Infamous Celebrity Interviews

Meg Ryan being interviewed by Michael Parkinson on the BBC. She looked bored, angry, and as though she she would rather be having her toenails pulled out. She was incredibly hostile.

Billy Bob Thornton.

When RDJ walked out of a promotional interview for one of his Marvel films several years ago because he was asked about his checkered past. I believe the interviewer was a Brit or Brit-adjacent.

I can't find it anywhere, but early on, Barbra was on Mike Douglas, and he chastised her...and (among other things) called her famously long fingernails "an affectation". It used to be on YouTube, but it seems to be gone now. It's definitely cringeworthy. He was a complete asshole to her.

Madonna and David Letterman’s fuck fuck fucking interview

When Jeffrey E. was asked about his allegedly egg-shaped member and walked out on the attorney deposing (or what ever it's called) him.

R2 What the fuck is Billy Bob's problem? He looks and acts brain damaged in that clip. He is such a fucking twat. And nobody gives a fuck about your shitty music.

Farrah Fawcett on Letterman

Helen Mirren interviewed by Parkinson. He kept leering at her, while she was uncomfortable and standoffish. They had no chemistry.

Truman Capote on David Susskind

James Brown on CNN

Mackenzie Phillips on Larry King talking about incestuous relationship with her father John Phillips who wanted to marry her.

It seems like CNN and Larry King in particular had all the loony interviews. I remember this one in my childhood, thinking how could Marlon Brando go from a gorgeous leading man to a fat, incoherent blob.

Oprah interviewing Michael Jackson.

Was it Barbara Waters who conducted the infamous Mike Tyson/Robin Givens interview?

Baba Wawa asking Katherine Hepburn what kind of tree she would be.

Miles Teller's awful interview with the Esquire reporter de-railed his career for a couple of years--not clear if "Top Gun 2" will put him back on track.

Robin Roberts and Hussie Smollett.

R16 If I was KH I’d answer “the kind of tree that falls on twat interviewers”.

I think the "what kind of tree" question hurt Walters more than it hurt Hepburn--it became the stereotype of the inane kind of question celebrity interviewers asked.

Interviewers can get in big trouble if they behave too inappropriately. Although Connie Chung did a lot of damage to Newt Gingrich when she got his mother to whisper that he referred to Hillary Clinton as a bitch, it pretty much ended her career at CBS-people thought she was cruelly taking advantage of an addled old lady (which she was).

R8 I still can’t tell if Farrah was high or acting ditzy

Paula Abdul absolutely SMASHED!

Catherine Webb falsely accused Gary Dotson of rape, and he spent 6 years in prison before she recanted.

In a CBS Morning News interview with Webb and Doston, Phyllis George encouraged them to "hug it out".

This Madonna interview that was crashed by drunk/high Courtney Love:

Gayle King sitting stone-faced before a hysterical, shrieking R Kelly is an all time great interview.

Tommy Girl seemed so rehearsed in this infamous stunt.

Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.

WINNING!

Courtney Love on Letterman. Not sure what kind of kodak instamatic this was recorded on.

R4 I believe it was Mike Wallace, rather than Mike Douglas, who gave Barbra a hard time. Douglas was always a sweetie.

Serge Gainsburg/Whitney Houston: "I said I want to fuck her"

[R17], a follow-up to the Esquire interview. This one was done only a year later, so who knows what Teller will be saying for Top Gun2. Truly impressive in how many people he manages to insult in so few words, some generically (every actor his age), some by name (John Cusack). I looked up his Twitter feed and he’s obnoxious there too. The guy’s clearly a genius.

The “6 ways Miles Teller was a total jerk” link

Kate Jackson throwing shade at Craig Devious!

Oprah interviewing fresh out of rehab Drew Barrymore, and asking what kind of mother leaves a 9-year-old girl alone at a bar to drink while her mother Jaid looks on speechless.

When Barbara Walters told the Kardashians they had no talent. It was like she had my hand was up her ass and used my words.

R35 I vaguely remember this interview when I watched it after school. I remember my mom saying to me “she’d be better off being raised by wolves than that mom”.

R5 She deserved a smack across the face for that shit.

