The Most Awkward Red Carpet Wardrobe Malfunctions Ever

The term "wardrobe malfunction" hasn't been around for very long. It only entered the lexicon after the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show. That's when Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson had a brief breast exposure. He apologized for the incident at the 2004 Grammys, and from there, everyone knew what a wardrobe malfunction was. Granted, clothing problems have always been around. Still, only recently have they become the stuff of embarrassing legend, and that's largely thanks to the Internet.

Every time someone has a wardrobe malfunction, the pictures go viral, and they never disappear, so a tear or slip lasts forever. Therefore, when someone walks the red carpet at an event, it's always important that they look their best. Beautiful gowns and elaborate tuxedos often show up at everything from a celebrity's birthday bash to the premiere of a summer blockbuster. No matter who attends, there will be a lot of glitz and glamour, which often manifests in some of the most amazing outfits ever debuted. This is especially true of award shows like the Oscars.

There are surely opportunities for those elaborate gowns to break or sway in ways the designer may not have intended. The resulting wardrobe malfunction often takes center stage when something like that happens, and it becomes the talk of the town. Sometimes, these fashion fiascos prove to be incredibly awkward for the stars and others in attendance.

Cara Delevingne is easily one of the most famous model-turned-actors working today, so when she steps out of the house, people take notice. Delevingne is often the subject of paparazzi looking to catch her in photos doing just about anything, and she's had a few wardrobe malfunctions over the years. They don't always occur while she's walking a red carpet, but that does happen from time to time.

While attending the "Pan" premiere in September 2015, Delevingne gave attendees on the red carpet a shock when she bent over to speak with some fans. Her dress lifted a bit too much as she leaned toward them, exposing her bottom to the world. It wasn't the first time the actor shared her bum with anyone who had access to the Internet. Less than two months earlier, Delevingne was snapped bending over into an SUV, which exposed her rear-end to the people standing behind her.

Delevingne had more of a traditional garment malfunction while attending the Dior Cruise 2022 show in Greece. The silk fringe on her dress became entangled, but it didn't take long for her to get some help. Anya Taylor-Joy was quick to comb her fingers through Delevingne's tangled skirt, making sure nothing was exposed that didn't need to be. Delevingne posted on her Insta about the incident, writing, "Find people that will tell you when you have something in your teeth, and when you need it most, tell you things you may not want to hear."

Rumer Willis has been making a name for herself since she launched her professional career. While she appeared as a child in many of her parents' movies over the years, she's since developed into a talented actor with credits that include Broadway's "Chicago." She's also landed several prominent television roles and is well-known for her time on "90210," "Empire," and "Dancing with the Stars." Like her parents, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, Rumer has been filmed throughout her life, and some of her exposure is more ... exposed than she might have liked.

Willis suffered a rather embarrassing wardrobe malfunction while attending the Elle Women in Music event in April 2014. The actor wore a black crop top with a matching skirt featuring large cutouts and exposing much of her right thigh and hip. For the most part, the outfit was daring and incredibly flattering. Still, it offered a relatively simple problem when Willis turned to the side. The large hole in her skirt shifted in just the wrong way to reveal what was underneath.

While Willis was clearly comfortable showing off her legs, it's likely she wasn't interested in flashing her undergarments to everyone in attendance that night. The exposed bit was only visible for a small fraction of time. However, it was enough for several photographers to capture the moment on video and still photography. As is the case with everything on the Internet, the picture is out there and will, unfortunately, never go away.

Sofia Vergara has been a massive celebrity ever since the first episode of "Modern Family" hit the airwaves in 2009. She quickly became a major player in Hollywood and, like everyone on this list, a favorite target of the paparazzi. Despite their attempts to capture her in an unflattering light, that's not something that happens when a camera is pointed Vergara's way, so she doesn't have a ton of wardrobe malfunctions in her history.

There's really only one of note, but it's a pretty big one. While attending the 2012 Emmy Awards ceremony, Vergara was her usual gorgeous self. She arrived in a stunning green Zuhair Murad dress, which clung to her curves in all the right ways. Vergara made her glamorous appearance seem effortless, but it was anything but, according to the "Modern Family" star. Just 20 minutes before the series won its third Emmy Award for outstanding comedy series, her assets burst out.

