Celebrities Who Aren't Allowed To Work Together
Hollywood has had no shortage of celebrity feuds since the OG spat between superstars Bette Davis and Joan Crawford rocked the press in the 1960s, even inspiring Ryan Murphy to create a whole FX miniseries about it, aptly titled "Feud." In the decades that have followed, some A-listers' feuds have been completely made up for the benefit of publicity, but plenty have been very real. In recent years alone, fans have been riveted by messy drama between Will Smith and Chris Rock, Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber, Matthew Perry and Keanu Reeves, and many more. As Dallas Morning News noted in a 2007 op-ed, "Nothing attracts the media swarm more reliably than an old-fashioned, mud-slinging celebrity feud." Indeed, all it takes is a quick look online to see that the more celebs fight with one another, the more people talk about them, creating what the outlet called "a publicity jackpot."
However, there is a major downside to some spats, namely those that interfere with work. The most contentious fights are always those that happen on set with co-stars butting heads and causing major behind-the-scenes drama. Whether it's because of ego, clashing personalities, or different work ethics, getting big names to play nice isn't always feasible. So much so that some celebs probably aren't allowed to work together anymore, nor would they want to.
Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey's feud was a 'nightmare experience'
When it comes to being an admitted diva, no one does it quite like Mariah Carey, so when "American Idol" producers put Carey on the judges' panel with Nicki Minaj, they must have known the sparks would fly. During auditions in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2012, tensions exploded when Minaj hurled profanities at Carey after growing tired of who she deemed "her f***in' highness over there." The entire back-and-forth was captured on video and leaked to TMZ, which only made matters worse because Carey's team later claimed that Minaj said, "If I had a gun, I would shoot her." "Idol" producer Nigel Lythgoe told TMZ that accusation was "absolute rubbish" and alleged Mimi's "people [were] stirring the pot."
After the epic blowout died down, the two eventually went back to acting like professionals. However, in the lead-up to "Idol's" 15th season, BET reported that Carey claimed the feud was fake and cooked up by producers. Mike Darnell, Fox's president of alternative programming, and Lythgoe made it clear to E! News that the feud was all too real. Calling it a "nightmare experience," it seemed they both also knew exactly who was to blame, with Lythgoe adding, "Nicki was not the problem."
As for the current state of Minaj and Carey's relationship, it's still seemingly a hot mess. According to Lainey Gossip, Carey appeared to pour fuel on the feud by joining forces with Remy Ma (another artist who was not a Minaj fan) on a remix of "I Don't" back in 2017.
David O. Russell and George Clooney refuse to work together again
In 1997, George Clooney was primarily known for his television role on "E.R." — and his career in film was by no means a sure thing. So it was a pretty bold move when the TV doctor literally went toe-to-toe with director David O. Russell on the set of 1999's "Three Kings." In a 2000 interview with Playboy (via Clooney's Open House), the actor claimed that he grew tired of Russell constantly berating crew members, and the situation reached a boiling point when the director allegedly kicked an extra.
According to Clooney, he approached Russell and attempted to diffuse the situation, which did not go well. After a screaming match, Russell allegedly headbutted Clooney, Clooney attacked Russell, and the two had to be physically pulled apart. "I had him by the throat," Clooney told Playboy. "I was going to kill him. Kill him." By that point, he said, "the Warner Bros. guys were freaking out," but Russell and Clooney made it through the rest of production. However, Clooney swore he'd never work with Russell again.
Years later, the two Hollywood players still had some choice words for each other. "Quite honestly, if he comes near me, I'll sock him right in the f***ing mouth," Clooney told Premiere (via The Guardian) in 2004. As for Russell, if he ran into Clooney: "I'd say, 'Shut the f*** up, you lying-a** b***h.'" Definitely keep those two apart.
Tina Fey didn't mince words when it came to Paris Hilton
Tina Fey has had a long career cracking jokes about celebrities, and yet she seems to walk a fine line that keeps you in their good graces. She's still close with Lindsay Lohan, which proves Fey can be pretty forgiving when it comes to celebrity antics. However, during Fey's time on "Saturday Night Live," Paris Hilton was apparently an absolute nightmare of a host, and Fey didn't hold back when asked to share her thoughts on the hotel heiress.
