Top 10 Things Everyone Gets WRONG About Famous Celebrities

After years of releasing wildly successful music and the recent buzz surrounding her portrayal of Glinda in “Wicked,” Ariana Grande has become a bonafide household name. Except, that’s not her name. Or at least not how it’s pronounced. In a 2018 interview with Beats 1, the singer revealed that her grandparents pronounced her last name almost completely differently, and it was at the suggestion of her brother Frankie that Ariana modified her pronunciation, and the new name stuck. Maybe all this confusion is why Larry David just gave up altogether when trying to pronounce the singer’s name on SNL.

During an interview on the Australian TV show “Sunday Night,” Beyoncé took her seat in a way that made her dress fold unusually, causing a worldwide media frenzy. The shot appeared as though she was wearing a fake pregnancy belly, and conspiracy theorists immediately took notice. “Sunday Night” took note of the public’s response and quickly came out with previously unseen footage to hopefully disprove the theories, but it was too late: Wendy Williams had already caught the scent. The infamous gossip took the fake pregnancy rumors and ran with them, and to this day people still believe Blue Ivy Carter was born to a surrogate and not Beyoncé herself.

While the King of Pop was known for his eccentricities, there was never any truth to this widely believed tabloid story. According to a completely false 1986 National Enquirer story, Jackson slept in a hyperbaric chamber in order to slow the aging process in the hopes of living to be 150 years old. Hyperbaric chambers aren’t safe to sleep in, but they are often used to treat burn victims. After being treated for severe burns to his scalp on the set of a Pepsi commercial, Jackson donated a hyperbaric chamber to the hospital that treated him. It’s likely that the photographs taken of Jackson in the chamber were taken at that hospital to publicize his donation and promote the work of the burn unit staff.

Life most certainly did not imitate art during the production of this famous Bond movie, although many people think it did. In “Goldfinger,” Jill Masterson dies of skin suffocation after being painted head to toe in metallic gold paint. This led to a rumor that the use of gold paint on actress Shirley Eaton caused her to suffer the same fate as her character. In reality, only the parts of her body shown on camera were painted, the rest of her skin was left bare, preventing any potential harm. Eaton is, in fact, still alive, and even appeared in an episode of Mythbusters to dispel this rumor once and for all.

Sometimes people really can be as wholesome as they look. Fred Rogers was the creator and host of the educational children’s series “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Throughout the series, Rogers taught the youth of North America about the importance of kindness and tolerance towards those around us. In the early 2000s, rumors began to spread that the TV host had a violent past as a Navy SEAL during the Vietnam War, with some even going as far as to say he wore his signature sweater to conceal tattoos commemorating his extensive kills. These rumors were completely false, Rogers never served in the military in any capacity. His sweaters also never concealed any tattoos, but they were all hand-knitted with love by Rogers’ mother.

Singer Cass Elliot, known for her time with The Mamas & The Papas, is considered a legend of the American folk music scene. During her lifetime, however, Elliot faced considerable ridicule for her weight, contributing to a lifelong struggle with her body image. Elliot died of a heart attack at the young age of 32, but popular rumor stated she died choking on a ham sandwich. Perhaps the most disheartening myth on this list for its sheer cruelty and insensitivity, Elliot’s daughter Owen described the rumor as “one last slap against the fat lady.”

You’ve probably heard of this popular rumor about America’s most famous animator, that Disney had his head cryogenically frozen after his death so that he could be brought back to life when technology allowed. Some even say his frozen head is kept under the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but there’s never been any truth to this morbid myth. Still, this rumor has persisted for decades, with some alleging that the film “Frozen” was so named in order to push this chilly piece of gossip further down in search results for “Disney” and “Frozen.” That one might even be plausible, but the original rumor is nothing but lies.

One of the most persistent myths on this list is the rumor that Jennifer Lopez has insured her booty for one million dollars. This false fact has popped up for years on celebrity gossip websites and tabloids, but the star vehemently denies any truth behind the rumor. Body part insurance is a popular topic for pop culture journalists, and some claims made about celebrities are actually true, like Heidi Klum’s two million dollar leg insurance policy. Most, however, are totally made up. While JLo’s rumor is likely the most famous, other false claims have been made about Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, and Dolly Parton. Despite being actually a legitimate practice, body part insurance is not as common as tabloids would have you to believe.

The idea that one of the greatest scientific minds of all time couldn’t pass grade school math is a bit absurd but still believed by many. Einstein excelled in math and science and even taught himself calculus as a young teenager. He was even able to sit an entrance exam for university two years before his peers – which he promptly failed due to poor performance in non-scientific subjects. Perhaps this was the source of the rumor that Einstein struggled in his early studies, but it’s unclear where anyone got the idea that he was bad at math. Still, if this rumor inspires anyone who struggles in school to keep trying, maybe a little white lie isn’t such a bad thing after all.

An enduring symbol of beauty and glamor, Marilyn Monroe is perhaps the most famous movie star of all time. She was often cast in blonde bombshell roles that highlighted her beauty above any of her other qualities, leading her to be considered nothing more than a “dumb blonde.” In truth, Monroe was incredibly intellectually curious, and despite not finishing high school she took literature courses at UCLA. She was an avid reader, with a personal library containing over 400 books on a wide variety of subjects. She sought intellectual stimulation in her relationships too, notably with writers Arthur Miller and Truman Capote. Although she couldn’t escape her “dumb blonde” reputation in life, we owe it to her legacy to refute that harmful stereotype for good.

What’s the wildest celebrity rumor you’ve ever heard? Let us know in the comments!