Randy Orton is one of WWE's most popular superstars. The third generation wrestler has had quite the career for the promotion, reaching heights that some superstars may never achieve. He's a 12-time world champion, a former Intercontinental and Tag Team champion, not to mention a Money In The Bank and Royal Rumble winner. Most recently, Orton added another piece of gold to his collection, winning the SmackDown Tag Team title alongside Bray Wyatt, as Orton was added as an unlikely member to the Wyatt Family not long ago.

He's even had legendary feuds against some of the best in the business, including John Cena, The Undertaker, Triple H, and Mick Foley, and on top of that, the newer generation of stars have also brought out the best in him, including Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, and Roman Reigns.

For every triumph Orton has added to his belt during his 16-year career, including being the youngest World Heavyweight Champion ever after defeating Chris Benoit at SummerSlam 2004, it's safe to say he's been on the wrong end of controversy, too. “The Viper” seems a lot more tame now, yet it wasn't long ago that the St. Louis native was either failing drug tests, getting into fights, pooping in a co-worker's bag or found passed out and unresponsive in a hotel room.

While WWE wants their athletes to remain as professional as possible, they surely hate it when one of their top draws keeps on getting into trouble. Here are a few things WWE wants you to forget about “The Viper:”

15 15. Brock Lesnar Busting Him Open For Real At SummerSlam 2016

via wwe.com
via wwe.com

At last year's SummerSlam, Orton battled “The Beast” Brock Lesnar in the main event. While the match was materializing to be fairly average and short, the ending caused massive uproar among wrestling fans worldwide. For Lesnar to prove he was a dominant force, the former UFC Heavyweight champ mounted Orton and laced him with punches and sharp elbows, busting up “The Viper” who was left in a pool of his own blood.

The match ended in a TKO win for Lesnar, and the PPV went off-air with Lesnar and Heyman walking away from the melee. Many thought this could have been a real-life shoot, including Chris Jericho, who confronted Lesnar backstage in one of the more well publicized backstage incidents of 2016. Orton was left concussed after the beatdown.

14 14. Ruining Kofi Kingston's Push

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via youtube.com

Orton may be a solid worker, but he wasn't always patient or professional, for that matter. After losing a feud to John Cena, Orton began tussling against Kofi Kingston, who was said to be primed for a breakout. One match on RAW in 2009 changed all that.

Apparently, during a match against Orton, Kingston had botched the ending, but it wasn't evident, as things seemed to be going as planned. Orton, after delivering an RKO, yelled at Kingston by repeatedly calling him “stupid.” Orton apparently lost it backstage, complaining to WWE officials and told them Kingston wasn't ready for the main event scene. Ever since then, it's not hard to see why Kofi never had a chance on the big stage, and only started to get really over with The New Day.

13 13. Got Ken Kennedy Fired From WWE

via mikemooneyham.com
via mikemooneyham.com

Ken Kennedy was one hell of a mic worker during his time with WWE. With that said, he wasn't the worst wrestler on the roster, but he had a hard time when it came to being safe. He was said to be a dangerous worker, and after a match with Orton, Kennedy nearly injured “The Viper” after the latter was dropped after an awkward backdrop and just had surgery on his collarbone.

In another fit of rage, Orton complained backstage and tore up Kennedy to the brass, saying he was unsafe. Orton, though, actually injured Kennedy during this match after an RKO, where Kennedy suffered a wrist injury. Orton remained healthy, and Kennedy was fired by WWE only four days later. Kennedy has said he doesn't expect to ever be back in WWE.

12 12. Spit in Mick Foley & Harley Race's Face

There's no denying Orton's famous “Legend Killer” shtick got him over quite well, as he attacked and assaulted various wrestling legends like Ric Flair, The Undertaker, Mick Foley and Harley Race, to name a few.

Orton seemed to go quite far in his verbal assaults, and just when the legends were gaining praise for their accolades in the business, the third generation star would either attack them or spit in the face, while ironically being the son and grandson of wrestling legends. When you think about it, it's quite remarkable that the legends were willing to let this young kid do that to them.

