Celebrity Confessions That Went Terribly Wrong

Being a celebrity might seem glamorous and like the greatest thing that could happen to someone, and let's face it — it probably is for the most part. Making boatloads of money, getting perks wherever you go, having millions of fans who adore you, that's not too shabby. But there is a downside to that coveted life for many a celebrity, and that's the lack of privacy. The very real fact that you almost can't do anything without the whole world knowing it. And considering celebs are human, just like the rest of us, and therefore make mistakes, we all get a front row seat for whatever faux pas they've committed, thanks to the press. Even though Hollywood still loves Hugh Grant, many can't forget his 1995 mugshot alongside Divine Brown after being arrested for lewd conduct. And nothing could make us forget Kanye's stage-side admission to Taylor Swift.

But even if somehow a star's behavior or inappropriate thoughts or words slip by the general public — or maybe occurred back before they were famous — some celebs throw themselves under the bus, either on purpose or by accident. Celebrity confessions can either make us more endeared to the person, who now seems not that different from ourselves, or bring scrutiny from the masses that the celebrity might not have been prepared for. So, let's take a look at some of those celebrity confessions that went terribly wrong.

Back in 1999, when people were apprehensive about the millennium with stories of something earth-shattering or devastating loomed, their fears turned to shock and confusion when Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie became a couple. The two had just appeared in the movie "Pushing Tin" together and after a short time dating, they ended up getting married in May 2000. Of course, all eyes were on this unusual pairing, and it wasn't long before the press snapped pics of them, showing the two were clearly wearing some sort of matching necklaces — which turned out to be little vials of each other's blood. There were also rumors of the couple having some sort of "dungeon" in their home, which Thornton later explained to Hollywood Reporter was actually a recording studio.

But the necklaces were very real, and as Thornton clarified in his 2014 interview with the publication, they were Jolie's idea. "You know those lockets you buy that are clear and you put a picture of your grannie in and wear it around your neck? She bought two of those," he said. He went on to explain the reason was because they were apart, working on different movies, so they each smeared a bit of blood in a locket so the other could have a piece of them when they weren't together. Thornton likened it to a mother carrying around a piece of her baby's hair. 

From the start of his celebrity status, Matt Damon portrayed a "regular guy vibe" not unlike his street-smart character, Will," from the Oscar-winning film "Good Will Hunting," which put him on the map. As the decades unfolded, he transformed into an A-List actor, garnering roles in blockbuster movies. He married Luciana Barroso in 2005, and the couple has four daughters — one of which called Dad out for inappropriate language, something Damon himself shared in an interview, causing backlash from the general public.

In August 2021, Damon was interviewed by The Times to promote his movie "Stillwater." Part of the focus was how movies and movie-watching has changed. Possibly as another example of change, Damon said, "The word that my daughter calls the 'f-slur for a homosexual' was commonly used when I was a kid, with a different application." He went on to say he'd made a joke and his daughter was upset, left the room, and proceeded to write a "very long, beautiful treatise" about the dangers of the word.

Twitter users wasted no time responding. One user wrote, "everyone acting all surprised about Matt Damon using a slur like they never heard about his early days in Boston."Another wrote, "the only thing that's truly surprising about the Matt Damon slur thing is that he might have actually stopped using that word." Others criticized Damon for his follow-up interview in Variety, in which he denied ever using the word in his personal life, claiming he was saying it had been used "constantly and casually."

Of course, pop star Madonna needs no introduction. She's no stranger to pushing the envelope, following her own path, and being a trailblazer, but after four decades in the spotlight, her no-limits philosophy might have hit a roadblock in October of 2022. Madonna posted a series of four images on her Instagram stories on October 20th, each with a different word written on them. When put together, the sentence reads, "I was not circumsized [sic]." In the final shot, it appears as if she removed the sheer blue skirt she was wearing and draped it over her head.

The reaction to the bizarre post quickly spread through social media with comments not just about what she wrote but also about her appearance. One tweeted, "She won't go away if you keep covering her desperation to be relevant," while another commented, "She looks like a weird cross between Jeffree Star and Marylin Manson."

Some of the comments about Madonna (who released "Finally Enough Love" in 2022) trying to remain relevant might have been fueled by another social media post she made less than two weeks before her Instagram declaration. This time, an October 9 TikTok video in which Madonna hinted at being gay. The singer held a pair of pink underwear while the words on the screen read, "If I miss, I'm gay." She threw the panties, clearly with little effort, and missed.

Going through a divorce when the whole world has a front row seat makes the whole thing exponentially more difficult. For Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, that struggle lasted almost three years since they announced their separation in 2015 but didn't officially divorce until 2018. Before the divorce, in March of 2017, Affleck shared on Facebook that he had completed alcohol addiction treatment, saying, "I'm lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I've done the work I set out to do."

