Love 'Em or Hate 'Em: 16 Most Polarizing Celebrities

Love them or loathe them, chances are you're talking about them. Discussions about these controversy-ridden celebrities can turn so heated they bring out the ugly in everyone involved. And you're either applauding them or booing them. From Omarosa to Kenya Moore, here are the most polarizing celebs.

Omarosa Manigault Jim Spellman/WireImage

By Yolanda Sangweni · March 29, 2016

Polarizing Celebs

Earl Gibson III/WireImage

Kenya Moore

No one can accuse Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kenya Moore of being boring. The former beauty queen keeps every one of her castmates on their toes with her antics, including pointing a scepter and bullhorn at the show's seventh reunion. This season, Moore didn't slow down any in her own petty party. She and castmate Living Single star Kim Fields often bumped heads.

NeNe Leakes

During an E! special with Giuliana Rancic, Leakes shared her experience with domestic violence. The reality star talked about the abuse she faced at the hands of her son Bryson's father, saying, "The first person to really say ‘I love you’ a lot became my abuser. He hit me and then later on he would say ‘I love you’ and I thought that this must be what love is." After an insane situation in which Leakes was forced out of the house at gunpoint she realized, "I cannot do this any longer for the sake of me and my child." She says Bryson's father has since acknowledged what he did.

Chris Brown

Chris Brown has never been able to recover from his 2010 assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna. And his run-ins with the law don't help. Despite his achievements, and transgressions, his fans (aka #TeamBreezy) can be found defending him on Twitter and elsewhere while his critics don’t believe he’ll ever be able to change. What do you think?

Getty Images

Wendy Williams

Getty Images

Omarosa Manigault

While appearing on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, former Apprentice star Omarosa and the journalist got into quite a little on-air tiff about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Despite his political platform--which some say cite racist beliefs--Omarosa, who famously appeared on his business-savvy reality show, says she supports Trump "as a father."

Jim Spellman/WireImage

Lebron James

Either you really love Lebron James, or you still can’t forgive him for leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat in 2010. Four years later, while some die-hard sports fans can’t let go, James has gained new fans—and two championship rings—in Miami.

Nicki Minaj

People love Nicki Minaj for her animated rap style, candy-colored wigs and many personalities. Haters call her fake, and offensive. Wherever you stand, this Queens-bred rapper and her “Barbs and Ken dolls” are having loads of fun.

Steve Granitz/ Getty

Tyler Perry

People either really love Tyler Perry for films like Madea’s Family Reunion and Diary of a Mad Black Woman, or accuse him of setting Black people back with stereotypical characters like Madea. Despite it all, Perry continues to be one of the most successful Black men in Hollywood.

Rihanna

Getty Images

Kanye West

Getty Images

Keyshia Cole

Either you're riding with Keyshia Cole, or you're deriding her comments about the likes of Michelle Williams and Beyoncé. No matter where you stand, chances are this Cali girl is going to speak her mind.

Getty Images

Kobe Bryant

While die-hard Kobe Bryant fans call him one of the best players in the league, some NBA fans accuse him of being selfish on the court. Off-court, his recent comments about the Trayvon Martin case, didn't help his case. "I won’t react to something just because I’m supposed to, because I’m an African-American,” he told The New Yorker. “That argument doesn’t make any sense to me.

K.Michelle

The reality TV star and singer's no-holds-barred approach has earned her legions of fans. And critics. But lately she's changed her tune. "I don't know how I would be able to sleep knowing that I had that much impact over your daughter's life, or something, and I'm just cursing people out and yelling," she told ESSENCE.com.

Slaven Vlasic/ Getty

Rev. Al Sharpton

Rev. Al Sharpton has the power to mobilize hundreds around any cause he champions. His critics often accuse him of race-baiting. His supporters highlight his work around civil rights. Where do you stand?

Don Lemon

Getty Images

Diddy

Should Sean "Diddy" Combs make the commencement speech at Howard University this year? Announcement of the media mogul's inclusion at the graduation received mixed reviews on Twitter last week. It's only the latest in a string of "Puffy" stories for those on opposing ends to debate.

Getty

More from ESSENCE

Hair

Mayvenn Is Helping Stylists Earn And Women Save With Their Free Install Program

MTV Is Bringing A Museum Of Missy Elliott To NYC

VIDEO: 'Power' Star Rotimi Talks Joining The Cast Of 'Coming 2 America'

Entertainment

Colin Kaepernick Taps Ava DuVernay, Yara Shahidi, And More For Latest 'Know Your Rights' Campaign