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While celebrities often bask in the spotlight of fame and luxury, they too have their fair share of embarrassing and awkward moments. And more often than not, the ever-watchful cameras are there to capture and immortalize these unforgettable fails for the world to see on the Internet. This list highlights some of the most cringeworthy celebrity blunders to appear on our TV screens.
10. Stacey Dash's Joke Misses the Mark
Amid the #OscarsSoWhite debate, Stacey Dash made headlines in 2016 by suggesting that both Black History Month and the BET Awards should be abolished. She argued that it was hypocritical to criticize the Academy Awards for its lack of diversity while events like the BET Awards exclusively honored black celebrities.
A month later, during the 2016 Oscars ceremony, host Chris Rock had the audience in stitches. After delivering a brilliant opening monologue, he introduced none other than Stacey Dash. The moment she took the stage, however, things became incredibly awkward.
Her appearance was met with minimal applause, and things only worsened when she delivered what could be described as the worst joke of her career: “I can’t wait to help my people out. Happy Black History Month!” Both the guests and viewers were left in stunned silence, turning this into one of the most cringeworthy moments in live TV history.
9. Steve Harvey Declares the Wrong Winner
Soon after, Harvey was struck with the realization that he'd made a significant mistake in reading the card. The woman who was smiling broadly with the crown already atop her head was actually the first runner-up, not the winner. The true winner was Miss Philippines. The awkward moment of transferring the crown from one contestant to another was made even more uncomfortable by Harvey’s later tweet, where he misspelled the names of both countries.
8. Adele Dazeem
The Oscars stage is infamous for being the backdrop of some legendary blunders, and one of the most memorable occurred during the 2014 ceremony. While celebrating the success of Frozen, John Travolta was tasked with introducing Idina Menzel, who was about to perform the hit song 'Let It Go.'
In a bizarre moment, Travolta became flustered and mispronounced her name as 'Adele Dazeem,' a gaffe that quickly went viral, sparking an internet explosion of memes. This wasn’t the last time Travolta would cause cringeworthy moments, as he later tried to kiss Scarlett Johansson on the cheek at the 2015 Oscars, earning only a stiff response from the actress.
7. Britney's 2007 MTV VMAs Performance
At the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, anticipation was high as fans eagerly awaited Britney Spears' performance. Just months earlier, in February, she had shocked the world by shaving her head right after checking out of a rehab facility.
She returned to the facility only two days later, but again left after less than 24 hours. Meanwhile, her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, was in a legal battle for custody of their two sons. The VMAs performance was seen as her chance to make a grand return.
Sadly, when Britney took the stage, it was clear that her comeback was far from successful. Wearing an ill-fitting outfit that did nothing to flatter her, she seemed to struggle throughout the performance.
She appeared to forget the choreography, had difficulty syncing her lips to 'Gimme More,' and looked visibly disinterested in performing. Many viewers described the performance as 'painful to watch.'
Fortunately, Britney made an incredible comeback in the years that followed and remains a powerful force in the industry.
6. Kanye West Interrupts Taylor Swift
At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Taylor Swift claimed the Best Female Video award. However, an awkward and unforgettable moment unfolded when Kanye West stormed the stage during her acceptance speech. He was upset that Beyoncé had lost, famously declaring, 'I’ll let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!'
The incident left both Swift and Beyoncé in tears, with the emotions still running high just moments before Swift had to return to the stage for her performance. Later, Beyoncé invited Swift back on stage, giving her a chance to finish her speech. Ironically, Beyoncé ended up winning Video of the Year, rendering Kanye’s outburst not only unnecessary but also utterly pointless.
5. Kesha Dodged By Jerry Seinfeld
In 2017, Jerry Seinfeld was interviewed by Tommy McFly on the red carpet during the David Lynch Foundation's National Night of Laughter and Song event. At the same time, singer Kesha was also walking the carpet and saw Seinfeld.
A big fan of Seinfeld, Kesha eagerly approached him to introduce herself. She then unexpectedly asked for a hug, but Seinfeld declined, saying, 'No, thanks.'
As if that wasn’t enough to send her away, she tried again, only for Seinfeld to respond more firmly: 'Yeah, no thanks.' He later admitted that he had no idea who she was.
Although Kesha was somewhat embarrassed by the rejection, she later found solace after receiving two hugs from Bob Dylan, which helped her shake off the awkward moment.
4. The Tom Cruise Couch Incident
In 2005, something truly bizarre unfolded on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Tom Cruise was the guest, there to promote his upcoming film, War of the Worlds. By that time, Cruise had already established himself as a top box office draw and a beloved heartthrob for many women.
While it was endearing when Cruise gushed about his love for his girlfriend, Katie Holmes, the moment took a strange turn. Without warning, he jumped on Oprah’s couch, laughing uncontrollably, to demonstrate his affection for her.
Things only got weirder when he went backstage to bring Holmes onstage, only to continue gushing over her. The oddness escalated when rumors spread that Holmes was allegedly selected by the Church of Scientology as part of a search for a wife.
The couple ended their marriage in 2012.
3. Aubrey Plaza’s Attempt to Steal Will Ferrell’s Award
Will Ferrell is a master at creating awkward, cringe-worthy moments in his films. However, he was caught off guard by a truly embarrassing incident that occurred during the 2013 MTV Movie Awards.
Ferrell was invited to the stage to accept his Comedic Genius award. As he delivered his thank-you speech, out of nowhere, Aubrey Plaza appeared, barefoot, holding a drink in one hand.
Without uttering a single word, Plaza grabbed Ferrell's award and tried to yank it from his grasp. Ferrell, genuinely puzzled, refused to release it. After a brief moment, he asked her what was going on and whether she was alright. Plaza then made her way back to her seat, spilling her drink on the floor in the process.
Ferrell made light of the situation afterward, but the tension lingered, especially since Plaza was escorted out of the venue shortly after the event. MTV later clarified that the whole episode was unscripted.
2. Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke's Infamous Performance
Leading up to the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, Miley Cyrus promised her fans that she would deliver a moment even more controversial than the kiss between Madonna and Britney at the 2003 ceremony. What she unveiled would go down as one of the most cringeworthy performances of her career.
Miley emerged onto the stage from inside a giant teddy bear and performed her hit song, “We Can’t Stop.” Shortly after, Robin Thicke joined her to sing his chart-topping track “Blurred Lines.” During the performance, Miley twerked provocatively in front of the much older Thicke, gyrating her hips and running a foam finger over her private areas.
In 2017, it appeared that Miley Cyrus had set aside her rebellious persona, choosing instead to reconnect with her country music origins with the release of the mellow song 'Malibu.'
1. Madonna's Onstage Stumble
Madonna has experienced her fair share of unforgettable moments both on and off stage, but the incident at the O2 auditorium in 2015 certainly stands out as one of the most cringeworthy.
During her performance at the Brit Awards, Madonna struggled to remove her cape while singing the opening lines of 'Living for Love.' In an attempt to assist, one of her dancers tried to pull it off, but instead, he ended up toppling her off her feet.
While atop a podium at the peak of a flight of stairs, she lost her balance and fell backward down the stairs. Many in the crowd assumed it was part of the act until they saw Madonna drop her microphone and lie motionless on the ground, encircled by her dancers.
She quickly bounced back and completed her performance, which included a dance routine. Her fans were greatly relieved to see that she had not sustained any serious injuries.
