The celebrity stock market: winners and losers of the past year

Another year has passed, which means 12 months’ worth of celebrity triumphs and blunders. From Travis Kelce’s “swift” ascent to wide-reaching fame to comedian Matt Rife’s not-so-funny fallout, 2023 proved an eventful – and oftentimes tumultuous – year for the world’s rich and famous.

As we head into 2024, let’s take stock of who gained value among the masses, and who plummeted into a cultural bear market.

Bullish celebrities

These are the stars who shone the brightest throughout the year, the people who elevated their image or generally impressed.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce: the power couple of 2023.Credit: Gotham/GC Images

Travis Kelce

The NFL tight end has been a popular figure within the sporting world since he was drafted to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013. However, he skyrocketed to pop culture fame this year once rumours spread regarding his relationship with pop star Taylor Swift.

The power couple have dominated headlines worldwide, seamlessly intersecting sports and pop culture. According to ESPN, global purchases of Kelce’s jersey lifted by 400 per cent since Swift first appeared at one of his games.

Taylor Swift

Much of Kelce’s newfound popularity comes down to Swift’s immense cultural capital, which has only risen since the North and South American legs of her Eras Tour, the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and the premiere of her concert film, which had the 13th biggest opening weekend of the year in Australia. Most recently, the 12-time Grammy winner was named Spotify’s most-streamed artist globally in 2023, and Time’s Person of the Year. As Swift’s tour continues into 2024 – reaching Australia in February – there’s little doubt her stock will continue to rise.

Beyoncé

Like Swift, Queen Bey has been appreciating in value for a long time. This year was no exception. In February, she officially became the most decorated Grammy artist of all time, now boasting 32 awards.

Beyonce performs during her Renaissance world tour in May in London.Credit: Getty Images

Since releasing her seventh studio album, Renaissance, in 2022, Beyoncé has been touring the world – a tour that has been well-documented on TikTok thanks to her jaw-dropping outfits and the impressive dance moves of her daughter, Blue Ivy, on stage. And again like Swift, Beyoncé released a concert film documenting her current tour.

Rihanna

This year was Rihanna’s comeback. After five years away from the stage, Rihanna returned with flair at the Super Bowl half-time show in February. This will live on in our collective memory of 2023 because it’s also the moment she subtly revealed she was pregnant with her and A$AP Rocky’s second child.

Pedro Pascal

Thanks to Pedro Pascal’s simmering yet sensitive performance as Joel in HBO’s The Last Of Us, he’s now officially the internet’s “daddy”, or “zaddy” (a daddy with swagger). We’ve seen him in Game of Thrones, Narcos and The Mandalorian, but this year properly defined his status as both TikTok meme and celebrity crush.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling

Though both are titans of the industry individually, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are a package deal this year. Alongside the entire Barbie crew (notably its director, Greta Gerwig), the leading duo turned the world hot pink. You couldn’t leave home without seeing Robbie’s picture-perfect smile on a poster, or Gosling’s “I’m just Ken” slogan emblazoned on a sweatshirt.

In September, Barbie became the year’s highest-grossing film worldwide, solidifying Robbie and Gosling’s status as two of the biggest stars of 2023.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling wowed as the leading duo of Barbie.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

It has been a cracking year for Hollywood’s mature stars. Schwarzenegger, 76, delivered nostalgia in 2023 further showcasing his famous Austrian accent and hard-body-soft-heart persona. He appeared in the Netflix action comedy series FUBAR and shared insights into his life as a globally renowned bodybuilder, actor and politician in the documentary series, Arnold.

An honourable mention goes to Harrison Ford, 81, who starred in Disney’s most recent Indiana Jones instalment, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny; Dolly Parton, 77, who stunned during her performance at the NFL Thanksgiving Day game half-time show; and Tom Cruise, 61, who shocked fans with his motorcycle stunt in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.

Arnold Schwarzenegger in Netflix’s FUBAR.Credit: Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix

Other stars who held the spotlight this year: Paris Hilton, whose memoir proved she’s more than just a Y2K wonder; Austin Butler, who won hearts with his performance (and accent) in Elvis; Jennifer Coolidge, whose hilarious speech at the Golden Globes made her even more relatable; and Sydney Sweeney, who has proven such a good rom-com actress that she had the whole world guessing whether she was dating her co-star before the film even premiered.

Bearish celebrities

These are the stars whose shine dulled throughout the year, those whose image tarnished or generally didn’t impress.

Matt Rife

The TikTok-famous comedian seemed to be going places when he landed his Netflix comedy special, Natural Selection. But after kicking off the set with an insensitive gag about domestic violence, the 28-year-old set upon a downward spiral. Making matters worse, the comedian posted a mock apology to his Instagram story, which directed users to a link that revealed a website for special needs helmets.

Kanye West (Ye)

Ye has been all over the news, rarely for good reasons. From his antisemitic rhetoric and the collapse of his multibillion-dollar sneaker deal with Adidas AG to his public feud with ex-wife Kim Kardashian and his perplexing relationship with Melburnian Bianca Censori, the rapper’s reputation continues to tatter.

By the end of 2023, Ye had taken a step away from the limelight, but the story of his decline still fills the zeitgeist thanks to recent documentaries such as The Trouble with Kanye and Kim vs Kanye: The Divorce.

Kanye West’s reputation seems to have been on a continuous decline throughout 2023.Credit: Washington Post photo by Calla Kessler

Colleen Ballinger (Miranda Sings)

Colleen Ballinger, a YouTube star and the creator behind comedy character Miranda Sings, has been accused of grooming and exploiting her young fans.

Though the accusations began in 2020, they reached a fever pitch this year, triggering Ballinger to upload a 10-minute apology video in which she plays the ukulele and sings about the situation. This was not received well by the internet and even triggered a furious response – replete with ukulele – from one of her accusers.

Jonah Hill

This year, Jonah Hill became the unfortunate face of therapy-speak (think gaslighting, love-bombing, etc.). The actor and comedian was accused of deploying such phrasing by his former partner, pro-surfer Sarah Brady, who shared a series of alleged text messages between the couple (sent while they were dating) on Instagram.

Jonah Hill and Sarah Brady in 2021.Credit: Getty Images

This triggered a debate about what constitutes therapy-speak and whether Hill, who has been open about his struggles with anxiety in the past, is guilty of weaponising it.

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore leaves 2023 with some considering her a “scab” thanks to her decision in September to bring The Drew Barrymore Show back in the midst of the actors’ and writers’ strike.

This triggered a rapid decline for Barrymore, who was usually praised by fans for her honesty and kindness, with some writers even forming a picket line outside the show’s studio. The talk show was eventually postponed (and the strikes have since ended), but Barrymore continued to face criticism from fans and those within the industry.

Scooter Braun

Music executive Scooter Braun had to enter damage control this year after a slew of his famous clients appeared to be distancing themselves from him, including Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato.

His feud with Taylor Swift in 2019 meant he was already a well-known name, but speculation this year around whether he was stepping back from management or just “imploding” created an ambiguous haze.

Notable mentions

There was no shortage of celebrity “cancellations” or “semi-cancellations” this year, including comedian Hasan Minhaj, who in September was accused of fabricating parts of his stand-up; Lizzo, whose backup dancers accused her of alleged sexual harassment and body-shaming; Doja Cat, who let certain fans down when she criticised them for calling themselves her “kittens”; and Justin Timberlake, who faced backlash following Britney Spears’ account of their past relationship in her recent memoir.

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