Awkward Celebrity Interviews: Dakota Johnson Blake Lively and More

Dakota Johnson and Blake Lively are among the many many stars who’ve been concerned in TV interviews going off the rails.

In some circumstances, there’s what seems to be a disconnect or character battle between the star and their interviewer, although there are simply as many cases of celebrities taking a tough left. Who will ever neglect Madonna swearing a record-breaking 14 instances throughout a 1994 interview with David Letterman, or Samuel L. Jackson roasting an area TV information reporter for complicated him with Laurence Fishburne?

There are only a few issues in life extra awkward than a TV interview gone flawed. Hold scrolling for a glance again at a number of the most cringe-inducing TV interviews in historical past, that includes the likes of Meg Ryan, Tom Selleck and Joaquin Phoenix, amongst others:

Blake Full of life

A tense alternate between Full of life and journalist Kjersti Flaa on the press tour for Woody Allen’s 2016 film Café Society had long-lasting implications for each the star and her questioner. Full of life’s costar Parker Posey ended up as a bewildered bystander when Flaa made the error of beginning the interview by referencing Full of life’s being pregnant.

“To begin with, congrats in your little bump,” Flaa stated, earlier than Full of life interjected, “Congrats on your little bump.”

Flaa tried to vary the subject by asking in regards to the garments Full of life and Posey wore for the interval drama, although this earned her no favors both.

“Everybody needs to speak in regards to the garments however I ponder in the event that they’d ask the boys in regards to the garments?” Full of life interjected.

Full of life proceeded to have an prolonged dialog with Posey whereas Flaa sat silent. The journalist uploaded the clip to YouTube underneath the title, “The Blake Full of life interview that made me need to stop my job.”

Whereas Flaa reposted the interview amidst Lively’s legal battle with It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni in 2024, she denied there was any collaboration with Baldoni’s camp.

“I simply felt like, ‘You realize what? It’s not OK to behave like that and I believe it must be referred to as out.’ And in order that’s the rationale why I did that now, a lot later,” Flaa clarified.

Dakota Johnson

The Fifty Shades of Gray actress inadvertently began a meme when she bluntly corrected Ellen DeGeneres throughout a 2019 interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. DeGeneres had teased Johnson about their friendship, earlier than complaining that she wasn’t invited to her visitor’s then-recent thirtieth birthday celebration.

“Truly, no, that’s not the reality, Ellen. You had been invited,” Johnson replied. “Final time I used to be on the present, final 12 months, you gave me a bunch s*** about not inviting you however I didn’t even know you needed to be invited. I didn’t even know you favored me.”

DeGeneres defended her pleasant demeanor in the direction of Johnson when she’d appeared on the speak present, however her visitor introduced the dialogue again round to the larger challenge.

“I did invite you and also you didn’t come,” Johnson identified.

Seemingly embarrassed, DeGeneres responded by saying, “I used to be invited? Why didn’t I’m going? Oh yeah, I had that factor.”

Johnson made gentle of the tense TV dialogue in a 2024 interview with L’Officiel when she admitted the viral clip and meme will “hang-out” her endlessly.

Meg Ryan

It’s secure to say that the Sleepless in Seattle star and legendary British journalist Michael Parkinson didn’t hit it off throughout a 2003 interview. Ryan and Parkinson butted heads over his insinuation {that a} sure degree of press intrusion was a trade-off for her profession as an actress.

“You’ve obtained an issue,” Parkinson informed her, with Ryan hesitating earlier than admitting, “Yeah.”

“It looks like [the problem] is just not one which’s going to be resolved on this present,” Parkinson sarcastically continued.

One other sparky second between the pair got here when Parkinson talked about Ryan had studied to turn into a journalist earlier than turning into a full-time actress.

“Now that you just’re cautious of journalists, does it provide you with an perception into what they’re after?” he requested. “You might be cautious of journalists. You’re cautious of me. You’re cautious of the interview. You don’t like being interviewed. You possibly can see it in the best way you sit and the best way you might be.”

He requested Ryan how they need to proceed, together with his visitor quipping, “[I’d] most likely simply wrap it up.”

Ryan mirrored on her conflict with Parkinson in December 2024, telling The Times of London that her expertise with “that man” was the one time she misplaced her cool in an interview.

“I assumed it was so dangerous,” she recalled. “Within the States the speak reveals have breaks each 4 minutes [for adverts], so I stored ready for the break as a result of I used to be gonna arise and depart. However the break by no means got here.”

For his half, Parkinson admitted in 2017 that he regretted how his conservation with Ryan turned out. The legendary journalist died at age 88 in August 2023.

Samuel L. Jackson

Leisure reporter Sam Rubin, of Los Angeles TV station KTLA, made an enormous mistake Jackson wouldn’t permit him to stay down throughout a 2014 segment. Rubin referenced a Tremendous Bowl business that Jackson had supposedly starred in, however the actor corrected him that it was Laurence Fishburne who’d truly appeared in a TV spot throughout the NFL recreation.

