- 15 hours ago
Some celebrities know how to handle the hot seat — others, not so much. Join us as we count down the most disastrous celebrity interviews ever caught on camera, where stars and interviewers alike completely lost the plot!
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00:00That's still something new. I'm sorry, I really don't. What are we doing?
00:03Welcome to Miss Mojo. And today, we're looking at celebrity interviews that went wildly off the rails,
00:09with stars and interviewers alike taking things in unexpected directions.
00:14I'm in the house, can we stop?
00:19Cara Delevingne's rough morning chat.
00:22You do seem a bit irritated. Perhaps it's just us.
00:27No, I think it's just you.
00:28This one got awkward. In July 2015, actress Cara Delevingne appeared remotely on Good Day Sacramento
00:35to promote the film Paper Towns. But the interview quickly went sideways.
00:41Carla Delevingne is in the movie. She joins us live from New York City to talk about Paper Towns.
00:44Cara, good morning.
00:45Hey.
00:46Hi, how you doing?
00:47After mistakenly calling her Carla, the hosts questioned whether she had actually read the
00:53John Green novel, with Delevingne responding with some strong sarcasm.
00:57Did you get a chance to read it, or do you even have time to sit and read? These days
01:02you're so busy.
01:05Uh, no, I never read the book or the script, actually. I kind of winged it.
01:08Yeah.
01:09No, of course, I love the book.
01:10Nice try.
01:10I think the book's amazing.
01:11When they suggested she seemed tired, the exchange became increasingly tense,
01:16ultimately ending the interview in a cloud of discomfort.
01:19We'll let you go then. How about that?
01:21All right.
01:21I'll let you go take a little nap, maybe get a Red Bull. How about that?
01:24Cara Delevingne, thank you so much for your time. Paper Towns coming out soon. She's also in that
01:29Taylor Swift video, Bad Blood. Everybody probably recognizes her from that as well.
01:33Yes.
01:33However, things didn't stop there. After Delevingne was off the call, they continued criticizing her,
01:39taking issue with their lack of enthusiasm. It's not every day you see TV hosts openly
01:44trashing their guests on air.
01:46She was in a mood.
01:49Crispin Glover throws a kick at Letterman. David Letterman had no shortage of unusual guests,
01:55but Crispin Glover's 1987 appearance was in a category of its own.
01:59I'm a movie star, so I've been on talk shows on the Johnny Carson show, and now I'm here,
02:06and I've been all across the United States, and I feel really good about it.
02:10You see, when the Back to the Future star appeared on Late Night with David Letterman,
02:14he behaved erratically while donning an odd outfit complete with towering platform shoes and a wig.
02:20Things escalated when Glover suddenly challenged the host to an arm-wrestling match,
02:24before launching into a high kick that came dangerously close to Dave's face.
02:29I can kick.
02:31Okay, I'm gonna go check on the top ten.
02:36Letterman promptly left the stage, bringing the strange encounter to an abrupt end.
02:41Regardless if Glover was… in character, the bizarre appearance left audiences wondering
02:47what exactly they had just witnessed.
02:50I think that's the first time we've been doing this show that a guest actually tried to kick me.
02:54Andy Dick gets kicked off of Kimmel.
02:57Few celebrity interviews need security intervention.
03:00This one did.
03:01Yep.
03:01By 2007, comedian Andy Dick's reputation as a troublemaker had seemingly lost its charm,
03:08and, well, he appeared to be impaired during this now-infamous appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
03:14The host humored Dick's antics that night until Ivanka Trump's interview, which Andy stayed seated for.
03:20I have no idea what he's doing behind me, is he there?
03:22Unfortunately, he kept disrupting the chat by touching her hair and leg.
03:27Heck, he even asked for a kiss.
03:28Andy, don't, please, don't, don't touch Ivanka.
03:33Oh, wait, did I say I was single and then I had a voiceover?
03:36Andy, please don't, Donald Trump will kill both of us.
03:40Kimmel eventually had to call security to help him forcibly escort Dick out of the studio.
03:45Rashida Jones' awkward compliment.
03:47At the 2015 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Rashida Jones stopped for a red carpet interview
03:53with TNT correspondent Danielle Dembski.
03:55In Hollywood. Come on up, Rashida. Come on up. Hello.
03:59You look amazing.
04:00Dembski proceeded to tell Jones that she looked as though she had just come off an island,
04:04describing her as very tan and very tropical.
