Top 10 Celebrity Examples of the Mandela Effect

The Mandela Effect has reached every corner of pop culture, even celebrities themselves. For this list, we’ll be going over the collective false memories people have regarding celebrities. Our countdown includes John Denver's plane crash, Sally Field's Oscar speech, Mike Tyson's ear bite, and more! If there’s a celebrity fact you’re sure was true in another reality, let us know in the comments below – preferably in this reality.

#10: Kurt Cobain’s Pink Jacket

Nirvana was one of the biggest bands of the ‘90s, and frontman Kurt Cobain was everywhere. However, what has proven surprisingly elusive is a particular photo of the musician. Some fans remember Cobain wearing a pink jacket with a feathery texture. Images of it supposedly disappeared quite suddenly, with proponents of the idea pointing to an eclipse in 2017 as being the moment it occurred. Some even described experiencing a visual glitch when searching for the image. While images of Cobain in pink jackets can still be found, none have the furry/feathery texture described. This smells like more than just Teen Spirit…

#9: John Denver’s Plane Crash

Much like our last entry, John Denver is another musician whose life was cut short too soon. The country singer died on October 12, 1997, when the homemade airplane he was flying crashed. This much, everyone can agree on. However, the location of where Denver crashed is disputed by some. There are those who remember Denver crashing into a mountain, rather than California’s Monterey Bay, as records seem to indicate. Perhaps Denver’s funeral being held in Colorado caused some confusion. Or maybe people were thinking of his song, “Rocky Mountain High.”

#8: Richard Simmons’s Headband

Famous fitness personality Richard Simmons has made frequent appearances on various TV shows, despite a more recent absence from the public eye. Even so, his look is quite distinctive – frizzy hair, tank top, short shorts, and a headband. Well, except that last one. Or at least, that’s what all the evidence is telling us. Plenty of people remember Simmons sporting a headband. There are even people cosplaying as him with one. But the man himself usually goes for the bare forehead look. Simmons has probably worn a headband at some point, but it’s not part of his usual attire. Maybe Simmons is just so ingrained with people’s ideas of fitness that they assume it must have been part of his wardrobe.

#7: Mike Tyson’s Ear Bite

The rematch between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield is notorious in the boxing world. Infamously, Tyson bit both of Holyfield’s ears. The first time, the fight continued, though Tyson received a 2-point deduction. The second time, Tyson took a chunk out of Holyfield’s ear, spat it out, and the fight was stopped. Or at least, that’s what a lot of viewers remember happening. In actual fact, the first bite was the most severe. After the second, the fight continued for a few seconds, rather than stopping immediately. With all the controversy the fight caused, are viewers misremembering the brutality of the moment? Or did something take a bite out of reality and spit out something different?

#6: Ed McMahon & Publishers Clearing House

Okay, this one is legitimately spooky. Ed McMahon is known for quite a few things. He was Johnny Carson’s sidekick for decades, and he’s also famous for delivering oversized checks to people’s doors for the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. Right? Well, not only did McMahon not deliver checks door-to-door, he was never affiliated with Publishers Clearing House! Instead, he presented sweepstakes for American Family Publishers. Yet TV and pop culture associate McMahon going door to door with big checks. So, what gives?! Did everyone just confuse a less famous company for a more popular one? This doesn’t feel like winning at all…

#5: Bruce Springsteen — Bandana or Cap?

“Born in the U.S.A.” is one of the Boss’ greatest and most recognizable hits. The cover of the album of the same name famously features Bruce Springsteen’s backside in a pair of jeans, with the U.S. flag in front of him. Many fans distinctly remember a bandana stuffed into the back pocket. But if you look today, it’s a baseball cap instead. While baseball caps certainly fit the all-American image, so too does a bandana. And this Mandela Effect catches even some hardcore Springsteen fans off guard. Perhaps someone was “born to run” off with this vanished article of clothing.

#4: Michael Jackson’s White Glove

Speaking of famous musicians’ accoutrements, the King of Pop is famous for donning a single white glove. No, we’re not going to tell you he never did that — of course he did. But ask yourself, which hand did he wear the glove on? There are some who swear that he only wore the glove on his right hand. Likewise, there are some who contend it was only worn on Jackson’s left. They’re both wrong. He wore one on both hands at some point, though never at the same time. It’s likely this switching led to confusion among fans. Unless that is, reality has been hit by, it’s been struck by — a smooth criminal.

#3: Christopher “Reeves”

Misremembered names are a frequent Mandela Effect. Just look at the host of “The Twilight Zone,” Rod Sterling. We mean, Serling! Dang it…But not even being a Man of Steel makes you immune to these mistakes. “Superman” actor Christopher Reeve is often mistakenly referred to as Christopher Reeves. Reeves is generally a more common surname, and people do frequently refer to his Superman as Christopher Reeve’s Superman. Fellow “Superman” actor George Reeves probably didn’t help the confusion. But unless someone somehow took the man’s last name up, up, and away from this reality, it’s probably just a misremembered name.

#2: Sally Field’s Oscar Speech

Sally Field is a storied actress who has won many awards. However, her acceptance speech for best actress for “Places in the Heart” is particularly memorable. Field famously said, “You like me, you really like me!” Or at least, that’s what everyone remembers, including the dozens of movies and TV shows that parody the moment. But in the real speech, Field actually says: “…and I can’t deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me.” . It’s likely that people who misquote it are just condensing the speech, but it seems uncanny that everyone seems to have gotten it wrong. Field’s brother Rick is a physicist at CERN, which of course has Mandela Effect conspiracists abuzz, given the Large Hadron Collider’s relation to many theories about the phenomenon.

#1: John Lennon’s “Imagine” Suit

After the dissolution of the Beatles, John Lennon put out some incredible hits on his own. One of these was the song “Imagine,” which also had a film created around it. Many people remember Lennon wearing a white suit in the film. But going back to the movie now shows Lennon wearing a black suit with little crosses on it. It’s easy to see why there might be confusion — after all, the house in the video is white and Yoko Ono is wearing white. So, why wouldn’t Lennon be wearing white, too? Or maybe people are remembering his wardrobe from the Abbey Road album cover. Then again, what if reality has changed? Imagine.