By Mark Gray
12:24pm PST, Jan 2, 2024
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Who needs a mulligan? Every year, there are celebrities who make some cringe-worthy decisions, and 2023 has been no different. Wonderwall.com is calling out the biggest celebrity mishaps of the year, starting with this headline-maker…
Don Lemon found himself unemployed in the spring, but his termination from CNN came after a series of controversial comments — perhaps none more so than stating that Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley wasn't "in her prime."
After launching her campaign, the former South Carolina Governor suggested that politicians over 75 should be subject to mandatory mental competency tests — a clear stab at both Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
While on the air in February, Don said he was "uncomfortable" with the age discussion but added, "Nikki Haley isn't in her prime, sorry. When a woman is considered to be in her prime — in her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s."
His "CNN This Morning" co-host Poppy Harlow was confused. "Prime for what?" she asked. "I think we need to qualify. Are you talking about prime for childbearing or are you talking about prime for being president?" Don replied, "Don't shoot the messenger, I'm just saying what the facts are. Google it."
Don later apologized but Nikki seized on the opportunity to take a swipe at him and other like-minded people. Not long after, Don was fired from the network.
Keep reading for more of these kind of moments…
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Congresswoman Lauren Boebert has often touted her belief in "family values" since entering politics. It seems, though, that she might not practice what she preaches.
In September, the controversial Colorado politician attended an afternoon performance of the musical "Beetlejuice" in Denver. Soon after, reports revealed she was kicked out of the theater — but she denied anything happened and even blamed Democrats. She initially said she was "too eccentric." Then video of the incident hit the internet. Footage from inside the theater showed her filming the performance (a no-no), vaping inside the theater (also a no-no) and seemingly groping the crotch of her date, who was seated next to her, while allowing him to grab her chest. Theatergoers complained that she was also singing incredibly loudly, dancing wildly and generally causing a disturbance.
Lauren claimed to not "recall" vaping — despite a pregnant woman asking her to stop. The expectant woman told the Denver Post she didn't recognize Lauren when she asked the U.S. House of Representatives member to stop puffing on her vape pen. Lauren, the woman claimed, simply said "no." Later, the woman alleged that Lauren called her a "sad and miserable person."
Theater reps told the Associated Press that as she was kicked out, Lauren flipped off the staff, dropped a "Do you know who I am?" and threatened, "I will be contacting the mayor."
Democrats and Republicans alike had a field day, with radio host Howard Stern branding her a "liar" and a "disgrace" and conservative commentator Ann Coulter musing, "Can't Colorado find SOME Republican not trashy and stupid to represent them in the 3rd congressional district?"
"The View" star Sara Haines, meanwhile, noted, "Manners and decorum are not partisan… Watching her behavior, if she had come forward and said, 'I'm going through a rough time, I had a rough night.' I would have said, 'I have a lot of grace for you.' But you're a nasty person to a lot of people, so I have no forgiveness for what she did, including flipping off the camera on the way out."
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Meghan Trainor should've known better. On an April episode of her podcast, the singer decided to slam teachers… yes, TEACHERS. "F*** teachers," she said while speaking to a guest about homeschooling.
The "All About That Bass" singer quickly walked back her comments, but the damage was done.
"Teachers of TikTok and teachers of the world, I recently said F teachers on my podcast and it's not how I feel," she backpedaled. "I was fired up because we were talking about how sending your kid to school here in America is so horrific and what all of us have to go through, but especially teachers, is not normal and is not OK."
She's all about that saving face.
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Oh, the irony.
John Schneider publicly accused President Joe Biden of breaking the law — but he seemed to have publicly broken the law while making his social media accusation: "The Dukes of Hazzard" star threatened the POTUS, which is a federal felony. On Dec. 20, Biden posted a message about political rival Donald Trump being a "threat" to "our democracy." John, who lost his wife to breast cancer in February, wasn't having it and took things a step too far.
Hours after coming in second place on the season 10 finale of "The Masked Singer" on Dec. 22, John wrote on X, "Mr. President, I believe you are guilty of treason and should be publicly hung. Your son too. Your response is..? Sincerely, John Schneider."
