Celebrity Confessions That Left Us With More Questions Than Answers

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."

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."

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.

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.

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.

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."

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."

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!"