Say what you like about them, but celebrities have a lot to live up to. Fans adore them, critics love to hate them, and the limelight seems to follow them wherever they go. Maintaining a careful public image is practically part of the job. Even just your average “bad day,” moment of frustration, or flash of impatience can land them in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, or cost them a fan for life.
In a recent thread, user @kayjayearth asked people to spill the tea if they’d ever met a celebrity who turned out to be rude. People came in hot with stories that made some of these stars seem very different from the polished public personas we’re used to seeing. From snubbed fans to snappy encounters and stars who seem to think they’re the main character in real life too, here are some of the celebrity encounters people just couldn’t forget.
#1
Tyra Banks was at a nonprofit fundraiser for children in South Central and not only threw a fit because they sent a car from the wrong car company and demanded they send another, when a group of little Black girls ran up and excitedly asked for a photo she looked at them with disgust and said “l’m not getting paid enough for this.” and walked away. I hate her with a passion. LL Cool J and TuPac were both wonderful especially with the kids.
Image source: attackofthesugarmonster, Vanity Fair
#2
My aunt works at an airport where the private jets come in. I’ve been told Michael Jordan is a huge jerk. As is Jerry Seinfeld. He threw an absolute tempter tantrum about milk because it wasn’t name brand enough for him so he threw it out of the plane onto the runway. Harrison Ford she said is absolutely sweet. He was quiet but brought his own brown bag lunch and gave her the second sandwich because he wasn’t hungry. He was nice enough to sign her boyfriend’s Indiana Jones box set.
Image source: null85, Seinfeld
#3
JLO- when she was pregnant with the twins and I was pregnant with my now 18 year old; we used the same OB. She was rude as hell to the staff and if she was running late but my appt was after hers she would ask the front desk staff to have us wait in our cars. I said absolutely not; we are both pregnant.
Image source: theresagny, Jimmy Kimmel Live
Believe it or not, apparently there’s actually an unwritten etiquette we normal folks should follow when we spot a celebrity in the wild. Sociologist Kerry O. Ferris explored this in a 2004 study of celebrity sightings, focusing specifically on how people navigate encountering a star in an otherwise ordinary setting. After all, crossing paths with a celebrity while walking your dog, eating out, or while waiting for a flight can present quite the social dilemma: Do you treat them like just another stranger or let on that you know exactly who they are?
#4
Zoe Kravitz came into a coffee shop with her then-husband on a busy weekend. The entire time they’re at the counter she’s talking to him, back to me, while he’s telling me their order. I ask for a name for the order, then she finally acknowledges me– scoffs, lowers her glasses slightly to say “It’s ZOE” before rolling her eyes, putting her shades back on and walking away. He pays. End of story.
#5
Beyonce was a diva in the worst way. I said hi and she rolled her eyes at me. I was a server at the event so it was my job to talk to her. She also makes museums and restaurants kick everyone out when her and her family show up at random to one.
Image source: thelilithfoxx, Jimmy Fallon
#6
No surprise to anyone but Kid Rock yells at our club staff for not calling him by his actual name. Which is BOB.
Image source: claireobryannp, Kid Rock
Ferris describes this as a tension between an “ordinary public-place encounter between strangers” and an “extraordinary encounter with a uniquely known other of special status.” And it seems there are some pretty established conventions for situations like these. Ferris found that the most common response after recognizing a celebrity is “feigning nonrecognition.” It’s kind of like blanking an acquaintance you’d rather not see while on a late-night grocery run in your slippers. Basically, it entails pretending you haven’t noticed the celebrity at all.
#7
Drake Bell. I was actually in line for a M&G after his concert that I paid to see, and he didn’t find me physically attractive so he let a girl behind me in a crop top, belly piercing and flower in her hair with more makeup than most teenagers were allowed to wear cut in front of me and just ignored me, pretended he didn’t see or hear me. Someone’s dad noticed and called him out so he signed my ticket and took a picture with me to save face and not look bad when people were looking.
Image source: rosaryrevenge, Live From Bed
#8
Justin Bieber stole my friend’s beach towel in laguna beach, we ran over and realized it was him, and we asked for towel back, he tried slapping our phones out of our hands and yelling at us lol. Than I saw him 2 years later at a sushi resturaunt in Hollywood and I reminded him he stole our towel, he got angry again and cussed at me.
Image source: rennndennn, Justin Bieber
#9
I did a commercial with JLo. I was 9 months pregnant. All of my scenes were face to face with her and not once did she introduce herself or make small talk, like, how far along are you? Nothing. It was like I only existed when the camera was on. Jenny from the block is awful, in my opinion.
Image source: mchelletaylorstanley, Vogue
It’s a generous approach, one that Ferris argues is a bit like a social courtesy. “The normalcy of feigned nonrecognition is like a gift the seer gives to the celebrity—the gift of ordinariness,” she writes. Allowing the celebrity to continue going about their business without being gawked at, approached, or otherwise disturbed can give them the chance to simply be another person buying groceries or grabbing a coffee.