The message has since been taken down, but according to Deadline, the Secret Service has opened a probe into John's statements, as threats to presidents, vice presidents, former presidents and presidential candidates is a violation of United States Code Title 18, Section 871.
In the past, John has often claimed Biden is "treasonous" — he'd said the same about Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases — but his messages had never escalated to threats against the president of United States.
John later argued that he didn't call for violence. "Seriously, folks? I said no such thing," he said in a statement. "Despite headlines claiming otherwise, I absolutely did not call for an act of violence or threaten a U.S. president."
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Yikes! Teresa Giudice mocked Sofia Vergara's accent and said the "Modern Family" star should be "nice" because she's an "immigrant."
On an August episode of her podcast, the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star recalled being backstage with Sofia at an event in 2017. In describing the interaction, Teresa seemed to mock Sofia's Colombian accent and showed some xenophobia.
"I saw her whole demeanor, and then I heard her say to her PR person, 'Why are you making me take a picture with that lady?' I was like, 'Excuse me? I did not want to take a picture with you! I never asked to take a picture with you,'" Teresa claimed. "I was like, 'How rude. You're so not a humble person. You forgot where you came from.'" Teresa then added, "Ugh, I can't stand her, sorry. I hate to say that because I'm Italian, she's Colombian, she has an accent — she has more of an accent than me! You would think she would be nice, like, she's an immigrant — no, I'm just saying, she should be nice!"
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Don't you dare make Jax Taylor sit with the common folk on an airplane! In October, the "Vanderpump Rules" alum caused a coast-to-coast JetBlue flight to turn around on the runway because of an issue with his seat.
A source told Page Six that Jax was "throwing a fit" about his seat not reclining. "It made the plane two-and-a-half hours late because they were already on the runway, and it was raining," a source said. The reality TV star later confirmed that the plane returned to the gate because his first class seat was reclined and wouldn't return to its normal position.
"The seat didn't go back up, so what am I supposed to do? It's a regulation the seat has to be in upright position, so they're like, 'You can sit back in coach or we have to turn the flight around.' Well, I'm like, 'I have to go home and take care of my child all day, you have to turn the flight back then,'" he said on "Watch What Happens Live."
When "WWHL" host Andy Cohen asked why he wouldn't just go to a seat in coach to keep the plane on schedule, Jax said, "Because I wanted to sleep. I was sitting in first class. There was nothing else available! You gonna put me in the middle seat?" God forbid.
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Steve Martin is dangerous! At least that's what one Florida school district thinks.
In November, it made news that "Shopgirl" — the "Only Murders in the Building" star's 2000 novella that inspired a movie of the same name — was among 300 books pulled from school library shelves in Collier County. The book tells the tale of a "luxury department store [clerk] who begins an affair with a wealthy businessman," Entertainment Weekly reported. Banning proponents, however, claimed it "depicts or describes sexual conduct."
The comedy icon reacted to the news with glee, implying the move to pull his book would backfire and only further line his pockets. "So proud to have my book 'Shopgirl' banned in Collier County, Florida," he wrote on Instagram. "Now people who want to read it will have to buy a copy!"
Steve is one of the most beloved stars of his generation, but Florida gonna Florida.
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Here's a case of the optics being bad.
Megan Fox has a reported net worth of $8 million, but she decided to ask her fans to help out a friend in need.
In July, the "Transformers" actress shared on social media that she wanted to help her nail tech raise money to help the woman's father, who was diagnosed with cancer. "My friends dad was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer if you guys are able to help please do," Megan wrote. The GoFundMe's goal was set for $30,000, which is the same amount Megan's fiancé, Machine Gun Kelly, spent on a diamond-encrusted manicure in 2022. Fans ripped Megan for asking them for money considering she's a millionaire. Optics. bad.
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Elon Musk blatantly branded his daughter a "communist" this year.
In August, the Wall Street Journal published excerpts from the Tesla founder's biography authored by Walter Isaacson in which the billionaire said his 19-year-old trans daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson — who publicly disowned him — "went beyond socialism to being a full communist and thinking that anyone rich is evil."
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After Cardi B got a drink thrown on her during a performance, she took matters into her own hands.
