These celebrity freak outs on live TV will leave your jaw on the floor. For this list, we’ll be looking at both the times famous people lost their cool or at least appeared to freak out in front of the world.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00So, so, so, so, Delahoy wasn't big, big in the Pacquiao when he fought him?
00:03No, you, you got full credit for beating Delahoy.
00:05Answer the question.
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks
00:10for the top 20 celebrities who lost it on live TV.
00:14You know, this whole interview is becoming a defensive interview.
00:18Are you wearing leather shoes?
00:20Yeah, shut up.
00:21For this list, we'll be looking at both the times famous people lost their cool,
00:25or at least appeared to freak out in front of the world.
00:28We'll include incidents that weren't broadcast live or had a delay,
00:33as long as a live audience was present.
00:35Incidents like Bill O'Reilly's famous rant will be left out
00:39because they took place in front of a crew.
00:41Did we forget your favorite celebrity freakout?
00:44Let us know in the comments.
00:47Number 20.
00:48Sam Jackson gets confused for Laurence Fishburne.
00:51KTLA Morning Show.
00:53KTLA anchor Sam Rubin welcomed actor Samuel L. Jackson via satellite
00:58for what could have been a normal interview.
01:00Everything seemed to be going smoothly,
01:02until the newscaster asked Jackson about his recent Super Bowl commercial.
01:07I tell you what, working for Marvel, the Super Bowl commercial,
01:10did you get a lot of reaction to that Super Bowl commercial?
01:14What Super Bowl commercial?
01:15Since that particular ad actually starred Laurence Fishburne,
01:19Jackson immediately started dunking on the anchor for his egregious gaffe.
01:23You're the entertainment reporter?
01:25I know.
01:25You're the entertainment reporter for this station?
01:28Vlog.
01:28And you don't know the difference between me and Laurence Fishburne?
01:31Although the movie star had been brought on to talk about his film Robocop,
01:35this error made him focus more on dishing out a verbal beatdown.
01:39Even after they started speaking about the movie,
01:41the actor took an opportunity to pivot back to the mistake.
01:45The thoroughly embarrassed Rubin will probably never forget this mix-up.
01:49I won't make the same mistake.
01:50Do some research.
01:51Make sure you don't confuse them with those other white actors.
01:56This is a well-deserved spanking.
01:57Thank you for it.
01:58Number 19.
02:00Floyd Mayweather fights back.
02:02SportsCenter
02:03In 2009, boxer Floyd Mayweather was undefeated and ready to talk about his career for a
02:09SportsCenter interview.
02:10Unfortunately, host Brian Kenney struck a nerve with Mayweather right away.
02:15The boxer took umbrage with Kenney's assertion that he was a former number one.
02:19The former number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Floyd Mayweather.
02:24Floyd, welcome back.
02:25We've missed you, Floyd.
02:26Hey, how you doing?
02:27I'm not no former number one pound-for-pound fighter.
02:29I'm just saying I'm the best fighter in the sport of boxing.
02:32But that was only round one of this painful interview.
02:35Throughout the conversation, Mayweather ducked the many of the presenter's most biting questions.
02:41So they didn't want you to face Pacquiao right away?
02:43I'm not ducking or dodging nobody.
02:45You know what it is.
02:47No, what is it?
02:47It's Bob Arum?
02:48I got a list.
02:49Whenever it happens, it happens.
02:51And when he wasn't directly answering,
02:53the boxer was ready to verbally spar with Kenney at every point.
02:57The anchor's attempts to take control of the interview only led to more chaos.
03:02By the time their conversation ended,
03:04it's clear that Mayweather had dominated another tense matchup.
03:08Once again, we're talking to Brian Kenney, a man of many traits, a master of nothing.
03:13Number 18. Ben Affleck Debates Bill Maher and Sam Harris
03:17Real Time With Bill Maher
03:19During an episode of Real Time With Bill Maher,
03:21the host and author Sam Harris got to talking about Islam.
03:25When they started making critical statements and broad generalizations about the Muslim religion,
03:30an angry Ben Affleck stepped in.
03:33The people who would actually believe in an act that you murder somebody if they
03:36believe in Islam is not the majority of Muslims at all.
03:39The famous actor kept challenging the host and the author
03:42not to see everyone who believes in the faith in one negative way.
