The drama never ends when it comes to celebrities, and that stands for both on-screen and stage drama, personal drama, and behind-the scenes drama. As bizarre as it seems, a number of celebrities have been banned from talk shows. You would think that's actually a pretty big deal since both daytime and nighttime talk shows are kind of a crucial part of how celebrities promote their new projects. Some celebs just don't mesh well with certain talk show hosts, and others can't seem to control their offensive behaviors well enough to be invited on the talk show circuit.
One thing that tends to get stars in hot water with talk show hosts is drugs or alcohol. It's pretty surprising, but some celebs have actually showed up to appearances drunk or high. Others have trouble keeping their polarizing personal beliefs to themselves and end up offending a talk show host, who then has no desire to ever speak with them again. We're all people, after all, and at a certain point boundaries have to be set.
That being said, however, a few of the celebrities on this list actually surprised us. Others, of course, are totally predictable. Keep reading to feed your curiosity and find out which celebrities have been blacklisted from talk shows — and why they got the boot.
Madonna
Madonna has always been a queen of controversy, so it only makes sense that in all her years as an entertainer, she's burned some bridges. One of those was with TV host Piers Morgan. Apparently, Madge is not allowed on his shows and hasn't been for years. The reason? They just don't like each other. Piers referred to her as "an irritant in my life for 20 years" at CNN's Television Critics Association Winter 2011 Session.
Hugh Grant
Actor Hugh Grant always plays the sweetest characters, but that may not be his personality in real life at all. Evidently, he was quite rude when he was a guest on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart in 2009, reportedly even cursing out people. Jon was not having it and banned him from ever being on the show again. Jon called him a "big pain in the [expletive]."
The Kardashians
Everyone in the Kardashian-Jenner crew is reportedly a negative for Anderson Cooper. On an episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, the CNN anchor was asked if there was one guest he would ban from his show, and he said all of the Kardashians. Unfortunately, it seems that Khloé was actually watching at the time and had tweeted how much she loves Anderson mere minutes before he answered the question. So embarrassing.
Dax Shepard
Actor and TV personality Dax Shepard admitted to having some substance abuse issues long ago, and at some point it really affected his career and his public persona. He said he was banned from Conan because he showed up 20 minutes before his spot, drunk and high. "I was banned from that show for some years, until I got sober," Dax admitted. The two have since made amends, though.
Vince Vaughn
Honestly, Vince Vaughn could go either way. He's pretty subdued these days compared with his younger self, and his comedy and opinons aren't typically all that offensive. But back in 2011, he rubbed talk show host Ellen DeGeneres the wrong way when he made a "gay" joke in the film The Dilemma, which he was supposed to be promoting at the time. He's been on Ellen's show in recent years, though, so evidently, they've patched things up.
Vivica A. Fox
Actor Vivica A. Fox stans for her friends. Way back in 2005, she did an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and butted heads with the late-night host when Jimmy thought it would be cool to make fun of her friend, TV personality Star Jones. It was not at all cool, though, and Vivica was having no part of it. She ended up leaving in the middle of the interview, and Jimmy proclaimed that he would never invite her on the show again.
Donald Trump
We probably don't even need to explain this, but former President Donald Trump has actually been blacklisted by a number of talk show hosts. He and Rosie O'Donnell have long held a beef against each other, and she vowed to never have him as a guest on her show all the way back in the late 1990s and early 2000s. More recently, Seth Meyers banned Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign, and Ellen DeGeneres has said she wouldn't have him on either.
Howard Stern
The shock jock isn't popular with everyone, and we've all known that for a long time. He and TV personality Jay Leno have been enemies for years, which at one point got Howard Stern banned from The Tonight Show. He actually appeared on the show with Jay once in 1995 and caused so much chaos that he got banned. "I didn't get into the feud, because you're not going to win a feud with Howard. Howard is good. If you start that feud, boom, you're down," Jay said on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.
Kathy Griffin
Kathy Griffin is the definition of a controversial comedian, and it hasn't always served her well. She's reportedly been banned from a number of talk shows, including The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Late Night With Conan O'Brien, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The View, Live With Regis and Kelly, The Late Show With David Letterman, and The Today Show. Whoa — is there anywhere she is welcome?
Jay Leno
Not only has Jay Leno banned people from his show, but he's also been banned himself. Conan O'Brien banned Jay from his TBS show, Conan, after the two got into a war over who would be the next host of The Tonight Show back in 2010. They ended up both getting a turn, but the ordeal turned their relationship totally sour.
Kelsey Grammer
Actor Kelsey Grammer got himself banned from Piers Morgan Live too. The opener for the episode featured an image of Kelsey's ex-wife Camille Grammer, and Kelsey asked him to remove it, but Piers wouldn't. Kelsey refused to do the interview, and Piers instituted a lifetime ban against him.
Gary Busey
We've already established that Howard Stern just doesn't get along with some people. Actor Gary Busey is one of them, and that got him banned from Howard's radio show. No big surprise on either side, really. So what happened? Gary, who at one point became best known for his unpredicatable and over-the-top behavior, got physical. He reportedly bear-hugged Howard's cohost Robin Quiver, then tackled Howard, ending with him getting banned from appearing on the show again.
Howie Mandel
Piers Morgan really doesn't take any crap. He also once banned his America's Got Talent costar, Howie Mandel, from his show. They famously did not get along when they were on AGT together, largely because Howie was keen on pranking Piers, who in turn banned Howie from his show once his stint on the reality competition series ended.
Piers Morgan
Retribution! Rosie O'Donnell banned Piers Morgan from The Rosie Show in retaliation for her friend Madonna. He probably never would have ended up on her show anyway, but she made it clear that she wouldn't have him. "Yes, I've banned Piers Morgan," she told Access Hollywood. "He banned Madonna for no reason when his show started, so I'm banning Piers Morgan. I don't have anybody banned, but if I have to make a list, he's on it."
Sandra Bernhard
Comedian Sandra Bernhard used to be a regular on Late Night With David Letterman in the late '80s and early '90s, but once Dave moved on to the Late Show, audiences didn't see the two together again. As is his way, Andy Cohen got all the dirt, and Sandra admitted on his show that she wasn't exactly sure what happened, but the last time she appeared on his show, Dave suspected she was bad-mouthing him. "Because he asked me last time I was on if I was trashing him, and I said, 'I've never, why would I trash you, Dave?'" she told Andy, according to Us Weekly.
