The Shady Side Of Christina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera has a beautiful voice, but a bad reputation.

She had a long feud with Lady Gaga, which started in 2008 when she was accused of stealing Gaga's look when promoting Bionic. Her response was not the best, telling The Los Angeles Times, "You know, that's funny that you mention that. This person [Lady Gaga] was just brought to my attention not too long ago. I'm not quite sure who this person is, to be honest. I don't know if it is a man or a woman. I just wasn't sure. I really don't spend any time on the Internet, so I guess I live a little under a rock in that respect."

Aguilera and Mother Monster have since reconciled and even did a remix of Gaga's "Do What U Want" together, but not everyone has forgiven Aguilera for her attitude. Boy band The Wanted outright called her a "b**ch" a few times after encountering her, and her feud with Kelly Osbourne seemed like it would never end. But they aren't the only ones who've had issues with Xtina. 

Behold, the shady side of Christina Aguilera.

Aguilera spent five years on The Voice, during which one of her only few hit songs was a collaboration with fellow coach Adam Levine's band, Maroon 5, with "Moves Like Jagger." (The others were Pitbull collaboration "Feel This Moment" and A Great Big World's "Say Something;" Aguilera's only solo single to chart during this period was "Your Body" at No. 34.)

The Voice was (and remains, as of this writing) a ratings juggernaut for NBC and she made a sweet payday from it, but she completely slammed the competition series in a May 2018 interview with Billboard, calling the show an "energy sucker."

"It became something that I didn't feel was what I had signed up for in season one," she griped. "You realize it's not about music. It's about making good TV moments and massaging a story." Aguilera added, "I didn't get into this business to be a television show host and to be given all these [rules], especially as a female: You can't wear this, can't say that. I would find myself on that show desperately trying to express myself through clothing or makeup or hair. It was my only kind of outlet."

Of course, it may be her salary that made her so bitter: When Aguilera was the only female vocalist judging the show, she took home $17 million per season, The Wrap reported, but she took pay cuts in her later seasons, earning $12.5 million.

Perhaps part of why Aguilera got a paycut at The Voice was because she was so aggravating to everyone else on set that she wasn't worth her hefty paychecks.

A source told Radar Online in 2015, "Christina is such a terror to work with. She is frequently late and she doesn't even seem to care or apologize for holding up the filming of the show. To make matters worse, she is constantly fighting with Adam [Levine]. They cannot stand each other."

As early as 2012, insiders told Hollywood Life that the production crew on The Voice much preferred Levine to Aguilera, griping, "When things get heated — on and off set — the people in makeup have been told to go to Christina and work on her so she doesn't start complaining or yelling. ... If she starts carrying on and making a scene [with the other coaches], the people in makeup act like a pit crew and rush to her to keep her quiet."

Insiders also told Star (via Hollywood Life) that Aguilera's tardiness often held up production and that her diva demands included having a staffer whose sole job was to massage her feet "at 30-minute intervals."

Add that to her alleged constant beefing with Levine and her often less-than-thoughtful criticisms of The Voice contestants, and it's not too surprising that NBC opted to branch out to other female singers, including Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys, Miley Cyrus, Shakira, and Kelly Clarkson.

Working with Aguilera is difficult enough, but sources say working for Aguilera is even worse. Insiders told OK! Magazine that her constant diva demands have led most of Aguilera's personal staff to throw in the towel and seek employment elsewhere. A source told the tabloid that Aguilera is "incredibly rude and demanding and "treats her household staff terribly," insisting that they be on call 24/7.

"She has no problem waking up a nanny or maid for the most menial tasks. She's even called a staffer from the other end of the house to get something like a towel that was mere feet away from her," the source said.

Her only saving grace is baby daddy and fiancé Matt Rutler, who the source said "does his best to make up for her bad behavior ... You can tell when he doesn't approve of something she's done. If it wasn't for him, she'd have no staff left!"

Of course, that's a lot of hearsay from anonymous sources, but if even part of it is true, it's definitely not a good look for Xtina. 

