Everybody gets into tiffs sometimes. It can be with family, coworkers, even best friends. They're almost always totally stupid and easily resolved if we can put our pride behind. We’ve all been there.
But when celebrities get into spats with each other, the results can often spill into a greater arena: the public feud. Social media follows every juice drop so that what would be, in the normal world, a personal matter often turns into the modern version of Gladiator. We, the masses, watch as our chosen champions duke it out in the arena of public burns, verbal beatdowns, and yes, sometimes things get physical. Not "Russell Crowe vs a chained tiger in Ancient Rome" physical, but these things can leave a mark sometimes. Even if the body isn't bruised, the ego often is.
As in every battle, sometimes the home team wins, sometimes it loses. With celebrities that win can come through public perception, romantic one-upmanship, or - most often - career and financial success. Lucky for the winners - and unlucky for the losers - we've been keeping a scoreboard.
Here are 7 Stars Who Lost Celebrity Feuds (and 8 Who Clearly Won).
Neil Patrick Harris vs James Woods
You know how they say you should never discuss religion or politics in polite company? Well, Neil Patrick Harris and James Woods clearly didn’t get the memo. To be fair – Woods started it by issuing this tweet where he bashes a gender-fluid child, pretty much suggesting if his dad lets him wear dresses and makeup, he’ll grow up to be a serial killer.
The fiercely pro-LGBTQ Harris struck back with this shaming smackdown of a tweet which starts by calling Woods “Utterly ignorant and classless.” Looks like he’s not quite the kid-hating Count Olaf which A Series of Unfortunate Events would have us think he is! Woods, who’s usually a very outspoken social conservative, kept his mouth shut after that.
WINNER: Neil Patrick Harris.
Gwyneth Paltrow vs Martha Stewart
Welcome to a true bout of wellness and lifestyles: “Goop” vs. “Living.”
The war of words between Iron Man star Gwyneth Paltrow and multimedia empress Martha Stewart is all about which life-improving lifestyle brands really improves life. The feud goes back to 2013, when Stewart dissed Paltrow’s digital “Goop” venture, which has promoted some really weird products with dubious health claims. Stewart, of course, doesn’t like having competition from high-profile A-listers for her own “Martha Stewart Living” empire.
Paltrow responded by tweeting a recipe for “jailbird cake” – a swipe at Stewart’s infamous incarceration for securities fraud. In 2017, when asked about the controversies over Paltrow’s offerings, Stewart asked “Who’s Goop?” Talk about throwing shade!
LOSER: Gwyneth Paltrow.
Hilary Duff vs Lindsay Lohan
Ah, the heady years of a young Hollywood in a young century! In the early 2000s, the public feud between two of that era’s top teen idles escalated into all-out war – and it was over yet another huge celebrity.
Disney tween stars Hilary Duff and Lindsey Lohan started out as friends.
At the time Duff, was dating dreamy crooner Aaron Carter, but the Mean Girls actress stole Carter’s heart for a while, which of course broke Duff’s heart in turn. Eventually, in true tweener drama form, Carter went back to Duff. A back and forth between the two pop queens ensued, with Duff taking the high road and keeping Carter (for a while).
The real win, however, has come in recent years. Though Lohan was once undeniably the bigger star of the two, she's now struggling to get work and popping up in the tabloids, while Duff is still making music and starring in a TV show.
WINNER: Hilary Duff
Tyrese Gibson vs The Rock
Let’s just get out of the way – who the hell would ever get into a fight with Jumanji star Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock? The dude is huge - in every possible way. Physically intimidating, box office dominating, and oh yeah – he’s a professional fighter! But fellow Fast and Furious actor Tyrese Gibson chose to step into that ring.
It started with a cryptic tweet where Johnson called out unnamed male costars for acting like “candy a--es.” Well, it turns out he meant Gibson. Gibson responded angrily, dissing Johnson’s possible F&F spinoff movie, and threatening not to come back for future sequels in the franchise. But you know what? Those films’ productions are moving forward. Sorry, dude, they can live without you.
