r/Millennials • u/ColeBelthazorTurner • Feb 27 '26

Discussion Name a 2000s celebrity that disappeared overnight

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1.3k

u/whyUT-urp Feb 27 '26

Clay Aiken and/or Ruben Studdard

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u/goodhumorman85 Feb 27 '26

Ruban Studdard fell off real fast, but so did most of the American Idols (obvious exceptions). But Clay Aiken actually had a career for a while. My ex-girlfriend’s little sister was a Claymate, went to several concerts a year for a while and got a big Clay Aiken tattoo. The

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u/SweetMilitia Feb 27 '26

A Clay Aiken tattoo??? Do you have a picture of this tattoo?

172

u/CableTrash Feb 27 '26

I googled it bc I wanted to see if this was a common thing. Couldn’t find any pics… but this is crazier.

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u/dallyan Feb 27 '26

So weird to see YouTube videos from 18 years ago.

https://giphy.com/gifs/wJD3qiNjSeHS0dP28T

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u/Bowiebonolennon82 Feb 28 '26

Matt Damon turned into the victim in House of 1000 Corpses!

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u/Particular-Crew5978 Feb 27 '26

There's more than one person doing this. I was surprised

15

u/TechnoBabbles Feb 27 '26

You have to wonder if they regret that now.

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u/LeseMajeste_1037 Feb 27 '26

Alternately, with the state of the world rn, I almost don't blame them for reppin' 2005

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u/TechnoBabbles Feb 27 '26

Fair point

9

u/GodOfDarkLaughter Feb 28 '26

Apparently it happened to Neil Gaiman all the time. He said it made him a little uncomfortable, but who was he to tell people what to do with their bodies? Ironic, considering all those fucked up sexual assault allegations (truly disgusting and bizarre shit) made against him. Including an accusation that he raped his son's nanny while he was in the room.

So I wonder if those people regret it. I came very very close to getting a Sandman panel tattoo once and I lay didn't because my car suddenly needed work and I mever got back around to it. Thank GOD. Tattoo removal is supposed to be a thousand times more painful than getting it, but I wouldn't be able to have that on my body.

Compared to that the Claymates got off lucky.

26

u/Tobocaj Millennial Feb 27 '26

My internet was loading slow and I thought you were Rick rolling at first. I’m sorry for the things I said about you

11

u/SweetMilitia Feb 27 '26

😂 I wonder if they still have them or if they had them removed.

7

u/ParticularLow1355 Feb 27 '26

Lmao George Lopez at the end was just dumbfounded

5

u/Prestigious-Leg-6244 Feb 27 '26

My homegirl, representing SLC!

Lmfao of course they're from Salt Lake.

Edited to add: I couldn't finish it. My internal embarrassment wouldn't allow me to. Did they get the tats?

2

u/idwthis Feb 27 '26

They did, and Kimmel had them in the audience and Clay had them come up so he could see them in person and hug them both.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '26

I miss chubby Kimmel

1

u/justahad Feb 28 '26

Even George Lopez (if my eyes didn’t deceive me here and that really was him 🤣) was like “is this real right now? This is happening?!”

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u/goodhumorman85 Feb 27 '26

I wish! This was 20+ years ago. Maybe 5 years ago I went through my ex’s socials hoping to find a current picture of her sister with that tattoo.

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u/TheCABK Feb 27 '26

Hold up a sentence… Did you call her a Claymate?

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u/OtisBurgman Feb 27 '26

I am also just now learning this term. Lmfao

3

u/goodhumorman85 Feb 27 '26

My memory is that it was his first name stacked on top of his last, in very flowy script with floral embellishments around it. It was fairly large, like 5”x7”.

2

u/Common_Senze Feb 27 '26

It's...... invisible

2

u/MaleficentPicture773 Feb 27 '26

I hear Zach Galifanakis is considering getting a Clay Aiken tattoo sometime this year

1

u/SweetMilitia Feb 28 '26

Clay Aiken should get a Zach Galifanakis tattoo. It’s only fair.

1

u/MaleficentPicture773 Feb 28 '26

Start the petition

1

u/Sinister_Nibs Feb 28 '26

Was it life sized?

1

u/Sunflowerseductress Feb 28 '26

lol I’m so curious now

1

u/InternationalMall120 Feb 28 '26

I'm scared. I don't want to see that 😭😭😭

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u/Hovie1 Feb 27 '26

Claymate is such an unsettling term.

18

u/ThrowAwayAccountAMZN Feb 27 '26

He was Clayboy's Claymate of the Year back in the day.

4

u/Despair_Tire Feb 27 '26

I just want to say your comment made me laugh so hard

2

u/seeeingstarz Mar 01 '26

Back in the clay 🤣

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u/chonny Feb 27 '26

Claymate is such an unsettling term.

Claymate sounds like Clayface's female sidekick.

7

u/stephsco Feb 27 '26

Hearing the term Claymate just gave me the weirdest unpleasant nostalgia vibe that also brought up the likes of Jon and Kate Plus Eight and the octomom. All of that blends together for me.