That said, I miss when you could see celebrities being unpredictable and not everything being so rehearsed and choreographed.

[R17], Miles Teller a year after Esquire. Insulting so so many in so few words is a kind of genius.

These old interviews are gold!

Another one!

tara reid WINS! wow!!!!!!!!!

And another one!

John Frusciante quit RHCP became a recluse and a full blown Drug Addict.

Ben Affleck

This Capote interview.

I’m pretty thick skin but I don’t know that I could’ve ever appeared in public after this interview.

R40 is that camera distorted or something? I know she has been disgustingly thin but she looks like a fucking alien.

Also, she ALWAYS does the red carpet for that event. I’ve had a couple of clients over the years who were sponsors.

There were three of us in the marriage, plus the 20 in my head

Tom Snyder interviewing Robert Blake. It was a trainwreck, but a fascinating look behind the curtain at the seamier, Raymond Chandler side of Hollywood that did exist (and still does in slightly different form).

Another one along those lines was Al Jourgensen, frontman of industrial group Ministry, talking about the night River Phoenix died. Not a talk show interview, though; it was from a documentary.

R3 wish I could find a gif of the guy they pan to after Robert walks out. His reaction always cracks me up.

R45 speaking of Ben....

50 Replies and no Anne Heche? Seriously?

WEHT Anne Heche R51? She was given lead in a movie with Harrison Ford I believe and that was the highlight of her brief career. Her looks were pedestrian at best and as for her talents.....well, was fucking Ellen considered a talent?

Barbara Walters did so many cringeworthy interviews the last few years she was on The View.

This one with Bonnie Hunt for example. Although I think Babs got pissed at Bonnie's comment about her to Whoopi

"If you turn your back to me one more MINUTE!"

Celebrities share themselves through social media. They have more ownership.

If they really have to do damage control, then maybe they'd consider a sit-down with a famous person.

[quote] WEHT Anne Heche R51?

WHET DL traditions?

[quote] When Jeffrey E. was asked about his allegedly egg-shaped member and walked out on the attorney deposing (or what ever it's called) him.

First, he’s not a celebrity. Second, it wasn’t an interview it was a deposition in a civil case because the man was a fucking criminal.

WTF?

HOW has no one mentioned Diane Sawyer VS Whitney?? Does that incredible trainwreck just to without saying..?

Then there was that passive aggressive dolt who kept insuitating Joan Rivers was nothing more than a mean bully who hurt people's feelings and wore fur until Joan finally walked out on her. Hope that woman changed careers. How she had the nerve to act surprised was beyond me. Hope she's changed careers. Joan was right for bailing.

I just watched Baba VS Julie Andrews yesterday. Baba keeps leaning in on the question of "what if you can't ever sing again ever....how would that make you FEEL....????" in an obviously manipulative way to get her to cry. Julie, like a fucking boss, never loses it.

r58

uh... it's in the first post

R46 That Truman Capote interview is a train wreck but also poignantly sad at the same time. Also whatever happened to our culture when in the 1970s writers and intellectuals would be invited to national talk shows watched by millions. We didn’t have that in the 80s and 90s when I was growing up.

Three I recall: Mary J. Beige threatening to kick Vivica Fox’s ass in Interview Magazine Barbara Walters needling Ricky Martin about his sexuality (replayed on Howard Stern’s KROC radio show with sound effects from The Exorcist) Not a celebrity, but on an old, old episode of Sally Jesse Rafael’s talk show about impossible teens, one kid smart-mouthed Sally Jesse with something like “why should I listen to you?”, and Rafael barked back “because I will send your ass across the ROOM!”. Quick cut to commercial break right after.

R47, the camera and her appearance are distortion-free. And this is after the camera adds 10 pounds. Yikes!

All I got out of that Jourgensen spiel was Sal Jenco was Johnny’s butt-boy

[61] The interviewer was Veronica Webb, not Vivica Fox. And V. Webb in her "intrepid reporter" phase was so annoying no one blamed MJB.

[quote] Oprah interviewing fresh out of rehab Drew Barrymore, and asking what kind of mother leaves a 9-year-old girl alone at a bar to drink while her mother Jaid looks on speechless.