In the video above, Orton not only disrespects fellow St. Louis slugger Harley Race's legacy, but also spits in his face, much like he did to Mick Foley to help ignite their feud.

11 11. His Divorce & Affair With Jojo

via zimbio.com
via zimbio.com

In 2013, Samantha Orton had filed for divorce, saying her marriage with the WWE Superstar was broken. Family life was apparently changing Orton, who seemed happy, but all that changed in no time. Orton was ordered to pay thousands in child support, but it was something else that may have caused the rift.

Jojo had just been signed by the company, and pictures started surfacing of the two getting quite close to one another. Multiple sources confirmed they were dating, and it all seemed true when Jojo was the only person Orton was following on Twitter. Was Orton having an affair with the new Diva sensation all along? In any event, it may not have been the first time Orton was dating someone, as the wrestling business is extremely prone to infidelity and broken marriages.

10 10. Dissing Kelly Kelly

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via wwe.com

In a radio interview with 98KUPD's Real Rock in 2011, Orton spoke about a number of topics, and one of those topics was the subject of former vixen Kelly Kelly. They were involved in a short romance angle in 2009, but it never materialized into anything noteworthy. Orton said he could have been a method actor and actually slept with her, saying “I could name a few method actors in WWE – like 10 guys.”

Orton was alluding to Kelly's various relationships with multiple superstars backstage, and how she frequently got around. A day later, Orton apologized to Kelly Kelly on Twitter, saying his comments were uncalled for, and that she isn't a bad person for dating a few guys he worked with. Again, Orton proved he was a bit too rude to his peers.

9 9. Made His Debut As A Nerdy Pretty Boy

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via wwe.com

“The Viper's” presence wasn't always as intense as it is now. His serious, stoic look, complete with his cut physique and plethora of tattoos really makes him look like a bad ass everyone should be afraid of.

But that wasn't always the case. When Orton made his debut in 2002, he looked like an Abercrombie & Fitch model, who had a curly fro and an infectious smile. WWE was deciding on whether or not to make him a face or a heel, as he started out taking on the good guys right when he jumped ship to OVW.

But this pretty boy persona which made him a face shortly after his debut didn't last, as fans weren't really getting behind him. Soon enough, he started to interrupt a bunch, and pestered a number of superstars which helped his transition as a heel. Maybe the fans didn't want to get behind another cookie-cutter good guy.

8 8. Low Blow Incident With Fan

This one is hardly Orton's fault. After a house show in South Africa, Orton had a confrontation with a fan. While Orton was posing on the turnbuckle after a match, a fan sneaked into the ring, and assaulted him from behind. The fan ran up to Orton and hit him with a low blow, which seemed to have startled the superstar. The worst part is the fan really corked up his arm and tried to deliver a shot that would hurt the wrestler.

Orton dropped from the turnbuckle while the fan challenged him, before being taken away by security. Orton, who maintained his composure, walked up to the fan, but he didn't attack him or charge him, unlike some superstars have done in the past.

7 7. Sent Home From A European Tour For Bad Behavior

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via postimg.org

During a WWE European tour in 2007, Orton was sent home early from live events and a RAW taping for his bad behaviour. Apparently, Dave Meltzer of The Observer was the first to note that Orton had badly trashed a hotel room on his own, which is a big no-no when someone is overseas. WWE didn't want to take any chances with the immature “Viper,” who was sent home to avoid further trouble. Orton has since talked about his run ins with management and being a bad boy, yet having already been a World Champion and a big star in Evolution, you have to wonder why someone like Orton kept on behaving like this. Thankfully for him, he has since turned it around, and isn't the baby he once was.

6 6. He “Pooped” In A Diva's Bag

via betus.com
via betus.com

This nasty rumour comes courtesy of former WWE Diva Rochelle Loewen, who firmly believes Orton took a crap in her handbag.

