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Uncomfortable Encounters: Celebrity TV Interviews That Went Off Script
From Dakota Johnson to Blake Lively, numerous luminaries have found themselves in awkward celebrity interviews that veered into unexpected territory. These TV interviews gone wrong sometimes reveal a disconnect or personality clash between the interviewee and interviewer. In other instances, celebrities intentionally disrupt the conversation, creating cringeworthy interviews that become instantly viral interview moments. Recall Madonna’s infamous 1994 appearance with David Letterman, punctuated by a record number of expletives, or Samuel L. Jackson’s sharp rebuke of a local news reporter for mistaking him for Laurence Fishburne.
Few things induce discomfort like a celebrity interview fail unfolding on live television. Below, we revisit some of the most memorable and cringe-inducing moments from TV interview history, featuring figures like Meg Ryan, Tom Selleck, and Joaquin Phoenix.
Blake Lively
A strained exchange between Lively and journalist Kjersti Flaa during the press tour for Woody Allen’s 2016 film Café Society had lasting repercussions for both. Lively’s co-star Parker Posey became an unintended witness when Flaa began the interview by referencing Lively’s pregnancy.
“Firstly, congratulations on your little bump,” Flaa remarked, before Lively promptly retorted, “Congratulations on your little bump.”
Flaa attempted to redirect the conversation to the period drama’s costumes, but this did not improve the atmosphere.
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“Everyone is interested in discussing the clothing, but I wonder if they would inquire about the men’s attire?” Lively interjected.
Lively then engaged in an extended discussion with Posey, leaving Flaa in silence. The journalist later uploaded the interview clip to YouTube, titled “The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job.”
Flaa reposted the interview during Lively’s legal situation with It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni in 2024, but denied any collaboration with Baldoni’s team.
“I simply felt, ‘This behavior is unacceptable and needs to be addressed.’ That’s why I shared it at this later time,” Flaa explained.
Dakota Johnson
The Fifty Shades of Grey actress inadvertently sparked a meme after directly correcting Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2019. DeGeneres had playfully mentioned their friendship before lamenting being uninvited to Johnson’s recent 30th birthday celebration.
“Actually, no, that’s incorrect, Ellen. You were invited,” Johnson countered. “The last time I was on the show, you teased me about not inviting you, but I wasn’t even aware you wished to be invited. I didn’t even know you were fond of me.”
DeGeneres defended her amicable demeanor towards Johnson during her previous appearances, but Johnson redirected the conversation back to the central point.
“I did invite you, and you did not attend,” Johnson reiterated.
Seemingly flustered, DeGeneres responded, “I was invited? Why didn’t I attend? Oh yes, I had that commitment.”
Johnson later lightheartedly addressed the tense exchange in a 2024 interview with L’Officiel, admitting the viral clip and meme would “haunt” her perpetually.
Meg Ryan
It’s safe to assert that the Sleepless in Seattle star and seasoned British journalist Michael Parkinson did not establish rapport during a 2003 interview. Ryan and Parkinson clashed over his implication that some level of media intrusion was an expected consequence of her acting profession.
“You have a problem,” Parkinson stated, to which Ryan hesitantly conceded, “Yeah.”
“It appears [the problem] is not one that will be resolved on this program,” Parkinson sarcastically continued.
Another contentious moment arose when Parkinson mentioned Ryan’s prior journalism studies before transitioning to acting.
“Now that you are wary of journalists, does it offer you insight into their objectives?” he questioned. “You are wary of journalists. You’re wary of me. You’re wary of the interview. You dislike being interviewed. It’s evident in your posture and demeanor.”
He questioned Ryan how they should proceed, and she retorted, “[I’d] probably just conclude it.”
Ryan reflected on her confrontation with Parkinson in December 2024, telling The Times of London that her interaction with “that individual” was the singular instance she lost composure in an interview.
“I considered it exceptionally poor,” she recalled. “In the States, talk shows incorporate breaks every four minutes [for commercials], so I was anticipating the break, intending to stand up and depart. But the break never arrived.”
Parkinson admitted in 2017 that he regretted the interview’s trajectory. The esteemed journalist passed away at 88 in August 2023.
Samuel L. Jackson
Entertainment reporter Sam Rubin, from Los Angeles TV station KTLA, committed a significant error that Jackson refused to overlook during a 2014 segment. Rubin referenced a Super Bowl commercial he believed Jackson had starred in, but the actor corrected him, stating that Laurence Fishburne was the actor in the TV spot during the NFL game.