What kind of mother is giving their 8 year old child "space" and letting them "go their own way"?

Not technically an interview but Sean Young “auditioning” for Catwoman on the Joan Rivers show.

I actually saw that when it first aired (I must have been home on summer vacation, or some vacation), and for a minute I had like no idea what was happening.

And then of course it ran on every ET type show the rest of the week.

There was an interview with Vanilla Ice where he was explaining how "Ice, Ice, Baby" was different from "Under Pressure." He demonstrated each song by singing, "Doo doo doo do-do ..." The songs sounded exactly the same.

Here's a little gem from Australia.....John Stamos *ahem 'tired and jet lagged'.

More of Stamos.....getting a little touchy feely....

[quote] He demonstrated each song by singing, "Doo doo doo do-do ..." The songs sounded exactly the same.

It's NOT the same, ours has an extra "DIN" dun dun dun dada do do at the start.

r70 which didn't matter cause I just bought the song outright & made back the investment.

He couldn't keep a straight face as he tried to explain the difference.

I feel sad for r58.

A drunk AF (again) Ben Affleck rambling on and on...

The interview with Diane Sawyer when Britney briefly switched personalities, then switched back.

R75 is there a link on yt for that interview?

R76, here. 0:42 to 0:52. Triggered by the word Weird and brought back by Strong Britney.

Jennifer Lopez's 1998 Movieline interview showed us the bitch she was.

Thanks R77, that was a perfect demonstration of what we call labile mood. If she had gotten help before she decompensated and was hospitalized, she would have been better off. The family must have seen these signs but they just didn’t care to get her help.

R52 How have you never heard of Anne Heche and the "Celestia incidient?"

R40 Holy fucking shit she looks like Gollum, if he had a stroke and ate a bunch of Xanax.

Great thread OP! Enjoying the hell out of it.

I don't think that was a mood, R79.

For a moment, unexpectedly, another personality came out and didn't know what to think of her surroundings. Look how she's looking around.

Then boom, back to prior personality.

R83 Clinically it has to be described as labile mood because she went from laughing to crying within a span of 20 seconds. Diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder is not so easily done because the psychopathology involved is imprecise. But a person with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder can show discontinuous personality traits. But yes I agree she looked out of it, like she's not fully there with the whole situation of being interviewed.

Sean Young's Movieline interview with Joe Queenan showed us how loopy she was, not mean, but a total flake. I can't find a link to the interview, but I think it's in "If You're Talking to Me, Your Career Must Be in Trouble," a collection of his columns.

George Michael being unapologetic after that 1998 incident.

Sort of an interview, but very sweet. I watched this as a kid and just about died. Sorry for the terrible quality.

The Jussie Smollet interview with Robin Roberts has to be up there, Roberts sees right through him and his hysterics.

R77 Oh my god, that is so scary.

O the joy of The Bee Gees on The Clive Anderson Show...'you'll always be Les Tosseurs to me'.....

Shelley Winters and Oliver Reed on the Johnny Carson show.

I saw this in real time and ran into the den to tell my parents what just happened. MARY!

Oliver Reed calls Shelley a cunt a one point I believe.

Eldergays, what was it like growing up watching fabulous Merv Griffin interviewing celebs and not giving away that he and many of the celebs he interviewed were gay?

Larry King and Tina Turner in a tense interview.

16:22 and the look she gives to the camera is priceless.

I hate William F. Buckley.

Any interview with Kristen Stewart and David Letterman is always awkward.

Oh my god, R88, that was hilarious to watch! Robin's face while he was emoting!

Dakota Johnson on Ellen

R36 That "no talent" comment should have been the beginning of the end. If the Kardashians were British then their carcasses would have been picked clean long ago by the British press. I'd love it if a respected reporter asked Kris how it felt to market a tape of her daughter getting fucked up the ass.

Enh, that Britney interview wasn't weird at all.

To me, it simply looks like she was freaking out because she was about to start bawling on national television during an interview with Diane Sawyer, and it took her by surprise. I saw an uncomfortable reaction to an unexpected swell of emotion. Not some change of personality bullshit.