03:46As Affleck threw out statistics and made impassioned arguments, he only grew angrier.
03:52Yet somehow we're exempted from these things because they're not
03:54really a reflection of what we believe in. We did it by accident.
03:57Although he tried to stay silent,
03:59he jumped back in whenever another broad characterization of the faith was made.
04:04Ultimately, this moment went viral for the performer's forceful presence in a tense debate.
04:09Question is the degree to which you're willing to say,
04:11because I've witnessed this behavior, which we all object to on the part of these people,
04:16I'm willing to flatly condemn those of you I don't know and have never met.
04:20Number 17. Andy Kaufman Gets Slapped
04:23Late Night With David Letterman
04:25So it's come to this, hasn't it, Andy? You want Jerry to apologize. Now,
04:29is this the way, would that be an equitable thing as far as you're concerned?
04:33I don't think so.
04:33Comedian Andy Kaufman's appearance on Late Night With David Letterman was the stuff of legend.
04:38Prior to the interview, Kaufman lost a match so badly against professional wrestler Jerry Lawler
04:44that the funnyman had to wear a neck brace. Letterman thought it would be a great idea
04:48to bring them both together on his show. However, they both got heated during the
04:52course of this joint interview.
04:54I could have sued you. I could have sued you for everything you're worth.
04:57No, I didn't because I'm not that kind of a guy.
04:59You know what kind of a guy are you?
05:01After their conversation reached a fever pitch, Lawler struck Kaufman.
05:05The comedian later stormed back on set to shout many profanities and toss at least one drink.
05:11It was eventually revealed that the whole confrontation was staged. However,
05:15this freakout still represented one of the most talked about moments in talk show history.
05:20I am sorry. I am sorry to use those words on television. I apologize to all my fans.
05:25I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
05:26Number 16.
05:27Sinead O'Connor Rips the Pope's Picture
05:30Saturday Night Live
05:32Sinead O'Connor appeared on Saturday Night Live for the second time in 1992.
05:37During this appearance, she performed an acapella version of Bob Marley's song,
05:41War. O'Connor finished the stirring cover in shocking fashion by ripping up a picture
05:46of Pope John Paul II. She also made a comment that referenced the Catholic Church's scandals.
05:51Fight the real enemy.
05:54After O'Connor made this controversial statement, she faced a ton of backlash.
05:59SNL also banned her from returning to the show at all.
06:10Decades after the incident, interviews with the singer confirmed that she had
06:14no regrets about ripping up that photo.
06:17Number 15.
06:18Kanye's Rant on Ellen
06:20The Ellen DeGeneres Show
06:22Over the years, Kanye West has become a celebrity who is often outspoken at the most
06:26unexpected times. His interview with Ellen DeGeneres was yet another example of him
06:31talking without a filter. After answering a few questions and letting some colorful
06:36language slip, West decided to let everyone in on all the things on his mind.
06:41We have to fight. We're creating new shapes in the world every day and,
06:46you know, we're under attack constantly by conventional opinion.
06:49He covered a wide range of topics from his career aspirations to his spirituality.
06:54Kanye's detour goes on for so long that parts of it didn't even make it to the episode.
06:59People never write, Kanye's pissing everybody off, Kanye's making so much,
07:03they try to position it through the media in some way.
07:07While DeGeneres managed to take back control, the show was completely in his hands for a while.
07:12Ye never returned to the talk show after this appearance.
07:15I didn't take it as a joke. It ain't no joke. As Rakim said, it ain't no joke.
07:22Are you still at the Mike Smoke?
07:24Number 14. Mike Tyson drops a few F-bombs. UPN9, WWOR.
07:30You take into the ring a lot of rage. Does that work for you or does it work against you at times?
07:39You know, who cares? We're in a fight anyway. What does it matter?
07:43Note to journalists everywhere, be careful how you phrase your questions to Mike Tyson
07:47in an interview. The heavyweight champ got a reputation as a brilliant fighter
07:51who has little patience for anyone who upsets him. When presenter Russ Salzberg
07:56asked about Tyson's upcoming bout in one infamous interview,
08:00the boxer immediately dropped a word that the censors would not like.
08:04Although the interviewer tried to rein in the fighter's language and focus on the upcoming event,
08:09it was already far too late.
08:11Mike, why do you have to talk like that?
08:13Well, I'm talking to you the way I want to talk to you.
