Celebs Who Spilled Big Secrets On Live TV
Live television has given us some of the most shocking moments in history. There are no re-shoots, so when celebrities reveal huge secrets on live TV, that unedited footage makes for captivating and memorable moments for the audience. Sometimes, those revelations are accidental, such as actors dishing major movie and TV spoilers, or spilling juicy gossip about themselves or others. Other times, those major moments are intentionally revealed on live television, offering viewers an opportunity to connect with the stars in real time and in a fashion that feels more intimate. After all, who among us hasn't spilled the beans a time or two completely by accident?
Which star inadvertently made waves talking about a New Kid on the Block's sexuality, and which Avenger ruined the ending of "Infinity War?" From baby bumps to Balloon Boy to sacred burial grounds, see which famous faces spilled big secrets on live TV.
Tom Hanks gives thanks in weird ways
During the 66th annual Academy Awards, Tom Hanks gave an inspired speech while accepting the best actor award for his performance in "Philadelphia." He recognized an old classmate, John Gilkerson, and his high school drama teacher, Rawley Farnsworth, as "two of the finest gay Americans I have known." For the masses watching at home, that moment revealed a little about the caring and considerate side of Hanks. For Farnsworth, however, that Oscar speech revealed he was gay to many who didn't know.
But don't let this change your opinion of Hanks. While the actor may have surprised his former teacher, Farnsworth didn't begrudge his pupil. According to People, the San Francisco Chronicle did a story on Farnsworth after "Philadelphia" was released and before the Academy Awards that had identified him as a gay man for the first time publicly, with his permission. Unless you read that newspaper, it was Hanks on the Academy Award stage who spilled the beans.
"I didn't know exactly what he was going to say," Farnsworth told People, "but it was just overwhelming." According to the magazine, Farnsworth was incredibly touched by Hanks' Oscar speech, so much so that he joined an organization of gay teachers and even served as grand marshal in a parade for children with HIV.
Ian McShane lets the Hound out
When Ian McShane visited "BBC Breakfast" in 2016 to talk about some of his then-upcoming projects, he ended up giving a little too much information away. As the conversation dipped into "Game of Thrones" territory, the veteran actor greatly underestimated the cleverness of fans.
When the hosts pressed for some juicy intel about Season 6, McShane revealed that the show — specifically his character — would "bring back a much-loved character that everyone thinks is dead." According to Vanity Fair, McShane probably thought he was being sneaky. With so many dead characters to choose from, he likely felt safe giving audiences a little hint, but he may have overlooked some telling details in the books upon which the HBO series is based. McShane described his character in the show as "an ex-warrior who's become a peacenik." That description closely resembles a character in the text, Septon Meribald, who is connected to a mysterious figure known as the Gravedigger whom many suspect is actually the Hound. It just made perfect sense.
Tiffany outs Jonathan Knight
Jonathan Knight of New Kids on the Block didn't hide the fact that he's gay, but he didn't make it front page news, either. Maybe that's why it slipped by fans for years. Former pop star Tiffany Darwish (or simply, Tiffany) knew Knight was gay, but she didn't know the public was still in the dark about it when she chatted with Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live!" Tiffany revealed on the show that she dated Knight, describing him as, "The quiet one. The shy one. He became gay later." When asked if his sexual orientation had anything to do with her, Tiffany said, "I was thinking maybe I did, but no," she said (via E! News).
After the show, Tiffany learned just how many people were unaware about Knight's sexual orientation. In a since-deleted tweet, she stated (via Billboard), "Really didn't know that was the wrong thing to say. Never meant to hurt Jon."
Knight eventually released a statement to clear the air. "I have never been outed by anyone but myself!" he wrote (via Entertainment Weekly). "I did so almost twenty years ago. I never knew that I would have to do it all over again publicly just because I reunited with NKOTB! I have lived my life very openly and have never hidden the fact that I am gay!"
John Boyega is left speechless
While John Boyega wasn't directly responsible for dropping a huge spoiler on live television, he certainly didn't slow the bleeding. All he could do was watch and listen in disbelief as Holly Willoughby, the host of "This Morning," revealed major information about the then-upcoming "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."
During the interview, Willoughby blurts out (via Independent), "Fans will be very excited because Yoda is back!" Boyega is clearly taken aback, looking off camera, as if pleading for help from his team. Too late. The cat, er, Yoda was out of the bag. Boyega's expression and response were enough to all but confirm Willoughby's spoiler. "Holly, Holly ... you can't tell the fans exactly what happens," he says.
Seemingly realizing her mistake, the experienced host tries to walk back her words. "I don't know, I don't know what happens ... that is out there." A clearly-flustered Boyega does little to throw fans off the scent as he signs off: "You know what? Things happen, things happen. Get your ticket."
Beyonce unveils her bump
Leave it up to Beyoncé to take pregnancy announcements to the next level. Leading up to her performance of "Love on Top" during the 2011 VMAs, there were rumors aplenty about if and when Beyoncé and Jay-Z would start a family and how they'd announce a baby on the way. announce it. On the red carpet earlier that very night, Beyoncé was clearly holding her tummy in a few photos, indicating that a pregnancy was possible.
