Top 10 Celebrity Meltdowns That Escalated Quickly

Top 10 Celebrity Meltdowns That Escalated Quickly

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most explosive celebrity outbursts that got way out of hand in a relatively short time.

#10: Roseanne Barr

It wasn’t Roseanne Barr’s first time down controversy lane, but this time, things took a sharp and dramatic turn. Her eponymous sitcom had just made a triumphant return, premiering to impressive ratings. But Barr’s own hands put her in trouble on May 29th 2018, when she sent out a tweet about a former White House advisor that was widely viewed as racist. The very same day, despite the strong ratings, “Roseanne” was canceled by ABC and wiped off the network’s website. Barr’s response was chaotic. She was first defensive, then took a Twitter hiatus. When she returned, she explained that she wasn’t racist; instead, the sedative Ambien had caused her to tweet. The drug makers, however, quickly shut down that excuse.

#9: Kanye West

Kanye West has never been one to bite his tongue, even though sometimes we wish he would. But if you’re upset about an awards category, the last person to bring that up with is the winner, especially when they’re in the middle of accepting said award. If only someone had told that to West at the 2009 VMAs. As Taylor Swift accepted the Best Female Video award, West stormed on stage, grabbed the mic from her and boldly declared that Beyoncé deserved it instead. Not only was this embarrassing for both Swift and Beyoncé, it sent the live audience and viewers at home into an uproar. Even President Obama couldn’t resist weighing in. This was one opinion West definitely should have kept to himself.

#8: Alec Baldwin

Many parents love giving their kids adorable animal-inspired nicknames. Think monkey, bunny, and the likes. But back in 2007, when Alec Baldwin called his daughter a pig, it wasn’t exactly a term of endearment. At the time, the actor was locked in a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife, Kim Basinger, over their daughter, Ireland. After Ireland missed a scheduled phone call, Baldwin let loose on her in a voicemail, calling her a “thoughtless little pig.” Certainly not the pep talk you’d want to hear from a parent. The issue was, however, blown way out of proportion after TMZ leaked the audio, forcing Baldwin into an apology tour. But frankly, it wasn’t we who were in need of an apology.

#7: Michael Richards

When you heckle a comedian during their set, be prepared for some fiery comebacks. But the audience members who interrupted Michael Richards’ set at Hollywood’s Laugh Factory on November 17th 2006 had no idea how low he was willing to go. In response to their heckling, Richards launched into an angry tirade that quickly veered down a racist path. Someone in the crowd filmed the chaos, and it was eventually leaked by none other than TMZ. In a matter of days, Richards went from the beloved Kramer on “Seinfeld” to a public pariah. As a result, his career took a nosedive and he vanished from the spotlight, retiring from stand-up for good.

#6: Will Smith

Audiences tuned into the 2022 Oscars expecting Hollywood glam, emotional acceptance speeches and show-stopping performances. But what they got far surpassed that. While presenting the Best Documentary Feature award, comedian Chris Rock made a joke at the expense of Jada Pinkett Smith. In an attempt to defend his wife’s honor, Will Smith marched onstage and smacked Rock across the face. He then returned to his seat and yelled expletives at the comedian. You could hear a pin drop in the room. About an hour later, Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor, checking off at least one of the night’s expectations, with a teary acceptance speech. Not even the best screenwriters in the room could have scripted a more dramatic turn of events.

#5: Shia LaBeouf

Keeping track of Shia LaBeouf’s public meltdowns is practically impossible. It all started in 2013 when he was caught plagiarizing a comic book for his short film “Howard Cantour.com.” His apology for this also seemed to have been plagiarized from another post. From there, things quickly went downhill. In February 2014, he appeared at the Berlin Film Festival wearing a paper bag with the words “I am not famous anymore.” Then, a few months later, he was arrested at a Broadway theater for disorderly conduct and harassment. He’d go on to rack up more arrests for similar charges. After being sued by his ex-girlfriend, singer FKA Twigs, for sexual battery and assault, LaBeouf took a break from acting and pledged to seek treatment.

#4: Paula Deen

In 2013, this celebrity Southern chef was sued by an employee for racial and sexual discrimination. The suit itself barely made headlines, but it was Paula Deen’s own words during her deposition that ignited a media firestorm. Deen admitted to using racial slurs in the past, and once that confession went public, all hell broke loose. What followed was a string of teary apologies, each seemingly less sincere than the last. But that did little to help. Soon, she was hemorrhaging business deals, and saw her contract with the Food Network terminated. In a last ditch effort to save her cooking empire, Deen went on the “Today” show and delivered a bizarre apology that did little to win anyone over.

#3: Mel Gibson

In the late 2000s, Mel Gibson seemed to vanish completely from Hollywood, without much explanation. The answer lies in a messy police encounter from 2006. Gibson was driving under the influence in Los Angeles when he was pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy and arrested. When the officer didn’t let him off the hook, Gibson unleashed an explosive tirade laced with anti-Semitic remarks. TMZ quickly got its hands on the arrest report, and after the story hit mainstream media, Gibson realized he was in hot water. He put out two lukewarm apologies, before granting Diane Sawyer a televised interview, where he admitted his mistakes. Yet, many remained skeptical, and for good reason. Just a few years later, he was caught making hateful remarks.

#2: Britney Spears

By now, nearly everyone has seen those infamous pictures: an expressionless Britney Spears shaving her own head in a salon. Or the one where she attacks a paparazzo’s car with an umbrella. These snapshots have become the enduring symbols of Spears’ public meltdown in 2007. Thrust into stardom as a teenager, Spears buckled under the pressures of fame, and it all boiled over after her marriage fell apart and her beloved aunt passed away. The head-shaving and umbrella incident occurred in early 2007, but the relentless media circus continued, and she eventually lost custody of her sons that October. By the following year, things had gotten even worse, resulting in her father assuming control in a conservatorship that lasted until 2021.

#1: Charlie Sheen

If you’re the highest-paid actor on television, one would think you’d do whatever it takes to keep that job. Well, unless you’re Charlie Sheen. In 2011, Sheen launched a full-scale campaign, where he publicly insulted Chuck Lorre, the creator of “Two and a Half Men,” the very show that made him a star. Consequently, he was fired and replaced by Ashton Kutcher. But Sheen didn’t take his dismissal lying down. Oh no. He doubled down with even more interviews, declaring himself a “warlock” with “tiger blood,” and insisting that he was “winning.” Winning what, exactly? We’re still not sure. By the time the dust had settled, “Two and a Half Men” kept thriving, while Sheen moved on to a far less successful show.

Did you think any of these celebrity meltdowns was justified? Let us know in the comments below.