Fey referred to Hilton as a "piece of s***" in an interview with Howard Stern in 2006, adding, "I think many people were like maybe she'll be fun, you know, she won't take herself so seriously. She takes herself super seriously! She's so dumb; she's so proud of how dumb she is." According to Fey, Hilton demanded to star in a sketch as Jessica Simpson because Hilton allegedly hated her, and she also apparently refused to leave her dressing room after turning down a certain sketch. Fey claimed "The Simple Life" star barely acknowledged the cast, and in Fey's words, her "cheap weave" dropped "a nasty wad of Barbie hair on the floor. ... Her hair is like a Fraggle." Yikes!
While Fey soon expressed regret for her harsh words against Hilton, it's worth pointing out that the former "30 Rock" star was willing to again work with Lohan, who was once considered one of the most notoriously difficult actors in Hollywood. So the fact that Hilton appeared to be a bridge too far for the "SNL" alum seems pretty bad.
Tyrese Gibson called out James Franco's method acting
While filming 2006's "Annapolis," co-stars James Franco and Tyrese Gibson feuded so hard that Gibson openly told Elle in 2007 that he wished he could blow up Franco's house. According to Uproxx, the tension between the two stemmed from Franco's method acting, which even Franco himself has admitted was way out of control in his early acting days.
In an interview with Playboy (via Uproxx), Gibson said he felt like it was more than just method acting when Franco refused to break character even while practicing the film's boxing scenes, which often involved Gibson repeatedly getting punched, despite telling Franco to lighten up. "I never want to work with him again, and I'm sure he feels the same way," Gibson said. "It felt very personal. It was f***ed-up."
In his defense, Franco has claimed he attempted to make up with Gibson, and he took full responsibility for what he dubbed "a lot of misunderstandings," which is one way to describe repeatedly punching your co-star in the face. As for Gibson, he's since remained mum on the subject, and we don't see the two working together again anytime soon.
Kevin Smith said working with Bruce Willis was 'soul crushing'
In 2009, Kevin Smith took a massive pay cut for a chance to work with Bruce Willis on the 2010 buddy comedy "Cop Out." It was also the first time Smith directed a movie he didn't write, but he was up for the challenge if it meant working with Willis. Unfortunately, some dreams die hard, and that's the way it went for Scott.
On an episode of "WTF With Marc Maron" (via Uproxx), Smith described working with Willis, saying, "It was f***in' soul crushing." He claimed Willis was essentially zero help and wouldn't even sit for the movie poster. In a lengthier interview with SBS Australia, Smith said he knew from day one that Willis was completely checked out for two reasons. First, he was supposedly intimidated by Tracy Morgan's ad lib skills. "You could just see the color draining out of his face," Smith said. And second, Willis allegedly only cared about the money, which is something that Smith had not dealt with before.
"Willis was the person I worked with in my entire career who was a paycheck player," Smith said. "A straight up paycheck player. Nothing wrong with that, it's not against the law, but if you're going to get paid to do the job, do the job. He didn't want to do that." After "Cop Out," Smith went back to making indie films, while Willis continued to churn out movies at a steady clip until his 2022 retirement from acting amid health issues.
Selma Blair accused Charlie Sheen of wrongful termination
In 2013, Selma Blair threatened to sue Charlie Sheen and Lionsgate for wrongful termination after she was fired from "Anger Management." According to TMZ, Blair believed Sheen had her written off the show after she complained about him holding up production by never memorizing his lines in a timely fashion. However, sources claimed to TMZ that Blair's time on the show was always going to be short-lived, but when Sheen heard about her complaining, "The process was accelerated." According to Deadline Hollywood (via Radar), that process allegedly involved Sheen firing Blair via text and calling her a certain c-word.