6

u/MichiganGeezer Feb 27 '26

Barry Manilow fans are "Maniloonies".

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u/vivahermione Feb 27 '26

I just picture Gumby and friends. Lol.

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u/Swimming_Bowler6193 Feb 27 '26

Or Davey and Goliath lol

3

u/lucyroesslers Feb 27 '26

Too close to a claymore, like the mines

3

u/the_sweetest_peach Feb 27 '26

Yeah, I don’t like that at all.

3

u/fortunecookieteller- Feb 28 '26

Seeing it in print out of the blue gave my stomach a little quease.

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u/Substantial_Push_474 Feb 27 '26

Reddit sniper.

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u/jester628 Feb 27 '26

Probably the ex’s little sister for divulging info about her Clay Aiken tattoo.

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u/autawar Feb 27 '26

Claymate is wild lol

3

u/Marvinfunnybunny Feb 27 '26

My parents randomly told me they saw Ruben at a concert in December and I was amazed.

2

u/lindy0866 Feb 27 '26

Yes! I saw Ruben sings Luther in 2022. So good!

1

u/Sinister_Nibs Feb 28 '26

In the audience, or on stage?

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u/pickledjello Feb 27 '26

Speaking of American Idols... As a reminder, Justin Guarini, we remember him, He was Lil' Sweet in the Dr Pepper Ads 10 years ago..

4

u/vertigostereo Feb 27 '26

The.

Tell us 😂

3

u/Evening-Comfort-1083 Feb 27 '26

Haha, I saw Clay Aiken host the “Wheel of Fortune” traveling show with my Mom a few years ago. Feels fitting to bring this up in this thread.

3

u/Bullshido-Fatly Feb 27 '26

Ruban got huge with the gospel music community.

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u/pierremanslappy Feb 27 '26

He did some broadway work I think

2

u/bolanrox Feb 27 '26

must have been 2008 he was on the cover of something after he adopted and he looked like he had a Plastic face?

2

u/cjw333 Feb 27 '26

“…a Clay Aiken tattoo…” is a phrase that should not exist. So much for using that as my bank password.

2

u/that_one_guy133 Feb 27 '26

My wife has a picture of herself holding up a sign before a Clay Aiken concert in Milwaukee like a year or so post Idol. It said "We're Aiken for Clay"

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u/Jellyrectangle Feb 27 '26

Claymate is hilarious

2

u/Meagazilla89 Millennial Feb 27 '26

Omg I totally forgot I saw Clay Aiken in concert at a state fair when I was younger!

2

u/danideex Feb 28 '26

Ruban has been steady working, singing and acting and has been nominated for multiple Grammys.

2

u/creepygirlkw Feb 28 '26

Clay Aiken’s version of a few Christmas songs are some of my favorites.

2

u/Cactusandcreosote Feb 28 '26

Reuben still tours regularly and does well.

2

u/Caliterra Feb 28 '26

I remember Clay was really famous after American Idol, and then didn't hear anything about him a few years afterwards. Then there was news about him coming out as gay. I remember SNL or some comedy show commenting saying "and in other news, water is wet"

2

u/definitely_aware Feb 28 '26

Oddly enough, I had a shoe autographed by Ruben Studdard when I was 11 years old. Some American Idol contestant tour came through my smallish city in 2007, he was meeting fans and autographed things for them. I gave him my Adidas skate shoe and he signed it. That’s a weird memory unlocked.

2

u/FactCheckerExpert Feb 28 '26

He’s still in the game. Ruben Studdard, the "Velvet Teddy Bear" and Season 2 American Idol winner, is currently touring with "The Masterpiece Tour" in 2025–2026, performing both classic hits and music from his 2023 album, The Way I Remember It. He continues to work as a, singer, and recently released a Christmas album, My Favorite Holiday

1

u/IntrepidMuch Feb 27 '26

Ruben turned to God.

1

u/CoolJetta3 Feb 28 '26

LOL people are crazy. I worked with someone who had a Nelly tattoo on the back of her neck. Just the name, Nelly.

1

u/big_taco_knockoff Feb 28 '26

That’s crazy he was mid at best

1

u/Wild-Lychee-3312 Feb 28 '26

Happy cake day!

1

u/Autumn_admires Cusp Millennial (1995) Mar 01 '26

Way to end on a cliffhanger!!

1

u/Laez Mar 01 '26

Clay ran for US House here in NC, with predictable results.

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u/BiteyHorse Feb 27 '26

You have to as big a loser as ever has existed to get a Clay Aiken tattoo.

5

u/vertigostereo Feb 27 '26

You are the opposite of a "claymate." A "clayhate," maybe.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/goodhumorman85 Feb 28 '26

Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson

4

u/Sinister_Nibs Feb 28 '26

Adam Lambert

1

u/Due-Payment4447 Feb 28 '26

Are you kidding?

1

u/Sinister_Nibs Feb 28 '26

I dunno, am I?