#10
Adam Levine is a jerk, in a shock to no one.
orofritokathy:
So back in 2020 Maroon 5 was one of the international headliners for the music festival Viña Del Mar which is not only the most prestigious music establishment of Chile, but in South America. It is a televised event, something that slipped past Adam Levine. Not only did they perform badly at their night but there was a leaked video of Adam trash-talking on the city and the event, causing him and Maroon 5 to be Chile’s public enemy number 1 and spam their socials w national recipes to this very day.
Image source: moonchic73, First We Feast
#11
The guitar player Ray from My Chemical Romance and his twatty wife are horrible people, and he treats the crew like trash. Gerard is a sweetheart, rest of the band is nice but Ray is a jerk.
Image source: kitsenoj, FaceCulture
#12
So… imma take you back to 2017/18 1 worked the new years event and had a run in with Mariah Carey she basically told me to fetch her some tea and when I said “no I’m not your assistant nor do I work for you but the snacks and drinks are across the way maybe you could fetch it your self” yeah no she was a jerk and outed me on national tv claiming she was cold and no one would fetch her some tea all day. Worst part is we have the same birthday LOL
Image source: jizzlejet11, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
But the “moral order” of these encounters is a two-way street. In the accounts collected by Ferris, people also expected celebrities to play their part in upholding it, and they judged those who didn’t. In other words, there are certain lines celebrities are expected not to cross when they’re out in public, just as there are expectations for the people who recognize them. Celebrities who were trying way too hard to draw attention to themselves were viewed unfavorably, as were those who ultimately (or unwittingly) did the same thing by being “too obviously incognito.”
#13
0k I HAVE A MEAN STORY. Nick Lachey is just as rude as he appears on TV. My husband is a bartender and has worked some really cool events. Once he bartended the Player of the Year Awards in a private suite for players, their families and a ton of celebs. There was a tip jar front and center. Nick Lachey walks up and orders a drink. Then, reaches into his pocket for a tip and pull the, “Aw dang…sorry man, I forgot my wallet.” My husband: Sure you did.
Image source: midwestern.mamabear, What’s the Reality?
#14
I’ve met quite a few, however P!nk takes the cake for self absorbed and rude. I’ve been saying this for decades now and this week has been no surprise to me.
Image source: twoheartskittens, Apple Music
#15
Sadly Kacey Musgraves is not nice, walks out on her tabs, and doesn’t tip. I’ve served her 3x in Nashville when I was bartending. Still love her music. Also made drinks for Reece Witherspoon and her daughter and she is an actual angel. When I was bartending in NYC, Michael Pitt came into my bar, was a lovely mess and gave me his phone number, and then I found out he was married. During that same period I also had interactions with Lady Gaga (Stephanie, we had mutual friends) and she was awesome.
Image source: arsenniclace, Apple Music
And this is where things get interesting for anyone who’s ever had a celebrity encounter that went sideways. I think most of us understand that recognizing someone famous doesn’t automatically entitle us to that person’s time, attention, or a photo. A celebrity declining a request isn’t necessarily rude. Wealth and fame don’t change the fact that they’re human, and like the rest of us, sometimes they’re busy, tired, with their family, or simply don’t want to interact with strangers. But there is still an expectation that both parties will observe some basic social boundaries, or “codes of behavior.” It’s not that complicated, really—sometimes, it’s just about remembering your manners.
#16
Mark Wahlberg* stayed at a hotel I worked at while he filmed a movie in Philly.
He is the rudest, most condescending, & meanest jerk ever.
Image source: mrs.pearlmania500, TheEllenShow
#17
Mark Wahlberg. I don’t like going into detail about the incident, but let’s just say that the guy is a massive jerk and definitely needs anger management.
Image source: jules_the_rogue, Peacock
#18
I won on singled out and backstage Jenny McCarty was as big of a jerk as you’d imagine her to be.
Image source: koralconcertphotography, Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Perhaps that’s part of what makes a genuinely unpleasant encounter so memorable. You’re not expecting someone you’ve watched on Netflix or followed online to act like your best friend. But when someone you’ve admired—or simply recognized—treats you with surprising hostility, rudeness, dismissiveness, or contempt, the version of them you’ve been presented with elsewhere can come crumbling down.
#19
I was the promoter for B&N for Sarah Palin’s signing and she was beyond horrific as a human.
Image source: ashmcbrides, Saturday Night Live
#20
Mine was Joey Fatone from *NSYNC at Will Smith’s album release party for Willennium in 1999 in NYC. I was 13 and won a contest from my local radio station. He screamed at us all to get away from him. I met him again years later as an adult and told him how rude he was to us, especially a kid lol, and he felt horrible, said, “That deserves a hug!”… and pulled me into the biggest, warmest embrace! He definitely made up for it, and I can say he’s super sweet now! Will Smith was amazing as well!
