Celebrity Confessions That Left Us With More Questions Than Answers

Savvy media folks possess an arsenal of techniques aimed at prying tasty morsels of information from celebrities. Whether one wants to know about the personal lives of the Hollywood elite or the precise opinions of the most controversial figures in America, a journalist normally has a specific method of figuring out the good stuff. For example, former shock-jock Howard Stern is a master at forming an empathetic delivery, enticing a Hollywood luminary to loosen up and reveal a nugget that fans can't resist devouring. Podcaster Joe Rogan is far less bombastic, instead relying on his personal curiosity to create a conversation. 

Either way, Tinsel Town's more seasoned elite are generally hip to such techniques. Most of the lot have the good sense to seal their lips when faced with gaggles of scribes and paparazzi, which can be overwhelming and even hostile, depending on the celebrity's notoriety. But it's usually during a relatively more comfortable tête à tête setting when the tell-all trap is set. When the chit-chat gets informal, an unwitting celebrity might unearth a secret or an embarrassing confession that can draw attention to themselves and hopefully sell the wares that warranted a booking in the first place. 

Of course, in a town like Hollywood, if it's juicy enough, there's little doubt it will get the attention it deserves.

Comedian Tim Allen might come across as squeaky clean, a prominent trait in sitcoms like "Home Improvement" and "Last Man Standing," but in October 1978, he was hardly a model citizen. That year, Allen was arrested in Kalamazoo, Michigan, after police discovered more than a pound of cocaine in his suitcase, enough to convince them that he was distributing the stuff, which today would boast a street value of $38,000 per kilo, or 2.2 lbs. "I was an F-up," Allen admitted to comedian Marc Maron, attributing his wild years and criminal behavior to alcohol consumption, which spiked after his dad died in a car accident. "I knew exactly what adults wanted — make your bed, be polite, use a napkin — and then I'd go steal everything in the house."

Timing also wasn't on his side. A month earlier, Michigan legislators passed a law stating anyone convicted with more than 650 grams (1.4 lbs) of cocaine or heroin automatically received a life sentence. Allen's drug trafficking sentence was reduced to two years and four months, only after he supplied vital information on his trafficking partners. Once out of the Big House, Allen tried standup comedy, then took his act to Los Angeles, which spawned the TV career for which he is known today. Allen also quit drinking after his release and credits sobriety for his turnaround. "Grateful is the word," he said to Maron. "I love my life."

"Frozen" and "Veronica Mars" star Kristen Bell has a rather squeaky clean reputation, although a few instances of what she's done recreationally might have detractors thinking she's every bit as loose as one of the "Bad Moms" she portrayed onscreen in 2016. For openers, Bell admitted to one particular indulgence on an episode of the "WTF with Marc Maron" podcast in 2018. "Weed's my drug of choice for sure," said Bell. "I can't do it around my kids which is a phenomenal amount of hours each week." Instead, Bell likes to vape her grass once a week, usually on Sunday night before she and husband Dax Sheppard settle down to watch "60 Minutes."  Her remarks on the podcast had Twitter in a frenzy, with several angry respondents questioning her parenting skills while others supported her discretionary use of the substance.

Bell was just as transparent relating to an experience with some hallucinogenic fungi. "I have never really done any drugs and I wanted to try mushrooms for my 40th birthday, so my husband had gotten them for me and I tried it," she told Jimmy Kimmel in November 2022. Bell added that she was fearful of her relatively more conservative mother finding out. That didn't stop her from telling her two children about what she consumed, realizing later that one of them might spill the beans to their grandmother. Much to her chagrin, one of them did. 

Rapper Cardi B has never made it a secret that she used to be a stripper in New York before shifting gears into the world of hip-hop. But none of those notorious shenanigans could compare to a startling admission she made in an audio file that emerged on Twitter in 2019. In a rather animated rant loaded with too many expletives to be mentioned in this space, Cardi basically admitted to luring men to hotel rooms, where she drugged them before stealing their valuables and making a fast exit. Reaction to the post was divided, with some detractors wanting her locked up for criminal behavior even though she was never charged for her actions, while supporters acknowledged that sometimes folks had to resort to extreme methods to survive the mean streets of New York. 

Others wondered whether her wild past continues to dog her, as she continues to court controversy surrounding her relationships and run-ins with rival rappers. As for whether the entry would tarnish her reputation, Vox dismissed that possibility, as Cardi B's tempestuous past played a huge part in crafting her image. In a Twitter follow-up, the performer admitted she wasn't exactly proud of what she'd done. "I made the choices I did at the time because I had very limited options," she wrote. "I was blessed with being able to rise from that, but so many women have not."