You're wrong.

Possibly not meeting OP’s criteria, but a nice moment that I’ve always remembered was Sophia Loren on Graham Norton where she’s in tears of laughter and says “I’m having such a lovely time!’ or somesuch.

Matt WAS being glib, OP.

R99 is definitely not going to be a mental health professional in the future.

R78. That's why she was nominated for "Hustlers".

Diana Ross vs Barbara Walters, 1989. You need a chain saw to cut through such tension. DING, DING! Let the fight begin!

These are fun

R105 I read that Barbara was really pissed at Diana, because a couple of weeks before the interview, Barbara and her crew had met with Diana at her house, as she does with all the people she interviews, to talk about where Diana wanted to do the interview. The crew then makes notes on where they'll set up the cameras, what kind of lighting they'll need, and makeup and wardrobe for Barbara.

Then on the day they showed up to do the taping, Diana had completely remodeled the room, which required them to scramble on getting everything set up. And I'm sure what really pissed Barbara off was that her wardrobe and makeup weren't right for the room she was now sitting in.

Diana was a shady bitch.

Paula Abdul drunk off her ass on morning TV.

Mark Wahlberg sitting on Graham Norton's lap then falling asleep.

Traci Lords wanting to bitch slap Rick Dees for bringing up her porn past:

R107, the situation to which you refer happened during the 1978 interview which I will link to. The 1989 interview was tense because Diana did NOT greet Barbara warmly at all before the interview began. In Ross' defense, there's usually a good reason when she's being unpleasant. My guess is that these two went several rounds before the camera began rolling, and Walters was doing her best to get Diana to go all Miss Ross during filming as well.

1978

- R105

R31 Whitney was about to go Newark

Ruby Wax was such a cunt to The Bangles, but they weren't having any of it.

Wax is an acquired taste and she often gets her subjects to show another side of them that you don't always see.

[quote]Meg Ryan being interviewed by Michael Parkinson on the BBC. She looked bored, angry, and as though she she would rather be having her toenails pulled out. She was incredibly hostile.

I remember watching the edition live, and Trinny and Susannah were the first guests and I remember being taken aback by how rude, dismissive and patronising Parkinson was to to them, as he often is with women. Knowing his reputation and being a pair of game old posh birds Trinny and Susannah handled it well. But that's been forgotten.

Then Meg Ryan came on, she clearly isn't comfortable with interviews. and he started off by being incredibly rude about In The Cut, he made it obvious he didn't like the film which isn't the kind of response most actors expect when promoting it. And she reacted to his rudeness by being haughty back.

[quote]Meg Ryan being interviewed by Michael Parkinson on the BBC. She looked bored, angry, and as though she she would rather be having her toenails pulled out. She was incredibly hostile.

I remember watching the edition live, and Trinny and Susannah were the first guests and I remember being taken aback by how rude, dismissive and patronising Parkinson was to to them, as he often is with women. Knowing his reputation and being a pair of game old posh birds Trinny and Susannah handled it well. But that's been forgotten.

Then Meg Ryan came on, she clearly isn't comfortable with interviews. and he started off by being incredibly rude about In The Cut, he made it obvious he didn't like the film which isn't the kind of response most actors expect when promoting it. And she reacted to his rudeness by being haughty back.

This was quite a famous interview in the UK at the time, around 2000 when she was promoting Fabulous. Sheena Easton was accused of being fake, not least because of her accent, but she handled it well.

And my god, doesn't she look like Rachel McAdams?

There was another interview around that era when she was spoke about the Sugar Walls controversy and whether the song was about her VAGINA.

R Kelly and Gayle King

^ Good one!

Here's Sheena talking to Graham Norton about her vagina, featuring Patrick Duffy and a Charlene Tilton anecdote.

Carly Simon must be one celeb without a rude bone in her body. With this interviewer, her patience becomes tested. She gives thoughtful and articulate answers to his condescending and insensitively probing questions, and even manages a big song and smile when it's over, but for a while seems agitated. Poor Carly.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

This became the showdown of DL legends.

