The 5 people everyone loved to hate in 2015

(AP Photo/Nicholas K. Geranios, File)

Credit: Nicholas K. Geranios

Credit: Nicholas K. Geranios

(AP Photo/Nicholas K. Geranios, File)


2015 brought a cast of characters -- some were more liked than others. The five people everyone loved to hate this year are below.

Martin Shkreli

The so-called "pharma bro" gained national attention when he raised the price of AIDS drug Daraprim over 5.000 percent in September. He then became known as "the most hated man on the internet." In December, Shkreli was arrested for unrelated fraud charges and released on $5 million bail.

>>Photo gallery: The 5 people everyone loved to hate in 2015

"Affluenza" teen Ethan Couch

Couch was 16 when he was arrested for killing four people while driving drunk. His lawyers successfully got Couch a 10-year probation sentence after a psychologist testified that the teen suffered from "affluenza." His defense argued he lacked responsibility because of his parents' wealth. Since turning 18, Couch violated his probation when a video surfaced that allegedly featured Couch playing beer pong. A warrant for his arrest went out as a result. In December, both Couch and his mother, Tonya Couch, went missing. Later in the month, the pair were caught in Mexico.

>>Related: The 5 most memorable Florida stories of 2015

Donald Trump

Trump became a constant topic of discussion since he announced his bid to run as a presidential candidate for the Republican party. He stirred up controversy at a conference when he said, "I will build a great wall on our southern border, and I will have Mexico pay for that wall." The comments led to NBC severing ties with Trump and Univision refusing to air the Miss USA pageant, which Trump was an owner of at the time. At a Dec. 7 rally in South Carolina, Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" to the criticism of other Republican candidates.

Rachel Dolezal

The former president of the Spokane, Washington, chapter of NAACP gained national attention after a local television interview. When she responded, "I don't understand the question" to a reporter who asked if she was African-American, the internet responded with memes. Eventually, Dolezal admitted she was born white but identifies as black.

Josh Duggar

One of the oldest children in the "19 Kids and Counting" family, Duggar initially made headlines when reports emerged that he molested five underage girls. Four of the girls were his sisters. Duggar made headlines again when his name was associated with a round of emails leaked during the Ashley Madison hack. The site was geared toward married men who wanted to cheat on their spouses.  In the aftermath, he issued an apology and called himself "the biggest hypocrite ever," while "espousing faith and family values." His family also released a statement that Duggar entered rehab.