Celebrities

30+ Awkward Red Carpet Moments That’ll Make You Seriously Uncomfortable

The red carpet usually shows us our favorite stars at their most glamorous as they get ready to accept their awards. However, celebrities are only human, so there have been plenty of trips, blunders, and outright inappropriate behavior from the stars as the cameras are right on them. These are some of the most awkward moments to ever grace the red carpet.

Louis Ferguson

An editor at Explore Factor

Jan 16, 2024
5 min read

Joan Rivers Gets Nasty

It’s no secret that Joan Rivers was known for her harsh insults in her comedy. It seemed it was something she wanted to try and bring to the red carpet.

Joan Rivers Gets Nasty

At the 1997 Oscars, Nicole Kidman opted for a yellow dress. The star made her way down the red carpet, ignoring Rivers’ cries. The audience was left feeling awkward as the comedian shouted about how ugly the dress was as Kidman came by.

Angelina Jolie Kisses Her Brother

If there’s one actress that needs no introduction, it’s Angelina Jolie. The star attended the 2000 Oscars with her brother, James Haven. The two even shared a kiss on the red carpet, something that was quickly picked up and swirled around as scandalous news.

Angelina Jolie Kisses Her Brother

After all, many fans were shocked by the gesture. Later, Jolie told People that “First, we’re the best of friends. And it wasn’t some odd open-mouthed kiss. It was disappointing that something so beautiful and pure could be turned into a circus.”

Björk as a Swan

The red carpet is the perfect time to pull out your wildest outfits. How else are you supposed to stand out when so many stars are there? Singer Björk definitely found a way to stand out at the 2001 Oscars.

Björk as a Swan

The star wore this goose dress and even left ostrich eggs on the red carpet. She later told Us Weekly that “I was dropping them carefully on the red carpet but other people’s bodyguards kept picking them up and saying in their thick American accents, ‘Scuse me, ma’am, you dropped this.'”

A Bit Extreme with Hugh Grant

There are some things that you can’t imagine what led to someone doing it. However, maybe that’s just one of the downsides to being a celebrity.

A Bit Extreme with Hugh Grant

Hugh Grant was attending the premiere of Music and Lyrics in 2007 when one wild fan ran up and handcuffed herself to the star. Saying she didn’t have the key, the two were left to wait until emergency services responded. In the end, it earned her two hours in jail.

Selena Gomez’s Hair

Disney stars start to attend premieres and parties pretty young. So, there are bound to be a few moments that they look back on and cringe at years later.

Selena Gomez’s Hair

Selena Gomez can’t help but cringe at her 2007 appearance at the Teen Vogue Young Hollywood Party. At the time, she said, “I like a little edge, a little pop in my hair, so I wanted to add something different, especially for the Teen Vogue party,” making sure to draw out the name of the event. Now, she says about the clip, “To my younger self — you’re not cool bro.”

Gary Busey Oversteps

There are some things you simply can’t do without asking. That seems to be one thing that Gary Busey missed on this red carpet appearance.

Gary Busey Oversteps

While hugging Jennifer Garner, Busey kissed her neck when he was asked if he knew her. It obviously surprised Garner and she was quick to follow up on Ryan Seacrest’s next question by asking, “Aren’t you going to ask me about getting kissed on the neck on the red carpet by this man? Um, that was nice.”

Heidi Klum Betrayed by Tom Bergerson

If you’re going to do a skit at an event as large as the Emmys, you probably want it to work out the way you planned it to. Heidi Klum wasn’t so lucky.

Heidi Klum Betrayed by Tom Bergerson

Heidi Klum was hosting the 2008 Emmys with Tom Bergerson when this skit went wrong. What was supposed to happen was that Klum would pretend to faint and Bergerson would catch her before she hit the floor. Instead, he didn’t quite land his cue.

(Not) Jason Derulo

At the 2011 Met Gala, Jason Derulo tumbled down the stairs to the delight of many people ready to make memes. Or did he? This famous image is actually of someone trying to get into the 2011 Cannes Film Festival when security stopped them.