The zipper on the back of her gown split completely, exposing her backside. Fortunately, a team of experts helped stitch her back together, People reported, but it didn't take long for news of the mishap to make the rounds. After the event, Vergara tweeted about the rip, writing, "Yes!!!! This happend [sic] 20 min before we won!!!! Jajajajja. I luv my life!!!!" She shared pics of herself in the torn dress (no longer available), so it may not have been incredibly embarrassing after things settled down... of course, winning probably didn't hurt.

Iggy Azalea's avant-garde style has made her an international star, and she's also managed to establish a rather successful career as a model. She's used to being photographed in all manner of clothing and has done a little nude modeling over the years, but Azalea tends to keep her more private parts away from the public eye. She's had a few wardrobe mishaps while out and about, but the worst one that exposed the most had to be during the 2013 MTV EMAs.

Azalea wore a black gown with a single strap, exposing her midriff. The dress extended to the floor, but it had a bit of a cut that went up to her hips. When she arrived on the red carpet, the gown didn't offer too many issues, but as she felt the fabric move in a way that would release her crotch, she made an attempt to keep this from happening. In the end, she only made the situation worse, and as she stepped away, the rapper completely exposed her crotch.

Fortunately, she wasn't attending the event in "commando," so Azalea didn't show the world too much. Another bad wardrobe malfunction the Aussie singer suffered came while she was performing the song "Booty" at Julian Kemper's bar mitzvah in 2014; her pants split, revealing, well, her booty. Cell phones recorded the incident, and Azalea's legal team tried to quash videos and pics. Still, they made their way online, and on that night, she was going "commando," Us Weekly reported.

Hayden Panettiere shot to superstardom after being cast as Claire Bennet on "Heroes," and she's been killing it in Hollywood ever since. Like all the ladies on this list, Panettiere has been the target of paparazzi since becoming famous, and she's managed to handle the attention rather well. She hasn't had a lot of exposure via wardrobe malfunctions since making it big. But in 2016, she revealed a little more cleavage than she had planned while walking the red carpet at the 21st Annual Critics Choice Awards.

Panettiere had a similar issue in 2011, though it's not exactly what we'd call a wardrobe malfunction. In fact, it was more of a step taken to avoid showing too much skin — and everything backfired completely. Panettiere attended the Golden Globes with Wladimir Klitschko. She walked the red carpet in a lovely deep blue gown that revealed her cleavage relatively conservatively (especially when compared to her 2016 look). The problem was the sheer fabric of the dress.

Panettiere knew the gown was see-through, so she took precautions to ensure her nipples didn't make the rounds in every tabloid. Unfortunately, her choice of tape was incredibly visible under the gown, so while she succeeded at not exposing her nipples to the world, she drew all the wrong kinds of attention to them. Ultimately, Panettiere shook off the hoopla over her exposed-unexposed nipples and continued appearing in gorgeous gowns at various events.

Lily-Rose Depp may be Hollywood royalty thanks to her parents, Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, but she's talented in her own right. Depp began acting in 2014, and before long, she was landing roles in serious movies, including "The Dancer," "Planetarium," and "A Faithful Man." She's also an in-demand model and was made a Chanel brand ambassador in 2015. Depp hasn't been in the limelight for too long, but she's managed to suffer a couple of wardrobe malfunctions.

In 2020, she walked the BAFTA red carpet in a lacy black catsuit with a pair of black silk heels, looking stunning. Unfortunately, she violated the event's dress code, which focused on sustainability (per the Daily Star), so her malfunction was more of a wardrobe choice mistake that evening. That mishap probably wasn't too embarrassing for Depp because, after all, she looked amazing. However, she managed to narrowly avert what could have been a disastrous clothing catastrophe the previous year.

In 2019, Depp earned some attention for playing Catherine of Valois in "The King," and all eyes were on her at the film's U.K. premiere during the BFI London Film Festival. She attended wearing a plunging black and white number, which was incredible on the young actor (via the Daily Mail). Despite looking fantastic, her gown had no intention of staying put. It nearly slipped off her chest, but she caught it in the nick of time. Unfortunately, that meant Depp had to continue holding the gown in place throughout the event to keep it from revealing her breasts, which weren't being supported by any form of undergarment.

If there's one celebrity who hasn't really been embroiled in controversy and who puts out a fantastic image, it's Jennifer Garner. Her fame began when she was cast as Sydney Bristow in "Alias," and she has managed to land notable film and television roles ever since, putting quite a few awards on her mantle. When she's not acting, she's a working activist who helps children, so she's a pretty decent person, all things considered. Garner's never had a very revealing wardrobe malfunction, though she has suffered some embarrassment while walking the red carpet.