While Blair and Lionsgate presumably reached a settlement, Sheen was still salty about the situation in 2017. While appearing on "Watch What Happens Live" (via Us Weekly), he was asked to rank his favorite female co-stars. He praised Heather Locklear and said of Lindsay Lohan, "She's work but she's cool. She's fun to look at." As for Blair and Jenny McCarthy? "I'd like to mash those two together and then kick them to the curb," Sheen said. "They deserve each other."
Freddie Prinze Jr. called Kiefer Sutherland 'the most unprofessional dude'
Freddie Prinze Jr. reportedly hated working with Kiefer Sutherland on "24" so much that he temporarily retired from acting. Sutherland, meanwhile, previously expressed excitement about working with Prinze while speaking with Parade.
"Kiefer was the most unprofessional dude in the world," Prinze told ABC News four years later in 2014. "That's not me talking trash, I'd say it to his face, I think everyone that's worked with him has said that." After leaving "24," Prinze surprisingly went to work for wrestling promoter Vince McMahon, which he admitted was a different kind of crazy, but still preferable to working with Sutherland. "At least [McMahon] was cool and tall. I didn't have to take my shoes off to do scenes with him, which ['24'] made me do. Just put the guy on an apple box or don't hire me next time. You know I'm 6 feet and he's 5'4."
In a statement to TMZ, Sutherland's rep said this was the first the actor had heard about Prinze's grievances, noting that Sutherland enjoyed the experience and wishes him the best. That wasn't exactly a denial, so we're pretty sure these two aren't going to play partners again anytime soon.
What went down between Bill Murray and Lucy Liu?
When 2003's "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" ramped up production, Bill Murray was noticeably absent from the sequel, despite playing series regular Bosley. According to The Playlist, the actor was allegedly brutal to Lucy Liu during the first film. He reportedly stopped a scene to insult her acting, which resulted in Liu throwing punches. After that, Murray refused to appear in the sequel if Liu was involved, and he found himself replaced by Bernie Mac, or so the story goes.
When asked about the incident almost a decade later by The Times of London (via Entertainment Weekly), Murray simply said, "Look, I will dismiss you completely if you are unprofessional and working with me. ... When our relationship is professional, and you're not getting that done, forget it."
In the same interview, Murray also said of "Charlie's Angel" director McG, "He deserves to die! He should be pierced with a lance." Yikes. While we imagine Murray was just being facetious, he did admit to holding a grudge against Harold Ramis, one of his oldest friends and closest collaborators, for more than 20 years (said grudge ended just prior to Ramis' 2014 death). In other words, don't hold your breath for a Liu and Murray truce.
Shia LaBeouf and Alec Baldwin butted heads on Broadway
In 2013, Shia LaBeouf and Alec Baldwin were set to appear in the Broadway production of "Orphans" until LaBeouf was fired from the show because of "creative differences," per Entertainment Weekly, reportedly at Baldwin's request.
In a lengthy interview with Vulture the following year, Baldwin described his version of events: LaBeouf showed up to the stage with what the "30 Rock" alum dubbed a "jailhouse mentality" and began sending Baldwin videos where he recited entire scenes from memory. Eventually, the situation went nuclear when LaBeouf allegedly told Baldwin during rehearsal, "'You're slowing me down, and you don't know your lines. And if you don't say your lines, I'm just going to keep saying my lines.'" At that point, Baldwin asked to be removed from the show, but the director chose to fire LaBeouf instead.
Also in 2014, LaBeouf told Interview that his method acting got the best of him. He also said, "My whole goal was to intimidate the f*** out of Baldwin," and he admitted that he started following Baldwin home after he got fired from the play. Needless to say, the situation got way out of hand. According to LaBeouf, the two actors have since made amends, but we don't suspect Baldwin will be inviting a lurking LaBeouf inside for a cup of coffee anytime soon.
Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron 'didn't get along' on set
"Mad Max: Fury Road" may have been a box-office success and a hit with critics in 2015, but behind the scenes, stars Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy did not get on. At all. In interviews, Theron wasn't shy about confirming the rumors that she struggled with Hardy, and director George Miller even admitted that Theron and Hardy didn't have the best relationship, according to People. While sitting down with Esquire, Theron went even further by bluntly revealing that the two actors "f**kin' went at it," which she blamed on Hardy's personality and filming conditions that involved them constantly working on a moving truck in the desert. "It was like a family road trip that just never went anywhere," Theron said. "We never got anywhere. We just drove. We drove into nothingness, and that was maddening sometimes."