“You’re as loopy because the individuals on Twitter. I’m not Laurence Fishburne. We don’t all look alike,” Jackson scolded Rubin. “We could also be Black and well-known, however all of us don’t look alike … You’re the leisure reporter for this station and also you don’t know the distinction between me and Laurence Fishburne? There should be a really brief line in your job!”

In a public apology, Rubin stated he was truly referring to a trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier proven throughout the Tremendous Bowl, by which Jackson did seem, however referred to as the mishap a “very newbie mistake.”

Fishburne had earlier informed Canadian present Strombo that he had a “operating gag” with Jackson in regards to the many instances clueless individuals confused them for each other.

“As soon as upon a time, individuals used to confuse Al Pacino and Dustin Hoffman. It’s not a foul downside to have,” the Matrix star stated.

Rubin died at age 64 in March 2024.

Madonna

The “Music” singer stored the CBS censors working extra time throughout a March 31, 1994, look on The Late Show with David Letterman when she used the work “f***” 14 instances throughout the interview. Madonna was understandably aggravated by host Letterman’s introduction, by which he referred to her “[selling] over 80 million albums, [starring] in numerous movies and [sleeping] with a number of the largest names within the leisure trade.”

Madonna responded by repeatedly swearing so giant chunks of her interview can be incomprehensible for TV viewers on account of community censoring. Letterman performed alongside at first, however misplaced persistence and begged Madonna to cease swearing throughout the excruciatingly-awkward 20-minute phase.

“You understand that is being broadcast, don’t you? You possibly can’t be speaking like that,” Letterman requested Madonna after she referred to as him a “sick f***.”

Madonna refused to depart the set, forcing Letterman to chop to a business break so she could possibly be coaxed off stage. Letterman publicly apologized to anybody offended by Madonna’s antics.

The “Materials Lady” musician refused to again down, telling Spin Magazine in 1995 that there was a double-standard when it got here to permitting violence on TV however not swearing.

“You possibly can present an individual getting blown up, and you’ll’t say f***? It’s such hypocrisy,” she famous. “The truth that everybody counted what number of f***s I stated — how small minded is that?”

She continued, “The opposite factor that was ridiculous was that David Letterman knew I used to be going to do it. I talked to the producers of the present. All people was like, this shall be actually humorous when you say fuck quite a bit they’ll simply maintain bleeping you. Effectively, I got here out and began doing it, and David freaked out. The best way he launched me was derogatory, so my entire factor was, okay, if that’s the way you need to play it, you can not beat me at this recreation.”

Madonna made up with Letterman in time to look on The Late Show’s 1995 Valentine’s Day episode with sweet and flowers as a peace providing.

Bee Gees

The disco gods most likely wouldn’t be anybody’s first decide to angrily storm off stage throughout a TV interview however that’s what occurred when Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb clashed with British comic Clive Anderson on his BBC present Clive Anderson All Talk in October 1997.

The Bee Gees had been seemingly unfamiliar with Anderson’s dry humor and thus took it personally when he took jabs at their music all through the interview. Throughout a dialogue of the Gibb brothers’ early profession, Anderson referred to as them “tossers” and joked that he “slipped off” listening to the Bee Gees after they began making disco music.

After a number of minutes of Anderson taking potshots at his company, Barry threatened that he would “storm off” of the present, which he did. Robin shortly adopted his brother, leaving poor Maurice alone on stage with Anderson.

“Oh effectively, I suppose I higher be part of them,” Maurice stated as he eliminated his microphone and walked off as effectively.

Many years later, Anderson admitted to Metro that he wasn’t deliberately attempting to offend the Gibb brothers together with his pointed jabs.

“I assumed I used to be simply jollying them alongside and having a little bit of harmless enjoyable however I used to be flawed – when you watch it again, each query I requested appeared to have been an annoyance or ill-judged,” he stated. “I did numerous interviews like that and a few of them obtained laughs and others didn’t go so effectively.”

Tituss Burgess

Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen host Andy Cohen appeared unaware he’d broached a thorny topic throughout a 2019 interview with Burgess. Cohen requested Burgess what it was wish to work with Eddie Murphy on the film Dolemite Is My Title since Murphy had a variety of homophobic comedy routines within the Nineteen Eighties (for which he later apologized).

“He was very problematic for the gays at one level,” Cohen identified, however Burgess insisted, “He wasn’t problematic for Tituss. We had an exquisite time … Any troubles he could have had with homosexual individuals, I suppose they’re gone as a result of he beloved me.”

Burgess muttered one thing underneath his breath when the digicam lower away from him, however wasn’t prepared to interact additional as soon as Cohen requested him to repeat himself.

“Hold going, woman. Do your present,” Burgess replied.

Cohen informed Access Hollywood in 2019 that Burgess can be welcomed again to Watch What Occurs Reside regardless of their on-air blip.