LOSER: Tyrese Gibson.
Nicki Minaj vs Miley Cyrus
This is what you get when you stand up for a friend. Back in 2015, rapper Nicki Minaj got into a Twitter feud with Taylor Swift after Minaj complained about being snubbed at the VMAs. Swift took this as a personal attack and called Minaj out on Twitter. Right before the VMA awards were given out, Miley Cyrus did a New York Times interview where she called out Minaj’s “anger” against Swift.
Well, Minaj ended up on stage at the ceremony and fired back at “this b***h” Cyrus on live TV: “Miley, what’s good?” She then mouthed “Don’t play with me, b***h” right into the camera. To date, Cyrus hasn’t issued a response, and so by default, does not come out on top in this Diva Debate.
WINNER: Nicki Minaj
Orlando Bloom vs Justin Bieber
It’s hard to see The Lord of the Rings star Orlando Bloom as anything less than an adventurous warrior, always prepared for a great challenge. But then along came The Bieb.
It looks like the hit-making singer almost took a hit from Legolas himself.
It all happened in a restaurant in Ibiza, Spain, where Bloom, Leonardo Di Caprio. and others were dining and apparently shooed Justin Bieber away when he approached their table. Words were exchanged and Orlando jumped over a couch trying to land a punch on the “Baby” singer’s adult face. The scuffle went on and on until security had to break things up.
Bieber may have had the last laugh when he later posted a picture of Bloom crying on Instagram - and when his songs keep breaking records while Bloom is stuck in another Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
LOSER: Orlando Bloom
Selma Blair vs Charlie Sheen
There’s anger management, and then there’s Anger Management. When it came to filming this sitcom, there seemed to be little of both for actress Selma Blair. After complaining about legendarily off-his-rocker costar Charlie Sheen’s awful work ethic, a feud between the two actors ensued. Apparently, Blair got sick of Sheen showing up late, messing up his lines. and chalked it all up to his outrageous lifestyle (and having three girlfriends at home).
After some wrangling back and forth, Blair got written off of Anger Management – something the producers claimed had nothing to do with her beef with Sheen. Yeah, right!
Selma defended herself and threatened to sue for wrongful firing, but that went nowhere.
LOSER: Selma Blair
Brooke Shields vs Tom Cruise
When we think of The Mummy star Tom Cruise, we think of a few things. We think of top box office hits, we think of amazing box office flops and, of course, we think of Scientology. Why? Because he thinks about Scientology – and talks about it a lot. And one of Scientology’s teachings is that all psychiatric drugs are bad.
Cut to Brooke Shields, who in 2005, bravely talked about taking meds to treat her postpartum depression.
Cruise decided to diss Shields for taking the drugs at all, but Shields would not yield.
She responded in an epic New York Times editorial where she used science – not Scientology – to back her stuff up. And that earned her a hard-won apology from Top Gun Tommy.
WINNER: Brooke Shield
Frankie Muniz vs Shia LaBeouf
What the hell is so wrong with the uber-successful Transformers actor Shia LaBeouf that he can’t just leave poor Frankie Muniz alone? Okay, Muniz may have been a bit aloof to him when he was an aspiring star. LaBeouf complained of being treated poorly by the former Malcolm in the Middle star back in 2003.
Fast forward to 2010 when LaBeouf was on top, and he was still going off on the now down-and-out Muniz.
The media was calling it “the feud that wouldn’t die."
Muniz tweeted that he doesn’t even know LaBeouf anymore, but LaBeouf wouldn’t let it go, saying in a radio interview, “I don't go to many parties and I don't really hang out in Frank Muniz–type zones.” Ouch. Total jerk, but he’s still on top.
