The early 2000s marked a shift towards the celebrity culture that we know (and love) today.
It was a time when tabloids were more popular than ever, and thus tabloid culture and the desire to know the whereabouts of celebrities truly swelled. Celebrity blogs were only in their beginning stages, and the formation of TMZ changed the game upon its birth in late 2005. It’s bizarre to think back to a time when celebrities didn’t have the option of Tweeting and Instagramming their every thought to their adoring fans, and had to rely on promotional efforts to keep their name and projects in the public eye. Since that shift is over, there are many celebrities from the early 2000s that you’ve already forgotten about, simply because they weren’t able to keep their popularity alive.
These celebrities are a relic from a different time: when an iPhone was a Sidekick, mix CDs were a Spotify playlist, and Kim Kardashian walked around wearing a Juicy Couture tracksuit and Ugg boots in the name of fashion.
Yep, back then, celebrities managed to wear trucker hats and Tiffany bracelets at the same time and it was not only accepted, but widely considered the epitome of all things trendy.
Here are some of the top celebrities from the early aughts that you’ve likely forgotten about since then.
1.
William Hung
If ever there was an example of an unlikely celebrity, it was definitely William Hung. He wasn’t a great singer, and I’m not sure Ricky Martin (or anyone with ears) ever recovered from his ear-splitting version of “She Bangs,” but no one can deny that the guy had heart, and his time as a cultural sensation was brief yet truly bizarre.
2.
Joe MillionaireIn further proof that our love for tacky reality TV knows no bounds, Joe Millionaire (real name: Evan Marriott) went on a bunch of dates posing as a guy who happened to inherit a ton of money to see if that was why women liked him.
Spoiler alert: He was actually just an average Joe construction worker, and he did manage to find love with the final contestant… until they eventually split.
3. Vitamin C
If you didn’t cry every time you heard “Graduation (Friends Forever)” in the year 2000, are you even human? This song still makes me well up with tears. Put on the version with the real-life high schoolers talking about graduating and I’m done for. I need a moment…
4.
Cris Judd
Though his ex-wife is still one of the most famous women on the planet, her second husband’s fame waned quicker than you can say “Jenny From the Block.
” (If you didn’t know, he’s one of the dancers in the video!) The two were a tabloid staple until she hooked up with fellow A-lister Ben Affleck.