meghan perpetuated negative stereotypes often associated with black women.
Amber Heard initially topped the negative chart amid intense and often unfair scrutiny
Image credits: amberheard
Amber Heard topped the negative chart, too. The 38-year-old actress has also faced intense and often unfair scrutiny by the press and the public following her highly publicized divorce from Johnny Depp and the subsequent trial.
Headlines have frequently displayed a sexist bias, framing her in a negative light regardless of context. For instance, Amber was often referred to as a “gold digger” during the trial, trivializing the serious nature of the case.
Additionally, social media has been rife with misogynistic content, with hashtags like #AmberTurd trending and comedians like Chris Rock making comments such as, “Believe all women, except Amber Heard,” further perpetuating negative stereotypes against her.