04:08You look like you've just come off, like, an island or something. You're very tan, very tropical.
04:12Jones, who is the daughter of Quincy Jones and Peggy Lipton, responded with a perfectly timed…
04:18I mean, you know, I'm ethnic.
04:20Jones handled the exchange with humor, but the bizarre attempt at a compliment quickly became
04:24a viral example of why interviewers should probably know a little bit about the person
04:29standing in front of them. Robert Downey Jr. isn't going there.
04:33In April 2015, Robert Downey Jr. was promoting Avengers Age of Ultron when Channel 4 presenter
04:40Krishnan Guru Murthy shifted the conversation from Tony Stark to Downey's personal history.
04:46In an uncomfortable exchange, Guru Murthy began asking about Downey's relationship with
04:51his father, drinking, and substance use.
04:54You, and I don't know how comfortable you are, you know, talking about yourself at the
04:58moment.
04:59You have as much time as anyone else will.
05:00When Guru Murthy continued probing, a clearly annoyed Downey finally asked…
05:05I'm sorry, I really don't… what are we doing?
05:08…after receiving what appeared to be a cue from his publicist, stood up and ended the
05:12interview.
05:13As he walked away, RDJ made his feelings about the direction of the conversation pretty clear.
05:18Bye.
05:21Are you… I'm sorry, I didn't…
05:23It's okay.
05:25Yeah, you're all right.
05:28Do you…
05:29You seem okay, it's just getting a little Dianne story in your…
05:32No, no, no.
05:33Spoiler alert.
05:34This isn't the last time we'll see Krishnan Guru Murthy on this list.
05:38Whatever you do.
05:40Don't walk out on the pop culture fun waiting for you on Ms. Mojo's 24-7 live stream.
05:45Scan the QR code on screen to join us live for even more celebrity-fueled entertainment.
05:49Your foot's starting to jump a little bit.
05:51You better get to your next question.
05:53Andrew Dice Clay explodes on CNN.
05:55When a comedian with a reputation for courting controversy goes live, you better brace for
06:01impact.
06:01And so, when Andrew Dice Clay appeared on CNN's former financial news sister network, he turned
06:07what should have been a routine interview into a memorable on-air meltdown.
06:11You were a headline guy.
06:13I'm still a headline guy.
06:15The tension began when the anchor, Alan Chernoff, referred to Clay as a former headliner before
06:20asking about his involvement in running a gym.
06:22Running a gym?
06:23Weren't you running a gym at some point?
06:25You're supposed to be a news guy.
06:26Clearly irritated by the characterization and claims, Clay immediately pushed back.
06:31The most awkward moment came when the anchor attempted to move on to the next segment,
06:35only for Clay's cursing to continue as the cameras tried to leave the chaos behind.
06:40Go fuck yourself, you know what?
06:42All right.
06:43Go fuck the whole fucker network.
06:44We'll go back to talking about Art Carney.
06:47Farrah Fawcett's bizarre night on Letterman.
06:50What I wanted to do was paint, not put paint on my body, but use my body parts to paint.
06:56For those who witnessed it, this was less an interview and more a television fever dream.
07:01All of a sudden, you know, they're completely drunk, Blatto.
07:04They start chasing me down, literally chasing me.
07:07On June 5th, 1997, Farrah Fawcett made her first appearance on Late Show with David Letterman
07:13while promoting her Playboy pictorial and accompanying video.
07:16The star appeared distracted and gave rambling, often incoherent answers.
07:21And there are places where the wall.
07:24Right.
07:25Uh, the...
07:26The wall.
07:27What is that?
07:27The thing.
07:28The thing.
07:29Anyway.
07:31Suddenly, Farrah and I are playing charades.
07:34She behaved so unpredictably that the audience frequently burst into laughter.
07:39So.
07:40So.
07:41I'm...
07:43Let, let, let, let, let, let, so.
07:48Letterman tried to make sense of the situation as Fawcett wandered through the conversation.
07:53Fawcett later insisted that she was not under the influence and explained that she had been
07:57joking around and reacting to people in the audience.
08:00Okay.
08:01Sure.
08:02Now, uh, Farrah, on the, on the pay-per-view special, is it an hour long?
08:07It's, uh, 58 minutes.
08:0958 minutes?
08:09Okay, that's another first.
08:11Billy Bob Thornton freezes out his interviewer.
08:14The Boxmaster's principal songwriter, singer, and drummer is a guy named Billy Bob Thornton,
08:19whose other job, some of the time, is Oscar-winning screenwriter, actor, and director.