“He can do no matter he needs. I simply don’t need to offend him,” Cohen stated.

Tom Selleck

Selleck had a frosty alternate with Rosie O’Donnell on the Might 19, 1999, version of The Rosie O’Donnell Show. On the time, Selleck was a spokesperson for the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation (N.R.A.) whereas O’Donnell had campaigned for gun management laws following the April 1999 taking pictures at Columbine Excessive Faculty in Colorado.

O’Donnell introduced up their disagreement throughout the interview, although Selleck was reluctant to debate the hot-button subject. Selleck accused O’Donnell of getting “a really one-sided view” of the gun management debate, whereas the host countered that the N.R.A. held a “one-sided view” as effectively.

“This can be a good, one-sided dialog however you retain interrupting me,” Selleck complained at one level, with O’Donnell reminding him, “I allow you to speak for 4 minutes with out saying one factor!”

By the tip of the seven-minute dialogue, O’Donnell admitted it “had not gone the best way” she’d hoped however thanked Selleck for showing regardless of their “differing views.”

“Should you really feel insulted by my questions, I apologize as a result of it was not a private assault,” O’Donnell informed him.

“It’s your present and you’ll discuss it after I depart,” the actor sharply replied.

Debra Winger

The Oscar-nominated actress wasn’t impressed with Cohen throughout a 2018 look on Watch What Occurs Reside. Cohen slipped up throughout a query about Winger’s Phrases of Endearment costar Shirley MacLaine, as he mistakenly thought Winger wrote about on-set tensions with MacLaine in her memoir.

“No,” Winger interrupted. “I didn’t write about her. She wrote about me! Let’s attempt to get one thing straight. I imply, come on, it’s tough!”

Cohen was noticeably rattled, first grimacing on the digicam after which stumbling over his subsequent query. Winger wasn’t all in favour of taking part in alongside when Cohen introduced up a few of her onscreen kisses.

“What had been you doing 40 years in the past?” Winger shot again. “You bear in mind someone you kissed 30 years in the past … You don’t suppose [I] was kind of busy investigating a personality, which places you in one other self-state? Proper now, it’s fairly exhausting to be authentically an individual.”

Amanda Peet was the opposite visitor that evening and confessed to Cohen on a subsequent WWHL episode that she knew the interview was “tanking.”

“She simply hated me and my questions,” Cohen conceded. “It was a difficult state of affairs.”

Joaquin Phoenix

Lengthy earlier than he received an Oscar for taking part in The Joker, Phoenix had some enjoyable at Letterman’s expense with an elaborate hoax throughout a 2009 Late Show episode.

Phoenix went on the CBS present underneath the guise of selling a supposed change in his profession from performing to hip-hop, solely to dodge most of Letterman’s questions and usually frustrate the host. The actor later revealed the entire interview was an elaborate prank — which Letterman was not aware of — for his 2010 faux-documentary I’m Nonetheless Right here.

In 2010, Phoenix returned to The Late Show to advertise the documentary and handle the controversy he’d attributable to fooling Letterman.

“You’ve interviewed many, many individuals and I assumed that you’d know the distinction between a personality and an actual individual,” he informed Letterman. “I apologize. I hope I didn’t offend you in any means.”

Robert Downey, Jr.

Downey clashed with Channel 4 News reporter Krishnan Guru-Murthy in 2015 over questions on his private life. The Oscar winner anticipated their dialogue to be a “promotional interview” for Avengers: Age of Ultron and, thus, seemed to be caught off guard by Guru-Murthy asking about his habit struggles.

The breaking level got here when Guru-Murthy requested if Robert’s relationship together with his father, filmmaker Robert Downey, contributed to the “darkish durations” the place he took “medicine.”

“I’m sorry, what are we doing?” Robert Jr. interrupted, earlier than telling the journalist, “Bye!”

Robert Jr. walked out of the interview, with Guru-Murthy later telling his viewers that Channel 4 didn’t take part in purely “promotional interviews.”

Tom Cruise

The Mission: Unattainable actor has had a variety of uncommon TV interviews over time — he infamously debated Scientology with Matt Lauer on NBC’s Immediately in 2005 and declared his love for second spouse Katie Holmes by leaping on an interview sofa that very same 12 months.

Nevertheless, the closest Cruise ever got here to utterly shedding his cool was when 60 Minutes Australia’s Peter Overton requested if ex-wife Nicole Kidman was “the love of [his] life” in a 2005 phase.

“What do you imply, Peter? … How do you reply that query?” a flustered Cruise replied.

Cruise informed Overton that he’d “beloved Nic very a lot,” however took offense when the journalist requested about their relationship now that they had been divorced.

“Right here’s the factor, Peter. You’re stepping over a line,” Cruise informed his interviewer. “You’re stepping over a line and you realize you might be!”

Cruise ordered Overton to “put [his] manners again in,” main the reporter to apologize for asking questions that had been “out of line.”