21 Celebrities Accused of Being Mean in Real Life

It's easy to imagine celebrities as if they are our best friends, since many of them share elements of their daily life on social media, or take on the persona of the characters they play on screen. But a number of celebs are not at all what they appear.

When encountering their devoted fans, some are reportedly a major disappointment because of how rude they are in person. Other times, actors, comedians, or other performers get a bad reputation for being difficult on set. Of course, we don't always know what is going on behind closed doors. (Maybe an actor just went through a bad breakup, or a comedian just got some bad news.) But a few entertainers have a reputation for being mean in real life. 

A mean interaction will not go unnoticed and has followed some of these stars throughout their careers. Nobody wants to work with a jerk, so these famous people could learn a lesson or two from the rumors swirling around about their attitude. Celebrity status can totally change a person. After someone becomes famous, it's important for them to stay grounded and humble. If a celeb is lucky enough to have fans enjoy their work, then practicing gratitude is key. While celebs go through struggles with fame that everyday people will never understand, handling notoriety with kindness goes a long way. 

Here are 20 celebrities who let their lofty status get to their head and are known for being downright mean in person.

Ellen DeGeneres

A 2020 tweet from comedian Kevin T. Porter first sparked the speculation that talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is actually really rude. It's ironic, because Ellen is one of the biggest proponents of kindness — so it's almost impossible to believe that she could be a mean celebrity — but the accusations never went away and ultimately led to a full-scale investigation into the claims her own employees made against her.

Now that her show has officially come to an end, we might be seeing a lot less of her.

Mike Myers

img-of-media-slide-344929.jpg
Splash News

After a successful stint on Saturday Night Live, Mike Myers became a household name, starring in the Austin Powers trilogy, and voicing Shrek in the animated movies. But he's slowly slipped out of the limelight, supposedly because of how rude he is on set. While he's known for delivering the laughs on screen, off screen he is (reportedly) a total diva. Amy Hill, Mike's The Cat in the Hat costar, revealed in an interview with The A.V. Club that working with him was "miserable." Apparently, he kept everyone waiting and even had someone feed him chocolates on set.

Rachael Ray

img-of-media-slide-344930.jpg
Rick Davis/Splash News

World-famous chef and TV personality Rachael Ray might not be as sunny as she seems. Many fellow celebs have said not-so-favorable things about the celebrity cook — including fellow foodies Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse, and the late Anthony Bourdain, who all dissed Rachael. Dog-lovers everywhere also turned on Rachael after her dog food brand was revealed to contain synthetic ingredients, despite her initial claims that it was all-natural.

Katherine Heigl

img-of-media-slide-344931.jpg
Felipe Ramales/Splash News

Grey's Anatomy star Katherine Heigl was one of the first examples of a celebrity getting canceled. (She bad-mouthed her own movie Knocked Up in a 2007 cover interview with Vanity Fair.) Katherine really burned bridges in 2008 after being nominated for an Emmy and withdrew her name for consideration, because she didn't like the Grey's Anatomy season. She said in a statement, "I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination. And in an effort to maintain the integrity of the academy organization, I withdrew my name from contention." 

Series creator Shonda Rhimes was understandably offended, and fans were totally turned off by Katherine's behavior.

Sandra Bullock

img-of-media-slide-344932.jpg
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Splash News

Sandra Bullock had a shockingly rude moment with a fan that tarnished her reputation. Reportedly, a veteran and fan of Sandra's who was in a wheelchair asked the star for an autograph. After his request, she covered her face and shouted insults at the man. Sure, she can't make time for every fan, but yelling at a person is no way to turn down a request as simple as an autograph. Onlookers were shocked by her response.

Jerry Seinfeld

img-of-media-slide-344933.jpg
Felipe Ramales/Splash News

Longtime comedian Jerry Seinfeld has a history of not being so nice to fans, interviewers, and talk show hosts. One of his most famous fans, Kesha, once asked for a hug on a red carpet, and he turned her down in the most awkward and cringey way. Apparently, Jerry has a strict no-hugging rule, so we guess it's understandable that he'd turn her away.

He also has been viciously rude to multiple talk show hosts, including Seth Meyers and the late Larry King.

Jason Segel

img-of-media-slide-344934.jpg
Splash News

Jason Segel is known for playing sweet guy-next-door type of characters. He is popular in romantic comedies and for starring on the longtime TV series How I Met Your Mother. Sadly, however, he's not known for being too kind to fans. In one instance, he reportedly slammed a car door in a fan's face after they asked to take a photo with him.

Adam Levine

img-of-media-slide-344935.jpg
Ouzounova/Splash News

Adam Levine, former coach on The Voice, made headlines after making rude comments about costar Blake Shelton. During one episode, Adam went so far as to say he "hates" his fellow judge. While some thought he was just being sarcastic, the awkward silence in the room was telling. Adam is known for his snide sense of humor, but honestly it seems like fans are over it.

Will Ferrell

img-of-media-slide-344936.jpg
Jackie Brown/Splash News

This one hurts pretty bad. Comedian Will Ferrell is beloved by many, so it was heart-wrenching to discover that he's actually known for being rude to his fans. It seems some comedians take the sarcastic and dry approach that many people mistake for being mean. When fans ask him for an autograph, he's known to tease them for even making the request.