08:23Billy Bob Thornton proved that sometimes silence can be more hostile than shouting.
08:28In April 2009, the actor and musician appeared on CBC's Q with Gian Gomeschi alongside his band,
08:35The Boxmasters.
08:37Before the live interview, Thornton reportedly requested that the discussion focus on the group's
08:41music rather than his Hollywood career.
08:43However, when Gomeschi referenced Thornton's acting background early in the conversation,
08:49the guest's mood noticeably shifted.
08:51You guys formed only in the last couple of years, right?
08:54I don't know what you're talking about.
08:56How so?
08:58I don't know what you mean by that.
09:00Thornton responded with terse answers, long pauses, and increasingly strange remarks.
09:06You guys don't really hang out on tour.
09:11You don't know what I mean.
09:12No.
09:15Why do I get the impression that you're going to answer with it?
09:17Yep.
09:18The whole awkward exchange showcased how quickly a routine promotional appearance can unravel horribly.
09:24Given that you seem to be quite passionate about music, I was wondering about your...
09:28Would you say that to Tom Petty?
09:30Would I say that he's passionate about music?
09:33Yeah.
09:33Yeah.
09:33Really?
09:36Would you explain why it's not a hobby?
09:39Would I explain why it's not a hobby?
09:42Are you reacting to the fact that I said...
09:43Yeah, I am.
09:43I am.
09:44Since you're instructed not to talk about shit like that, yeah.
09:46Bobcat Goldthwaite sets fire on The Tonight Show.
09:49In the 90s, comedian Bobcat Goldthwaite was known for his chaotic stage presence.
09:55And in May of 1994, he brought that uneasy energy to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
10:00It was then that Goldthwaite staged a bizarre stunt by dousing the guest chair in lighter fluid
10:05and setting it on fire.
10:06Well, it is sweeps, and I love Jay very much, and I thought, well, what if I, I don't know,
10:12what if I set his furniture on fire?
10:14No, don't set them on fire.
10:16Luckily, Leno quickly doused the flames with a cup of water before things went terribly wrong.
10:21He then forced Goldthwaite to sit in the charred chair.
10:23Whatever message the comedian was trying to send was completely lost, however, replaced
10:28instead by a moment that started feeling terrifyingly dangerous.
10:32Now, where is it going now?
10:36R. Kelly loses it on Gayle King.
10:39Oh, boy.
10:40R. Kelly's 2019 sit-down with Gayle King for CBS has become infamous for being one of
10:45the most volatile interviews in modern TV history.
10:48How stupid would it be for me to, with my crazy past and what I've been through, oh,
10:56right now I just think I need to be a monster and hold girls against their will.
11:00Confronted with allegations of abuse and misconduct following the release of the revealing series
11:05surviving R. Kelly, the singer initially tried to remain composed.
11:09But when King pressed him on the accusations and his legal battles, his demeanor unraveled
11:14dramatically.
11:15Kelly leaped from his chair and pounded his chest.
11:18The meltdown became instantly viral.
11:21It exposed how emotionally unmoored Kelly had become in the face of mounting legal pressure
11:26and public scrutiny, and the chaos was all captured on camera.
11:3030 years of my career!
11:33Y'all trying to kill me!
11:36You killing me, man!
11:38This thing is not about music!
11:40I'm trying to have a relationship with my kids!
11:43John Cusack is not Kevin Spacey.
11:46It's one thing to be improperly prepared for an interview.
11:50Not a good thing, mind you, but it's quite another to straight-up not know who you're interviewing.
11:56In 2007, John Cusack was puzzled when an interviewer remarked on the fact that the interview's timing
12:02was a coincidence, as the friend she was texting was watching American Beauty.
12:06It's funny, I actually was just texting my student's friend because I'm missing class
12:10right now.
12:11You are?
12:11And my film class.
12:12And it's so funny because they're watching American Beauty today and analyzing it.
12:16American Beauty?
12:17Mm-hmm.
12:18What's funny about that?
12:19Cusack was puzzled by the statement given that he, you know, wasn't in American Beauty.
12:25It appears that the likely, very anxious film student interviewing Cusack had mistaken him
12:30for Kevin Spacey.
12:32What's the one with the rose petals?
12:33I'm not in that.
12:34Awkward, but less awkward than it would be now.
12:37Fortunately, this bit didn't make it to air.
12:40Am I just very confused?