If blood is thicker than water, then Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly would be great examples of that sentiment. After all, the two got engaged in January 2022 under a banyan tree and included a plasma exchange. Or to put it more succinctly in Fox's own words on Instagram, "... and then we drank each other's blood." 

Although we still might not be entirely comfortable with it, fans can rest assured that such a bizarre ingestion wasn't synonymous with symptoms of bat-morphing or even an aversion to crosses and garlic. In fact, even Fox admitted that her description of the act was a tad misleading. "People are imagining us with goblets, and we're like 'Game of Thrones' drinking each other's blood," she said (per Glamour UK). "It's just a few drops, but yes, we do consume each other's blood on occasion for ritual purposes only."

Fox never revealed what sacred order sanctions that ritual, although the "Transformers" star, who was raised as a Pentecostal, also dabbles in tarot cards and astrology. Disturbingly, Fox said to Glamour that Kelly is a more willing participant. "He's much more haphazard and hectic and chaotic, where he's willing to just like cut his chest open with broken glass and be like, 'Take my soul. Let me bleed on you.'" If bloodletting is an act of love, is an even scarier ritual in order when they fight? 

Folks eager to believe their favorite stars are scrubbed from bow to stern right down to a glossy finish should be prepared for disappointment when the topic of actor Jake Gyllenhaal's hygienic habits rears its dirty head. The "Brokeback Mountain" and "Nightcrawler" star revealed to Vanity Fair in 2021 that he doesn't bathe that often, believing a regular shower regimen isn't necessary. "More and more I find bathing to be less necessary, at times," he said. "But I do also think that there's a whole world of not bathing that is also really helpful for skin maintenance, and we naturally clean ourselves."

Ordinarily, those comments would lead to further curiosity surrounding other ways that the star would compromise his grooming regimen. But Gyllenhaal's remarks had tabloids and social media working overtime as folks chimed in on their perspectives on bathing, until the actor declared he was being "sarcastic and ironic" about the issue. Had Gyllenhaal stuck to his original story, he would have been part of a legion of Hollywood elites who claim they don't shower regularly, a list that includes Brad Pitt, Charlize Theron, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Coco Austin (per Los Angeles Weekly). 

But there's reason to suspect that Gyllenhaal might have backpedaled on his revelation. He previously inked a deal with Prada to star in a promotion of its new Luna Rassa Ocean fragrance, and allegations of irregular bathing probably didn't go over well with the company.

Thanks to a certain leaked X-rated tape, tons of nude Instagram pics, and all those reality TV shows, audiences probably know more about Kim Kardashian than they need to. One exploit involved a fireplace session with "Saturday Night Live" alum and former boyfriend Pete Davidson. Add a vivid description of Davidson's anatomy — courtesy of his ex-girlfriend Ariana Grande — and Kardashian discovered one log too valuable to be chucked into the fire. But where things got a little weird was when she dragged her grandmother into the mix.

Kardashian shared that experience with sister Khloe, mother Kris Jenner, and 88-year-old grandmother Mary Jo Shannon during an episode of the Hulu-streamed reality series "The Kardashians." Hanging with Davidson one night in front of the fireplace in the Beverly Hills Hotel, she described how things got heated. "I was like, 'My grandma told me that you really live life when you have sex in front of the fireplace,'" she said. "And so we had sex in front of the fireplace to honor you." While Shannon was concerned that the event took place in front of the fireplace in the lobby, her granddaughter assured her it actually happened in their suite (per TMZ). 

Just when that Hulu audience was presumably suffering from shudders of revulsion over that octogenarian notion, Kim took the words out of everyone's mouths when she said, "How creepy to think about your grandma before you have sex."

It's already public record that Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher don't regularly shower, an item they revealed in 2021 on the "Armchair Expert" podcast. "I didn't have hot water growing up as a child so I didn't shower very much anyway," said Kunis. But what's particularly divided pop culture fanatics, especially on social media, is that they've passed on that regimen to their two kids. "I wasn't that parent that bathed my newborns, ever," Kunis said, as she was concerned about washing away their natural bodily oils. "If you can see the dirt on them, clean them," added Kutcher about cleaning the tykes at toddlerhood. "Otherwise, there's no point."

The debate over childhood hygiene automatically jumped over to the Internet, where folks stated their position on the issue, many of them demonstrating disapproval of the couple's parenting option (per Buzzfeed). But apparently, Kunis and Kutcher have medical science in their corner. The Academy of American Dermatology Association remarked that a daily bath isn't necessary for most children, especially those ages 6-11, who require the water treatment at least once a week. Other occasions that warrant a bath include after swimming, and when kids get muddy, sweaty, or carry an odor. Granted, their kids aren't infants anymore, but one hygienic advantage the Hollywood household could have pointed out was that their method also decreased the likelihood of throwing any of their babies out with the bathwater.