(Not) Jason Derulo

Derulo joked about it at the time, even saying he had to tell his grandmother he was okay. In 2019, he took to Twitter to add, “Let’s clear one thing up, that was NOT me at the #Metgala,” before adding, “Y’all play too much, I was right on my balcony in Miami.”

Sacha Baron Cohen Spills

During the 2012 Oscars, Sacha Baron Cohen wasn’t about to break character from his role in The Dictator. He was dressed in full costume that night.

Sacha Baron Cohen Spills

Not to mention he had an urn as an accessory. When asked by Ryan Seacrest, Cohen claimed the urn was full of ashes before he dumped it all over Seacrest. Luckily, the interviewer was ready to just move on after this incident.

Jason Segel Caught in the Cleanup

Of course, there are some things that require cleanup. Spilling fake ashes all over the red carpet is definitely one of those things.

Jason Segel Caught in the Cleanup

They weren’t about to stop the event, though, and the person vacuuming nearly vacuumed Jason Segel up in the process! The result was an awkward red carpet moment where Segel clearly wasn’t sure what to do when ashes were being swept up at his feet.

Kim Kardashian Attacked with Flour

When you’re a celebrity, you’re open to both praise and disapproval from your publicized brand or even personality. That’s one thing Kim Kardashian has learned on the red carpet.

Kim Kardashian Attacked with Flour

The star was on the red carpet for her own 2012 fragrance launch. While she was making her entrance, someone covered the star in flour. At the same time, someone in the crowd yelled out a comment that many have approximated as “Lousy fur hag!”

Michael Cera Defying Gravity

It seems like just about anyone can fall on the red carpet, no matter how famous, star-studded, or graceful they are. In this photo, it wasn’t just that Michael Cera fell that really caught people’s attention.

Michael Cera Defying Gravity

When Catalina Sandino Moreno and Michael Cera tried to go for a playful pose, it led to Cera defying gravity a bit and taking a really long time to finally hit the floor.

Jennifer Lawrence Crashes Josh Hutcherson’s Interview

Jennifer Lawrence has had a few memorable moments on the red carpet. In 2013, she could help herself from messing with her Hunger Games co-star Josh Hutcherson.

Jennifer Lawrence Crashes Josh Hutcherson’s Interview

While Hutcherson was being interviewed during the 2013 promotional tour for the Hunger Games, Lawrence snuck into the interview to lean in and ask Hutcherson, “Is your rash doing okay?” before moving on. He joked at the end of the interview, “I gotta go take care of the rash.”

Jennifer Garner Falls Down

Jennifer Garner has taken a tumble on the red carpet but the star recovered well and looked great even if the dress was a little impractical.

Jennifer Garner Falls Down

To be fair, it seems like these events have a bit of a recipe for disaster. After all, many stars opt for a pair of startlingly high heels and when you combine that with a tight dress like this one, we can see how it’d be hard to keep your balance.

Bradley Cooper’s Biggest Fan

It seems like Hugh Grant wasn’t the only one to be accosted by a big fan. Luckily, Bradley Cooper’s fan didn’t try to break out of the handcuffs.

Bradley Cooper’s Biggest Fan

He did, instead, wrap himself around the actor’s legs as he made his way down the red carpet at the 2014 SAG Awards. The actor seemed to take it in stride as security pulled the man away. As it turned out, it was prankster Vitalii Sediuk who has pushed the limit with his “pranks” before.

Stella McCartney vs. Rihanna’s Skirt

When you’re on the red carpet, you aren’t the only one there. You have to make sure to consider the busy scenery around you too as other stars and photographers walk the carpet.

Stella McCartney vs. Rihanna’s Skirt

From time to time, there’s bound to be a collision or two. When Stella McCartney was taking her photos, she accidentally stepped on Rihanna’s dress. The good news is that everyone made it out of this 2014 Met Gala unscathed.

Cara Delevigne’s Rough Night

Models spend a lot of their time being graceful and working their way down the runway in outfits most of us couldn’t walk a few steps in.

Cara Delevigne’s Rough Night

However, everyone is human and you can’t be graceful all the time! That’s something Cara Delevigne learned the hard way when she attended the GQ Men of the Year Awards in 2014. She tried to catch herself on a designer near her but she just pulled him down, too!

