20 Dumbest Things Said by Celebrities

Sometimes a single sentence can overshadow an entire career. When a comment lands the wrong way or shows a surprising lapse in judgment, it can turn into headlines, apologies, and a lesson in thinking before speaking. These moments span live television, social media, red carpets, and reality shows, and they often come with instant backlash and very public cleanup.

Here are twenty widely talked about quotes and gaffes from famous faces. For each one you will find when it happened, where it was said, what the person actually said or did, and what followed in the days after. No hot takes here, just the facts that made each moment stick in pop culture memory.

Jessica Simpson

On the first season of the MTV series Newlyweds in 2003, Jessica Simpson asked whether Chicken of the Sea was chicken or tuna while eating from a can on camera. The scene aired in an early episode and quickly became one of the show’s most replayed clips.

The moment boosted awareness of the brand and became a running joke on late night shows. Simpson later said the confusion came from the label and timing of the shoot, and she leaned into the bit during press appearances that followed.

Steve Harvey

During the Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas in December 2015, Steve Harvey announced Miss Colombia as the winner before returning to the stage to correct the result and name Miss Philippines as the actual titleholder. The card he was reading listed the winner in a smaller position than the first runner up.

The pageant issued statements that night and in the days after, and the organization adjusted the design of the results card for later broadcasts. Harvey apologized on air and again on social media, and both contestants addressed the incident in interviews that week.

John Travolta

At the Academy Awards in 2014, John Travolta introduced Idina Menzel with the now infamous name Adele Dazeem before the performance of the hit song from the Disney film Frozen. The slip happened live on stage in the Dolby Theatre.

Travolta apologized to Menzel afterward, and the pair reunited on the Oscars stage the following year for a playful scripted exchange. The mistake sparked a wave of memes and even a popular name generator that circulated online for months.

Justin Bieber

In April 2013, Justin Bieber visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and wrote in the guestbook that he hoped Anne would have been a Belieber. The museum shared the comment on its official page, which led to global news coverage within hours.

Bieber clarified in later interviews that he meant to connect young fans to the history of the diary and did not intend disrespect. The museum said the visit was calm and thoughtful and kept the comment visible as part of the public record of reactions.

Jaden Smith

Jaden Smith posted the line How can mirrors be real if our eyes are not real on Twitter in 2013. The tweet was one of several philosophical thoughts he shared that year and it circulated widely as a screenshot.

He addressed the style of those tweets in later profiles and interviews, saying he used short lines to provoke reflection. The original message became a staple of internet lists and was quoted in headlines that recapped celebrity social media from that period.

Vanessa Hudgens

In March 2020, Vanessa Hudgens spoke on Instagram Live about the pandemic and said that people were going to die which is terrible but like inevitable. The clip was recorded during the first weeks of widespread shutdowns when many public figures were making statements online.

She posted an apology the next day and explained that the comment came off insensitive. The video was removed from her account, but it continued to be shared in news coverage that summarized early celebrity responses to the crisis.

Brooke Shields

Brooke Shields appeared in an anti smoking public service message in the early 1980s and delivered the line Smoking kills and if you are killed you have lost a very important part of your life. The clip was replayed on talk shows and retrospectives about public health messaging from that era.

The ad was part of a larger campaign aimed at teens and was widely syndicated on local stations. Shields continued to work with health and advocacy groups in later years, and the line remained a frequently cited example of awkward PSA scripting.

Charlie Sheen

In a series of interviews in 2011, Charlie Sheen used phrases like Winning and tiger blood while discussing his exit from the sitcom Two and a Half Men. The appearances included morning shows and long form sit downs that were edited into primetime specials.

The catchphrases were printed on merchandise within days and Sheen launched a live tour that spring. The show continued with a retooled cast, and Sheen issued additional statements about his remarks in follow up press stops.

B.o.B

In 2016, the rapper B.o.B posted multiple tweets arguing that the earth is flat and later promoted a crowdfunding effort to fund satellite measurements. The posts triggered responses from scientists and science communicators who explained basic orbital and geodetic facts.

The conversation ran for several news cycles and led to debates about science education on social media. B.o.B kept defending his position for a time, and the exchange remains a reference point in lists of celebrity conspiracy claims.