Melissa McCarthy may have shocked theater patrons with her sink-sitting scene in "Bridesmaids," but it turns out that Jennifer Lawrence became quite the pro at doing her personal business at the basin when she was younger. During an MTV interview back in 2015, shortly after her breakout movie "The Hunger Games" came out, Lawrence admitted that a night of imbibing at a bar sometimes resulted in her having to relieve herself in the bathroom sink. 

"When two girls go into the bathroom, someone's got to take the sink, and I actually like taking the sink," she said with a devilish expression. "One could wait, but if the one waiting is me, she's going to the sink." Before she leaked that piece of toilet trivia, Lawrence also admitted she doesn't wash her hands once she's done.

While fans wondered what other unsanitary habits Lawrence was holding back, she later admitted that the hand-washing part of her confessions was an attempt to make "Hunger Games" co-stars Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson squeamish. "I told MTV I didn't wash my hands after going to the bathroom because I was trying to gross out Josh and Liam, and I ended up grossing out the world," she said on Facebook. "Of course, I wash my hands after going to the bathroom!" As far as using the sink for something else, here's hoping stardom allows her better access to stalls these days.

Lizzo has put in a great deal of sweat equity into her stellar ascent, but the "About Damn Time" singer isn't about to tamper with the sweet smell of success, or for that matter, the succulent scent of excess. Nope, Lizzo isn't one to reach for a speed stick to layer her pits, as she claims she prefers her own natural aroma. Her inspiration — or perspiration – for her grooming decision — dates back to 2005, when Matthew McConaughey declared that a man should smell like "a man. I haven't worn deodorant in 20 years." Citing Instagram's Hollywood Unlocked, which ran a meme claiming that McConaughey hadn't dabbed his bod with deodorant in 35 years, Lizzo remarked on her Instagram page, "Okay ... I'm with him on this one ... I stopped using deodorant and I smell BETTER."  

Celebrity stances on those products are an offshoot of a bathing debate that has numerous luminaries opting to wash less frequently, an issue covered in Shape in 2021. That folks like Lizzo and McConaughey are taking a position on deodorant might pose a question over the harm such health products might inflict on the skin. One 2014 paper in the Archives of Dermatological Research found that regular applications of deodorant can boost the formation of more odor-producing bacteria. That said, the Academy of American Dermatology Association reported that using antiperspirants is safe, although an occasional break from them will eventually restore that bacterial balance.

Fans who dug the musical series "Glee" ever since its 2009 debut might recall the chemistry between stars Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff. But much of that interaction was kindled a few years earlier when they first met for an edgy Broadway production of "Spring Awakening" that not only saw them play star-crossed lovers but participants in one rather risqué sex scene onstage. Michele remarked to Variety she found such moments overwhelming at times. "It was very challenging material to handle, and I do know how lucky we are because I know that people are not as fortunate to be in safe environments on set," she said. 

It turned out backstage was also a safe environment for the two to work together. At the time, Groff was still closeted, and on one occasion he asked Michele to supply some critical background information. "At one point, I literally showed him my whole vagina," she said in the HBO documentary celebrating the 15th anniversary of the production. "He was like: 'I've never seen a woman's vagina before. Would you show me?' And I was like, 'Sure.' And I took a desk lamp ... and showed him. That's how close we are." The casual nature of that gesture might have surprised fans who hadn't seen the play and were accustomed to seeing Michele in a more PG setting like "Glee," but Groff undoubtedly appreciated the help. 

Who knows what talents might arise when an actor goes to great lengths to get into character? You can't get more graphic than "Twilight" heartthrob Robert Pattinson, who claimed he's pleasured himself in front of the camera for several movies, including the 2020 outing "Little Ashes," in which he played one of the best-known surrealist artists of the 20th century. "I played Salvador Dali and had to do a lot of scenes where I was naked, and I also had to masturbate," he said to Germany's Interview magazine (via HuffPost). "My orgasm face is recorded for eternity." Pattinson commented that he literally had to perform that task, since he believed there was no way he could fake that act. 

Choosing arcane roles was one way for Pattinson to escape the shallow stereotyping that would have been part of the package of the massively successful "Twilight" saga, as he opted to work with artsier, darker films directed by the likes of David Cronenberg and Claire Denis. Ironically, Pattinson's created a more visibly disturbing stigma in his portfolio. "In the last three or four movies, I've got a masturbation scene," he said to Variety, shortly after the release of "Lighthouse" in 2019. "I did it in 'High Life.' I did it in 'Damsel.' And 'The Devil All the Time.' I only realized when I did it the fourth time." Pattinson finally broke that streak in 2022 with the March release of "The Batman."