Mayim Balik Sets the Record Straight

Mayim Balik’s role in The Big Bang Theory as one of the lovable neuroscientists might just be her most well-known role yet.

Mayim Balik Sets the Record Straight

When at the 2014 SAG Awards, she was asked about her role on the show, “How many people — not that you aren’t a genius — think that you can solve calculus at the drop of a hat?” Bialik quickly responded, “I was trained in calculus for several years. I’m a neuroscientist, you may not have known that?”

Jennifer Lawrence Takes a Tumble

There are some red carpet events that seem like they’re going well until they suddenly aren’t. Upon her arrival, Jennifer Lawrence looked stunning in a dress as red as the carpet.

Jennifer Lawrence Takes a Tumble

However, she didn’t make it into the 2014 Oscars before she fell down. The star was no stranger to this sort of thing, though. A year before, when she was coming onstage to accept Best Actress for Silver Linings Playbook, she fell going up the steps.

Hayden Panettiere vs. the Stairs

Of course, Jennifer Lawrence isn’t the only one to lose their balance on a red carpet. In fact, she’s in more company than just Jennifer Garner too.

Hayden Panettiere vs. the Stairs

When Hayden Panettiere was at the Met Gala in 2014, the star made it all the way to the stairs before her dress took her out. Her Tom Ford ballgown was gorgeous but clearly a lot of fabric to navigate when you’re perched on such precarious heels.

Amy Schumer’s Fall

There are some falls on the red carpet that are a little more telegraphed than others, including the tumble Amy Schumer took at the 2015 TIME 100 Gala.

Amy Schumer’s Fall

Near the then-couple Kim and Kanye, Schumer decided to go for comedic effect. She later explained, “I saw Kim and Kanye standing there, just owning it, just being short and important. And I think falling is the funniest thing, so I took a dive in front of them.” The couple barely registered her as they pushed past.

Dakota Johnson’s Memorable Role

One of Dakota Johnson’s most famous roles at this point is when she played one of the main characters in the Fifty Shades series. Needless to say, it’s probably not quite the role you talk about with your parents.

Dakota Johnson’s Memorable Role

When the mother-daughter duo hit the red carpet together for the 2015 Oscars, it didn’t take long for someone to ask Melanie Griffith if she’d seen it. When she noted she hadn’t and she wouldn’t, Johnson was quick to say, “Alright! You don’t have to see it!”

John Travolta Kisses Scarlett Johansson

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again because it bears repeating — surprise moments of physical affection aren’t always appropriate. Remember, the key here is consent.

John Travolta Kisses Scarlett Johansson

That’s why many fans were left feeling their skin crawl a bit as John Travolta clearly surprised Scarlett Johansson with a kiss. The actress barely reacted to the affection but looked uncomfortable the entire time from the moment Travolta grabs her for a peck on the cheek.

Taylor Swift’s Clear Response

Taylor Swift has been a hot topic of conversation over the years. However, during the 2015 Grammys, the star was met with a wholly inappropriate comment.

Taylor Swift’s Clear Response

The interview as a whole was okay but it definitely got off to a rough start on the red carpet when a reporter told Swift, “You’re going to walk home with more than a trophy tonight, I think, lots of men.” Swift was clearly displeased by the comment before confirming, “I’m not going to walk away with any men tonight.”

Reese Witherspoon and Felicity Jones Greeting

Red carpets are a real whose-who of Hollywood. So, it makes sense that your favorite stars might interact with one another as they make their way through.

Reese Witherspoon and Felicity Jones Greeting

When Felicity Jones and Reese Witherspoon ran into each other at the 2015 Oscars, they had to stop for a handshake. However, their method is what raised eyebrows. These two seized each other by the wrist rather than a standard handshake.

Behati Prinsloo’s Dress and Adam Levine’s Speed

The last thing you want on the red carpet is a wardrobe malfunction. Why would you want to with all of those cameras there to catch it?

