Top 20 Most Awkward Things Said by Celebs on Live TV

Celeb-Top-20-Most-Awkward-Things-Said-by-Celebs-on-Live-TV

Welcome to WatchMojo and today, we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Most-Awkward-Things-Said-by-Celebs-on-Live-TV.

For this list, we’ll be looking at times celebrities said something that made a situation tense, uncomfortable or just plain unfortunate to watch. We’ll also be including moments that weren’t necessarily immediately broadcast but said in the moment and were aired unedited.

What’s the most awkward thing you’ve said? Let us know in the comments!

#20: Cybertruck Windows

When first unveiled by Tesla in 2019, this electric pickup truck had a lot of people talking and perhaps not for the right reasons. One of the features touted by Elon Musk is its supposed tough exterior including near indestructible windows. To demonstrate the strength of the glass, Musk had Tesla designer Franz von Holzhausen toss a metal ball at the windows only to have them shatter. Musk tried to play off the gaff by quipping they’ll fix it in post but it was too late, the cringe has already been felt by everyone watching.

#19: I Knew You Were Trouble

Winning an award is generally a happy occasion for most. We say for most because Taylor Swift hasn’t always had the best experiences at award shows. At the 2013 MTV VMAs, Swift won for Best Female Video for her song “I Knew You Were Trouble”. While accepting the award she thanked the director and her co-star but suddenly called out the person who was the inspiration for the song. Although not mentioning him by name, we presume she’s talking about Harry Styles. Making things a bit more awkward is when the camera cuts to Styles sitting in the audience. When asked about it later, the former One Direction singer states he likes jokes as much as the next guy.

#18: No Hugs for Kesha

While at a red carpet event comedian Jerry Seinfeld was giving an interview when self-proclaimed megafan Kesha excitedly approached him and asked for a hug which Seinfeld immediately shot down. If that wasn’t bad enough, the “Tik Tok” singer repeated her request and was denied again. After she left, he claimed to not know who she was. He would later explain that he’s not up to date on current celebrities and legit didn’t recognize her. Poor Kesha was heartbroken and frankly so are we after seeing that.

#17: There Is No Jim Carrey

Actor Jim Carrey decided to show up to New York Fashion Week and apparently was not enthused to be there. He claimed that he wanted to be present at the most meaningless event he could find. He proceeds to rant on how he doesn’t believe in icons and personalities and that we’re all a field of energy. Okay. He further claimed he doesn’t exist and that there are just things happening. The interviewer doesn’t quite know what to make of the interaction and neither can we.

#16: Joaquin Phoenix Quits Acting

On one of the more bizarre appearances on a late night talk show, Phoenix was very uncomfortable and terse in his responses to Letterman. It didn’t help that he was sporting a bushy beard and wearing sunglasses causing Letterman to ask Phoenix about his time with the Unibomber. It’s later revealed that he’s decided to quit acting to pursue a career in hip hop. Understandably, some in the audience laugh at this revelation causing Phoenix to seriously chastise those for doing so. It was later revealed he was in character for a film he was working on at the time. It didn’t make things any less awkward.

#15: Dakota Johnson’s Birthday Dispute

While appearing on “Ellen” things got awkward rather quickly with the titular host. After wishing Johnson a happy belated birthday, she quickly wonders why she wasn’t invited to the party. Johnson insists that the host was invited but Ellen remains unconvinced putting Johnson on the defensive. Johnson has to confirm with a producer that Ellen was in fact invited before suddenly remembering that couldn’t attend the party because was out of town.

#14: Mark Wahlberg Ignores Sarah Silverman’s Trauma

While on “The Graham Norton Show” Sarah Silverman recounts how when she was younger she would wet the bed. Naturally, this may cause some anxiety in a social setting such as at a sleepover. As she’s trying to explain how she was almost exposed at a friend's house, fellow guest Mark Wahlberg begins slowly inching away from her and eventually into the lap of Norton. Following this interruption, she continues her story, only for Wahlberg to start saying something to Norton causing Silverman to directly call out her fellow guest for his rude behavior.

#13: Madonna Goes There

The atmosphere was uneasy from the start when Letterman beckons the singer to kiss someone in the audience. Things don’t get much better when the host brings up Madonna’s interest in basketball. At this point she looks up at the boom mic and comments how long it is, eliciting some uncomfortable reactions from the crowd. After briefly mentioning her relationship with Charles Barkley, Letterman moves on to ask if getting her nose ring hurt. Madonna misheard and thought she was being asked a more intimate question about her relationship much to the chagrin of everyone else. ] At least she seemed to be enjoying herself.

#12: Russell Brand’s Psychoanalysis

In what was supposed to be an appearance promoting his world tour for his stand up comedy, things went off the rails rather quickly after a comment about Brand’s accent. He objects to how the hosts talk about him though as he isn’t there, which isn’t an unreasonable complaint. He further criticizes news media in general saying they tend to focus on superficial things instead of substantive information. When Mika Brzezinski says she’s distracted, Brand comments on her hand gestures with a bottle making an uncomfortable situation even more so.

#11: Chicken of the Sea

Ah, the age old question if tuna is a fish or chicken. Wait, that’s not right but it is what Jessica Simpson wondered aloud in the debut episode of her reality TV series “Newlyweds” with her then husband Nick Lachey. Much like the rest of us, he could only look on in confusion as to what he just heard. Simpson clarifies that she knows it’s tuna but on the can it says, “chicken by the sea”. Once Lachey explains that Chicken of the Sea is the brand name and that tuna is similar in popularity as chicken as a food choice, she says that she misread the label.