Aguilera dated backup dancer Jorge Santos (above left) for two years leading up to the release of her sophomore album Stripped. In 2002, she told MTV News that her songs "Infatuation" and "Underappreciated" were inspired by her relationship with Santos, who worked on several of her music videos as well as her tours. No harm no foul there, right?

Well, fast-forward to March 2018 and it gets a little complicated. Aguilera was a guest on RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked, and one of the drag queens asked Aguilera if "Infatuation" was inspired by someone. "Of course it was," she said. "It was heartbreaking, because I found out he played for your team, not mine."

She didn't mention Santos by name, but fans with access to the Internet (or just a really good memory) would have been able to piece that together.

Drag queen Vanessa Vanjie quipped, "He's gonna see this! He's gonna be mad," to which a rueful Aguilera replied, "I hope so, girl."

One Day At A Time star Valerie Bertinelli had an experience with Aguilera that left a really bad taste in her mouth. The Hot In Cleveland actress was married to Eddie Van Halen from 1981 to 2007, and in November 2014 recalled meeting Aguilera backstage at one of her then-husband's concerts.

"I didn't have a feud with her," Bertinelli said on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. "I was a fan at that time a long time ago, and I went up to her 'cause she was backstage at a Van Halen concert, and I said, 'Oh my God, I think you're a beautiful singer.' " Bertinelli said Xtina gave her the "cold shoulder," turned her back to her and said, "Ugh, yeah, whatever."

"She gave me the cold shoulder, and I thought, 'B***h, I'm a fan. You can't be nice to me?' She might have gotten better," Bertinelli said, "but I heard she hasn't."

In 2011, Christina Aguilera and Matthew Rutler were both arrested after a boozy night out at a Los Angeles eatery. Rutler was booked on "investigation of DUI" after "driving erratically," People reported, while Aguilera was taken in for "public intoxication."

However, Aguilera wasn't charged with any crimes — she was reportedly "incapacitated" from her alcohol intake, and police held her until she was safe and coherent enough to be on her way.

Three days after the arrests, Us Weekly reported that Aguilera and Rutler were at the same restaurant going through wine like it was water, though this time they hired a chauffeured limo to and from home. A source close to the singer said, "She should see the arrest as a wake-up call, but she doesn't. She doesn't think things are that bad." Another quipped that she was "nearly fall-down wasted every night" during that period.

Us Weekly also reported that Aguilera's friends said her drinking was out of control for a while, saying she had to be carried home throughout her Burlesque (2011) press tour and that she even got so drunk at a party at actor Jeremy Renner's house that she crawled into his bed.

A flippant Aguilera later told W magazine of her arrest, "I think I was a victim of celebrity. I don't drive, I wasn't driving, and I committed no crimes, but they put me in jail. I think they were bored that night."

Despite their busts for alcohol-related issues, Aguilera and Rutler still love to party.

In June 2016, a source told Page Six that Aguilera's neighbors dreaded a charity celebration the couple planned on throwing because they feared it would get out of control.

"If you're having more than a handful of people, the [homeowners association] gets involved," a source said. "It's a struggle for the party planners because the HOA wants to know exactly how many people are coming, how long it will last, and all those details. They're being extra tight because Matt has thrown 'ragers' in the past, and they're worried it will get rowdy."

When they're guests, they allegedly don't behave in a much more civilized manner, either. Page Six reported in December 2015 that Aguilera was "a mess at Seth MacFarlane's Christmas party."

"Seth asked her five times to come up [and sing] and she refused," a spy said. "The reason she didn't get up is because she was wasted." The witness added that Rutler and an Aguilera pal had to help her make her exit because "she was wearing 6-inch custom Louboutins. She was literally wobbling ... she nearly fell into a Christmas tree."