LOSER: Frankie Muniz
Will Smith vs Janet Hubert-Whitten
What’s that? You never heard of Janet Hubert-Whitten? How about Will Smith? Yes, we all now who he is. Back in the day, the two were costars on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Three seasons into the successful sitcom, Smith became a bonafide star. Apparently Hubert-Whitten took that opportunity to try and recruit him to negotiate a better salary for herself and the rest of the actors in the show. But reportedly, Will wouldn’t have it.
This impasse caused enough behind-the-scenes friction that Janet was booted off the show and replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid. Twenty-five years later, the two still hold a grudge. But you know what? One of these people is an international superstar and the other was once on a show with an international superstar.
WINNER: Will Smith
Sarah Jessica Parker vs Kim Catrall
Here is another case of how two actors can be total BFFs on screen, but in real life – not so much. Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker seem to be a case in point.
For years, the two Sex and the City actresses had been the subject of rumors regarding some serious on-set feuding, which they had to refute over and over again. But the proof may have come in 2017, when Kim very publicly put the kibosh on the third movie sequel to the famous HBO series.
After Parker announced the film would not happen, Cattrall let it be known: she and Sarah were never friends and it was her who refused to make the movie. This was a huge bummer for Carrie Bradshaw and the gals.
LOSER: Sarah Jessica Parker.
Robin Thicke & Pharrell Williams vs Marvin Gaye's family
When it comes to stealing somebody else’s music, it looks like sometimes there are no “Blurred Lines” about it. The biggest song of 2013 was a collaboration between singers Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams… and possibly Marvin Gaye.
The deceased musician’s family thought the hit tune sounded a little too much like the 1977 song “Give It Up” – one of Gaye’s signature works. While the words that were exchanged in the public sphere between the two parties created quite the feud spectacle for a few months, the matter was eventually settled by the courts via a lawsuit by the Gayes.
In 2015, the verdict came in: Thicke and Williams had to pay out over $7 million for copyright infringement.
WINNERS: The Gaye Family
Jay Leno vs David Letterman
In a galaxy not far away at all, and really not that long ago either, “Late Night Wars” happened on American television. Here's how it went down: legendary late-night host Johnny Carson was retiring form The Tonight Show after five million seasons on the air in the 11:30 PM time slot (back when appointment television meant something).
The big question was who would take his place at NBC?
The two men vying for the job were Carson protégé David Letterman and the show’s regular substitute host Jay Leno. With the men at each others’ throats in public, vitriol and backstabbing got out of control. In the end, Leno got the gig and Letterman had to switch networks to get his own 11:30 show.
WINNER: Jay Leno
Joan Crawford vs Bette Davis
Captured brilliantly in Ryan Murphy’s supremely awesome mini-series Feud, this Hollywood hate-fest was probably the most legendary extended actress battle of all time.
Longtime rivals and classic film stars Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were antithetical to each other for decades during their respective highly successful careers. But when film roles dried up as they aged, these polar opposites teamed up for the epic movie What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Cruelty after cruelty was exchanged, but Davis edged out over Crawford, ending up with far more control over the feature comeback, and coming out looking like the nicer lady of the two.
The '80s biopic Mommy Dearest tarnished Joan’s image even further, leaving no question as to whose legacy now shines brighter.
LOSER: Joan Crawford
Taylor Swift vs Katy Perry
What is it with Taylor Swift anyway? Why does she get into so many public and dramatic tiffs? It may all be a sad cry for attention, but with her chart-topping hits, you’d think she’s already got enough eyeballs on her! Whatever the reason, this time fellow singer Katy Perry became part of the act.
The original beef was over back-up dancers on tour, believe it or not.
They both wrote songs about (like Swift's “Bad Blood” and Perry's "Swish Swish") and then tweeted, and subtweeted, and said unkind things in interviews. If you ask us, writing hit songs to get back at somebody is a pretty heavy means of attack, and "Bad Blood" was award-nominated, while "Swish Swish" was no slam-dunk.
WINNER: Taylor Swift
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Which other celeb feuds have clear winners and losers? Let us know in the comments!