Behati Prinsloo’s Dress and Adam Levine’s Speed

Well, they might catch it, unless you have a husband as quick as Adam Levine. When Behati Prinsloo’s dress started to slip at the 2015 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, her husband Levine was quick to block her from view while she readjusted.

An Inappropriate Question for Rashida Jones

Rashida Jones is an insanely talented actress. So, it’s no surprise that she was stopped for an interview by TNT reporter Danielle Demski at the 2015 SAG Awards.

An Inappropriate Question for Rashida Jones

During the interview, Demski asked the actress if she “just got off an island or something” and described her as “tan and Tropica.” Jones, who is biracial, quickly corrected the reporter on her thoughtless question saying, “I mean, you know, I’m ethnic.”

John Travolta and Idina Menzel’s Nightmare

John Travolta seems almost determined to make things awkward on the red carpet sometimes. The actor had a few faux pas when it came to the 2015 Oscars.

John Travolta and Idina Menzel’s Nightmare

You probably remember how badly Travolta butchered the pronunciation of her name when he announced it that night. As if that wasn’t enough, he took a moment to grab the singer’s face before handing over the award.

Amy Schumer Gets Really Real

There are some questions that are repeated again and again on the red carpet. “Who are you wearing?” is perhaps the most repeated question on the red carpet.

Amy Schumer Gets Really Real

At the 2016 Emmys, a reporter stopped Amy Schumer to ask this question. Of course, being Amy Schumer, she wasn’t about to just respond with a description of her gown or a designer’s name. Instead, she went on to say, “An OB tampon!”

Jim Carrey With Some Interesting Opinions

Jim Carrey has always known how to take up a whole room with his comedy. In one interview, a reporter got an unexpected side of the comedic legend.

Jim Carrey With Some Interesting Opinions

Catt Sadler was interviewing him during the 2017 Harper’s Bazaar ICONS party and Carrey started to say some strange things. To start, he described the event by saying, “I wanted to find the most meaningless thing that I could come to join” before telling Catt that nothing is real.

Ashley Graham’s Poor Ankle

There are some things that you see happen to someone and you can’t really help but feel a twinge of sympathy-pain when you see this picture.

Ashley Graham’s Poor Ankle

While she was walking the red carpet for the 2017 TIME 100 Gala, Ashley Graham stumbled over the train of her own gown but managed to save herself before she hit the carpet entirely. Still, it looks like she suffered an uncomfortable twisted ankle.

“Hidden Fences”

During the 2017 Oscars, there were two films on the list that were up for awards. This included Hidden Figures and Fences. Seemingly confusing the two casts, Jenna Bush Hager asked Pharrell about his work in “Hidden Fences.”

“Hidden Fences”

Pharrell was actually in the movie Fences while stars like Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae starred in Hidden Figures. Hager would go on to apologize for the question the next day on Twitter which the aforementioned stars accepted in return.

No Hug for Kesha

This one is really hard to forget. The awkward moment here is one that was so palpable, you might have needed to look away from your TV for a second when it occurred. While Jerry Seinfeld was being interviewed on the red carpet, Kesha came up to ask for a hug.

No Hug for Kesha

Turned down once, she asked, “Just a little one?” before he promptly answered, “No thanks.” He went on to say he had no idea who that was and when informed said, “Okay, well, I wish her the best.”

Issa Rae’s Memoir

There are some questions on the red carpet that are akin to icebreakers. When Giuliana Rancic asked Issa Rae this at the 2018 Golden Globes, there was a clear problem. Rancic aimed the question at Issa Rae of what she’d name her memoir.

Issa Rae’s Memoir

The only problem was, the reporter clearly didn’t do her homework on the star. After all, the star already has a memoir that she’d released three years before named The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl.

Debra Messing Makes a Point

Catt Sadler was a long-time host of E! before leaving in late 2017. Why? She learned she only made about half of what her male colleague, Jason Kennedy, made.

Debra Messing Makes a Point

That was something that Debra Messing really wanted to bring attention to at the 2018 Golden Globes. When interviewed by Giuliana Rancic for the same network, she answered, “I was shocked to hear that E! doesn’t believe in paying their female co-hosts the same as their male co-hosts.”

