Top 10 Celebrities Who Were Blacklisted by McCarthyism

In the late 40s and early 50s, U.S. senator Joseph McCarthy lead a crazed witch-hunt against people whom he and his followers deemed "communists" or "communist sympathizers". This was the start of a political movement known as McCarthyism. Among the hundreds of Americans blacklisted and investigated were notable celebrities who were alive at the time. Here were some of them who were investigated and/or blacklisted.
The Top Ten
Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory of relativity, but he also made important contributions to the development... read more

The famous scientist was also a firm socialist, a fact that was enough for J. Edgar Hoover to call for him to be barred from entering the US.

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE (16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the silent era. He is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film industry.

Chaplin had made his political views very clear in movies like The Great Dictator. This made him a clear target of McCarthyists, so much so that he was banned from entering the US at one point.

Yes, Chaplin was done dirty, but also remember he was in a paternity suit and married women way younger than him.

Lucille Ball

The star of I Love Lucy endured an FBI investigation for allegedly registering as a communist supporter in the 30s.

Orson Welles George Orson Welles was an American actor, director, writer, and producer who worked in theatre, radio, and film.

The director of Citizen Kane faced accusations of being a communist, with said movie being used as "evidence" for it.

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist, and figure in 20th-century American theater. He was often in the public eye, particularly between the late 1940s and early 1960s. During this time, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, testified... read more

The famous playwright was convicted for "contempt of Congress" after admitting to supporting communist groups and refusing to name affiliates.

Danny Kaye

Kaye was blacklisted and investigated following an attempt to form a committee with other Hollywood stars in protest of McCarthyism.

J. Robert Oppenheimer J. Robert Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist who was professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. Oppenheimer was the wartime head of the Los Alamos Laboratory and is among those who are credited with being the "father of the atomic bomb" for their role in the Manhattan... read more

Credited as the "father of the atomic bomb," Oppenheimer was blacklisted following supposed ties to the Communist Party, stripping him of his rising political influence.

Now this is one I can agree with. He was done very dirty, but he still lived a distinguished life.

Billie Holiday Eleanora Fagan, professionally known as Billie Holiday, was an American jazz musician and singer-songwriter with a career spanning nearly thirty years.
Dorothy Parker
Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri... read more

Hughes was well-known for his support of communist ideas. This was enough for Congress to make him testify, later prompting Hughes to go completely silent on politics.

The Newcomers

? Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz y Picasso, (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) also known as Pablo Picasso, was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, stage designer, poet and playwright who spent most of his adult life in France... read more
? Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra, born Francesco Rosario Capra (May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s and 1940s. Born in Italy and raised in Los Angeles from the age of... read more
The Contenders
Lena Horne
Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein was an American composer, conductor, author, music lecturer, and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the US to receive worldwide acclaim.

The famous composer was continuously spied on by the FBI for his left-wing views and was blacklisted by CBS in the 50s.

Zero Mostel

Mostel defied the authorities in good humor and was blacklisted for years. In that time, his theater career flourished. He won a Tony in 1961 for his performance in Ionesco's 'Rhinoceros' and in 1965 for 'Fiddler on the Roof'.

Pete Seeger Peter "Pete" Seeger was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead Belly's "Goodnight, Irene", which topped the charts for 13 weeks... read more
W.E.B. Du Bois

The famous activist and author was indicted because of his pro-socialist views.

Josephine Baker
Eddie Albert
Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress. Known for her fierce independence and spirited personality, Hepburn was a leading lady in Hollywood for more than 60 years.
Edward G. Robinson Emanuel Goldenberg, known professionally as Edward G. Robinson, was an American actor, born on December 12, 1893, in Romania. A popular star on stage and screen during Hollywood's Golden Age, he appeared in 40 Broadway plays and more than 100 films during a 50-year career. He is best remembered for... read more
Lionel Stander
Carl Foreman
Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson. June 1, 1926 - August 5, 1962) was an American actress, singer, and model. Decades after her unexpected death, she has remained one of Hollywood's greatest sex symbols with her eye-catching style, champagne blonde hair, and breathless manner of speaking. She... read more
Lillian Hellman
Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov, born Isaak Ozimov (c. January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. He was known for his works of science fiction and popular science.
Artie Shaw
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