15 Celebs Who Tried To Make A Comeback And Failed

Fame is fleeting, and not everyone lasts in Hollywood. There are definitely some celebrities who find so much success that year after year, they have new projects and they are always on your radar. For others, of course, that just doesn't happen. It might be a lack of actual talent, or some bad luck, or going through something terrible. There are tons of famous people who have disappeared from the entertainment world and you wonder where they went and what they're doing. When they make a comeback and it goes well, you're happy for them and if you're a fan, then you're happy to continue to follow their career. But if the comeback fails, which it sometimes unfortunately does, then that can be kind of upsetting. Here are 15 stars who tried and failed to make a comeback. There are some that you are still big fans of and that you are keeping your fingers (and toes) crossed for.

15 Ryan Phillippe

Did you check out the mystery series Secrets and Lies? Maybe you've heard of it, maybe you haven't, but when the first season premiered in 2015, it was meant to be kind of a comeback project for Ryan Phillippe. You might remember him as Mr. Reese Witherspoon back in the day. He's been in movies like Cruel Intentions. But in recent years, he hasn't done that much. So how did this comeback work out for him? The show didn't do too well. It got a second season but then got cancelled. Something that you should know is that the second season didn't feature Ryan and had a whole new cast. It's too bad because he's a talented guy and you probably have fond memories of his 90s and 2000s acting days. Maybe the next television show or movie is the charm and he will really make a comeback.

14 Fefe Dobson

Remember her? This Canadian singer had a few hit singles back in the day - songs like “Bye Bye Boyfriend” and “Take Me Away” were pretty successful. Her debut album Fefe Dobson came out in 2003 and her follow-up was delayed so much that it took forever. It finally came out in 2010, but by then, it was pretty much a failed comeback and it didn't do that well. Unfortunately, the pop culture world moves so quickly that if things happen and you can't release a second album or get another film role or TV role right away, sometimes people forget about you. She has a third album that came out in 2012, called Sunday Love, but did you even know about it? Probably not. So what is she up to these days? There's not a lot about her online, but the latest is that she broke off her engagement to a rapper in 2016.

13 Christina Millian

Another singer who just doesn't seem to be doing much these days. Her first album came out in 2001 and had singles like “AM to PM” which you probably remember. She has had a few albums out since then and she's also been pursuing an acting career. But can you think of any recent singles? What about any recent TV or film roles? Sorry Christina. You're sweet and beautiful and talented. It's a shame that there hasn't been a real comeback. But hey, there's always time and it's possible that by this time next year, she will have a new album and she will be starring in a movie. And if that happens, then you will remember that you used to be a fan. This just proves that comebacks are tricky and they often have absolutely nothing to do with talent, motivation or hard work. These things just happen sometimes.

12 Ashanti

You were probably a big fan of this singer back in the day, especially since she was an R&B singer in the vein of Jennifer Lopez. You were probably in junior high when she was big and so you and your BFFs learned all of her songs and danced around in your bedrooms. Come on, don't lie, you know that you did that. There's nothing to be ashamed of here. The fact that she hasn't had a real comeback is probably just because the music industry has changed a lot since then. Pop has made a comeback for sure and Top 40 is more mainstream and trendy than ever before. Sometimes the music industry goes in waves and some genres are more popular than others, and pop seems to reign supreme these days. So what is Ashanti up to? There are no recent albums but according to the Internet, she's running her own company called Written Entertainment, at least as of 2013.

11 Macaulay Culkin

In 2016, it was announced that the former child star would be starring in a new film version of Aladdin. It was supposed to be his big comeback since he hadn't been in anything since 2007 (and, really, you haven't heard much about him since Home Alone aka the thing that he is most well-known for). The thing is that a lot of child stars aren't able to transition into adults stars (not as in the adult film genre but, you know, people who aren't children anymore). It sucks but there are some fans who don't want to see these kids grow up and they don't care about following their careers anymore. It seems like this guy likes to lay low and wants to live a more private life, so it seems like there won't be another potential comeback. But hey, you never know. He could absolutely resurrect his career.

10 Ja Rule

You probably were a fan of this celeb back when you were in junior high, like some of the others on this list. Most people agree that the rapper tried to make a comeback a while ago and it just never worked out. You don't hear much about him… except for the fact that lately, there has been quite the scandal that has revolved around his name. You probably heard about the Fyre Festival which turned out to be a total disaster. As soon as people arrived at this music festival that was taking place in the Bahamas, it was clear that nothing was set up and it was just a big mess. Ja Rule is the celebrity that has been associated with this failed music festival, but it seems like he has said that he didn't play a part in it, so it's been kind of confusing. Either way, it's safe to say that this comeback didn't work out for this singer, and that this is another example of a failed celebrity comeback.

9 Skye Sweetnam

Another Canadian singer, this girl was big in the early 2000s, but beyond her first album, no one really heard much from her. You might have been a fan when you were in junior high because she made really fun, upbeat pop music that you could probably relate to. She sang songs about growing up and fitting in (or not fitting in, as the case might be) and she really seemed to be cool. These days, she has changed her name to "Sever" and is in a band called Sumo Cycle. But before that, she tried to release more music and she couldn't find the same success as her debut album. Unfortunately, that happens sometimes since it's like a certain singer or band just does really well in the pop culture world of the moment, but when they try later on, it's all over and it doesn't work. But Sumo Cycle has released two albums.

