17 Times Celebs Were Disrespectful Or Rude To Interviewers

For celebrities, getting interviewed is part of the job, but they don't always handle it with the level of professionalism or politeness they should.

Here are 17 times celebs ruined interviews by being rude:

1.In 2024, Norwegian interviewer Kjersti Flaa uploaded the 2016 "Blake Lively interview that made [her] want to quit [her] job" to YouTube. Blake, who'd recently announced her pregnancy at the Met Gala, was seemingly offended by Kjersti's congratulations.

Then, when Kjersti asked about the 1930s costumes Blake and costar Parker Posey wore in Café Society, they seemingly cut her out of the conversation.

Here's the full video:

2.In 2024, Sarah Ferguson, who hosts 7.30 on Australia's ABC News, told the Sydney Morning Herald’s Sunday Life magazine that, during a 2023 interview, Ben Affleck "was just rude, not interested, going through the motions."

Watch the interview below:

3.In 2016, Vin Diesel derailed his interview with YouTuber Carol Moreira by trying to flirt with her and insisting she was too "beautiful" and "sexy" for him to continue, making her visibly uncomfortable.

Here's the full interview, with this part starting at the 4:45 mark:

In the video's intro, Carol addressed the situation, saying, "He began to hit on me in the middle of the interview, say that I was pretty, and he interrupted the interview three times to talk about it. I was laughing, completely uncomfortable. I did not like it. At the time I did not know how to react, but you will see that I was uncomfortable, it was not nice that he interrupted my work."

4.In 2013, Jesse Eisenberg did an interview with Univision host Romina Puga, which she later called "self-esteem butchering."

On her blog, Romina wrote, "So, I was just humiliated by Jesse Eisenberg...When the five minute 'interview' (more like self-esteem butchering) were finally over, I went behind a curtain to wait for the memory cards from the interview. I peaked around the curtain to ask Jesse about his neighborhood in New York (he lives a few blocks from where I used to live) and he immediately says, 'You're still here?'"

5.When Jennifer Garner appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 2003, she paused the interview to correct his grammar.

However, after the commercial break, he brought out a dictionary and proved her wrong.

Watch the full interview below, with this part starting at the 1:10 mark:

6.When political pundit Ann Coulter appeared on The View, she disliked how co-host Barbara Walters read aloud from the book she was there to promote. Co-host Sherri Shepard called Anne out for the way she spoke to Barbara.

Here's the full clip, with this part starting at the 7: 22 mark:

7.After the 2016 Golden Globes, Jennifer Lawrence was widely criticized for cutting off an international journalist and scolding him for reading a question from his phone.

Watch the full clip below:

8.When Jack Whitehall guest hosted The Graham Norton Show in 2019, a returning audience member called him out for being rude to her the last time both of them appeared on the show, even though he had apologized.

Watch the full clip below:

9.During an episode of Love Island USA, contestant Kay Kay Gray decided to leave with her partner, Keenan Anunay, who was voted off. When host Sarah Hyland checked in with her about her decision, another contestant, Mike Stark, suddenly called Sarah out. The other Islanders were so shocked by his outburst that one even apologized to Sarah on his behalf.

10.When Madonna appeared on the Italian version of Top of the Pops, she teased the nervous interviewer.

Here's the full clip:

11.On the Women On Top podcast, former E! News reporter Ali Fedotowsky said, "Jake Gyllenhaal shows up for the red carpet…My first red carpet for E! News…He walks up, I'm shaking in my heels. I say to him, 'Hi, Jake who'd you bring tonight?' Like, for a date, like, who’s your date tonight? …He goes, 'Bye bye,' and walked away from me." She then started to cry in fear of losing her job.

Rodin Eckenroth / Getty Images, Unique Nicole / WireImage / Via Getty

Jake then did the same thing to the next interviewer, but still, his rudeness didn't sit well with her. She said, "I've walked so many red carpets because of [my season of] The Bachelorette and done countless interviews, and I know how easy it is to be nice."

12.In 2015, Graham Norton told This Morning that interviewing David Cassidy was "one of the worst experiences of [his] life."

Here's a video of the interview itself from 2003:

13.Former panelist Sherrie Hewson called Ringo Starr her worst Loose Women guest. During a live event in Llandudno, Wales, she said, "He just sat down, said, 'OK then, girls, what are we doing here? Shall we just get Paul McCartney out of the way?' This was live, by the way. Anyway, he carries on, 'Let's get Paul McCartney out the way. You want to talk about Paul McCartney?' I said, 'Well, no, you're here.' And he said, 'No, you don't. You want to talk about Paul McCartney.'"

Julian Parker / UK Press via Getty Images, Kevin Winter / Getty Images

She continued, "He was so angry. It was just so weird, I thought why? Why, why, why? It was just a really weird thing. And then, he said to the audience, 'Can I tell you all, if anyone wants an autograph, you can't have one, because I don't do things like that.' At the end of it, one of the producers came up with one of her little children, who was only four, and said that she knew he didn't do autographs, but told him that her daughter was only four, and she really loves the Beatles. He just said 'Really?' And then he said, 'Did you not hear what I just said? I don't sign autographs.'"

14.When comedian Bobcat Goldthwait appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno in 1994, he pulled a lighter out of his pocket and his chair on fire.

Here's the full clip, with the fire starting at the 1:10 mark:

The incident wasn't scripted or staged. Bobcat later pleaded no contest to recklessly setting the fire. He was then required to pay a $3,888 fine and to record a PSA for a local burn center. Additionally, he got three years of informal probation.

15.When Ashley Graham interviewed celebs for ABC's 2023 Oscars pre-show, Hugh Grant gave short, sarcastic answers then rolled his eyes when their conversation ended.

Kevin Mazur / Getty Images, Rich Polk / Variety via Getty Images

You can watch the full interview here.

Reflecting on the situation a few months later, Ashley told the Sunday Times, "I could tell he didn't want to be there, that was obvious. Before, we were chatting — he was very pleasant. Then we started rolling, and he was like, 'I don't want to be here,' and I was, 'OK, work with me! I get it! But, like, work with me?'"

"I was trying my hardest to be my nice, upbeat self, and he gave me what he had," she said.

16.In an older interview, Hugh Grant roasted Ellen DeGeneres completely unprompted.

17.And finally, following a 2009 interview, Jon Stewart banned Hugh Grant from returning to The Daily Show because "he's giving everyone shit the whole time, and he's a big pain in the ass."

Bennett Raglin / WireImage / Via Getty, Kevin Winter / Getty Images

During a 2012 Q&A with Stephen Colbert, Jon said that Hugh was his least favorite guest, adding, "And we've had dictators on the show."

He also said Hugh groaned about the promotion movie clip the show played, saying, "What is that clip? It’s a terrible clip.”

Jon said, "Well, then make a better fucking movie." He also said he'd "never" invite the actor back.

In response, Hugh tweeted, "Turns out my inner crab got the better of me with TV producer in 09. Unforgivable. J Stewart correct to give me kicking."