“You are as misguided as individuals on Twitter. I am not Laurence Fishburne. We do not all resemble each other,” Jackson scolded Rubin. “We may be Black and famous, but we are not interchangeable… You are the entertainment reporter for this station, yet you cannot distinguish between me and Laurence Fishburne? It suggests minimal competition for your position!”
In a public apology, Rubin clarified that he was referring to a trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which featured Jackson and was shown during the Super Bowl, but acknowledged the blunder as “a very novice mistake.”
Fishburne had previously shared on Canadian show Strombo that he and Jackson had a “recurring joke” about the frequent instances of mistaken identity.
“In the past, people would confuse Al Pacino and Dustin Hoffman. It’s not a detrimental issue to have,” the Matrix star commented.
Rubin passed away at 64 in March 2024.
Madonna
The “Music” vocalist tested the CBS censors during a March 31, 1994, appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, uttering the word “f***” 14 times during the interview. Madonna was justifiably displeased with host Letterman’s introduction, which mentioned her “[selling] over 80 million albums, [starring] in numerous films, and [sleeping] with some of the most prominent figures in the entertainment industry.”
Madonna responded by repeatedly using profanity, rendering significant portions of her interview incomprehensible for television audiences due to network censorship. Letterman initially played along but eventually grew impatient, imploring Madonna to cease swearing during the excruciatingly uncomfortable 20-minute segment.
“You understand this is being broadcast, correct? You cannot speak in that manner,” Letterman questioned after Madonna referred to him using an expletive.
Madonna refused to leave the set, compelling Letterman to cut to a commercial break to remove her from the stage. Letterman publicly apologized to anyone offended by Madonna’s behavior.
The “Material Girl” artist remained defiant, telling Spin Magazine in 1995 that hypocrisy existed in permitting violence on TV while prohibiting profanity.
“You can depict someone being blown apart, but you cannot say f***? It’s such hypocrisy,” she observed. “The fact that everyone tallied the number of expletives I used — how petty is that?”
She added, “The other absurd aspect was that David Letterman was aware of my intentions. I spoke with the show’s producers. Everyone agreed it would be amusing if I used profanity frequently, as they would simply censor it. However, when I began doing so, David panicked. His introduction of me was derogatory, so my perspective was, if that is how you wish to proceed, you cannot outmaneuver me in this game.”
Madonna and Letterman reconciled in time for her appearance on The Late Show’s 1995 Valentine’s Day episode, where she presented candy and flowers as a gesture of peace.
Bee Gees
The disco icons might not be the most anticipated candidates to abruptly exit a TV interview, yet that is precisely what occurred when Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb clashed with British comedian Clive Anderson on his BBC show Clive Anderson All Talk in October 1997.
The Bee Gees were apparently unfamiliar with Anderson’s sardonic humor and took offense when he made jabs at their music throughout the interview. Discussing the Gibb brothers’ early careers, Anderson labeled them “tossers” and quipped that he “drifted off” while listening to the Bee Gees when they transitioned to disco music.
After several minutes of Anderson’s pointed remarks, Barry threatened to “storm off” the show, which he subsequently did. Robin promptly followed his brother, leaving Maurice alone with Anderson.
“Oh well, I suppose I should join them,” Maurice said as he removed his microphone and also departed.
Years later, Anderson admitted to Metro that he did not intentionally seek to offend the Gibb brothers with his pointed humor.
“I thought I was simply joking with them and having lighthearted fun, but I was mistaken – reviewing it, every question I posed appeared to be an annoyance or inappropriate,” he stated. “I conducted numerous interviews in that vein, and some elicited laughter, while others did not proceed smoothly.”
Tituss Burgess
Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen host Andy Cohen seemed unaware he was addressing a sensitive topic during a 2019 interview with Burgess. Cohen inquired about Burgess’s experience working with Eddie Murphy on the film Dolemite Is My Name, given Murphy’s history of homophobic comedy routines in the 1980s (for which he later apologized).
“He was quite problematic for the gay community at one point,” Cohen remarked, but Burgess insisted, “He was not problematic for Tituss. We had a delightful time… Any issues he may have had with gay individuals, I presume they have resolved as he adored me.”
Burgess muttered something unintelligible when the camera briefly shifted away, but declined to elaborate when Cohen requested he repeat himself.
“Continue, girl. Proceed with your show,” Burgess responded curtly.
Cohen stated to Access Hollywood in 2019 that Burgess would be welcomed back to Watch What Happens Live despite their on-air friction.
“He is free to do whatever he desires. I simply wish to avoid offending him,” Cohen said.