12:42You think you are?
12:42I think I am.
12:43Tony Danza trashes the TV interview.
12:46In 1998, before a local news appearance, actor Tony Danza tore into the program, making fun
12:53of local news shows and exclaiming that he didn't want to be doing this interview.
12:57And those news shows are terrible.
12:59Tony.
12:59I'm telling you, I just realized it because I'm hearing the news show in the background.
13:03You know, you always think that you're doing those good morning shows, but this is one
13:06of those news shows.
13:07Wait, did we say before?
13:10It's a little unclear whether Danza's comments were heard by an actual television viewing audience
13:15or just the interviewer in the crew.
13:17Either way, it's just as uncomfortable as you would imagine as the news anchor attempts
13:22to smile through the incident and struggles to get Danza's attention.
13:26Thankfully, she's good-humored about it and doesn't appear to let Danza take away her
13:30pride for how she makes a living.
13:32Okay, you should make a living.
13:33I think that's fine.
13:34Okay.
13:35Madonna pushes buttons on Letterman.
13:37Madonna has always had a knack for being rebellious, especially during the 90s.
13:43What brings you?
13:43You are a sick.
13:55I don't know why I get so much.
13:58You realize this is being broadcast, don't you?
14:01Yeah.
14:01She begins this 1994 interview with David Letterman by giving her panties to the talk
14:06show host.
14:07She then proceeds to dodge his questions, preferring to instead make dirty jokes, curse, and be
14:12an altogether nightmare for censors.
14:14Actually, I brought something to, like, make a point.
14:17All right, okay, good.
14:18You are always f***ing me on the show.
14:22Thankfully, Letterman is a pro and he turns what would typically be bizarre and awkward
14:28into a classic moment in talk show history.
14:31You know, I think you're a decent, nice person, you know?
14:34Uh-huh.
14:35And, uh, I'm happy you could come by here tonight and gross us all out.
14:40Although some of his questions wouldn't fly today, the pop star would go on to make future
14:45appearances on the program, but none would be as iconic as this one.
14:49Can't this just go on and on?
14:50It seems like it has, don't it?
14:52Lindsay Lohan's Letterman Breakdown.
14:54Lindsay Lohan is certainly no stranger to public scandal, but understandably, there are times
15:00when she would like to forget all that and focus on her career.
15:03Unfortunately, during this 2013 appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, the
15:08host made this, frankly, impossible.
15:11Aren't you supposed to be in rehab now?
15:14Do not watch anything that goes on.
15:16While Lohan appeared to promote Scary Movie 5, Letterman seemed much more interested in discussing
15:22the star's upcoming return to rehab.
15:25What are they going to work on when you walk through the door?
15:29We didn't discuss this in the pre-interview.
15:31He asked invasive questions, and Lohan fielded them until she had enough, noting that these
15:36topics weren't discussed in the pre-interview and asked Letterman to stay on the positive.
15:42Unfortunately, he did not, and Lohan was crying by the end of the interview.
15:47Stop.
15:47Oh, she's tearing up a little bit.
15:50God bless you.
15:50Samuel L. Jackson won't let it go
15:53During an interview with legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson, KTLA anchor Sam Rubin mentioned
15:59the actor's alleged recent Super Bowl commercial when listing off some of his most notable work.
16:05Jackson immediately voiced his confusion.
16:08Did you get a lot of reaction to that Super Bowl commercial?
16:11What Super Bowl commercial?
16:12It didn't take him much time at all to realize that the anchor had mistaken him for Lawrence Fishburne,
16:18who had appeared in a Kia ad several weeks prior.
16:21You're the entertainment reporter?
16:23I know.
16:23I've done the ball.
16:24You're the entertainment reporter for this station?
16:26And you don't know the difference between me and Lawrence Fishburne?
16:29I know.
16:29My mistake.
16:30My mistake.
16:30I apologize.
16:31Really, my big mistake.
16:32Let's talk about...
16:33There must be a very short line for your job outside there.
16:36Regrettably, Jackson seems all too used to this.
16:40Still, he goes off on the anchor telling him that not all black actors look the same.
16:44Fortunately, there were no long-term hard feelings.
16:47I'm the other guy.
16:49The other one.
16:49What's in your wallet?
16:51Bridget Nielsen storms out on Joan Rivers.
16:54Joan Rivers wasn't exactly known for her kindness and tact, so we're actually surprised
16:59she didn't have more interviews that went exactly like this one.