08:16Do you have a problem? Turn off your station.
08:18Tyson continued to curse until Salzberg moved to end the discussion.
08:22Unfortunately for the station, the boxer got a few last words in as the segment ended.
08:27You know what? I think we'll end the discussion right now.
08:30Then we could.
08:31You got it. Have a nice fight, Mike.
08:34Number 13. Asia Davies vs. Cardi B, Love & Hip Hop, New York.
08:39When did you start to have a problem with her if you were supporting her music?
08:43Yeah, when you had a problem with me.
08:44Even before the Love & Hip Hop, New York reunion show aired,
08:47tensions were simmering between rapper Cardi B and her cast member Asia Davies.
08:52Their conflict finally boiled over in front of a live studio audience.
08:56Without warning, Cardi B launched a shoe at Davies.
08:59The stage quickly erupted into chaos right after the footwear was launched.
09:03Relax, relax, relax.
09:06We're gonna put a little more distance between you guys so we can have this conversation.
09:10After a few tense moments, the crew put distance between the women.
09:13But their conversation didn't get much better.
09:15When Davies hit another nerve, Cardi B tried to lunge towards her rival again
09:20before security stepped in.
09:22Putting these two in the same room was a recipe for disaster and infamous TV.
09:27I had a reason.
09:28No, I had a reason.
09:29I had a reason.
09:30What was the reason?
09:31I had a reason.
09:31What was the reason?
09:32I had a reason.
09:32What was the reason?
09:34Number 12. Vince McMahon vs. Bob Costas, On The Record With Bob Costas.
09:39Take a look at the tape when you play it back.
09:41How many times did Bob Costas interrupt Vince McMahon before he let him answer the question?
09:45Just to try to keep you on point. Go ahead.
09:46WWE chairman Vince McMahon co-created the alternative football league called the XFL.
09:52Its first and only season was marred in controversy,
09:55poor ratings, and criticism from other sports broadcasters like Bob Costas.
10:00Costas welcomed McMahon onto his On The Record show to address his plan for the league.
10:06By the end of the interview, it had devolved into a series of vague threats from the wrestling boss.
10:11You want to let me finish here for a second, pal?
10:13I'm asking you the question.
10:14Then don't shut your mouth and let me answer the question, all right? I'll be happy to answer.
10:18He leaned forward and pointed in the host's face for extra emphasis.
10:22Not only did the outburst hurt the CEO's reputation, it signaled the end of the XFL.
10:28It's HBO. It's live. There's no commercials.
10:32And it's like 27, 28 minutes, most of which is unremitting tension.
10:36Number 11. Nicki Minaj confronts Miley Cyrus.
10:4032nd Video Music Awards.
10:42And the VMA goes to...
10:46Nicki Minaj accepted the award for Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2015 VMAs.
10:51Instead of ending her speech with a thank you, she took aim at the show's host, Miley Cyrus.
10:56Minaj claimed that the singer had disrespected her in an interview.
11:00After winning a Moon Man, the rapper wasn't afraid to let the host know how she felt.
11:04Back to this bitch that had a lot to say about me the other day in the press. Miley, what's good?
11:11Her stern change of tone sucked all the air out of the room.
11:14Instead of escalating the situation,
11:16Cyrus tried to downplay the incident and keep the show rolling.
11:20While it's debatable if that was the most shocking part of the VMAs that year,
11:24it was definitely the point where Minaj made her feelings known.
11:27So here are the nominees still vying for your vote. Congratulations, Nicki.
11:3310. Crispin Glover Almost Kicks Dave – Late Night with David Letterman
11:37Oh no, no.
11:42All right, then we'll just drop that and go on to something else, all right?
11:46Crispin Glover's unique and idiosyncratic behavior has led to him being at the center
11:51of several shocking incidents. One appearance on Late Night with David Letterman demonstrated
11:56his ability to shock and induce laughter in equal parts. Glover took the stage in a wig
12:01and costume that may or may not have been a complete joke. Letterman played along with
12:06the actor's strange performance as best he could.
12:08I don't have these.
12:09You seem to be distraught.
12:11They don't. People try to make me sound a lot weird, and I'm just, I'm strong.
12:17However, the host lost his patience after Glover unleashed his best high kick.
12:21After cutting the segment short, Letterman returned without the actor sitting next to him.