In 2017, co-star Zoe Kravitz confirmed the feud between Theron and Hardy, which she partially blamed on the grueling production. "They didn't get along," Kravitz revealed on "Watch What Happens Live" (via Cinemablend). "We were also in the desert for so long. I think everyone was tired, and confused, and homesick. We saw nothing but sand for six months. You go crazy, you do. I actually don't know if there was one issue. I just think it was like they weren't vibing."
All that said, both Theron and Hardy are game for a "Mad Max" sequel, so buckle your seat belts, folks.
Scott Foley's wife doesn't want him talking to Jennifer Garner
When Scott Foley tied the knot with fellow actor Marika Domińczyk in 2007, the couple reportedly established a golden relationship rule: Cut off all contact with exes. That included his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner. "There's no relationship, friendly or otherwise, between Scott and Jennifer now," a source claimed to Radar in 2015. "Marika would leave him in a heartbeat if he tried to change that because to her it would be totally inappropriate."
Indeed, Foley appeared to confirm just that to Radio Andy in 2021. He was asked about his marriage to Garner and, noting that Domińczyk was in the studio, nervously laughed, "This is dangerous territory!" Saying they haven't stayed in touch "because she has her own family, I have mine," he underscored that they're always civil when they see each other around Los Angeles. "Everybody says hi and you're cordial and you move on," he mused.
Garner and Foley first met on the set of "Felicity" in 1998, quickly started dating, and married in 2000. However, they separated in 2003, with Garner blaming her young age (she was in her twenties at the time) and Hollywood. "It is a fast-lane life and if something is not working, it is considered best to end it without much thought," she explained, per InStyle. "If we lived where I was brought up [in West Virginia], we would probably still be together." Even so, she had nothing but respect for her ex-hubby, telling Allure in 2013, "He's a really good guy."
George Takei and William Shatner have been feuding for decades
How long can a Hollywood feud last? Decades, it turns out! George Takei and William Shatner first met on the set of the original "Star Trek" TV series in the 1960s, and they're still feuding to this day.
In a 2022 interview with The Guardian, Takei claimed everyone got along great on set, noting, "Except for one, who was a prima donna." He was referring to Shatner, whom he dubbed "a cantankerous old man" who he claimed no one enjoyed working with. Indeed, in his 1994 biography, "To the Stars," he made a similar claim, writing, "Bill seemed totally immune to the sensitivities or the sorts of this he worked with." He also called his co-star oblivious and critiqued, "His driving determination seemed to blind him to everything around him." As for Shatner, he told The Times in 2022 that he couldn't believe he was still being talked about. "[Sixty] years after some incident, they are still on that track — don't you think that's a little weird?" he asked. "It's like a sickness."
Another highly publicized and highly contentious exchange came earlier in 2008 when Shatner alleged Takei hadn't invited him to his wedding — something Takei denied. "It's so painfully obvious that there's a psychosis there," Shatner claimed in a video uploaded to his YouTube page. "There must be something else inside George that is festering, and makes him so unhappy that he takes it out on me — in effect, a total stranger."
Nick Nolte and Julia Roberts pushed each other's buttons
Julia Roberts was the queen of the silver screen in the '90s, churning out hit after hit. Then there was 1994's "I Love Trouble," which was the complete opposite. The film, co-starring Nick Nolte, was a flop, and its failure was largely due to its two leads not getting along at all. Back in 1994, Los Angeles Times reported on the headline-making on-set feud, with sources alleging that Roberts was rude to Nolte because she didn't like his macho attitude, while he pushed her buttons on purpose.
Indeed, while shooting the film, Roberts told The New York Times in 1993 that their relationship was not perfect. "From the moment I met him we sort of gave each other a hard time and naturally we get on each other's nerves," she admitted. According to her, Nolte could be "completely charming and very nice [but] he's also completely disgusting." Adding fuel to the fire, she accused, "He seems to go out of his way to repel people." Nolte fired back, telling Los Angeles Times (via the Independent), "It's not nice to call someone disgusting, but she's not a nice person — everyone knows that."
