What would you call a person who is adored because of their flaws, not despite them?

By the title of the question, not the body, I'd suggest "Funny Valentine", but this would apply to personal relationships, not to any public figure I'm aware of. This of course also assumes that the person hearing the phrase is familiar with the jazz standard. (Rogers & Hart, 1937)


Off top of my head, I'd go with:

  1. enfant terrible: a person who is unconventional, controversial, antisocial sometimes, maybe even "evil" in some way; however, they are usually loved, or at least admired, for their creative side, charm - or they're clever manipulators — Lexico

  1. maverick: a kind of a Dirty Harry character, an outcast maybe but with the heart in the right place — Lexico

  1. you could work with guilty pleasure: it is usually used for things (eg. tacky music) but I don't think that would be too much of a stretch to use it for a person — Lexico