17:02You gave me a hard time 20 years ago, and you're still around.
17:07Oh, I'm sorry.
17:08While being interviewed by the comedian on the Joan Rivers position, Bridget Nielsen was
17:13outraged by her line of questioning, causing her to storm out, not only once, but twice.
17:19You're not going to meet my husband.
17:20Oh, gee.
17:21According to an audience member, Rivers was speaking ill of some of Nielsen's former husbands,
17:26which she did not appreciate.
17:28Although, apparently, it was somewhat difficult to figure out what the argument was about as
17:34Nielsen began yelling in Italian.
17:36Call me when it's over.
17:38Meg Ryan clashes with Michael Parkinson.
17:41Rom-com staple Meg Ryan butted heads with renowned British journalist Michael Parkinson
17:45during a 2003 interview.
17:48I like it.
17:48I like the work a lot.
17:50But you don't like the spotlight that goes with it?
17:53The rest of it?
17:53It's awkward.
17:54It's not something that comes easily or fits naturally.
17:58Parkinson insinuated that some press intrusion was a trade-off for Ryan's fame, which the
18:04Sleepless in Seattle star did not appreciate.
18:07When Parkinson asked how they should proceed, the actor responded with a curt quip.
18:12In other words, if you were me, what would you do now?
18:15Well, just wrap it up.
18:16Reflecting on it later, Ryan said this experience with that guy was the one time she failed to
18:22keep a level head during an interview.
18:24Due his credit, Parkinson admitted in 2017 that he regretted how the interview had gone.
18:29I don't know what happened.
18:31I just took it against her.
18:32Anna Nicole Smith gets shamed on air.
18:35Troubled model and actress Anna Nicole Smith was a guest on Howard Stern's radio show
18:40several times before her unfortunate passing in 2007.
18:44So I don't want to talk about my husband.
18:46Do you know where he was born?
18:48Seriously, Anna, do you know where he was born?
18:50I don't want to talk about my husband.
18:52Her 2002 appearance, however, is notable for all the wrong reasons.
18:56Both Stern and his co-host pestered Smith regarding her weight, with Stern asking Smith
19:01to get on a scale for the show, which she rightfully refused to do.
19:05Why would you want me to get on a scale so you could humiliate me?
19:08Smith was known to have struggled with her body image throughout the years.
19:13In the time since its original airing, the interview has been circulated widely and widely
19:18denounced for its body-shaming nature.
19:21We're just trying to have a good time.
19:23Quentin Tarantino shuts down Krishnan Gurumurthy.
19:26Over the years, there have been a lot of people who have tried to link consumption of violent
19:31media to the urge to commit real-world violence.
19:34Quentin Tarantino, the king of violent pulp cinema, responsible for some of the bloodiest
19:39films of all time, obviously has an issue with this.
19:43You said, you know, everyone knows you make violent movies, you like violent movies.
19:47Why do you like making violent movies?
19:53Um...
19:53I don't know, it's just like asking Judd Apatow, why do you like making comedies?
19:57When Channel 4's Krishnan Gurumurthy asked questions about this topic in an interview
20:02following the release of Django Unchained, the director refused to discuss it.
20:06I haven't changed my opinion one iota.
20:11No, but you haven't fleshed it out.
20:14It's not my job to flesh it out.
20:16While there's certainly a discussion to be had about violence in popular entertainment,
20:21Gurumurthy's question was clearly posed in bad faith.
20:25And Tarantino wisely didn't bite.
20:28But you have a responsibility as a filmmaker, surely, to explain a little bit.
20:33No, I don't have any responsibility to you to explain anything I don't want to.
20:37Britney Spears is vilified by Diane Sawyer.
20:40In a no-holds-barred interview with Diane Sawyer, the journalist did not hesitate to
20:45breach the more sensitive aspects of the pop star's life, which caused Spears to break
20:50out in tears and request a timeout.
20:52You said recently, I'm not doing so good with relationships.
20:56No, I'm not.
20:57It's hard for me to let people in, sometimes.
21:00For all the privileges that being a rich and famous celebrity affords you, it comes with
21:05plenty of drawbacks.
21:06The spotlight it places on you can be unforgiving, especially when you're a superstar in your early
21:1120s like Spears.
21:17In the years since the interview's airing, it's been negatively highlighted as an example
21:22of the media vilifying someone in an especially vulnerable state.
21:29Did you witness any of these disastrous episodes as they happened?
21:33And let's talk in the comments below.