If there is one good thing about being a regular person, it’s that we can say stupid things without being canceled forever.
But when it comes to celebs doing the same, well, it’s a whole other ballpark. One wrong word can set their careers back.
This is exactly what happened to these 10+ celebs who hurt their careers with one bad interview.
1. Tom Hiddleston
The Marvel actor was far too eager to speak about his ex-girlfriend, Taylor Swift, in his 2017 GQ interview.
He even showed up to the interviewer’s room at 6 am to clarify the points he had made.
2. Katherine Heigl
The actress branded herself as “difficult to work with” after she said bad things about two projects she worked on: Grey’s Anatomy and Knocked Up .
In an interview with Vanity Fair , she didn’t mince words about how she really felt.
She called the movie *Knocked Up* “a little sexist.”
“It paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys.”
This backfired on Heigl as Apatow hasn’t worked with her since. Seth Rogen told Howard Stern that he felt “betrayed.”
3. Alex Pettyfer
After the actor became a household name from Magic Mike , it was all thrown in the toilet after his 2011 interview with VMAN magazine.
That’s because he tore Hollywood to shreds, saying that it’s “disgusting,” among other things.
4. Charlie Sheen
The actor was the opposite of #Winning when he had his 2011 interview on the Alex Jones radio show .
Since the actor made several disparaging comments about Chuck Lorre, the creator of Two and a Half Men , he was fired.
5. John Mayer
When you think of John Mayer, what words come to mind? If it’s flippant, player, and a little crazy, you can blame his infamous 2010 Playboy interview for that.
In it, he made all sorts of off-color remarks.
This included saying he only dates white women and that he wants to direct adult films. At one point, he even dropped the “n” word.
He also made an enemy out of ex-girlfriend Jessica Simpson by saying all sorts of lewd things about their sex life.
It was actually his “sexual napalm” comment that ended their relationship.
“He thought that was what I wanted to be called,” she told People . “I was floored and embarrassed that my grandmother was actually gonna read that.”
6. 5 Seconds of Summer
It took about five seconds for the band to ruin their careers with their Rolling Stone interview.
In the 2015 piece, Michael Clifford took shots at other celebs who had attended the American Music Awards by calling them “fake.”
Then, drummer Ashton Irwin managed to ostracize what is arguably their only fan base.
“Seventy-five percent of our lives is proving we’re a real band … We don’t want to just be, like, for girls.” Suffice to say, we don’t hear much of them anymore.
7. The Chainsmokers
We wouldn’t be surprised if they were chainsmoking from stress after the backlash from their September 2016 Billboard interview.
In it, they made all sorts of lewd comments about their female fans. This included how they became famous just to score chicks.
“Even before success, [expletive] was number one,” Alex Pall said.
“Like, ‘Why am I trying to make all this money?’ I wanted to hook up with hotter girls. I had to date a model.”
Once you learn that they both had girlfriends at the time, their comments become even more inapproriate.
8. Paula Abdul
If you’ve ever heard the words “loopy” and “Paula Abdul” together, the connection first started with this 2007 video interview.
It quickly went viral after she slurred her words, swayed, and just generally talked nonsense. Just watch for yourself.
9. Miles Teller
The Whiplash actor’s promising career all came crashing down in 2015 with his Esquire interview.
In it, he made all sorts of inappropriate comments, like telling the writer and a waitress that the bar glass looked like his penis.
He also stated how good-looking he is, despite what some people think.
Not surprisingly, we haven’t seen the actor in much since then. Even Teller later opened up to how bad he messed up.
He told Vulture : “I’d think I was the biggest [expletive] too.”
10. Tom Cruise
The actor was branded as unhinged after he got offended by Matt Lauer asking about his criticism of Brooke Shields’ use of antidepressants.
While ex-wife Katie Holmes was in the studio watching, he went off on the Today host.
Since Scientology is opposed to psychiatric drugs (Tom Cruise is a famous member), he went off.
He called Lauer a “glib,” and said, “You don’t know the history of psychiatry. I do.”
Suffice to say, this freak-out didn’t go over well. He stopped doing as many movies since then and hasn’t spoken publicly about Scientology since then.
11. Megan Fox
Fox proved that bad-mouthing the boss is never a good idea when she was fired from the third installment of Transformers for her comments about the film’s director, Michael Bay.
She put her foot in her mouth during an interview with British magazine, Wonderland .
