This post contains mention of sexual assault and domestic violence.
There are plenty of times when interviewers have been called out for their rude or invasive questions. Sometimes, however, it's the celeb who gives an answer that, in retrospect, they definitely shouldn't have.
Here are 13 interview and TV moments from famous men that have aged poorly:
1. In a recently resurfaced clip from Punk'd, Ashton Kutcher made a comment about waiting for his Cheaper by the Dozen costar Hilary Duff to reach the legal age of consent.
Watch the full clip below:
2. Similarly, in a 2013 Fuse interview, Machine Gun Kelly talked about wanting to date then-17-year-old Kendall Jenner, and he attempted to justify it by bringing up older musicians.
The full video is below:
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3. While promoting Avengers: Age of Ultron in a 2015 Digital Spy interview, Jeremy Renner and Chris Evans cracked themselves up slut-shaming Black Widow.
Watch the full clip below:
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In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Jeremy said, "I am sorry that this tasteless joke about a fictional character offended anyone. It was not meant to be serious in any way. Just poking fun during an exhausting and tedious press tour."
In his own statement, Chris said, "Yesterday we were asked about the rumors that Black Widow wanted to be in a relationship with both Hawkeye and Captain America. We answered in a juvenile and offensive way that rightfully angered some fans. I regret it and sincerely apologize."
In response, Alejandro told IndieWire, "It was like, 'Oh, you guys from your banana country.' If I were from Denmark or Sweden, I might be seen as philosophical, but when you're Mexican and you say things, you're pretentious."
5. Amid rumors of a "flirtation" with Taylor Swift in 2016, Matty Healy told Q, "If I had gone out with Taylor Swift, I would've been, 'Fucking hell! I am NOT being Taylor Swift's boyfriend.' You know, 'FUCK. THAT.' That's also a man thing, a de-masculinating, emasculating thing."
Following backlash to his comments, he said in now-deleted tweets, "Now I may admit to being an idiot on occasion, but I am not a misogynist. This suggestion makes me really sad. [...] I was for a very short time immersed in a celebrity world that I found confusing and scary. At that time, I had fears of being 'somebody's boyfriend' (remember this is all speculation as we never dated!) before even being recognized for my music or presence as a person in my own right. [...] I didn't even date Taylor, but the media's incessant and brutal obsession with her has meant that even a guy who DIDN'T DATE HER has been so battered by their never-ending questions that he's inevitably said something that can be lifted and molded into something that resembles 'shade'. It's really sad."
He went on to briefly date Taylor in 2023.
6. When the Red Hot Chili Peppers appeared on The James Whale Radio Show in the early '90s, the band was all over actor Cleo Rocos, with various members pushing her over furniture, going under her dress, rubbing her head, and kissing her arms and chest. James Whale pulled them off her while wrapping up the show.
The full video is below:
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7. In a 1991 interview on Larry King Live, Bill Cosby told a joke about using the purported aphrodisiac Spanish fly to get women to sleep with him. He was later accused of drugging and assaulting more than 60 women.
Here's the full video, with this clip starting at the 0:15 mark:
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8. When Tom Cruise appeared on Today in 2005, he openly criticized Brooke Shields for speaking out about her experience with taking prescription medication to treat postpartum depression. He accused her of "spreading misinformation" — while actually spreading misinformation himself.
Here's the full clip, with this part starting at the 7:48 mark:
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9. In an infamous 2010 Playboy interview, John Mayer used the n-word and made racially charged statements about his dating preferences. He also described his previous relationship with Jessica Simpson, saying, "That girl is like crack cocaine to me. Sexually it was crazy. That's all I’ll say. It was like napalm, sexual napalm. Did you ever say, 'I want to quit my life and just fucking snort you? If you charged me $10,000 to fuck you, I would start selling all my shit just to keep fucking you.'”