#10: Michelle Rodriguez’s Lack of Diversity

Ambushed by TMZ for an impromptu interview, the "Fast & Furious" star tactlessly squashed a rumor suggesting the actress was set to replace Ryan Reynolds as the new Green Lantern. Greatly disappointing fans, Michelle Rodriguez essentially asserted that minority actors should not be attempting to land roles of traditionally white superheroes. At the time, Michael B. Jordan had already been cast as Johnny Storm in the new "Fantastic Four," and the actress' comments were seen as counterproductive to the push for more diversity in Hollywood. Later on, Rodriguez released an apology video to clarify the controversial quote.

#9: Tom Hiddleston’s Tone-Deaf Golden Globes Speech

Transforming a triumphant moment into a tiny PR disaster, Loki would have been better off just saying thank you and walking off stage. Awarded “Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film" by the Golden Globes for "The Night Manager," Tom Hiddleston wandered into a poorly-conceived tangent about a group of Médecins Sans Frontières‎ medics who had approached the actor during a stay in South Sudan. Satisfied with knowing "The Night Manager" provided entertainment for these brave men and women, Hiddleston clearly wanted to highlight the good humanitarian work carried about by these organizations, but ended up coming across as self-congratulatory. He would later apologize, citing nervousness as the reason he expressed himself poorly.

#8: Pete Davidson Shows No Love

Mental health is always a challenging subject to address; here’s an example of how NOT to do it. In an article published by "The Players' Tribune," Kevin Love opened up about a panic attack he experienced during a match between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks, only to be taken to task by Pete Davidson during a "Saturday Night Live" sketch. A comedian and actor diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, Davidson trivialized - if not downright mocked - Love's episode and expressed an oddly elitist view on who should be allowed to discuss mental health issues.

#7: Raven-Symoné Is Okay With Discrimination

Bad jokes are forgivable, but this one was just plain insulting. Primarily known for Disney's "That's So Raven," Raven-Symoné implied there is a limit to acceptable ethnic names during an episode of "The View," and jokingly showed support for workplace discrimination if a person happened to be called something like Watermelondrea. The outrage was so severe that both Raven and the actress' father saw the need to apologize through Facebook. The best thing to come out of this whole ordeal was the reply of Trè Melvin – aka Watermelondrea Jones – to Raven's reference.

#6: Kathie Lee Gifford Didn’t Get the Memo

More often than not, celebrity blunders tend to simply be hilarious; however, this moment was nothing short of heartbreaking. While he appeared on NBC's "Today" show to promote the upcoming "Madagascar 3," the seemingly average interview took an awkward turn when Kathie Lee Gifford - who was clearly unaware that Martin Short's wife had tragically passed away in 2010 - brought up the actor's marriage. Somehow, Short remained calm enough to play along with the host and pretend that nothing was wrong. Later the same day, Gifford sent out an apology tweet and the comedian expressed no hard feelings.

#5: The Mating Habits of Sharks & Whales

Following the release of "Sharknado," Tara Reid earned a guest spot on "Shark After Dark" and decided to use this opportunity to spread a bit of knowledge. To avoid coming across as ignorant, Reid conducted some research prior to the interview, but the actress clearly needed to re-read Wikipedia's entry on whale sharks. Stumped by the thought of a mammal and a fish doing the business, Reid unleashed a rambling monologue before seemingly concluding that – no – sharks and whales do not have sex. And who says TV can’t be educational?

#4: The Price of Fame

First world problems? No, this goes far beyond that. Evidently, Paris Hilton has endured everything bad that can possibly happen to a person. During an interview with Piers Morgan, Paris and Kathy Hilton discussed some of the positives and negatives associated with a celebrity lifestyle. When asked if privacy is a price worth paying for fame, Hilton spoke about the countless terrible things that had been said about the socialite over the years. Nobody's personal issues should be dismissed, but Paris' self-absorbed comment reeked of naivete.

#3: Tom Cruise Has Done the Research

Promoting "War of the Worlds" was apparently the furthest thing from this Scientologist's mind during an interview with the "Today" show's Matt Lauer. Tom Cruise is no stranger to controversial stunts, but the actor's rant on psychiatry was equal part obtuse and offensive. The "Mission Impossible" star labeled the entire field as a pseudoscience, blasted Brooke Shields for using antidepressants to help with postpartum depression, and declared there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance. Cruise's comments were so off-base and potentially harmful that the American Psychological Association had to publish a statement in response.

#2: Kelly Osbourne’s Misguided Pro-immigration Stance

Good intentions can only take you so far. While appearing on "The View," Kelly Osbourne countered Donald Trump's stance on immigration in arguably the most unintentionally racist way imaginable. Quickly taken to task by co-host Rosie Perez, Osbourne seemed to instantly regret saying anything and tried to backtrack. Unsurprisingly, the celebrity came under heavy scrutiny and Kelly took responsibility for the blunder in a Facebook post. Things were made even worse due to the fact that, just a couple of months prior, Osbourne had publicly criticized Giuliana Rancic for a similar insensitive comment.

#1: Kanye West Thinks Slavery Was a Choice

Where to even begin? How about that time Kanye West crashed Taylor Swift's VMA acceptance speech? Or, when the musician abruptly announced that George Bush doesn't care about black people? While undoubtedly talented, the rapper/producer's antics tend to distract from the music, and Kanye cast a huge shadow after stating that slavery was a choice in 2018. Whatever the point might have been, West failed to express it in a way that made any sense. A staunch Donald Trump supporter, Kanye continued down this bizarre path during an awkward televised meeting with the President.