Tom Selleck
Selleck engaged in a tense exchange with Rosie O’Donnell on the May 19, 1999, episode of The Rosie O’Donnell Show. At the time, Selleck served as a spokesperson for the National Rifle Association (N.R.A.), while O’Donnell advocated for gun control legislation following the April 1999 Columbine High School shooting in Colorado.
O’Donnell raised their differing viewpoints during the interview, though Selleck appeared hesitant to discuss the contentious subject. Selleck accused O’Donnell of holding “a very biased perspective” on the gun control debate, while the host countered that the N.R.A. also held a “biased perspective.”
“This is a pleasant, one-sided conversation, but you continually interrupt me,” Selleck complained at one juncture, to which O’Donnell reminded him, “I allowed you to speak for four minutes without interruption!”
By the conclusion of the seven-minute discussion, O’Donnell admitted it “had not unfolded as” she had anticipated but thanked Selleck for appearing despite their “divergent opinions.”
“If you feel insulted by my inquiries, I apologize as it was not intended as a personal affront,” O’Donnell told him.
“It’s your program, and you are welcome to discuss it after my departure,” the actor retorted sharply.
Debra Winger
The Oscar-nominated actress was unimpressed with Cohen during a 2018 appearance on Watch What Happens Live. Cohen erred during a question regarding Winger’s Terms of Endearment co-star Shirley MacLaine, mistakenly believing Winger had written about on-set tensions with MacLaine in her memoir.
“No,” Winger interjected. “I did not write about her. She wrote about me! Let’s clarify matters. Really, this is quite something!”
Cohen visibly appeared unsettled, initially grimacing at the camera and subsequently faltering over his subsequent question. Winger showed no inclination to cooperate when Cohen brought up her on-screen kisses.
“What were you occupied with 40 years prior?” Winger retorted. “You recall someone you kissed 30 years ago… Do you not consider that [I] was possibly engaged in investigating a character, which shifts one into a different state of self? Currently, it is quite challenging to be authentically oneself.”
Amanda Peet, the other guest that evening, confessed to Cohen on a later WWHL episode that she realized the interview was “failing.”
“She simply disliked me and my questions,” Cohen admitted. “It was an arduous situation.”
Joaquin Phoenix
Long before his Oscar win for portraying The Joker, Phoenix amused himself at Letterman’s expense with an elaborate deception during a 2009 Late Show episode.
Phoenix appeared on the CBS show under the pretense of announcing a shift in his career from acting to hip-hop, only to evade the majority of Letterman’s questions and generally frustrate the host. The actor later revealed the entire interview as a meticulous prank — unbeknownst to Letterman — for his 2010 mockumentary I’m Still Here.
In 2010, Phoenix returned to The Late Show to promote the documentary and address the controversy sparked by deceiving Letterman.
“You have interviewed numerous individuals, and I presumed you would discern the distinction between a character and a genuine person,” he told Letterman. “I apologize. I hope I did not cause any offense.”
Robert Downey, Jr.
Downey clashed with Channel 4 News reporter Krishnan Guru-Murthy in 2015 over inquiries into his personal life. The Oscar recipient anticipated a “promotional interview” for Avengers: Age of Ultron and seemed unprepared for Guru-Murthy’s questions about his past struggles with addiction.
The breaking point occurred when Guru-Murthy questioned whether Robert’s relationship with his father, filmmaker Robert Downey, contributed to the “dark periods” in which he used “drugs.”
“I beg your pardon, what are we engaged in?” Robert Jr. interrupted before stating to the journalist, “Goodbye!”
Robert Jr. exited the interview, with Guru-Murthy later informing viewers that Channel 4 did not participate in solely “promotional interviews.”
Tom Cruise
The Mission: Impossible actor has participated in several unconventional TV interviews over the years — notably debating Scientology with Matt Lauer on NBC’s Today in 2005 and famously proclaiming his affection for second wife Katie Holmes by jumping on an interview couch in the same year.
However, Cruise’s closest instance of losing composure occurred when 60 Minutes Australia’s Peter Overton inquired if ex-wife Nicole Kidman was “the love of [his] life” in a 2005 segment.
“What do you mean, Peter? … How does one respond to such a question?” a visibly flustered Cruise replied.
Cruise stated to Overton that he had “loved Nic profoundly,” but took offense when the journalist questioned their relationship post-divorce.
“Listen to me, Peter. You are crossing a boundary,” Cruise informed his interviewer. “You are crossing a line, and you are aware of it!”
Cruise instructed Overton to “reconsider your manners,” leading the reporter to apologize for posing questions that were “out of line.”