Jump to 2022 when Insider asked Nolte about the feud. He said they never buried the hatchet, but they did move on. "It was partly my fault and a little bit of hers," he conceded. "Julia got married at the beginning of that film and it was one of those things where I just approached it all wrong."
Janet Hubert blamed Will Smith for derailing her career
Before Daphne Maxwell Reid took on the role of Aunt Viv on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," Janet Hubert created and embodied the character for the show's first three seasons. Fans were confused when she suddenly disappeared in 1993, but Will Smith soon put the blame at her door. In a 1993 radio interview, he slammed, "Janet Hubert wanted the show to be 'The Aunt Viv of Bel-Air Show.'" He accused her of being difficult to work with and jeered, "She's mad now but she's been mad all along." He also alleged she once said, "'I've been in the business for 10 years and this snotty-nosed punk comes along and gets a show.'"
Hubert responded by admitting she did butt heads with Smith, but told the Los Angeles Times, "I'd worked hard and I never saw that coming." She also accused Smith of trying to tarnish her reputation with lies. "He has gotten me fired from the show and now he is trying to snatch my career away from me," she was quoted as saying.
When TMZ asked Hubert in 2011 if she'd ever consider a reunion, she made it clear the wound was still fresh. "I will never do anything with an a**hole like Will Smith," she proclaimed. In the end, she did agree to the 2020 HBO Max reunion, where she explained how Smith's accusations affected her. "Calling a Black woman difficult in Hollywood is the kiss of death," she said, per Vanity Fair. "I lost everything." In the end, both Hubert and Smith apologized to one another.
Rupert Sanders was allegedly forbidden from working with Kristen Stewart
Rupert Sanders and Kristen Stewart made headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2012 when it was revealed they'd had an on-set affair. Stewart was dating Robert Pattinson at the time, while her "Snow White and the Huntsman" director was married to Liberty Ross. For her part, Stewart issued a public apology, per People, saying, "This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob."
Sanders, who had been married to Ross since 2002, seemed to have a more lax response. Speaking with Metro (via Vanity Fair) in 2017, he mused, "I am bound to make more mistakes, and I wouldn't expect my life to be exciting if I didn't." He also demanded forgiveness, saying, "If you took people off the table for a momentary lapse, there would be no one making art."
Initially, Ross — who shares two kids with Sanders — decided to stay with her husband. However, she reportedly demanded he not direct the "Snow White" sequel. A source claimed to Radar, "She just doesn't want him to ever work with Kristen again." So "The Huntsman: Winter's War" proceeded with a different director, but in the end, it wasn't enough. The couple split in 2012, and Ross filed for divorce in 2013. In 2022, she opened up about the affair with The Times, saying, "'It was brutal." As for why she kept quiet for so long, Ross explained, "You do what you do for your kids."
Ryan Reynolds and Wesley Snipes won't be collabing again
Wesley Snipes wasn't exactly a hit on the set of 2004's "Blade: Trinity." Many of his co-stars spoke candidly about how difficult it was to collaborate with Snipes, who allegedly stayed in character the whole time. "He really didn't give us a chance to get to know him," Jessica Biel told Blackfilm, while Patton Oswalt accused him of trying to strangle director David Goyer, of never leaving his trailer, and of being constantly high. "It was a very troubled production," he told AV Club. "Wesley was just f***ing crazy in a hilarious way."
Ryan Reynolds found the process especially difficult. "My personality is the polar opposite of Wesley," he told IGN. "I never met Wesley, I only met Blade." Things got so tense that he actually tried everything he could to get Snipes to laugh or break character, but failed. "It was a challenging process," he mused. "I've never experienced anything like that." And his exasperation can actually be seen in the film. "There's a moment in the movie where I look up at Jessica and I swear to God, I didn't even know the cameras were rolling anymore and I say, 'He hates me, doesn't he?'" he shared.