On Twitter, he apologized for the racial comments, writing, "Re: using the 'N word' in an interview: I am sorry that I used the word. And it's such a shame that I did because the point I was trying to make was in the exact opposite spirit of the word itself. It was arrogant of me to think I could intellectualize using it because I realize that there's no intellectualizing a word that is so emotionally charged. [...] And while I'm using today for looking at myself under harsh light, I think it's time to stop trying to be so raw in interviews ... I wanted to be a blues guitar player. And a singer. And a songwriter. Not a shock jock. I don't have the stomach for it."
In 2021, Jessica said on the Tamron Hall show, "No, I definitely don't feel that I am owed a public apology. I mean, you can't take it back. And I'm a very forgiving person, but I'm also honest. ... To talk about anybody sexually is kind of disrespectful, but that's on him."
10. After drinking on The Graham Norton Show in 2013, Mark Wahlberg pulled fellow guest Sarah Silverman into his arms.
A few minutes later, he climbed into Graham's lap, stroked his face, and touched his chest.
Here's the full video, with these moments taking place at the 6:13 mark and the 8:22 mark respectively:
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11. In 1965, Sean Connery told Playboy, "I don't think there is anything particularly wrong about hitting a woman, although I don't recommend doing it in the same way that you'd hit a man."
"If a woman is a bitch, or hysterical, or bloody-minded continually, then I'd do it," he said.
12. Then, in a 1987 interview, Barbara Walters called out Sean for his previous comments about hitting women — and he doubled down.
Here's the full clip, with this part starting at the 0:39 mark:
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13. And finally, while speaking to the Hollywood Reporter about harassment allegations against him in 2018, Jeffrey Tambor mentioned a "blowup" with his Arrested Development costar Jessica Walter, which he claimed he "profusely apologized" for. When the New York Times brought it up in an interview with the entire cast, her other male costars seemingly tried to downplay it and make excuses, with one saying that Jeffrey "learned from the experience and he's listening and learning and growing."
Jason Bateman said, "This is a family, and families, you know, have love, laughter, arguments — again, not to belittle it, but a lot of stuff happens in 15 years. [...] I can say that no matter what anybody in this room has ever done — and we've all done a lot, with each other, for each other, against each other — I wouldn't trade it for the world, and I have zero complaints."
Will Arnett joked, "I can say that I keyed Bateman's car. I never admitted that. Because I was like, look at this guy, taking up a spot and a half."
David Cross added, "You know, one thing that Jeffrey has said a number of times that I think is important, that you don’t often hear from somebody in his position, is that he learned from the experience and he’s listening and learning and growing. That’s important to remember."
After Jeffrey talked about putting his past behavior behind him, Jason said, "Again, not to belittle it or excuse it or anything, but in the entertainment industry it is incredibly common to have people who are, in quotes, 'difficult.' And when you’re in a privileged position to hire people, or have an influence in who does get hired, you make phone calls. [...] And what you learn is context."
Alia Shawkat, however, replied, "But that doesn't mean it’s acceptable. And the point is that things are changing, and people need to respect each other differently."
Then, in tears, Jessica said, "Let me just say one thing that I just realized in this conversation. I have to let go of being angry at him. [...] But it's hard because honestly — Jason says this happens all the time. In like almost 60 years of working, I’ve never had anybody yell at me like that on a set. And it’s hard to deal with, but I’m over it now. I just let it go right here, for the New York Times."
Jason Bateman later apologized to Jessica on Twitter, writing, "Based on listening to the NYT interview and hearing people’s thoughts online, I realize that I was wrong here. I sound like I'm condoning yelling at work. I do not. It sounds like I'm excusing Jeffery. I do not. It sounds like I'm insensitive to Jessica. I am not."
He added, "I'm incredibly embarrassed and deeply sorry to have done that to Jessica. This is a big learning moment for me. I shouldn't have tried so hard to mansplain, or fix a fight, or make everything okay. I should've focused more on what the most important...part of it all is - there’s never any excuse for abuse, in any form, from any gender. And, the victim’s voice needs to be heard and respected. Period."
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website.