12:26The host made it known that he wasn't a fan of how the interview went down.
12:29I would have loved to have chatted more with Crispin Glover, but
12:33I understand he had a cab to catch, and well...
12:36Number 9. Jim Everett Gets His Revenge. Talk 2.
12:40Quarterback Jim Everett appeared as a guest on Jim Rome's Talk 2 sports program. The host made
12:45a joke by calling the athlete Chris, referring to the tennis player Chris Everett.
12:50Check that. Chris Everett. Good to have you on the show.
12:52You know what? You know, you've been calling me that for about the last five years.
12:56About two years, actually, Chris.
12:58The guest leaned in and warned Rome about calling him the name again.
13:01However, the presenter decided to push his luck and make the lame joke one more time.
13:06But if you call me Chris Everett to my face one more time...
13:09I already did it twice.
13:10You better, you call one more time, we better take a station break.
13:13Everett promptly leapt at his interviewer and knocked him to the ground.
13:17After the incident, the host regretted how he had treated his guest.
13:21In the immediate aftermath, Everett doubled down and expressed his negative feelings towards Rome.
13:26Just to put me in that type of situation,
13:28when I'm trying to accommodate his show, I think was totally uncalled for.
13:32Number 8. Joan Rivers Storms Off. CNN.
13:36Even with your fashion critiquing, while it's very mean in some ways...
13:39It's not mean. It's not mean.
13:42Really? It's not mean?
13:43During a CNN interview, this legendary comedian didn't exactly get along with her interviewer,
13:48Frederica Whitfield. Joan Rivers was initially okay with being asked about her fashion opinions
13:53and comedy. But the conversation got incredibly awkward after Whitfield questioned the fashion
13:58police star about wearing fur. Feeling that the discussion had gotten too negative,
14:03Rivers didn't hold back her true feelings.
14:05All you have done is negative. All you have done is negative. I haven't heard ne-
14:11I made people laugh for 50 years. I am put on earth to make people laugh.
14:15After railing at the line of questioning, she decided to make an early exit.
14:19Whitfield was left stunned after Rivers cut the interview off.
14:23While the comedian wasn't afraid to talk about other controversial topics,
14:26fur was clearly a subject she didn't want to touch that day.
14:29Well, Rivers didn't return to the interview, but off camera, she kept her microphone on
14:34as she continued to talk and drop some rather unflattering four-letter words.
14:40Number 7. Bobcat Trashes Arsenio's Set. The Arsenio Hall Show.
14:45I mean, to be honest, it is though. I mean, why are you, why, I feel...
14:48Why make it easier for the next guy? Are you really quitting?
14:55Bobcat Goldthwait took his crazy comic persona to a whole new level when he made an appearance
15:00on the Arsenio Hall Show. The eccentric performer spray-painted the set and treated the stage like
15:06a wrestling ring. Protesting the show's untimely demise, the comedian destroyed the space in
15:11support of the host. It also deserved mentioning how the emcee maintained his trademark cool
15:17all the way through the segment. There weren't many hosts that could stay positive and focused
15:21for this kind of crazy interview. Even if it was all for fun, the performer still startled
15:27everyone with his behavior. Goldthwait's performance art brought Arsenio Hall's
15:31original run to a surprising end. I'm sorry. I just feel like breaking more stuff. No, no, no.
15:38Number 6. Mariah Carey's New Year's Eve Disaster. Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.
15:44During the 2017 New Year's Eve festivities, Mariah Carey's act didn't go as planned.
15:49While trying to deliver a concert, audio problems threw the performance for a loop.
15:54The issues caused Carey to publicly criticize the technical failures as the event continued.
16:01Mariah said she couldn't hear her tracks because of a faulty earpiece. We're missing some of this
16:06logo, but it is what it is. Although she initially tried to continue, the singer couldn't regain her
16:12mojo. Carey alternated between complaining and walking through the motions until she couldn't
16:17stand it anymore. No matter what caused the issues that she faced that night, it was clear
16:21that she couldn't recover from what happened behind the scenes. The shaken songstress ending
16:26her six-minute performance, leaving the stage quickly. We just don't get any better.
16:31Number 5. Nicolas Cage Goes Nuts. Wogan. I'm sorry, man. I just had all that work
16:36out over there. I know, yeah. It's really hot. Yeah, well, it's warm in here tonight.