The rapper was in the midst of singing "Bodak Yellow" at a Las Vegas pool party in July when she got the unwelcome shower. Cardi quickly identified the alleged culprit and responded by throwing her microphone at that person from the stage. Video of the incident caught fire on social media. The microphone not only struck the alleged drink thrower but also apparently ricocheted into a woman standing next to that person.
TMZ reported that one of the two pool party attendees went to local police the following day to report the incident. Cardi, however, was later cleared.
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Barbara Corcoran found herself swimming in controversy over some eye-opening comments she dropped in an interview in April.
While on British businessman Steve Bartlett's podcast, the "Shark Tank" star spoke about how she was itching to lay off "negative employees." She then shared exactly how she likes to show employees the door. "What I would love to do is call someone into my office on Friday. I love firing people on Friday," she said. "I would stop by someone's desk on a Wednesday and say, 'Hey, would you have any time, sometime on Friday?'" She added, "They should have heard about the rumors. I couldn't wait till they came in to fire them!"
The social media world accused her of being "spiteful" and "terrible."
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Remember Jan. 6, 2021? You know, the day that rioters stormed the Capitol and tried to stop the certification of a legitimate presidential election? The Capitol was damaged, windows were broken and people died. But according to Tucker Carlson, those rioters were nothing more than "sightseers."
In March, the former Fox News host said tapes from that day — you know, the day people died — didn't show an "insurrection or a riot in progress." In an attempt to absolve people of their crimes, he claimed the vast majority were interested in the statues and art. Again, people died. People had zip ties and wanted to "hang Mike Pence."
"The crowd was enormous," Tucker continued. "A small percentage of them were hooligans, they committed vandalism … but the overwhelming majority weren't. They were peaceful, they were ordinary and meek. These were not insurrectionists, they were sightseers." Some people seemed to be there for a tour, he argued, as they "queue[d] up in neat little lines" and took part in "tours outside the Speaker's office." Sightseeing? Really?
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Tony Danza was called "unkind" and "condescending" due to his behavior during a red carpet interview with a reporter in April.
While attending the opening night of the Broadway show "New York, New York," a reporter couldn't hide his excitement about the evening. The "Taxi" actor told the reporter to "relax a little," telling him, "You're more excited than we are. Take it easy." The reporter then asked Tony a Big Apple-themed question to tie in with the Broadway show's name. Tony leaned in, touched the man's face and said, "You know what you've got to do, buddy? You've got to come up with better questions." He then walked away.
Fans ripped Tony so harshly that he got in touch with the reporter and apologized.
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Not again.
Five years after her eponymous sitcom was canceled after she posted a racist tweet, Roseanne Barr found herself trending on Twitter (now X) after making more stunning statements: This time, she appeared to deny that the Holocaust happened. Or did she?
"Nobody died in the Holocaust," she said on an episode of "This Past Weekend with Theo Von" in June. "That's the truth. It should happen. Six million Jews should die right now 'cause they cause all the problems in the world, but it never happened."
The former sitcom star said she was being sarcastic.
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Actor Ben Stein found himself in a sticky situation after publicly pining for Aunt Jemima syrup, which has been renamed Pearl Milling Company.
In a video posted to Truth Social in February, he said, "Aunt Jemima, yummy, pancake syrup. Now, this used to show a large African American woman chef, but because of the inherent racism of Americans' corporate culture, they decided to make it a white person, or maybe no person at all."
In 2020, the syrup name and mascot were changed due to their ties to slavery. None of that mattered to Ben. "I prefer when it was a Black person, showing their incredible skill at making pancakes," the "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" star said.
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You couldn't go anywhere without hearing about Scandoval. In March, it was revealed that Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix split after he cheated on her with their "Vanderpump Rules" co-star Raquel Leviss, who now goes by her birth name, Rachel.
Tom didn't do himself any favors with what was perceived as his lack of remorse, plus he stunned fans with a tacky comment. While on the "Vanderpump Rules" reunion special, host Andy Cohen asked Tom whether he'd slept with any other women after Raquel. Ariana chimed in, "You know who he did sleep with after he and Raquel started sleeping together? Me." Tom quickly shot back, "Yeah, she kept her T-shirt on; it was really hot."