Snipes denied the reports in an interview with Vice, but it's safe to say he and Reynolds won't be working together again anytime soon. When Première Magazine asked Reynolds in 2016 if he'd consider doing a "Blade 4," he immediately shook his head and laughed, "Nooo."
Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt had a 'difficult' time working together
Put two big stars together, and the results aren't always positive. Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt proved that while working on 1997's "The Devil's Own," which almost didn't happen because the duo couldn't get on the same page. Speaking with Newsweek in 1997, Pitt revealed he almost quit the project because he wasn't happy with the script changes Ford had requested. "This script that I had loved was gone," he revealed. In its place, Pitt said, "We had 20 pages of dogs***," and filming was due to start in a week. In the end, Pitt stayed on when the studio told him he'd face a $63 million penalty for quitting. Those allegations made major headlines and just a month later, the actor backtracked, telling the Tampa Bay Times the real reason he thought of walking away was that he was scared they wouldn't do the story justice. "It wasn't because of lack of script or loss of faith in anybody," he assured.
As for Ford, he addressed the drama more recently in a May 2023 interview with Esquire and said the issues did come down to the script. "Brad developed the script, then they offered me the part," Ford recalled. He didn't think his character had enough depth, so he worked with a writer to change that and soon, the script and the very direction of the film were upended. "I was imposing my point of view, and it's fair to say that that's what Brad felt," he conceded.
Kourtney Kardashian doesn't even want to speak to Kim
Kourtney Kardashian has been in her share of sisterly feuds, but none was as intense as her physical altercation with Kim Kardashian. The blowout happened on the Season 18 premiere of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" back in 2020 after Kourtney went off on Kim for making it seem like "she's the only one with work ethic." Things quickly escalated after Kourtney threw a water bottle at her sister, as the pair began wrestling, kicking, and scratching. "I will literally f*** you up," Kourtney proclaimed before Kim slapped her big sis twice. The fight was a tipping point for Kourtney, who then decided to step back from filming the show. Speaking with Vogue Arabia in 2020, she explained, "I was feeling unfulfilled and it became a toxic environment for me to continue to have it occupy as much of my life as it was."
It wasn't the first time the pair butted heads over work. In 2015, Kim berated Kourtney for refusing to be in her video game. Then, in 2023, their animosity was reignited when Kourtney accused Kim of stealing her Dolce & Gabbana wedding looks for her own Dolce & Gabbana fashion collab. "It's almost like a greediness," she slammed her sister in an episode of "The Kardashians" that June. "If I look at the photos from the fashion show, half of the time I'm like, 'Is this my wedding?'" While Khloé Kardashian encouraged her to talk to Kim, Kourtney refused, saying, "She's so intolerable to even have a conversation with."
Dwayne Johnson refused to share the screen with Vin Diesel
When Dwayne Johnson joined the "Fast & Furious" franchise in 2011, fans were all for it, but the addition soon proved to be problematic. In 2016, while shooting "The Fate of the Furious," Johnson criticized some of his male co-stars on Instagram, calling them "candy a**es" — without naming names. However, it seemed clear he was talking about Vin Diesel, especially because they didn't appear in a single scene together. As Johnson later told Vanity Fair, he only agreed to return for the eighth movie if he didn't have to work directly with Diesel. "I wanted to forgo drama," Johnson explained.
Unsurprisingly, Johnson didn't appear in "F9," but in November 2021, Diesel took to Instagram to say he wanted to see Johnson back for "Fast X." "You must show up, do not leave the franchise idle, you have a very important role to play," he wrote. Johnson wasn't impressed. "Vin's recent public post was an example of his manipulation," he told CNN, adding they'd had a private conversation in June 2021 during which he told Diesel, "There was no chance I would return." Speaking with Vanity Fair, he added that he apparently wasn't the only one who disliked working with Diesel. "Every single crew member found their way to me and either quietly thanked me or sent me a note," he alleged.
Something must have changed, because Johnson did make a surprise post-credits cameo in "Fast X," then told fans he was officially back in the franchise via Twitter in June 2023.