Image source: ashleymarielewis, Howie Mandel Does Stuff
#21
Mark consuelos, rude jerk! The anger he exhibited when they let me board the plane first with priceless!
Image source: maynardmarguerite, Jimmy Kimmel Live
#22
Ringo star was performing where I was working, he requested that no staff make eye contact or speak to him, a security guard did both, he was fired the next day.
#23
Lindsay Lohan. Coachella. A parking lot was full and EVERYONE was being directed to the next. Black sedan pulls up driver is insisting it’s okay. Hear a voice from the back “just let me fing talk to them” then a back window rolls down and her face appears “trust me I can come in here..do you even know who I am?” Yes ma’am I do..next parking lot please.
Image source: kashmirq, Conan O’Brien
#24
Paul Walker was a huge jerk. They did a promo for fast and furious 2 at my theater. He refused to talk to anyone and left before he was suppose to talk to the crowd. And was a jerk to my employees.
Image source: hoopghetto, Access Hollywood
#25
Matthew McConaughey yelled at my friend and I at a World Series game 2005 in Houston when we bumped into him as we were trying to get to the bathroom. We were 19 and it was the most embarrassing moment.
Image source: kacinicole21, Jimmy Fallon
#26
I have good stories with celebrity encounters, but to this day, THE rudest person I’ve ever met is Naomi Campbell. I was at a ceremony event and was being introduced to Gloria Steinem by Hillary Clinton and Alicia Keys, Naomi walked up to us and then stood in front of me, turned to the other women around and talked to them, but both Hillary and Gloria pulled my arms and said in unison “now what were we saying?” Naomi scoffed at me and walked off.
Image source: miaaa_pia444, Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
#27
Debby Ryan, we used to go to the same church. I went in and set my backpack a couple rows in front of her and went to the restroom
My friend finds me just as im exiting the restroom, turns out Debby had told him that the thought there was an explosive in my backpack. it was my laptop and charge cord.
Image source: thebrandonwilson, Mythical Kitchen
#28
Ran into Leslie Mann once at Baltaire when I lived in Brentwood. We wanted to watch the NBA finals and asked if the seats next to them were taken and she said yes so my friend and I couldn’t sit there. Then maybe 10 min later a couple walks in and asks her and she says “go ahead”.
Def weird hater vibes for no reason.
Image source: thelanasalah , Jimmy Kimmel Live
#29
I’ll never miss an opportunity to point out that Jonah Hill is an absolute jerk. But Justin Long, who I met at the exact same time was THEE loveliest and kindest soul. Definitely made up for Jonah acting like a loser
Image source: only_anielle
#30
I witnessed Justin Timberlake’s mom cuss him out for being a brat. His Cameron Diaz days. It’s was glorious.
Image source: reallyrenetria, Justin Timberlake
#31
Russell Crowe. Especially when he was drinking.
Image source: cindylaceyusa
#32
I volunteered on a few political campaigns and in general politicians are awful ppl. And these were all pols whose agendas I totally agreed with.
Image source: poisonivy326
#33
Ian Ziering. Met him last year at GalaxyCon and he was rude to the volunteers and treated paying fans they were beneath him and rushed through the interactions as quickly as possible.
Image source: shay226
#34
One of the members of The Strokes non-consensually licked my neck in a very random encounter.
Image source: makjaggertarot
#35
I wonder if all members of BTS are genuinely nice or it’s all an act.
Whoopi Goldberg- my class ran into her on our Senior Trip and she was very annoyed to be asked for a picture.
Image source: andreeuh_789
#36
Mackenyu. He came 1 hour+ late for his paid panel. Didn’t even feel remotely apologetic..was super self centered during the panel. The m&g was an assembly line that he didn’t even look at the person he was signing..photo op was just him taking a selfie and bugger off..I’ve heard many people say he’s a jerk so that was my really bad experience.
Image source: milodrumscrafts
#37
Met Sophia Vergara when I worked at The Plaza Hotel in NYC, her attitude towards waitstaff was HORRIBLE
Image source: kaymiggzy
#38
Guy Fieri, I’ve met him a handful of times for different work functions and every time he’s been rude, smug and dismissive
Image source: theflavorhedonist
#39
Liam Payne. My friends and I were on our senior trip at Universal Studios for the day. My friend recognized him and we went up to him to say hi. He was so rude, refused to take pics with us and even talk to us. But he took pics with other fans in the same day and that is what upset us most.
Image source: wickedgoddessy
#40
Jesse Mcartney. Met him when he was in dream street. He acted like he wanted to be anywhere but there, didn’t smile or even interact with girls who waited hours to meet him. One girls mom ended up cussing him out. It was hilarious.
Image source: lboogz25
#41
My ex husband worked on a Jennifer Lawrence movie and said she suuuuuuucked
Image source: becybeckytangtang
#42
I met Janis Joplin in an Apple Store at the genius bar. She couldn’t get into her email. When I recognized her, she thought I was crazy. .
Image source: ry.goose, cavettbiter
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