“[Bay] is like Napoleon and he wants to create this insane, infamous mad-man reputation,” she said.
She even compared him to Hitler, calling him “a nightmare to work for.”
In the end, her comments got her replaced for the additional movies.
12. Sean Connery
If you ever wondered why Sean Connery all of a sudden dropped off the face of the planet back in the day, here’s why.
During an interview with Barbara Walters, Sean was asked whether or not he thought it was appropriate to hit a woman. His response is shocking.
13. R. Kelly
By this point, everyone is well aware of the infamous CBS interview, as well as the docu-series, Surviving R. Kelly .
But before any of that took place, the R&B icon was asked whether or not he had a predilection for teenage girls. His response was “How old are we talking?”
14. DJ Khaled
Khaled has always presented himself as being a master of men, a prodigy, and an icon.
That façade quickly melted away when he appeared on the popular YouTube series, Hot Ones . To this day, he sits top spot on the Wall of Shame .
15. Vin Diesel
I don’t know if Vin Diesel was sleep-deprived, high, or intoxicated, but whatever it was that made him act like a knuckle-dragging troglodyte needs to go, fast and furious.
During this excruciatingly cringe-worthy discussion, he continually harasses his interviewer and even tries to hug her as she walks (runs) away.
16. Mike Tyson
After another stunning victory in the ring, Tyson called out Lennox Lewis in what would become one of the most infamous trash-talking rants in boxing history.
“My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable. I’m ferocious. I want your heart, I want to eat his children!”
17. Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey is a weird guy, there’s just no other way of putting it.
During a red carpet interview, he had a truly ” woke ” moment after proclaiming that nothing was real (not even himself). Jim goes on to say that we’re all nothing more than balls of energy.
18. Jenny McCarthy
Jenny McCarthy should be viewed as a cautionary tale of the negative power and influence that can come with celebrity.
If you’re wondering where the whole ” anti-vaccine ” movement first began, look no further than Jenny’s interview with The Doctors .
19. Jesse Eisenberg
I don’t know if Jesse just woke up on the wrong side of the bed or was still channeling the essence of Mark Zuckerberg, but his behavior toward interviewer Romina was way out of line.
Among his slew of rude comments, he calls her “The Carrot Top of interviewers.”
20. Bill Maher
Bill Maher is a controversial guy, there’s no denying that. You’d be hard-pressed to find an interview where he isn’t saying something Politically Incorrect .
His heated discussion about ISIS with Stephen Colbert, however, is definitely a standout.
21. Kathie Lee Gifford
This is rule #1 for every prospective interviewer out there. Never, under any circumstances, ask a question about an interviewee’s family member unless you are absolutely certain that they have a pulse .
A lesson that Kathie learned the hard way during her interview with Martin Short.
22. Joaquin Phoenix
In the end, Joaquin’s infamous interview with David Letterman ended up being a hoax. He and director Casey Affleck were actually making a meta arthouse film called I’m Still Here .
But that truth wasn’t revealed for months. In the meantime, people really believed Joaquin had lost his mind.
23. Justin Trudeau
I don’t mean to beat a dead horse but Justin Trudeau’s Water Bottle Gate truly was a blunder for the ages.
If you haven’t seen the clip, I won’t spoil it for you. All I’ll say is “paper drink-box water bottles.”
24. Mel Gibson
In Mel’s defense, this interviewer was drudging up events from nearly five years prior in a blatant attempt to get a rise out of the iconic action star.
A quick tip though: If you’re going to curse at someone during an interview, make sure you’re not wearing a hot mic.
27. Crispin Glover
I’m of the belief that David Letterman is the greatest Late Night TV host of all time. During his tenure, he had a myriad of memorable guests.
Perhaps none more so than Crispin Glover, who was swiftly ejected after nearly karate-kicking Dave in the face.
25. Billy Bob Thornton
So in case you weren’t aware, Billy Bob is kind of an [expletive].
Supposedly, he had requested that interviewer Jian Ghomeshi not discuss any of his acting accolades. When the Q host did just that, Billy refused to answer any of his questions.
26. Kanye West
One TMZ staffer called Kanye’s incredibly insensitive rant about slavery in America “the absence of thought.”
During the interview, Kanye stated that Black people in America chose to be slaves for 400 years. Much to the shock and chagrin of anyone with ears to hear it.