An admirable thing to be open and honest about his downfall and fight to overcome the addiction. But Affleck didn't leave it at that. In December of 2021, he appeared on "The Howard Stern Show" and shared his reasons for drinking as well as his motivation to get sober. "Part of why I started drinking was because I was trapped," he said (via Daily Mail). "I was like, 'I can't leave because of my kids, but I'm not happy, what do I do?'" And what he did was drink.

Unfortunately, his admission set off a firestorm of social media comments. One Twitter account posted, "@JLo Hope Ben realizes his kids will see that interview!" Another called him a "disgusting person." Affleck did a follow-up interview with "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to counter the criticism, which he said twisted his words. "I would never want my kids to think I would ever say a bad word about their mom," he said.

Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence has been described as talented, beautiful, tall — even clumsy and gracious after her 2013 stumble on the steps at the Academy Awards. The actor is no stranger to self-deprecating humor or an occasional drift into TMI territory, but one admission got the actor in hot water with fans.

While on "The Graham Norton Show" in 2016, Lawrence shared a story of a time they were filming "Hunger Games" in Hawaii. Apparently, there were some sacred rocks where they were shooting, and you weren't supposed to sit on them. According to Lawrence the reason was because "you're not supposed to expose your genitalia to them." As she explained it, she was wearing a wetsuit and felt that was okay but unfortunately while sitting there her bottom began to itch, and the rock provided the perfect tool to relieve it. Unfortunately, her actions somehow jarred the boulder loose and it rolled toward a crewmember. "All the Hawaiians were like 'Oh my God. It's the curse,'" she said, "and I'm in the corner, like, going, 'I'm your curse.'"

The story didn't hit the way she might have expected, with viewers calling her disrespectful and asking for an apology, which Lawrence did in a since-deleted Facebook post. She wrote, "I meant absolutely no disrespect to the Hawaiian people. I really thought that I was being self-deprecating about the fact that I was 'the curse.'" Still, there were those who didn't feel her apology was genuine, sparking a whole new thread about the actor.

Liam Neeson might have "a special set of skills," but that doesn't give the "Taken" actor a pass when the general public call him out on potentially dangerous and racist comments. In February of 2019, Neeson met with the Independent as part of the promotion for his current film, "Cold Pursuit." The topic of revenge came up, as his character is seeking revenge for his son's death. Neeson said he had a story from his past to share, something he'd never shared before.

As he told it, someone in his life told him she was raped, and Neeson immediately started asking her for a description, anything to go on to find this person. The woman said it was a Black man. Then Neeson hit the streets each night, scanning faces. But, the chilling part of the story was the actor's mindset. "I did it for maybe a week, hoping some 'Black bastard' would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know, so that I could kill him," he said. He said it was horrible, but that he learned violence and revenge would only cause more violence.

Of course, those shocked and angered took to social media to condemn the actor, who bounced back in a "GMA" interview, saying, "I'm not a racist." But his apology didn't keep the premiere of "Cold Pursuit" from being canceled, unfortunately.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

If you thought Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton's declaration of love with blood vials was disturbing, you're going to love this one. Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly, who got engaged in January of 2022, admittedly drink each other's blood. To announce their engagement, Fox and Kelly each posted on Instagram: Kelly, showing a video of Fox wearing the unique engagement ring that includes both an emerald and a diamond, and Fox posting a video of Kelly proposing under a banyan tree. She wrote, "And just as in every lifetime before this one, and as in every lifetime that will follow it, I said yes... and then we drank each other's blood."

The threads this declaration prompted were more an opportunity for people to showcase their comedic skills than people being appalled at the practice. One user wrote, "Blood ain't going to cut it, somebody give this dude a sandwich." Another commented, "Billy Bob & Angelina already did this. As Millennials we need to be original when trying to be shock value entertainers. Do better."

In April 2022, Fox took the opportunity during a Glamour UK interview to set the record straight, first commenting about the word "drank" and how maybe some were misled to imagine a much larger quantity. "It's just a few drops, but yes, we do consume each other's blood on occasion for ritual purposes only," she said, though she added that Kelly would be more than happy to give more.

"I have a past I can't change we all do," Cardi B wrote in a March 2019 Twitter post after an inflammatory Instagram Live of the rapper's from three years prior resurfaced, prompting shock and outrage. In it, Cardi B confesses that she used to drug and rob men when she was working as a stripper.

In the wake of this admission coming to light not only were people voicing their displeasure on social media but some were comparing her to Bill Cosby and R. Kelly, with a hashtag of #survivingcardiB showing up and at least one alleged victim coming forward. New Yorker Kevin Smith claims to have experienced one of those nights with Cardi B, losing consciousness and waking to personal items missing.

In her Twitter explanation post, Cardi B wrote, "Im [sic] apart of a hip hop culture where you can talk about where you come from talk about the wrong things you had to do to get where you are." The responses to that were mixed between those ready to forgive and those calling it a double-standard. She also wrote, "I always own my s**t." Which seems fitting since in September of 2022, the rapper pleaded guilty to assault charges stemming from a 2018 altercation in a nightclub. This was for two attacks on employees of the Angels nightclub in New York.