Fans of Joe Rogan regularly tune in to hear what the controversial podcaster will say next. He's his own tough act to follow, given his ability to stir a social media hornet's nest in the wake of comments ranging from alleged transphobia and COVID vaccine denial to using racist language and inviting ultra-right-wing supporters to his show. But one Movember 2021 episode of the "Joe Rogan Experience" not only crossed the TMI line, it left audiences with some optics they would rather soon forget. 

It was when Rogan and guests Shane Gillis, Mark Normand, and Ari Shaffir were chatting about manscaping posterior hair when the host casually dropped one disturbingly hot potato. "I could s*** my own d*** if I wanted to," he said on his Spotify podcast. "I'm super flexible. I've never done it, but I've put it around my face just to know I could do it." When his guests emitted a chorus of denials, Rogan casually explained the contortions he had to undertake to achieve such a self-fulfilling act.

Almost immediately, Twitter erupted with feedback over Rogan's remarks, most of them posting humorous responses at Rogan's expense, including one user who simply commented, "I'm starting to think this dude kind of sucks." Interestingly, in February 2022, Spotify removed at least 70 episodes the company deemed offensive to viewers. That rather personal episode (#1728 for those keeping tabs) wasn't one of them (per Digital Media News).

Anyone enduring health classes back in school will most likely remember one mantra that stresses brushing teeth three times a day to ward off cavities and that nasty Novocaine needle, while raking in the social benefits of showing off those pearly white choppers. It turns out singer Jessica Simpson doesn't stick to that regimen, although her photogenic maw hardly looks like a piano keyboard sporting an array of busted ivories. 

Back in 2010, Simpson, a guest on "The Ellen Show," said that she only brushed three times a week. "My teeth are so white, and I don't like them to feel too slippery," she said to host Ellen DeGeneres. "I do use, like, Listerine, and I do floss every day, but I don't brush them every day. I'll use, like a shirt or something." When Simpson recognized that the audience wasn't a big fan of this particular reveal, she admitted that her oral routine was weird, yet claimed she always has fresh breath.

It might have sounded like a betrayal of what educators have told folks in the past, especially the American Dental Association, which stated that brushing 30 hours annually would trump two hours in a dentist's chair. Evidently, the news cycle surrounding Simpson's reluctance to regularly scrub those teeth was so prominent, TMZ scooped its competition with an exclusive interview with Simpson at a New York airport, where she declared she actually brushed that day. Added Simpson's mother accompanying her, "I went over all of her hygiene habits, just so she can remember them."

Actor Will Smith certainly had a lot to answer for after slapping Chris Rock across the face at the 2022 Oscars when the comedian uttered a rather weak joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Months later, he broke his silence over the event with an apology to Rock on his YouTube channel. "Disappointing people is my central trauma," he said. "And the work I'm trying to do is, I am deeply remorseful, and I'm trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself." 

That trauma he mentioned may have germinated from horrific childhood memories surrounding his parents. "When I was 9 years old, I saw my father beat up my mother and I didn't do anything," he said to David Letterman on his Netflix-streamed talk show. "And that just left a traumatic impression of myself as a coward." That episode, recorded before the slap, came out two months after the Oscars.

Smith confirmed months later to Trevor Noah on "The Daily Show" that his parents' altercation contributed to his behavior at the Oscars. "It was a lot of things," he remarked. "It was the little boy that watched his father beat up his mother. All of that just bubbled up in that moment. That's not who I want to be."

Some of Hollywood's more outgoing celebs like to dish out a few salacious details here and there, yet leave out enough to keep folks guessing. Then there are others who love to amp the raunch beyond TMI tolerance. Model Chrissy Teigen particularly belongs in the latter category, and in 2014, she left very little to the imagination about one airline escapade with her husband, musician John Legend. 

The two were flying to see her parents in Thailand, and even though Teigan said they were flying commercial first-class, with all the comforts in that exclusive part of that cabin, enduring a 17-hour flight is still a challenge. So, Teigen and Legend decided to pass the time by having sex in their seats. "We were under a blanket," she said to Cosmopolitan. "We weren't even in one of those pod things. I feel like we should get a trophy for that."

And with that, the couple officially became members of the Mile High Club, a badge of honor for those who do the nasty while flying the ultra-friendly skies. Reportedly, it's a legion with scores of celebrities that include Kris and Caitlyn Jenner, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Barbra Streisand, and Janet Jackson. While amusing to most, it's likely that a contingent of fans might disapprove, including Teigen's parents. Said Teigen in the same interview, "Mom and Dad are going to nail me for this!"