The Best & Worst Celebrity Comebacks Of 2016
Some good and some very, very bad.
Entertainment
September 6, 2016

By Sophia Nurse

Maintaining a good career and private life is hard work, and no one knows this more than a celebrity

In Hollywood you can rise in the ranks faster than you can say Jennifer Lawrence, however one slip up or misconstrued Tweet could cost you your career, your name, and your fans. We take a look at the best and worst celebrity comebacks of 2016.

BEST COMEBACKS

Blake Lively

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgdxIlSuB70

After fleeing from the spotlight after marrying fellow actor, Ryan Reynolds and a failed venture at launching a lifestyle website in 2015, Blake Lively has reemerged on our screens in shark-themed survival thriller The Shallows. With Lively hiring two personal trainers to get in shape, and performing most of her own surfing stunts, Lively’s performance received overall praise by critics, not to mention her impressive Sports Illustrated-worthy physique. The film, which had a budget of only 17 million, and was shot in locations across Australia, has become a recent box office success.

Winona Ryder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcpzd4bSqp4

90s it-girl, Winona Ryder made a major comeback this year starring in the Netflix thriller series Stranger Things, which has been dubbed a critical success and earned a cult fan base. Ryder’s career peaked in her teens in such films as Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands with then fiance Johnny Depp, before she disappeared from the spotlight in 2001 after a cringe-worthy shoplifting scandal at Saks FIfth Avenue. The new series plays directly to Ryder’s strengths with it dark and eerie film aesthetics, given this much, the future is looking more than promising for the returning star.

Leonardo DiCaprio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPCZI1NPCTM

He waited and waited for his Oscar, but in Februaruy 2016 Leonardo DiCaprio’s prayers were answered when he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Hugh Glass in The Revenant. Although the film received equal notoriety for its striking cinematography and DiCaprio’s impressive acting chops – as well as a questionable scene between a man and a bear – it gave DiCaprio the long-awaited acting recognition he was pining for. After being nominated six times for an Academy Award and starring in some of the highest grossing films of all time, including James Cameron’s Titanic, it’s safe to say this is icing on the cake of an illustrious acting career.

Beyonce

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeonBmeFR8o

We were all blind-sided after the release of Beyonce’s visual masterpiece Lemonade in April of this year, where Beyonce outdid her pop rivals producing a short film and experimenting with various musical styles including gospel, blues rock and ultra-slow avant-R&B. The album also spawned widespread critical success, whilst the controversial and not so subtle cheating references to ‘Becky’ meant it received huge press coverage from countless gossip websites. Publicity stunt or musical catharsis? I guess we’ll never know.

Frank Ocean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ziAE8ZBiyw

Keeping a relatively low-profile since the release of his debut album Channel Orange in 2012, soulful R&B singer Frank Ocean, eclipsed the music world with his highly critically acclaimed sophomore album Blonde. Frank Ocean received considerable hype after giving away a visual album called Endless and limited copies of his Boys Don’t Cry magazine in conjunction with Blonde in locations across New York, London, L.A., and Chicago. Oh yeah, the record got delayed about a million times as well. It’s safe to say that despite all the hype, Ocean has the artistry and talent to back it up.

WORST COMEBACKS

Ben Affleck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JDhknkh0lI

After a high profile split from wife Jennifer Garner last year and the subsequent nanny cheating rumours, Ben Affleck was looking for a jumpstart in his career to overshadow all the personal scandal. However, after fan backlash following being cast in the role of Batman, there were poor reviews for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. Affleck is yet to reprise his role in Hollywood’s good books – here’s hoping he can pull through the dry spell.

Johnny Depp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atg8HQUkz08

Johnny Depp has suffered quite the hit to his respected off-screen image after his ex-wife, Amber Heard, filed domestic abuse charges against amidst their divorce in 2016. This news came alongside the critical and box office bomb of the fantasy film Alice Through the Looking Glass with long-time collaborator Tim Burton. Only the future will tell if Depp is capable of winning back the hearts of fans.

Madonna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cob0rwKVSI

2016 hasn’t been a great year for Madonna. After enduring a custody battle with ex-husband Guy Ritchie over their son, Rocco, and public criticism following her tribute to Prince at the Billboard Music Awards, Madonna appears to be having difficulty getting critics back on her side.

Zayn Malik

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfqDSnCkaro

Granted, Zayn could be one of the best comebacks of this year – he has perfect model girlfriend Gigi Hadid, the huge hit ‘Pillowtalk’ off his debut album Mind of Mine and that zesty Snakehips collaboration under his belt. However, he’s the still to blame for breaking up our favourite boy band One Direction – so we’ll slide him into the worst column.

Donald Trump

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0upc-H_V0zk

It’s been a big year for Presidential candidate Donald Trump, who was formerly known for his questionable combover and catchphrase “You’re Fired”. Yet, we still can’t see this man as anything other than a really rich meme. Despite a series of controversial tweets, accusations of bankruptcy and fraud, and being labelled both a racist and a sexist, Trump succeeded in becoming the Republican Presidential Nominee. Lets hope his luck doesn’t last much longer.

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