20 Celebrity-Backed Products That Turned Out to Be Total Scams.

1. Kim Kardashian’s EthereumMax

Kim Kardashian promoted EthereumMax tokens on Instagram to her millions of followers without disclosing she was paid $250,000 for the post.[1] The SEC charged her with violating anti-touting laws, leading to a $1.26 million settlement including penalties and disgorgement. This case highlighted how celebrity hype can mislead investors into pump-and-dump schemes.

2. Lindsay Lohan’s Tronix Promotion

Lindsay Lohan was one of several celebrities charged by the SEC for touting Tronix cryptocurrency without revealing compensation from Justin Sun’s companies.[2] Court documents show she promoted TRX on social media, contributing to artificial hype around the token. The enforcement action underscored deceptive practices in crypto endorsements.

3. Jake Paul’s Tronix Endorsement

Jake Paul faced SEC charges for failing to disclose payments while promoting Tronix on Twitter back in 2021.[3] He received crypto assets worth over $25,000 but didn’t mention it, as per the complaint. Later settlements resolved the claims against him in this celebrity-driven crypto push.

4. Soulja Boy’s Tronix Hype

Rapper Soulja Boy was charged alongside others by the SEC for undisclosed Tronix promotions on social media.[4] The agency alleged he was paid to boost TRX without transparency to fans. This joined a wave of actions against stars fueling crypto frenzies.

5. Lil Yachty’s Tronix Plug

Lil Yachty promoted Tronix without disclosing his paid arrangement, drawing SEC scrutiny in the Justin Sun case.[5] Filings detail how celebrities like him amplified the token’s visibility misleadingly. Settlements followed for several involved parties.

6. Akon’s Tronix Support

Singer Akon settled SEC charges over his Tronix endorsement where he didn’t reveal compensation.[6] The promotion helped manipulate market perceptions, according to regulators. It was part of broader fraud allegations against the project’s backers.

7. Ne-Yo’s Tronix Promotion

Ne-Yo was named in the SEC’s action for touting Tronix without proper disclosures.[6] He received payments directed by the Tron team but kept followers in the dark. The case emphasized risks in celebrity crypto shilling.

8. Austin Mahone’s Tronix Boost

Austin Mahone faced SEC charges for undisclosed Tronix promotions on his platforms.[6] Regulators noted his role in the coordinated hype effort. He settled as part of the enforcement wave.

9. Kendra Lust’s Tronix Endorsement

Adult star Kendra Lust was charged by the SEC for promoting Tronix without revealing payments.[5] The complaint highlighted her social media posts as deceptive. This added to the list of influencers held accountable.

10. Steven Seagal’s Bitcoiin2Gen

Actor Steven Seagal settled SEC charges for touting the Bitcoiin2Gen token without disclosing $750,000 in payments.[7] He was barred from crypto promotions for years. The token was part of a fraudulent scheme that collapsed.

11. Floyd Mayweather’s Centra Tech

Floyd Mayweather paid a $300,000 SEC penalty for promoting Centra Tech’s ICO without disclosure, including $100,000 received.[8] Centra later faced criminal charges as a scam. His hype drew investors into the fraud.

12. DJ Khaled’s Centra Tech Push

DJ Khaled settled with the SEC for $150,000 over undisclosed Centra Tech promotions worth $50,000 in payment.[8] He bragged about future riches on Snapchat. The project turned out to be a total bust with arrests.

13. Dean Graziosi’s Real Estate Training

Dean Graziosi settled with the FTC for $1.25 million over deceptive real estate investment seminars he endorsed.[9] Promises of easy riches fell flat, as court orders confirmed. It marked the agency’s first monetary hit on a celeb endorser.

14. Scott Yancey’s Real Estate Program

Scott Yancey paid $450,000 to the FTC for backing a scam real estate training scheme with false claims.[10] Consumers lost millions chasing unattainable success. The settlements banned misleading pitches.

15. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Jade Egg

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop paid $145,000 to California regulators for unsubstantiated claims about jade vaginal eggs balancing hormones.[11] The settlement required refunds and stopped the sales. Critics called the product pseudoscience from the start.

16. Shaquille O’Neal’s Power Balance Bracelets

Shaquille O’Neal settled a class-action lawsuit over Power Balance bracelets claiming performance boosts via holograms.[12] He paid part of a $287,000 deal with Lamar Odom. The company filed bankruptcy after a $57 million payout.

17. Lamar Odom’s Power Balance Endorsement

Lamar Odom joined Shaq in settling claims for promoting ineffective Power Balance bracelets.[12] Court docs showed no evidence for the energy claims. Fans felt duped by the NBA stars’ backing.

18. Shaquille O’Neal’s FTX Promotion

Shaq agreed to an $1.8 million settlement in 2025 over his FTX endorsements amid the exchange’s collapse.[13] Investors sued celebrities for hyping the fraudulent platform. His ads helped lure users before the scam unraveled.

19. Paul Pierce’s SafeMoon

Paul Pierce paid $1.4 million to the SEC for unlawfully promoting SafeMoon crypto without disclosures.[14] He shared lavish claims on social media for payment. The token faced massive investor losses post-hype.

20. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Rose Quartz Egg

Goop’s rose quartz vaginal egg drew fines in the same California settlement for misleading health benefits like prolapse prevention.[11] Paltrow’s brand paid penalties and halted unproven ads. It exposed wellness fads lacking science.