It all started from day one of Rochelle being with the company, who said Orton was against her from the very moment he saw her, presumably because she was attractive and wanted to be with her. His anger was furthered apparently because Rochelle didn't know who he was. She said that he tormented her, and that she wouldn't put it past him to poop in her bag.

It turns out that Orton didn't defecate in her bag, but just smeared baby oil and self-tanning lotion everywhere. Orton's childish behavior didn't stop there, as TNA valet and former WWE talent Maria Kanellis also thought Orton was a bully to her and many other women on the roster, simply out of jealousy.

5 5. Threw A Fan's Camera Away

via allwrestlingsuperstars.com
via allwrestlingsuperstars.com

No matter how tired or pissed off you are, one thing you should never do is get a fan upset; not because you're seen as a role model, but because if you nearly assault or berate the person, they'll simply smack a lawsuit on you.

Orton was nearly arrested in 2007, as a fan who wanted to take a picture with him learned of Orton's nasty behavior the hard way. The fan went up to Orton and asked for a quick picture, being met with a reply from Orton who said every fan wanted a quick pic. Orton took the camera up some stairs and threw it down the bar. Another man caught it, but the owner said he was missing his sim card. Orton apparently gave the fan $100, signing the bill with one word: “dip**it.”

Real classy.

4 4. Three Wellness Policy Violations

via goliath.com
via goliath.com

While Orton has been with the company for almost two decades, some wrestlers with lower stature in the company would have been let go for the same type of violations that Orton disrespected.

In 2007, Orton's name was found on a list of superstars that were receiving steroids and other performance enhancing drugs from Signature Pharmacy in Orlando. WWE must have known he was taking substances, because he wasn't fired or even suspended. He's had other violations in 2006 and 2012, and it goes to show how lenient the company is when it comes to their top stars. Orton even overdosed on drugs back in 2006. Talk about preferential treatment.

By all accounts Orton should have been fired by the company, but he's been one of their golden boys for so long, and it seems he's set for life with the company.

3 3. He Was Going To Be In The Marine 3

via sportskeeda.com
via sportskeeda.com

Orton had all but secured the role for The Marine 3, a movie franchise made popular by John Cena's casting. But in a strange turn of events, Orton was pulled from the movie. Why? Because the United States Marine Corps was furious with his inclusion in the film.

When Orton was a marine, he went AWOL for three months, not to mention spending 38 days in military prison for disobeying a superior officer. Orton was eventually discharged, and you can say his stay in the army wasn't one an American would be proud of. The army felt that Orton wasn't a good fit for the film, nor was he a good role model because of his past behavior. Orton even had a marine corps tattoo, but recently covered it up, presumably out of spite.

2 2. Latino Miss Piggy

via glamourpage.com
via glamourpage.com

By now, it's evident that Orton is no stranger to controversy or negativity. In 2014, Orton had mysteriously sent out a tweet of a picture featuring himself and a fan, calling her “Latino Miss Piggy.” As offensive as this was, it's a little weird as to why Orton would do this to one of his fans.

It turns out he had run into her at the gym, and that the woman was harassing Orton's girlfriend. This could have been an instance of public stalking, since the woman was a fan of Orton's but not his partner's. Orton was forced to apologize for the comment, but what makes matters worse is that he probably knew who she was beforehand, and decided to smile and take a pic to avenge his girlfriend's misery of having to deal with the woman.

1 1. American Lives Matter Tweet

via foxsports.com
via foxsports.com

Colin Kaepernick's decision to sit during the U.S. National Anthem has caused uproar among many American citizens, yet most of them miss the point that the 49ers QB is trying to convey. The football star doesn't believe the flag honors all American lives, especially black ones.

This caused a trend of many athletes sitting during the ceremonies, which Orton took to Twitter to express his frustration. Responding to a story about a North Carolina teacher who was suspended during a history lesson for stomping on the flag, Orton said that the school should “fire his ass.” When someone responded with a comment that read “black people are dying,” Orton simply said that Americans were dying and “Pigment of skin doesn't matter. American People Matter.”

Orton definitely isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and this proves that his anger and stupidity towards the bigger picture cannot be ignored.