While promoting her film "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" in 2014, Garner had a bit of a clothing mishap. While speaking with her co-star, Steve Carell, her clutch seemed to catch the edge of her skirt as she moved, and it pulled her dress up to show her unmentionables (via Us Weekly). That's not the worst thing that can happen, and millions of people wear shapewear, though they likely don't plan to unveil it. But Garner didn't let the minor wardrobe malfunction get her down.

During an interview with People, Garner told a tale of what she considers her worst accidental flashing to date. "My skirt got caught in my panties at church a couple of weeks ago, and I almost walked into the congregation after going to the restroom with full biscuit showing. Luckily I felt a breeze pretty quickly!"

Miranda Kerr shot to fame as the first Victoria's Secret Angel from Australia in 2007. She quickly became one of the most in-demand models in the world. She always looks fabulous, whether she's wearing something to show off a designer's newest look or just walking around town wearing something from her closet. You might think that someone who is so knowledgeable about clothes would be able to keep them on correctly, but Kerr has her fair share of wardrobe malfunctions, some revealing far more than others. 

While attending the premiere event for "Mademoiselle C" in 2013, Kerr showed up wearing a stunning layered lace dress (per The Australian Women's Weekly). The design was expertly crafted to ensure it didn't reveal more than necessary, so Kerr was safe going braless, so long as she didn't do anything that made the fabric move in any way... you probably know where this is going. During the event, Kerr raised both of her arms to adjust her hair, and her dress shifted to compensate, exposing her top to every photographer eagerly standing by.

Kerr laughed off the material mishap with grace and humility, but that's probably because it's not the first time such a thing happened to her. For example, she's been captured losing her cover-up on the beach, once again moving on with a smile (via the Los Angeles Times). 

Tara Reid became an international star when she was cast as Vicky in the first "American Pie" film. From there, she showed up in everything from "The Big Lebowski" to every "Sharknado." She had some success on TV series and reality television when she had her own travel show on E! Called "Taradise." Over the years, she's been featured in tabloids for various reasons, and the most-covered one has to be her wardrobe malfunction.

While attending P. Diddy's 35th birthday celebration in 2004, Reid wore a stunning black dress. As she stood on the red carpet smiling for the cameras, she noticed several photographers high-fiving each other while laughing. She didn't know why, and she stood there for several seconds before a publicist stepped in and fixed the source of their amusement.

While she was standing, her dress slipped off her left shoulder, completely exposing her breast. This wasn't a slight view of her nipple or anything of the sort; she was fully exposed for about 30 seconds. Reid has had a few wardrobe malfunctions, but flashing her undies briefly while getting out of a car pales in comparison to being photographed bare-breasted at a red carpet birthday bash. Later, she told Access Hollywood, "I just hated that the paparazzi were high-fiving each other and laughing. It was so cruel" (via MamaMia).

If you do an Internet search for "wardrobe malfunction," you will find thousands of results. It's a simple fact of life that people who wear incredibly fancy outfits have trouble keeping them on sometimes. For most celebrities, it's embarrassing, but it happens, and they go on with their lives. Then there's Bella Hadid, a woman who has had so many snafus over the years that it's impossible to find an article that doesn't include her.

In many ways, Hadid is the poster child of wardrobe malfunctions, and they don't seem to get her down. That being said, she's had some that were likely more embarrassing than others, and they just so happen to have occurred on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival two years in a row (via Us Weekly). In both cases, Hadid wore glamorous gowns with high slits designed to show off her legs. The fabric shifted as she walked the carpet, completely exposing her crotch.

Over the years, Hadid has walked runways with her breasts partially exposed, she's bent over, revealing her bum to the world, and she's shown her panties when she had no intention of doing so. To be fair, Hadid's demeanor in the face of her many wardrobe malfunctions suggests she isn't embarrassed by them in the least. It would certainly be understandable if she was. Typically, when they occur, she stops, adjusts her clothes to be more G-rated, smiles, and continues on about her business.