16:39Nicolas Cage emerged in the 1980s as one of the most entertaining performers in movie history.
16:45On the Wogan talk show, he proved that he can be just as wild in person as he can on the silver
16:50screen. He quickly showed off acrobatic and martial arts moves shortly after his arrival.
16:56Welcome Nicolas Cage.
16:58Number 3.
17:04Cage also made it rain with dollar bills for the audience. However, Cage wasn't done. He
17:10later removed his shirt and kept it up for the remainder of the interview. Although his appearance
17:15was in line with his energetic public persona, the actor later acknowledged that it was a bit
17:20over the top. He would later channel some of the energy from this interview in his meta role for
17:25the unbearable weight of massive talent. Number 4. Charlie Sheen Is Winning. Good Morning America.
17:36Your passion is coming off as erratic. Right, well, you borrow my brain for five seconds and
17:41just be like, dude, can't handle it. After Charlie Sheen openly ran into issues with his substance
17:46use disorder and engaged in a few public feuds, he lost his job on Two and a Half Men. The actor
17:52decided to discuss his troubles in an interview with Good Morning America. What could have been a
17:57normal discussion quickly became an infamous conversation. I'm bi-winning. I win here and I
18:03win there. Now what? During the interview, Sheen gives surprisingly casual answers about serious
18:09questions. He also delivered a number of unique words and phrases that would later be parodied
18:14and made into memes. After this troubling and chaotic interview, no one would look at Sheen
18:19quite the same way. I just have a different constitution. I have a different brain. I have
18:22a different heart. I have a different, you know, I get Tiger Blood, man. Number 3. Will Smith Slaps
18:28Chris Rock. 94th Academy Awards. Will and Jada Pinkett Smith sat front row as comedian Chris
18:35Rock took the stage at the 94th Academy Awards. During one part of the comedian's bit, he joked
18:40about the actress's shaved head. Although Will Smith initially laughed at the joke, his demeanor
18:46quickly changed. He shocked everyone by proceeding to get up and slap Rock.
18:57After returning to his seat, Smith unleashed a few bleep-worthy threats. While some initially
19:03thought it was a big joke, it was soon revealed that the entire incident was incredibly real.
19:08The incident felt even more surreal when Smith won the Best Actor award later in the night.
19:13Although it should have been a celebration of a great achievement,
19:16his actions cast a long shadow over his win.
19:19You got to be able to have people talk crazy about you.
19:24In this business, you got to be able to have people disrespecting you.
19:29Number 2. Kanye Snubs Taylor. 26th MTV Video Music Awards.
19:35And the Moon Man for Best Female Video goes to Taylor Swift.
19:43Every MTV fan remembers where they were when Kanye West spoke out during the 2009 VMAs.
19:50It all started when Taylor Swift beat out Beyoncé for Best Female Video of the Year.
19:55During Swift's acceptance speech, Kanye took the stage, stole the mic, and protested the decision.
20:01Yo Taylor, I'm really happy for you. I'm gonna let you finish.
20:06But Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time.
20:09Everybody at home and in the audience was completely stunned by the rapper's actions.
20:14The incident was highly covered by news outlets and even prompted a response from President Obama.
20:20In the years since the interruption, West and Swift publicly clashed several more times.
20:25But it's doubtful that any dispute could reach the heights of infamy that the VMA incident did.
20:31It was one of the most cringeworthy moments in award show history.
20:36Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about
20:41our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
20:46If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
20:52Number 1. Tom Cruise Jumps on Oprah's Couch. The Oprah Winfrey Show.
20:57During the promotional tour of War of the Worlds, action star Tom Cruise stopped by the talk show
21:02to discuss the movie. However, the conversation quickly shifted to his relationship with Katie
21:07Holmes. While Cruise tried to contain his excitement about her, he eventually couldn't
21:11rein in his emotions. It all builds up to the moment where the only way he could fully convey
21:16his true feelings was by jumping on top of Oprah's couch. We've never seen you behave this way before.
21:21I know. Have you ever felt this way before?
21:25This infamous leap has been parody and reference to death since it aired.
21:35Although Cruise split with Holmes later on, this interview moment will likely forever be
21:40remembered as one of the wildest celebrity interviews. Really? I'm not gonna pretend.
21:48Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo,
21:52and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.