Top 10 Exact Interview Questions That Destroyed Celebrities

Liam Neeson

With a steady batch of movies released each year, Liam Neeson has done a lot of press over his lifetime. But, a routine junket interview with The Independent for his 2019 revenge film, “Cold Pursuit,” embroiled the Oscar nominee in scandal. With the questioning landing on how his latest character turns to anger, the actor shared a real-life experience of revenge-seeking after learning that a friend was sexually assaulted. With the friend identifying her unknown attacker as Black, Neeson says he wandered through neighborhoods hoping a black man would come out of a pub and “have a go” so he could "kill him." Even though Neeson iterated that he regretted those actions, he still had plenty of damage control to do afterwards.

Lance Armstrong

Prior to 2013, cyclist Lance Armstrong was an inspiration to millions world-wide. Afterall, he had won the Tour de France a whopping seven years in a row – not to mention the abundance of charitable work he did. So, what happened after 2013? Well, that’s when Armstrong sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a jaw dropping interview/confession. He had already been stripped of his titles amid doping allegations, but the interview confirmed that the rumors were indeed facts. Oprah asked point blank if he ever took banned substances to enhance his cycling performance and Armstrong responded “yes.” And just like that, his legacy was forever altered – for the worst.

Woody Allen

When Woody Allen appeared on “60 Minutes” in 1992 to discuss his falling out with former partner Mia Farrow, things got fairly awkward. When asked about the accusations that he abused the daughter he adopted with Farrow, Dylan, many expected Allan to offer a straightforward denial. However, the actor and director opted to answer with a baffling diatribe instead. He said it’d be “illogical” for him to do such a thing at the time and went on to list a bunch of reasons why. He also insinuated that Farrow was the mastermind plotting revenge against him. It’s three decades later and people still scratch their heads at how Allen chose to profess his innocence.

Katherine Heigl

Katherine Heigl’s fall from Hollywood’s good graces can be traced back to a 2008 interview with Vanity Fair. After winning an Emmy for her role on "Grey's Anatomy" and having starred in the smash hit blockbuster "Knocked Up," Heigl certainly had a lot to be happy about. But, when the actress was asked about the Judd Apatow film she made alongside Seth Rogen, she did not hold back her true feelings. Katherine said she was not happy with “Knocked Up” and called it “a little sexist.” She went on to say, "it paints women as shrews, as humorless and uptight,” while it paints the men as “lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys." Her comments were met with immediate criticism and have followed her for years – despite recent Mea Culpas.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise has weathered more than a few controversies over the years, but in the mid-2000s, things were at a critical mass. It all went down during a whirlwind time when the actor started dating actress Katie Holmes. Cruise had already jumped on Oprah’s couch and shared statements on Brooke Shields’ postpartum depression when he sat down with Matt Lauer on NBC’s “Today” show. Things turned intense when Lauer asked about Cruise’s stance on psychiatry and Shield’s endorsement of antidepressants. Tom called psychiatry a “pseudoscience” and began to debate Lauer on depression treatments, notably Ritalin. It was a moment that forever changed people’s opinion of the movie star.

Jonathon Majors

Jonathon Majors experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in 2023. He was riding the wave of stardom as Kang the Conqueror in the MCU and with starring roles in films like “Creed 3.” Things came crashing down, however, when he was arrested and later found guilty of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend. In an interview for “Good Morning America,” Majors opened up and attempted to save face by denying everything. When asked how his ex received her injuries, the actor said [“I wish to god I knew.”] He then went on to say that he was "reckless with her heart” but not her body. The response did little to reassure the public of his innocence, only raising further questions.

Kanye West

Where to even start with Kanye? The prolific rapper has said and done numerous controversial things on a vast array of platforms. But, it was through one simple question on “TMZ Live” in 2018 that sent Kanye straight down a rabbit hole of scandal. After being seen with a “Make America Great Again” hat on, host Harvey Levin asked Kanye about the message he wanted to send. Kanye being Kanye went on a rant about free thought. He then caused a huge stir when he spoke about slavery, saying that to him, it sounded “like a choice.” Of course, Kanye would go on to say even more shocking things in the years that followed and, if we’re being honest, will likely continue to do so in the years to come.

Michael Jackson

Late pop star, Michael Jackson, has long been accused of inappropriate and illegal acts involving children. In 1993, Jordan Chandler, a 13-year-old cancer patient, sued Jackson for sexual abuse, leading to a criminal investigation. During an infamous interview with journalist Martin Bashir as part of the documentary “Living with Michael Jackson,” the star was asked if he understood why people would be worried about him sharing his bed with Chandler, a 13-year-old boy. The response was nothing short of shocking as Jackson defended the practice by calling it "a beautiful thing.” He also said that he has slept in a bed with many children and called it "very right” and “loving.” While Jackson saw the act as “helping the boy heal,” others saw it as proof of the crimes he was being accused of.

Prince Andrew

It’s the interview equivalent of “car crash.” Amidst the media scrutiny surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s inner circle, Prince Andrew sat down with BBC’s Emily Maitlis in an effort to clear his name. When Maitlis asked the Prince for his response to allegations made by an accuser of his, Virginia Roberts, he boldly and straight up denied ever meeting her. This despite photographic evidence that shows he did. Andrew says the photo is not valid. He also went on to say that he didn’t regret his friendship with Epstein, adding that it presented him with “useful” opportunities. It was clear that the interview did not help his case and the Prince stepped down from public duties for The Royal Family shortly after.

R. Kelly

It’s hard to imagine given all that we know today, but in the 2000s, singer R. Kelly had many defenders. What were they defending him against? Why, those would be a long list of sexual misconduct allegations.In 2002, Kelly was indicted, but would go on to be acquitted in 2008. That’s the year he took part in an interview with BET’s Touré about the damning claims. When asked about whether he liked teenage girls, Kelly’s response was a jaw dropper: [“When you say teenagers, how old are we talking”]. It was an infamous response at the time and it’s easy to see why. Kelly added another notorious interview moment to his name when he sat down with Gayle King in 2019 and became unhinged. The musician is now serving 20 years in jail for his various crimes.

Which interview response shocked you the most? Express yourself in the comments.