Charlie Gibson and Sarah Palin. IT.WAS.A.BLOOD.BATH! Subtle, but just the same. He was pissed off during the whole process and I always thought that the McCain/Palin camp probably tried to strong-arm him into an easy/puff-piece interview. He was PISSED!

How could I have forgotten Martin Bashir interviewing MJ over a span of 8 months to produce this gem. Total BSC in full bloom.

Helen Lawson and Lucille Ball on the Mike Douglas show. They almost got into a fistfight, if Lucy hadn't put her cigarette out in Helen's wig first.

R123 lol how on earth did this lame-brain get chosen?

^^ John McCain was already starting to lose it. That's why we shouldn't have geriatrics running for president.

In that Martin Bashir/ MJ interview at the 26 minute mark MJ talks about pretending to be asleep so his older brothers could have sex with groupies. MJ then talked about his first girlfriend being Tatum O’Neal, and how she asked him to go to her house so she could turn him out.

R120 I’m a New Yorker and grew up with Chuck Scarborough and I don’t think I had ever seen him do a celebrity interview before — what a fucking asshole! It’s not JUST the questions he asks but the WAY he asks them — like he doesn’t even acknowledge in his tone of voice that they might be “sensitive questions.” Talk about a journalist with no bedside manner, I can’t believe he was the highest paid for decade after decade.

I’m when women in the news business talk about a “hostile work environment “ and totally insensitive and sexist behavior, it’s people like him that they are referring to.

John Lydon outing Jimmy Savile (at 00:50) in 1978. He was banned by the BBC and his comments only came to light in 2012 when he included the interview as a bonus track on the reissue of PiL's first album, [italic]First Issue[/italic].

Robbie Williams in this hilarious Graham Norton “herpes” interview...Justin Timberlake is so uncomfortable and is not used to this blunt like story telling style.

These British interviews really show what uptight Baptist bores Americans are

These British interviews really show what uptight Baptist bores Americans are

Tracey Ullman impersonating Renee Zellweger in an interview promoting fake movie

More!

Jennifer Tilly trolling Dave Letterman. Dave couldn’t get a full sentence in between Jennifer’s ditsy ADHD act. She’d have to be quite smart to act that dumb.

Crack is wack!

It's the whole interview, but Rourke's uncomfortable attempts to flirt with Beale are not to be missed. Norton handled as well as he could, even getting some digs in towards Rourke at points.

*Biel

The BeeGees walk out.

There was a Leo DiCaprio magazine cover story in the 90s, around the time of The Basketball Diaries, that apparently hurt him deeply and made him alert to the media since. I read about him mentioning the interview a few years later: he even invited the magazine writer to his house, meeting his mom, and he thought they had got along really well, only to find the unfavorable story in the end. I once tried in vain to find that story online, but there seems to be no digital version available. I forgot the name of the magazine, but pretty sure it's now defunct.

Bloated and high Mark McGrath on Wendy Williams; this "E's The Soup" edit turned it from sad to hilarious.

Tennessee "I've covered the waterfront" Williams on the David Frost Show.

when queen big titty Titus Burgess was interviewed on a cohen w w h live, he got livid when asked bout e murphy dissin him...he clammed up mad! sad and humiliating...

Andy Cooper interviews the Mayor of Las Vegas several months back. This bitch was D.R.U.N.K!

Crispin Glover's infamous first appearance on Letterman. Dave ended the interview and had Glover thrown out after the weirdo did a karate kick inches from Letterman's face.

Seriously, it's a good idea to build your show business clout before you do your Andy Kaufman shtick.

Speaking of Andy Kaufman:

This is totally staged, but no less infamous, and freaking hilarious.

^^^How come some YouTube clips have the grey box while others don’t????

Seems relevant right now.

Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Gillum, for the win!

The most awkward one I remember is when Joan Rivers had Jessica Hahn (she'd slept with Jim Bakker and brought down PTL) on her talk show via video.

Jessica got very stroppy with Joan, scolding her for making blow job jokes about her when her brother was watching.

Joan shot back: "Are you wearing panties right now?"

Joan Rivers and Brigitte Nielsen.

Demi Moore.

Joan Rivers hilariously kicks off at Darcus Howe on Radio 4.