10 Times Celebs Had Public Meltdowns

10 Times Celebs Had Public Meltdowns

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re examining 10 Times Celebs Had Public Meltdowns.

For this list, we’ll be looking at occasions in which notable celebrities' outbursts and unraveling behaviors were on full display for the public, audiences, or coworkers.

Which of these did you find the most shocking? Let us know in the comments below!

Lindsay Lohan

This actress had the world in the palm of her hand. Lohan was a successful child actress and later starred in a number of high-profile films throughout the mid-2000s. But the wheels started to come off sometime around 2007. Lohan was quickly spiraling into substance abuse and was fired from multiple projects, with insiders claiming that she was completely uninsurable. Lohan was also in and out of court-appointed rehab and faced a number of legal issues, including DUIs and various drug possessions. In a public statement, Lohan claimed that her “life [had] become completely unmanageable” owing to substance abuse, and her downfall was heavily chronicled for the world to watch in real-time.

Christian Bale

It’s clear that this Oscar-winning actor takes his job very seriously, and it resulted in a meltdown for the ages. Bale was filming “Terminator Salvation” and was deeply angered by the on-set actions of cinematographer Shane Hurlbut. Bale stopped performing and screamed at Hurlbut in a lengthy tirade. Bale’s flurry of profanity would make Tony Montana proud, and at one point it even sounds like Bale is restrained to keep things from getting physical. This legendary meltdown was captured on audio and discreetly released to the public, where it became a pop culture sensation. Bale later apologized for the rant and said that he had made up with Hurlbut.

Alec Baldwin

While a very popular actor, Alec Baldwin’s temper has repeatedly gotten him into trouble. Back in 2007, Baldwin left a very nasty voicemail for his 11-year-old daughter Ireland, calling her “a thoughtless little pig.” The incident was acted upon by a family judge, who prevented Baldwin from contacting Ireland. Four years later, Baldwin got kicked off an American Airlines flight for being violent and belligerent. He had reportedly been asked to put his phone away, resulting in a public meltdown that saw him banging on walls, throwing papers on the ground, and screaming at the stewardesses. The incident was later parodied by Baldwin himself on “Saturday Night Live.” At least he has some self-awareness.

Chris Brown

Everything fell apart for this R&B singer in the early morning hours of February 8, 2009. It was then that he infamously assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna. She received some very serious injuries, and Brown was given five years of probation. This crime has haunted his career ever since. Two years later, in March of 2011, Brown appeared on “Good Morning America” and was asked about the infamous Rihanna incident. The singer got increasingly frustrated throughout the interview but soldiered on and performed “Yeah 3x.” It wasn’t until he was backstage that he let loose and broke a window in his dressing room. Security was called by staff, but by then Brown had already left the building.

Tom Cruise

In 2020, Tom Cruise gave Christian Bale a good run for his money. Cruise is no stranger to bizarre meltdowns, as evident through his infamous appearance on “Oprah” and the strange interview he gave with Matt Lauer in 2005. But this one takes the cake. In December 2020, audio of Cruise yelling at crew members for breaking COVID protocols was leaked on the internet. Many people defended Cruise, arguing that he was right to criticize the blatant breaking of stringent and potentially life-saving rules. Regardless, the rant quickly became a piece of Hollywood legend, with Cruise’s aggression being singled out for comment. He truly lets loose, unleashing a loud tirade that would make Les Grossman proud.

Teresa Giudice

Hailing from the city of Paterson, Teresa Giudice found popularity and renown on Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.” She has remained a regular on the series since its debut in 2009, but nothing will ever top her infamous table flip from the end of season one. Giudice gets into a heated argument with Danielle Staub and ends up flipping a table, causing everything upon it to clatter to the ground. Giudice is physically restrained and everyone else in the room, including children, is left in utter shock. This instantly became her signature moment, and Giudice even referenced it in a later appearance on “Dancing with the Stars.”

Mel Gibson

While highly acclaimed for his acting and directing, Mel Gibson has been a lightning rod for controversy throughout his career. Everything came to a head in July of 2006 when Gibson was pulled over for speeding and driving under the influence. Gibson made some horrible antisemitic remarks during his arrest, prompting widespread condemnation in the press. However, this was likely part of a larger mental breakdown. Gibson reportedly told the arresting officer that his “life [was] over” and later called his outburst “a moment of insanity.” Following the incident, Gibson entered rehab to combat his addiction to alcohol. But that didn’t stop his career from imploding, and it took him a good ten years to be welcomed back into Hollywood with “Hacksaw Ridge.”

Kanye West

It’s a shame what happened to Kanye West. Who was once the greatest rapper and producer in the industry is now largely a source of shame and head-shaking as his public antics get progressively worse. West has always been a bit of a “character,” as evident through his enduring feud with Taylor Swift. But things got legitimately concerning in late 2016 when he was committed to UCLA Medical Center for mental health care. He’s been in a downward spiral ever since, causing enormous controversy for making antisemitic remarks, praising Hitler and Nazism, and conspiring with known white supremacists. It got so bad that some Australian officials even considered banning him from their country over his extremist views.

Michael Richards

“Seinfeld” was one of the most popular shows of the 1990s, and Michael Richards’s Cosmo Kramer was a huge reason why. The show made Richards a widely beloved celebrity, but that all changed on the night of November 17, 2006. The comedian was performing at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood when he began heckling a group of minorities in the audience. The horribly racist outburst was captured on film and leaked to the press, inviting an enormous amount of condemnation. His reputation was immediately challenged, especially when an attempted apology on “David Letterman” backfired horribly. The public meltdown killed not only Richards’ career, but also his lasting legacy.

Charlie Sheen

The late 2000s and early 2010s were not kind to comedian Charlie Sheen. While he was finding unbelievable success on “Two and a Half Men,” Sheen’s personal life was spiraling out of control. On Christmas Day of 2009, Sheen was arrested after assaulting his then-wife, Brooke Mueller. Nearly one year later, he caused $7,000 in damages to the Plaza Hotel after getting drunk and high on cocaine. This troubling behavior came to a head in early 2011, when Sheen entered rehab and was ultimately fired from “Two and a Half Men.” The meltdown only continued after his dismissal, resulting in some widely memed remarks like “rock star from Mars,” “tiger blood,” and “winning.” It was equal parts entertaining and deeply tragic.