8 Mike Myers

After Mike Myers found tons of success for hilarious roles in movies like Austin Powers, it seems like he kind of disappeared. Then he came back and starred in The Cat in the Hat and The Love Guru. People generally agree that those movies weren't very successful (or at least not as successful as the other films that Mike Myers starred in previously). And people also generally agree that this actor's comeback totally failed and it doesn't seem like he's going to be able to resurrect his career. That's a sad thing to think about since it's obvious that he's talented and he's funny and he belongs in this industry. But sometimes, these things happen, which has totally been a theme of this list. It's just impossible to know who will make it in Hollywood, who will stick around, and who will be able to make a comeback that sticks.

7 Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton has totally disappeared from the public eye recently, and since her days on The Simple Life and when she used to say her infamous tagline "That's hot" every five seconds, it seems like she's living a more private life. But she also had a so-called comeback that failed. People say that back in 2013, this celebrity tried to have a comeback and it just never really happened or got off the ground. She was on The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills very briefly since her aunt is Kyle Richards, but people say that wasn't that great since no one called her Paris Hilton. They just called her "Kyle's niece." She was also photographed out and about, as usual, and then she sang a song called "Good Time." But it's generally agreed that this comeback didn't work out and you know that you definitely haven't heard much from her lately.

6 Ashlee Simpson

Have you heard anything from Ashlee Simpson lately? Definitely not. You were probably a fan of hers a while ago since she was pretty good at releasing fun pop music. Well, unless you don't like pop music and then of course you weren't into it. But chances are, you liked her. She saw some success with her debut album and singles like "Pieces Of Me." But then, her later albums didn't seem to do quite so well. Her last album was Bittersweet World, which was put out in 2008, and it's safe to say that fans didn't flock to that new music. She was going to put out a fourth album but it never actually ended up happening, and since 2008, no one has really heard much from her. She's gotten married twice and has two kids, so she's been focusing on being a mom, and that's cool. But as far as her career, her comeback never happened.

5 Jessica Simpson

Yup, Ashlee's big sister also had a failed comeback. She was known for her pop music back in the day along with being on the reality show Newlyweds with her husband at the time, Nick Lachey. Everyone knows how that worked out. She hasn't been able to put out new music since then and it seems like she isn't interested in that, but she is interested in having a career in the fashion world. She was even a judge on a short-lived reality fashion show called Fashion Star. But that's just the thing: the show was super short-lived. There were only two seasons. Since then, you really don't hear anything from her, so it seems like  you could argue that her appearance on that show was meant to be some kind of comeback. You probably are a fan of Jessica Simpson and think that she's adorable and sweet, so you wouldn't mind if a comeback worked out of her. There's always the future, right?

4 Nicole Richie

Did you watch Nicole Richie's reality show Candidly Nicole? Probably not. Sorry Nicole. It's just that this show wasn't really talked about and so most people didn't really know that it even existed, so that meant that they didn't watch. The thing with Nicole is that she's an amazing wife, mother, and designer. She's kind of like the Olsen twins -- she stays private and out of the spotlight for the most part, but she's busy working and designing, and she lives a fabulous, creative life. There's nothing wrong with staying away from Hollywood. So when she starred in this reality show, you were kind of surprised since you hadn't really heard anything else from her before that. The sad thing is that the show is kind of… strange. Yeah, strange. You don't want to be negative because you do think that Nicole is cool. But it just doesn't seem to be about anything and it seems like she's putting it on for the cameras.

3 Britney Spears

You hate to say this, but a lot of people think that Britney Spears' last album was a failed attempt at a comeback. And if enough people are saying something, well, there just might be some truth within that. Do you like her new music as much as you liked her old music -- aka back in the day when you sang along to "… Baby One More Time" and "You Drive Me Crazy"? No, definitely not. You might like some of them but it's just not the same. You may hate admitting that because you try to psych yourself up with every new album but the truth is that she doesn't have the same place in the pop world that she did before. It's possible that's just because other stars have come up and people are listening to them instead, and unfortunately, that just happens. But you're still banking on a real Britney Spears comeback that works out.

2 Mischa Barton

Do you remember a TV show called The Beautiful Life? You might not. Because it only lasted for five episodes. Yup. Really. The show premiered on The CW in September 2009 and was cancelled shortly after. This show starred Mischa Barton and was supposed to be her big comeback. After all, she was The Queen Of Teen TV when she played rich girl Marissa Cooper on The O.C. You wanted to see her back on the small screen in a juicy and dramatic role, right? Well, unfortunately, this show just didn't work out. Since then, the actress hasn't been working much, and instead, she's been in the news for some less than amazing things. It's kind of depressing to get into. So let's just say that it would be awesome if she could have a comeback that really worked out. You would watch if she was on another teen drama.

1 Lindsay Lohan

Oh Lindsay Lohan. Talk about The Holy Grail Of Comebacks. The most recent one (because there have been a few) would be when she appeared on her reality show Lindsay. That show was on Oprah's network and was an epic fail. You probably watched because, well, why wouldn't you? You wanted to see what she was doing now. At first, the show took a sympathetic tone and was all about Lindsay settling into her new life in New York and moving into her new apartment. She kept talking about resurrecting her acting career and it seemed positive. But then… things changed. She stopped showing up to film the show and a lot of the content was about how she was late for photos shoots. Since then, Lindsay's career isn't going the way that you would have thought. You're still a fan, though, and would definitely watch anything that she's in. Time will tell.