Paris Hilton shot to fame after her ex-boyfriend released a sex tape they made two years earlier. Hilton could have hidden away after that, but to her credit, she stepped out into the light and became a reality television superstar. Her series, "The Simple Life," which Hilton starred in with her friend, Nicole Richie, ran for five seasons. Hilton has since become a fashion icon and has her hand in numerous business enterprises, but she still manages to stroll the red carpet whenever she can.

That happens pretty often, so it's not unusual to see Hilton attending an important event. She's had a few fashion issues over the years, but the most embarrassing one came in 2014, while she was attending her 33rd birthday bash in Hollywood. She wore a pink Alon Livne Couture gown, which looked incredible on the hotel heiress. Hilton described her gown to Us Weekly, saying, "This was one of the couture gowns [from the runway show], and I said, 'I have to wear that for my birthday; it's like the perfect Barbie princess dress.'"

The gown featured a high cut extending above her waist, exposing her legs and more if the wind took it. While she was walking the red carpet, Hilton moved in such a way that the fabric covering her underwear-less crotch swayed, no longer hiding anything. She flashed part of her bare crotch to everyone in attendance, and pictures of the fashion faux pas quickly made the rounds online.

Lorde stormed onto the music scene in 2009, and she's been piling up awards and accolades ever since. She's been featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 and was on Time's most influential teenagers list two years in a row. Her songs have earned her a great deal of praise and fame, which has given her tickets to plenty of red carpet events over the years. She hasn't had many wardrobe malfunctions, but one did occur at the year's most prestigious event.

The Met Gala is one of the most significant celebrity invites, and people really dress up for the occasion. While attending the affair in 2016, Lorde showed up in a pink layered gown with a plunging neckline. She looked incredible despite the cast she was stuck with on her left arm. Unfortunately, the dress revealed more than she likely intended when her gown spread out slightly, showing part of her right breast, including the nipple. Lorde was unfazed by the big reveal and continued on as if nothing had happened.

She's had that sort of mishap occur previously, and she handled it well. While performing in July 2018, her top came apart in the back, so she removed her jacket and revealed what happened to her adoring fans. The singer then asked for a second to solve her problem and disappeared quickly behind the stage. She was gone for a few minutes while the crowd cheered and sang until she returned to complete the show. 

Giulia Salemi is probably best known for her modeling. She's a prominent television show host in her native Italy and has been for a decade. She's an incredibly glamorous woman who often wears revealing gowns that are cut in just the right way to ensure nothing is shown while suggesting much more. That was certainly the case in 2016, when Salemi walked the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival looking absolutely stunning in an orange gown that featured a plunging neckline and very little else.

Her waist was barely concealed by a flowing draped piece of fabric, which was framed on each side, exposing the entirety of her legs and a bit of her waist. Her naughty bits weren't meant to be exposed, despite the garment's minimal covering. When she took a step, the cameras snapped Salemi in all her glory, but her gown shifted, exposing her crotch for all to see. She also showed off some tan lines, but that wasn't the most embarrassing aspect of her malfunction that night.

Interestingly, Salemi wasn't the only model to suffer such a fate. Another Italian model, Dayane Mello, attended the festival while wearing a pink frock with a similarly open and revealing cut. She also showed off her crotch to the world as she walked, and both models wore as little underwear as humanly possible that evening. Numerous photographs were taken of both women airing more than they intended as they walked the red carpet.

Chrissy Teigen's career kicked off when she was featured in the 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Since then, she's appeared on a plethora of magazine covers. On top of that, she's a television personality with credits on various competition series and daytime talk shows. Teigen is a well-known Internet celeb, having amassed a large number of followers over the years. 

Teigen has had a wardrobe malfunction or two, but none have left her as exposed as the 2016 incident when she attended the American Music Awards with her husband, John Legend. Teigen wore a beautiful black gown to the event, which was cut all the way up her legs to the very top of her waist. As you can probably imagine, things shifted, and she flashed her nether regions to the world, thanks to her decision to skip the undergarments that evening.

To her credit, Teigen took to Instagram to poke a little fun at herself after the embarrassing reveal. Her post read, "#AMAs! love you so so so much @jenatkinhair @1maryphillips @monicarosestyle @kimmiekyees (apologies to anyone harmed mentally or physically by my hooha) dress is #yousefakbar and shoes are @dsquared2 and laser hair removal is @sevlaseraesthetics." Teigen has always been quick to joke about herself when something like this happens. Still, she's probably happy it doesn't happen often, as the award show crowd glimpsed more of her than she would have liked.