Top Gun Star Avoids Photo Op with "Toxic" Disgraced Celebrity

In September 2025, actor Glen Powell recounted an awkward encounter he had several years ago with a "recently canceled" celebrity at a Hollywood party. Powell, who starred in the recent hit film Top Gun: Maverick, was a fan of the celebrity's work but not their "bad choices" that had led to their public downfall.

At the party, which had "cameras and press and all that stuff," the celebrity approached Powell and introduced themselves. When a photographer asked to take a picture of the two, Powell realized he was uncomfortable with the idea. "This guy, his face is toxic," Powell said, explaining that the celebrity's reputation had become so tarnished that people were having a "visceral reaction" to them.

Powell drew a parallel between this experience and the character he plays in the upcoming series Chad Powers, a disgraced college football star who returns to the field in disguise. "The character that I play in Chad, it's like Russ Holiday is a guy that just made a mistake, right? He's not a bad guy," Powell said. However, he noted that some celebrities who have been "canceled" have reputations that are "earned" and should "lie where they're shot."