Kyrie Irving

In early 2017, Kyrie Irving said on a podcast that the earth is flat and repeated the idea when asked during All Star Weekend availability. The comments were covered by sports media and quickly became a locker room talking point around the league.

In 2018 he said he did not realize the effect the statement would have and apologized for the confusion at a public event. He described the episode as an example of how quickly a casual remark can spread when it comes from a high profile athlete.

Whoopi Goldberg

On an episode of The View in January 2022, Whoopi Goldberg said the Holocaust was not about race while leading a discussion about a school lesson plan. The show cut to a break and the panel clarified the topic after returning to air.

She apologized that day and again on the evening news program she visited. The network announced a two week suspension and Goldberg returned to the table with a statement that acknowledged the error and the feedback she received.

Lars von Trier

At a press conference in Cannes in 2011, director Lars von Trier said he understood Hitler while answering a question about German culture. Festival leadership quickly condemned the remarks and declared him persona non grata for the remainder of that year’s event.

Von Trier issued a formal apology and said he made a careless joke. The festival later clarified the status in subsequent years, and coverage of his films often included a summary of the 2011 incident in biographical notes.

Scott Disick

In 2016, Scott Disick posted a sponsored Instagram photo with text that included instructions from the brand such as Here you go at 4 pm write the below caption. The message appeared to be pasted directly from an email or brief.

He deleted the caption and reposted it, and screenshots fueled several days of commentary on influencer marketing practices. The brand at the center of the post received a burst of attention, and blogs used the moment to outline basic ad disclosure rules.

Rita Ora

Rita Ora tweeted in 2014 that she would release a new song if the post received one hundred thousand retweets. When the tally fell short, a follow up message claimed her account had been hacked before the tweet was removed.

Music outlets recapped the sequence and noted that the promised track did not arrive that week. Ora continued promotion for other releases, and the incident has been cited in lists about risky social media challenges.

Ariana Grande

In 2015, a security camera at a California donut shop recorded Ariana Grande saying I hate America while she and a companion played with the merchandise on the counter. The tape surfaced online and local authorities reviewed whether any food handling rules had been broken.

Grande apologized in a video and a written statement, saying she was embarrassed by both the words and the behavior in the store. She withdrew from a scheduled performance shortly after and returned to touring later that summer.

Mark Wahlberg

In a 2012 magazine interview, Mark Wahlberg said that if he had been on one of the planes on September 11 things would have gone differently. The comment drew swift criticism from families of victims and from commentators who flagged the line as insensitive.

Wahlberg issued an apology within a day and said the quote was irresponsible. The publication updated its online post with his statement, and later profiles referenced the incident as a reminder of how hypothetical remarks can cause harm.

Kanye West

At the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009, Kanye West walked on stage during Taylor Swift’s acceptance and said that Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time. The interruption cut off Swift’s speech and stopped the show for several minutes.

West apologized in the days after and the network edited the incident into recaps of the broadcast. Swift addressed the moment in later songs and interviews, and the exchange became a defining pop culture reference of that awards season.

Christina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera sang The Star Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl in 2011 and mixed up a line of the lyrics during the live performance. The moment was immediately noted by viewers and by the press team that covered halftime and pregame festivities.

Aguilera released a statement that evening expressing regret for the error. The league and broadcasters moved on with the event, and the clip has since appeared in highlight reels of memorable Super Bowl openings.

Paula Abdul

On American Idol in 2008, Paula Abdul offered feedback on a second song by Jason Castro before he had actually performed it during the live show. The panel was juggling rehearsal notes and performance notes, which contributed to the confusion.

Abdul clarified the mix up on camera and again backstage once the episode ended. Producers adjusted the format and cue cards for later rounds, and the incident became part of the lore of the show’s most unpredictable live TV moments.

Gilbert Gottfried

In March 2011, comedian Gilbert Gottfried posted a series of jokes about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on Twitter. The posts prompted immediate criticism and led the insurance company Aflac to end his role as the voice of its mascot.

Gottfried deleted the tweets and apologized, and comedy outlets debated the boundaries of shock humor in the wake of the disaster. The company hired a new voice actor and the episode remains a case study in how corporate partners respond to social media controversies.

Share the most jaw dropping celebrity quote you remember in the comments and tell us where you first saw it.