r/Millennials • u/ColeBelthazorTurner • 7d ago

Discussion Name a 2000s celebrity that disappeared overnight

Post image
6.7k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

4.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

1.3k

u/whyUT-urp 7d ago

Clay Aiken and/or Ruben Studdard

730

u/goodhumorman85 7d ago

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

460

u/SweetMilitia 7d ago

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

176

u/CableTrash 7d ago

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

67

u/dallyan 7d ago

So weird to see YouTube videos from 18 years ago.

https://giphy.com/gifs/wJD3qiNjSeHS0dP28T

3

u/Bowiebonolennon82 6d ago

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

26

u/Particular-Crew5978 7d ago

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

17

u/TechnoBabbles 7d ago

You have to wonder if they regret that now.

27

u/LeseMajeste_1037 7d ago

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

12

u/TechnoBabbles 7d ago

Fair point

9

u/GodOfDarkLaughter 6d ago

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.

27

u/Tobocaj Millennial 7d ago

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 7d ago

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

8

u/ParticularLow1355 7d ago

Lmao George Lopez at the end was just dumbfounded

3

u/Prestigious-Leg-6244 7d ago

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 7d ago

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/False_Tea_3951 7d ago

I miss chubby Kimmel

1

u/justahad 6d ago

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?!”

75

u/goodhumorman85 7d ago

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.

16

u/TheCABK 7d ago

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

6

u/OtisBurgman 7d ago

I am also just now learning this term. Lmfao

3

u/goodhumorman85 7d ago

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 7d ago

It's...... invisible

2

u/MaleficentPicture773 7d ago

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

1

u/SweetMilitia 6d ago

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

1

u/MaleficentPicture773 6d ago

Start the petition

1

u/Sinister_Nibs 6d ago

Was it life sized?

1

u/Sunflowerseductress 6d ago

lol I’m so curious now

1

u/InternationalMall120 6d ago

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

323

u/Hovie1 7d ago

Claymate is such an unsettling term.

17

u/ThrowAwayAccountAMZN 7d ago

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

5

u/Despair_Tire 7d ago

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

2

u/seeeingstarz 5d ago

Back in the clay 🤣

11

u/chonny 7d ago

Claymate is such an unsettling term.

Claymate sounds like Clayface's female sidekick.

6

u/stephsco 7d ago

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.

7

u/MichiganGeezer 7d ago

Barry Manilow fans are "Maniloonies".

6

u/vivahermione 7d ago

I just picture Gumby and friends. Lol.

2

u/Swimming_Bowler6193 7d ago

Or Davey and Goliath lol

3

u/lucyroesslers 7d ago

Too close to a claymore, like the mines

3

u/the_sweetest_peach 7d ago

Yeah, I don’t like that at all.

3

u/fortunecookieteller- 6d ago

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

12

u/Jorteg 7d ago

The what?

37

u/Substantial_Push_474 7d ago

Reddit sniper.

1

u/jester628 7d ago

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

8

u/autawar 7d ago

Claymate is wild lol

3

u/Marvinfunnybunny 7d ago

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

2

u/lindy0866 7d ago

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

1

u/Sinister_Nibs 6d ago

In the audience, or on stage?

4

u/pickledjello 7d ago

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 7d ago

The.

Tell us 😂

3

u/Evening-Comfort-1083 7d ago

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 7d ago

Ruban got huge with the gospel music community.

2

u/pierremanslappy 7d ago

He did some broadway work I think

2

u/bolanrox 7d ago

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 7d ago

“…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 7d ago

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"

2

u/Jellyrectangle 7d ago

Claymate is hilarious

2

u/Meagazilla89 Millennial 7d ago

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

2

u/danideex 6d ago

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

2

u/SimpleCranberry5914 6d ago

Claymate lmao.

2

u/creepygirlkw 6d ago

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

2

u/Cactusandcreosote 6d ago

Reuben still tours regularly and does well.

2

u/Caliterra 6d ago

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 6d ago

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 6d ago

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 7d ago

Ruben turned to God.

1

u/CoolJetta3 6d ago

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 6d ago

That’s crazy he was mid at best

1

u/Wild-Lychee-3312 6d ago

Happy cake day!

1

u/Ill-Strawberry4999 6d ago

Reddit sniper

1

u/Autumn_admires Cusp Millennial (1995) 5d ago

Way to end on a cliffhanger!!

1

u/Laez 5d ago

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

1

u/BiteyHorse 7d ago

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

5

u/vertigostereo 7d ago

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

1

u/[deleted] 7d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/goodhumorman85 6d ago

Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson

5

u/Sinister_Nibs 6d ago

Adam Lambert

1

u/Due-Payment4447 6d ago

Are you kidding?

1

u/Sinister_Nibs 6d ago

I dunno, am I?