Oy vey, Tom.
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Gwyneth Paltrow, have a heart!
In March, the actress was involved in a trial in Park City, Utah, concerning a 2016 skiing accident. Optometrist Terry Sanderson claimed Gwyneth collided with him while they were on the slopes at the Deer Valley Resort, causing him a permanent traumatic brain injury. After lawsuits and countersuits, the trial took place in the spring of 2023.
During one headline-making moment, the unrelatable Oscar winner was asked what losses she suffered because of the crash. "Well, we lost half a day of skiing," she replied, leading many online commenters to roast her. Gwyneth, by the way, won in court.
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Reality TV star Savannah Chrisley took to her Instagram Stories in April to claim that a Southwest Airlines employee threw her off a flight when she attempted to board a plane at New York's LaGuardia Airport as she was heading home to Tennessee — all because she refused to check her carry-on bag after being instructed to and then argued with him about it.
"Alright guys, so I officially know why everyone hates Southwest so much," she said, calling a male staffer "awful." According to Savannah, "I went to board my flight and he told me that I had to check my bag. I was like, 'OK, if you wouldn't mind, I'm gonna take my bag on the flight, see if I can't make it fit and if not, I'll check it.'" She said the employee told her that wasn't an option and when she insisted she'd check her bag after first seeing if there was room for her luggage on the plane, he told her she was being "an unruly passenger."
Southwest had a different account. "Our initial reports indicate a different story than the one from the Customer's account, as she arrived at the gate late in the boarding process and repeatedly insulted our Employee after being asked to gate-check her bag," an airline rep said. "As a result, the Customer was denied boarding on her original flight, and we booked her on a later flight the same day."
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Things got dead serious during a Pink concert at London's Hyde Park in June when the "So What" performer stopped singing mid-show after a concertgoer threw a baggie full of light-colored powder on stage.
What was in there? It was apparently the cremated remains of the fan's mother. Video footage posted on social media showed Pink crouching down on the floor by the baggie. Looking bewildered, she picked it up, barely holding one corner, and looked at the person who tossed the bag. "This is your mom?" she asked. "I don't know how I feel about this." Pink then put the bag down and continued singing "Just Like a Pill." During that same show, someone in the front row also handed the pop star a giant wheel of brie.
Does cheese go with turkey?
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Calling your fans "creepy" isn't a term of endearment. Doja Cat slammed her most diehard fans over the summer for creating social media fan accounts honoring her.
"My fans don't get to name themselves s***," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in July. "If you call yourself a 'Kitten' or f****** 'Kittenz' that means you need to get off your phone and get a job and help your parents with the house." Get a job? The Grammy winner lost 250,000 Instagram followers.
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Mike Epps was detained by federal agents at the Indianapolis International Airport in March after a loaded gun was found in his carry-on luggage. The comedian told officials he forgot that the weapon was in his bag but didn't really seem sorry for attempting to bring a gun on a plane.
Following the incident, Mike recorded an Instagram video to explain the situation. "Now if you wanna know why I carry a gun — I carry money all the time. I be having jewelry on and these dudes is out here robbing people," he said. "I ain't doing nothing wrong, but I keep a gun on me because I gotta protect myself. Sometimes I ain't with my security." The "Next Friday" star said he's still a "positive" guy but added, "All I can tell you is the world is crazy. Stay strapped."
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In early February, reports claimed that Kim Zolciak-Biermann's Georgia home was being foreclosed on and put up for auction. After hearing this, the former Bravo star posted a video in which she said nothing could be further from the truth, claiming she wouldn't leave until she wanted to.
That's not how the banks work. But a few weeks later, the auction was called off. Kim said the whole thing was a "misunderstanding." (You know, not paying bills is a "misunderstanding.") In May, TMZ reported that Kim and estranged husband Kroy Biermann owed the IRS $1.1 million for unpaid taxes, interest and penalties from 2013, 2017 and 2018. The on-off couple also allegedly owed the state of Georgia $15,000 for unpaid taxes for 2018. There's nothing to misunderstand here.
