Epic celebrity side hustle fails

It turns out that even Hollywood's biggest names aren't immune to business blunders. When stars stepped beyond the spotlight to try their hand at everything from niche apps to unexpected restaurants, reality hit hard. Here’s a look at some memorable side hustles that remind us all: not every passion project has box-office appeal.

The reality star and her sisters launched a prepaid debit card in 2010 called KardashianKard. The card was criticized for high fees and was withdrawn from the market after only a few weeks due to public backlash. Forbes described it as “one of the worst financial products ever introduced.”

Image: Ben Hedges/YouTube

The singer launched a line edible cosmetics called Dessert Beauty in 2004. It only lasted two years. Besides some lawsuits, there were complaints. Oone user said she got a yeast infection from using the Butterscotch Toffee Body Wash. Another claimed the Deliciously Kissable Belly Button Love Potion Fragrance attracted bees, according to Pop Crush.

The actor and former governor tried his hand at the comic book industry, in partnership with the great Stan Lee, with ‘The Governator,’ a superhero based on himself. The comic book was discontinued after a short run and the animated series was canceled before it was released in 2012 amid the scandal related to his affair.

Image: Governator #1, Antarctic Press

The rapper launched the Street King energy drink in 2011, which had as much caffeine as 2-3 cups of coffee. Although heavily marketed, by 2015, his accountant said SK Energy was losing “millions” of dollars per year, according to the NY Daily News. 50 also declared bankruptcy that same year, not only because of the energy drink.

This iconic actress bought an entire town in her home state of Georgia for $20 million, aiming to turn it into a tourist attraction with movie studios and a film festival. But that didn’t pan out; it caused a major rift within her family and was one reason she filed for bankruptcy.

Trump Steaks was a brand of steaks and meats and marketed as “the world’s best steaks.” In 2007, they were launched by the man who would become the US President, but discontinued the same year. Their prices were high, and, according to Gourmet magazine, the steaks were “wholly mediocre.”

Rapper and reality TV star Flavor Flav opened Flavor Flav’s Chicken & Ribs chain, but it flailed among management in-fighting. In Iowa, a branch closed after four months due to employee lawsuits. In Sterling Heights, Michigan, the restaurant was evicted from the location after claims it owed $20,000, according to the magazine Eater.

Back in 2004, the world-famous wrestler said he was given a choice to lend his name to a meatball machine or a grill. According to the Sun, he went with the meatball machine, eventually called the Hulkamania Meatball Maker. The grill was then passed to George Foreman, which has made him more than $200 million.

Actress Eva Longoria opened a “female-friendly” steakhouse in Las Vegas in 2012. The restaurant, called ‘SHe,’ served smaller servings, featured a catwalk, tired seating and ambiance with ladies in mind, according to Fine Dining Lovers. But the concept didn’t take off, and it shuttered in 2014.

In 2008, Paris Hilton launched her scrapbooking line called the Creativity Collection. Although it included a lot of pink and glitter, it failed to achieve take off. But hey, author Mark Twain had successfully gotten into the scrapbooking business, so why not try?

“Two If By Tea™ represents traditional American values of capitalism and the pursuit of excellence. Each bottle is designed to rise above the sameness and mediocrity that threatens our great nation,” read the Two if By Sea ice tea website. The conservative radio host launched in 2011 but was suspended in 2018 after becoming unviable.

In 1994, the director opened Dive! It was a 300-seat restaurant shared like a neon yellow submarine in Los Angeles. Every 30 minutes, the entire restaurant would simulate a deep sea dive with flashing lights. Profits eventually dived too, and it closed in 1999 and demolished soon after.

Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah co-founded his own cryptocurrency firm Cream Capital in 2017 — long before the most recent crypto craze. Named after the Wu-Tang Clan’s song, standing for ‘Cash Rules Everything Around Me,’ the associated cryptocurrency had plunged 96.3% by 2018.

Lindsay Lohan launched a lifestyle site in 2017, suggested by People to be in the same vein as Gwyneth Paltrow’s ultra-successful Goop. But really, Lohan had just deleted her Instagram posts and promised exclusive content, “secrets,” and access to her life for $2.99 a month. It was shut down after failing to generate significant interest.

Actor Jeremy Renner launched an app in 2017 meant to serve as a hub for his fans to interact with him and each other. But the app was famously inundated with trolls and was forced to shut down after all mayhem broke out.

Jeremy Renner Official: the absurd story behind the actor's failed app

The owner of the wrestling company WWE wanted to bring some of wrestling’s pizzazz to American football. So he launched the XFL in 2001, which was like football but rougher and without rules. It only lasted one season. However, it came back for a second season in 2020, but it had to close as COVID broke out and it went bankrupt.

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