Pink and Aguilera had a longstanding feud that Pink says began when Aguilera recruited record executive Ron Fair to demand she sing the most leads in their 2002 cover of "Lady Marmalade" with Mya and Lil' Kim. The feud deepened when Aguilera began working with Pink's childhood hero and Missundaztood collaborator, songwriter Linda Perry. It apparently peaked when Aguilera tried to physically fight Pink, which Pink recalled in October 2017 after they'd already made amends.

"She swung on me in a club. It was hilarious," Pink said on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. "I was like, 'What is happening right now? What's happening?' ... I laughed, it was just funny."

Pink added, "We were super young and super new at the whole thing, and I think I'm an alpha and she's an alpha, and I'm used to ... taking my altercations physical and she's used to having them verbal. We just were very different ... and we were very young and new, and you have to learn how to support— like, women have to learn how to support each other. It's not taught to us on the playground."

Aguilera's alleged hard-partying and frequent rudeness got her into a tiff with fellow diva Mariah Carey in 2006, and it didn't end well for Aguilera.

Aguilera started it when she told GQ (via PopSugar), "One time, we were at a party and I think she got really drunk, and she had just really derogatory things to say to me. But it was at that time that she had that breakdown, so she might have been very medicated."

Carey responded to Access Hollywood (via Popsugar) with some of the most legendary shade ever thrown.

"I had hoped that Christina was in a better place now than the last time I saw her, when she showed up uninvited at one of my parties and displayed questionable behavior," Carey sniffed. "It is sad yet predictable that she would use my name at this time to reinvent past incidents for her promotional gain. It is in my heart to forgive and I will keep her in my prayers."

Aguilera quickly bowed down to Mimi, telling Access Hollywood, "I do not want any bad energy with anyone. My intentions were not to upset Mariah with any statements that were published or taken out of context. I have all the respect in the world for her."

Daniel Franzese starred as Damian in Mean Girls (2004). In the film, Franzese's character sings Aguilera's "Beautiful" in their school's winter talent show in a popular scene in the comedy classic.

As a result of the career-making role, Franzese was beyond thrilled when he finally got the chance to meet the actual "Beautiful" belter ... but it didn't go well at all, and Franzese says Aguilera was actually a rather mean girl when he met her.

When asked if he'd ever sing "Beautiful" at karaoke in real life, he told Yahoo! Entertainment in 2014, "Never again. It's actually funny because I met Christina Aguilera and I thought for sure that would be an exciting moment in my life. And I was like, 'Christina, my name's Daniel. I sing "Beautiful" in Mean Girls.' And she was like, 'Never saw it.' And then turned her back and walked away. She was so rude."

You may remember Aguilera having it out for The Voice contestant Tony Lucca, who was a Mouseketeer with Aguilera when they were kids — which she claimed to not remember. No one was sure why she hated him so much, but they trolled each other all season (thanks in part to his working with Adam Levine as his coach), with Lucca even performing "99 Problems" allegedly to stick it to Aguilera, who then told him his performance was "derogatory to women" and disrespectful to his wife and daughter in the audience.

Dale Godboldo, who was on The Mickey Mouse Club at the same time as Lucca and Aguilera, told TMZ that he thinks Aguilera had an unrequited crush on Lucca, and that she harbored a grudge against him ever since.

"Britney was in love with him. Christina was in love with him ... All of this [Voice] madness was not brought on by Tony." Godboldo added of Aguilera calling out Lucca's "99 Problems" cover for being disrespectful to his daughter, "The irony of that is that his daughter wasn't even in the crowd that night."

Us Weekly reported that Aguilera eventually apologized to Lucca.

In December 2014, Aguilera went to Disneyland to celebrate her 34th birthday when she got into an argument with none other than Mickey Mouse himself. TMZ reported that Aguilera wanted to take a photo with the iconic Disney character, but that the Mickey character actor was going on a break, to which she allegedly threw a tantrum complete with a "Do you know who I am?!" moment. 

She reportedly called Mickey an "a**hole," leading him to be escorted to a safe, private area away from her tirade, and that security came to respond to the incident — but Aguilera and her crew high-tailed it out of there before they arrived.