Jesse Eisenberg

GettyImages-1246371821.jpg
Getty Images

Jesse Eisenberg made headlines after he was interviewed by journalist Romina Puga and was downright mean to her. Jesse is already a little awkward in interviews, but this time, he was just plain rude. Romina shared afterward that she was hurt by his biting comments and insults. The actor claimed he was caught off-guard and thought that she had found his dry sense of humor amusing.

Amy Schumer

img-of-media-slide-344938.jpg
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Splash News

Comedian Amy Schumer was called out in 2018 after interrupting a new comedian's stand-up set in New York City. Amy was attending a show as a member of the audience and asked if she could come up on stage to practice her SNL monologue. The comedian on stage was put on the spot, so he said yes. Later, he realized how rude it was for her to take over his first headlining gig.

Jennifer Lawrence

img-of-media-slide-344939.jpg
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Splash News

Jennifer Lawrence is known for her relatable personality and sense of humor — but not for being super nice to her fans. She's even admitted herself that she can be really rude to avoid fan interactions. In a Variety interview, she shared that the fame and public attention make her uncomfortable. "I become incredibly rude. I turn into a huge [expletive]. That's my only way of defending myself," she said.

Cameron Diaz

img-of-media-slide-344940.jpg
NOBLE/DRAPER/Splash News

Cameron Diaz is best known for her work in Charlie's Angels and countless romantic comedies. But she's not known for her pleasant fan interactions. When one fan asked for an autograph, Cameron allegedly replied that if she did it for that fan, then she'd have to do it for everyone. After the premiere of Sex Tape, Cameron and costar Jason Segel reportedly had terrible attitudes toward their fans who were there to admire the movie. (Eek.)

Jon Hamm

img-of-media-slide-344941.jpg
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Splash News

Comedian Kathy Griffin has been quite outspoken about her encounters with rude celebrities and isn't shy about calling them out. In her book Kathy Griffin's Celebrity Run-Ins: My A-Z Index, she explained that the hunky Jon Hamm is one of the rudest people she's met. "You'll never convince me to like Jon Hamm," she wrote. "The vibe I've always gotten from him is cold and somewhat disrespectful … toward me. I'm suggesting he's one of these hot guys who's mildly funny but actually thinks he's comedian-level funny."

Madonna

img-of-media-slide-344942.jpg
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Splash News

Madonna got major flak after making an appearance on The Graham Norton Show. Many viewers thought she was extremely rude to Sir Ian McKellen. The Queen of Pop made a few dry comments towards the veteran actor and had forgotten meeting him at a charity event. Madonna clearly felt awkward for forgetting that the two had worked together in the past.

Pierce Brosnan

img-of-media-slide-344943.jpg
Splash News

Talk show host James Corden dished about the rudest celebrity he'd ever met: Pierce Brosnan. Apparently, Pierce pushed him at a U2 concert and failed to even acknowledge him. In a game of "Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts," James shared that Pierce was not nice at all. "I don't think he's a rude man, but he happened to be rude [to me]," he said.

Jamie Foxx

img-of-media-slide-344944.jpg
Splash News

Comedian Tommy Davidson shared a few questionable stories about Jamie Foxx in his memoir. The two met on the set of In Living Color, and Jamie reportedly got a few laughs at Tommy's expense. Tommy claimed that in an attempt to get a cheap laugh in a sketch, Jamie ripped off his underwear, leaving him naked on set — which deeply offended him. The two had major tension throughout filming, and in their next project together, the 1997 movie Booty Call.

Christian Bale

img-of-media-slide-344945.jpg
@ParisaMichelle/Splash News

Christian Bale has had some seriously impressive roles in the past, including in Batman and American Psycho. On set for Terminator Salvation, the actor reportedly had an inappropriate and angry outburst that left many of his coworkers stunned. The film's director of photography, Shane Hurlbut, walked into Christian's eyeline on a day of shooting, and the actor totally went off. Christian apologized afterwards, but has tarnished his reputation on movie sets since.

Megan Fox

img-of-media-slide-344947.jpg
Splash News

Megan Fox was infamously replaced after the second Transformers film, and apparently, it's because she was difficult to work with on set. Megan has defended herself, though, sharing that director Michael Bay was the difficult one and was a "nightmare to work for." Crew members anonymously came forward against Megan as they were loyal to Michael. The tumultuous relationship between the two led to Megan being replaced by Rosie Huntington Whitely in the third film of the franchise.

Tobey Maguire

img-of-media-slide-344946.jpg
Splash News

Tobey Maguire had a voracious gambling habit and was reportedly a part of the infamous poker ring with Molly Bloom. Molly organized games for many Hollywood superstars in the early 2000s, but Tobey was one of her most frequent visitors. In her memoir Molly's Game, which was made into a movie, she revealed that Tobey was "was the worst tipper, the best player, and the absolute worst loser." The actor also reportedly tried to humiliate her and asked her to bark for $1,000.

Lea Michele

Lea Michele
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

There have been rumors for years that Lea Michele is mean and difficult to work with, including from several of her Glee costars, so it makes sense that her replacing Beanie Feldstein in Funny Girl on Broadway made a ton of headlines. We could be in for even more stories about Lea's behavior as her time on stage begins.