Kristen Stewart Losing the Shoes

As often as we’ve seen stars stumble and fall thanks to towering shoes, we can see why someone might want to skip out. Plus, if you’ve ever worn heels, you know they aren’t the most comfortable shoes.

Kristen Stewart Losing the Shoes

That’s why Kristen Stewart ditched her shoes when she was walking down the red carpet at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. The star then just continued to make her way down the carpet, carrying the red-bottomed stilettos-like accessories.

Christoph Waltz Walks This Way

Christoph Waltz is a German-Austrian actor known for his range. Whether you’re a fan of dramas or comedies, you’ve likely seen some of his work.

Christoph Waltz Walks This Way

The star is known for some bizarre behavior so people were immediately confused by his different gait when he walked onto the red carpet at the 2018 Cannes Festival. He even took the time to stop and stare the cameras down at one point.

Elsa Hosk Looking for her Earring

When you hit the red carpet, you obviously want to be decked out to the nines. This means that many celebrities come dripping in jewels. If you’ve ever worn earrings, you know they won’t always stay in place like you want them to.

Elsa Hosk Looking for her Earring

However, the earrings you might wear on the red carpet are a bit more valuable than the ones you wear day to day. So, it’s easy to see why Elsa Hosk wanted to take a second to find her earring at the 2019 Venice Film Festival.

Surprising Takes From Terrence Howard

At the 2019 Emmys, the reporters there couldn’t wait to grab Terrence Howard for an interview. They didn’t get what they expected, though. Instead of talking about what he was wearing or what brought him to the event, Howard started off on a philosophic tangent.

Surprising Takes From Terrence Howard

We’re not sure what it means but he posed the question, “All energy in the universe is expressed in motion, all motion is expressed in waves, all waves are curved, so where does the straight lines come from to make platonic solids?”

Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac’s Chemistry

It’s no surprise to see stars show a bit of love for their significant others on the red carpet. Some couples do surprise fans, though.

Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac’s Chemistry

Fans were rather shocked at the 2021 Venice Film Festival when Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain hit the red carpet together and went heavy on the PDA. The two particularly surprised fans because they were both married at the time and not to each other.

MGK and Megan Fox’s Dress

As we just covered, there’s a certain level of PDA that you expect from celebrities on the red carpet. There are plenty of celebrity couples that pose together at these events.

MGK and Megan Fox’s Dress

At the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox did what they were known for and shocked onlookers with this pose. The two stuck their tongues out and shared an unexpected kiss, showing off the musician’s dyed tongue.

And Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker Repeat

Of course, there are certain couples that you really expect PDA from.

And Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker Repeat

Another couple that’s known for putting their love on display at every possible opportunity is Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian. The couple even took on the same tongue-to-tongue pose for the 2022 Grammys.

Tiffany Haddish’s Dress

When Lauren Zima of Entertainment Tonight asked about Tiffany Haddish’s “costume change” at the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, the interview got really awkward.

Tiffany Haddish’s Dress

Clearly offended by the comment, Haddish corrected her saying, “I’m not wearing a costume. I’m wearing Dolce & Gabbana. It’s called an evening gown, darling. No one is paying me for this. I paid for it, it’s custom. Thank you.” She continued to add, “This is what fame looks like. This is what success looks like. This is what money looks like.”

Love You, Emma Chamberlain

In 2022, YouTuber Emma Chamberlain made her way to the Met Gala. By the end of the night, the internet had a new meme to use as they would.

Love You, Emma Chamberlain

Chamberlain was interviewing people for Vogue and was talking to Jack Harlow when the rapper tossed her a quick “I love you!” as he walked away from the interview. She looked shocked, to say the least.

Sutton Stracke Refuses to Answer

There are some people that you expect will bring a little bit of drama no matter if they’re on screen or walking on the red carpet. Of course, one of those casts is that of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Sutton Stracke Refuses to Answer

When Sutton Stracke was stopped for an interview at the 2022 People’s Choice Awards, the reporter asked her about her costar, Lisa Rinna. Her response? Dead silence until the reporter was forced to skip the question entirely.