Neil Patrick Harris is arguably one of the most likable stars in Hollywood, but that doesn't make him immune to public scrutiny. Harris, an award-winning actor, singer, and host, came out as gay in 2006, amid speculation about his sexuality. "The public eye has always been kind to me, and until recently I have been able to live a pretty normal life..." he shared with People. And from there, he seemed to be an open book, including about his relationship with David Burtka, whom he married in 2014 and shares two children with. But, the "How I Met Your Mother" actor would learn that some pages should be left unread.

In 2015, Harris appeared on "The Wendy Williams Show" and revealed what many felt was inappropriate feelings for an "underage" male — Nick Jonas, to be precise. At the time, the question (who's your celebrity crush?) and the answer seemed innocent enough, except maybe when he added, "And he was really good-looking before it was kind of allowed to think he was good-looking, which was a bit of a problem. You kinda had to wait until he turned to be, you know, 19 to 20."

In 2022 when the video resurfaced, viewers did a double take. The reshare on TikTok garnered hundreds of critical comments with some responding to those condemning Harris, saying it's a double standard to call him out, referencing past comments made from the public about Emma Watson and The Olsen twins.

In 2020, Sharon Osbourne appeared on the BBC comedy game show "Would I Lie to You?" which features celebrities who tell elaborate, funny, or embarrassing stories about themselves, and the others have to decide if they're true. For Sharon Osbourne's turn, she claimed to have fired her assistant after a traumatic house fire, giving the reason that he had no sense of humor. When the other players questioned her, she recounted the details of the evening.

According to Osbourne, she and husband, Ozzy Osbourne, went to bed and left a giant candle burning, which started a fire in the living room. And when the assistant came into the room, Sharon directed him to first get the dogs, then save all the paintings. The assistant found the dogs but apparently drew the line at collecting the paintings. Sharon said when she found him outside wearing an oxygen mask, "I took the mask, and I put it on my dog." Later when the event was over, she and Ozzy laughed about it while the assistant didn't think it was funny. "'If you don't think that's funny, do you think this is funny?' And he goes, 'What?' I said, 'You're fired,'" Sharon said.

Fans took to Twitter, calling Sharon a "horrible person," with one user saying, "That's some evil right there," and another commenting, "No wonder Ozzy did drugs." And while Sharon had pressed the "truth" button on the show, she later said on The Talk that she was kidding and didn't fire the assistant until years later.

It's a wonderful world when people can come out publicly about themselves, share their truth, and be applauded for it — unfortunately for Kevin Spacey, that wasn't the case. His ill-timed coming out party came on the heels of sexual abuse accusations from fellow actor Anthony Rapp, who was only 14 at the time of the incident. 

According to an interview Rapp gave to BuzzFeed News, he and Spacey were both appearing on Broadway and went to some of the same celebrations. After one night out, Rapp ended up at Spacey's apartment, wandered into his bedroom to watch TV, and at some point, realized everyone had left. Spacey — who seemed drunk — came into the room. "He picked me up like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold," he told the outlet. "But I don't, like, squirm away initially, because I'm like, 'What's going on?' And then he lays down on top of me."

Spacey took to Twitter for a public apology which turned into an admission: "I choose now to live as a gay man." Not only did the actor catch heat for turning Rapp's traumatic experience into something personal, he would later face Rapp, who filed suit, and many others who came out publicly, as well. Though in November 2022 Spacey was found not liable in the $40 million civil suit, he still has to pay damages to the producer of his "House of Cards" series as well as facing more sexual assault charges.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Alicia Silverstone, most known for her 1995 role as Cher in "Clueless," might just be as unique as the character she played. In 2011, she gave birth to a son, Bear Blue, and less than a year later, she sparked controversy in a viral video of herself feeding Bear from her mouth after chewing the food for him. She also posted about it on her website The Kind Life under the parenting section. Subsequently, her blog received thousands of comments with many calling it "gross" and "unhygienic." The actor responded to the criticism, saying it's something that has been done for thousands of years.

In 2022, Silverstone revealed on "The Ellen Fisher Podcast," "Bear and I still sleep together," adding, "and I'll be in trouble for saying that, but I don't really care." And she was right as once again the reaction was not all positive. The hosts of "The View" passed the idea around the table, starting with a grimacing Whoopi Goldberg. When it came to Sara Haines, she said not sleeping with her children was about mental health. "For our mental health and their mental health, because I want them to be self-soothing sleepers." Joy Behar said she had no problem with the concept.

As someone who is both forthcoming about her parenting and often widely criticized, Silverstone simply says, "I'm a natural mama, and I'm a loving mama, and I believe in love, and I believe in nature, and our society is scared of nature and scared of love."