But the real announcement didn't come until after her performance. At the end of her energetic routine, Queen Bey casually unbuttoned her sequined blazer to reveal a small baby bump. She then smiled and rubbed her stomach lovingly to really put an exclamation point on the news. For anyone who was still confused, the cameras panned to Jay-Z and company backstage. The rapper's entourage were jumping for joy as Jay-Z hugged those around him. It was an enormous pop culture moment that set a new record for Twitter at the time with 8,868 tweets per second.
Wolf Blitzer pops the Balloon Boy's story
In 2009, a 6-year old Colorado boy named Falcon became an overnight celebrity when news broke that he was hooked to a large helium balloon floating uncontrollably through the skies. He would forever be known as Balloon Boy. In case you missed this one, the story had a happy ending, sort of. The boy wasn't actually attached to the balloon at all. Unbeknownst to his worried parents, he was hiding in the attic. At least, that's what the family told the press, but during an interview with Wolf Blitzer on "Larry King Live," Balloon Boy seemed a little fuzzy on the details of that day.
When Blitzer asks if the boy heard his parents calling to him, the kid admits that he did. Hearing this, his dad, Richard Henne, asks Falcon why he didn't come out. Seemingly confused and put on the spot, Falcon replies, "We did this for the show." It was an awkward moment that suggested the entire incident may have been a hoax. When Blitzer hones in on Falcon's comment to try to clarify, his dad grows agitated and declares that he's "really appalled" by Blitzer's so-called insinuation.
Dylan O'Brien loots sacred grounds
Dylan O'Brien found himself in hot water after an appearance on "Live! with Kelly and Michael." While attempting to tell an amusing story, the actor admitted that he and the cast of "Maze Runner: Scorch Trials" looted an ancient Native American burial site during filming in New Mexico. The actor implied that a slew of illnesses and injuries on set were brought on as revenge for the thefts. He said the cast had been told before shooting began, "Don't take anything and respect the grounds," adding, "And everyone just takes stuff, obviously."
A petition soon popped up demanding the return of those stolen items, garnering more than 79,000 signatures and an apology from 20th Century Fox. Still, according to the New York Daily News, the studio conducted an investigation into O'Brien's claims and found no evidence proving anything was actually taken. That also means that nothing was ever returned, so in the end, we may never know if this was a poor joke, a bad investigation, or both.
Courtney Love warns women about Harvey Weinstein
Even if it took years for people to get wise to what Courtney Love actually meant in 2005 while on the red carpet for the Pamela Anderson Comedy Central Roast, her words revealed a major Hollywood secret — one that few people were talking about at the time. During the event, the Hole frontwoman was asked by a reporter to share some "advice for a young girl moving to Hollywood." The rocker expressed concern that she would get in trouble if she said what was on her mind, but then apparently decided to spit it out anyway: "If Harvey Weinstein invites you to a private party in the Four Seasons, don't go."
More than a decade later, Love's warning proved to be founded in truth. Weinstein was hit with multiple sexual assault accusations from women throughout the entertainment industry and ended up being sentenced to nearly 40 years for several convictions. Despite Love's somewhat joking tone way back in 2005, she knew what she was doing. When TMZ pulled that haunting quote from the archives in 2017, as the #MeToo movement picked up steam, Love revisited that moment. "Although I wasn't one of his victims, I was eternally banned by CAA for speaking out against Harvey Weinstein," she said.
Charlie Sheen shares his HIV secret
Actor Charlie Sheen joined Matt Lauer on "Today" to reveal a massive bombshell of a secret in 2015. During the live interview, Sheen admitted publicly for the first time that he was HIV-positive. His reasons for doing so, particularly in such a grandiose manner, were to reportedly counteract some behind-the-scenes controversy going on in his life. "I'm here to admit that I am in fact HIV-positive," Sheen said.
This followed numerous tabloid rumors about him having the virus, as well as blackmail attempts to keep the information secret. At the time of his interview, Sheen had been living with HIV for several years. According to the actor, some of the sex workers he'd hired threatened to expose his secret unless he paid them, while one reportedly snapped photo evidence of his antiretroviral HIV medication, in another extortion attempt. Sheen paid in the millions of dollars before revealing his HIV status himself, saying that he was honest with all of his sexual partners about having the virus and denying allegations that he intentionally hid his health status from them.
Cardi B follows the Queen B
Taking a page out of Beyoncé's book, Cardi B used the stage to make her big baby announcement in 2018, wearing a skintight white dress that showcased her baby bump during a performance on "Saturday Night Live." The camera panned out during the second song in Cardi B's set, "Be Careful," to give TV audiences a good look at her stomach. If it wasn't obvious enough, the spotlight shining on the rapper's belly made it as clear as day.
Prior to that evening, Cardi had been in full denial mode about pregnancy speculation. When TMZ alleged the star's team had been informing people she was pregnant, Cardi snapped back on Instagram: "No b***h I'm just getting fat. Let me fat in peace." However, even when Cardi took ownership of her secret, it wasn't all smiles after the fact. In a since-deleted Instagram post (via E! News), Cardi shot back at her haters. "This is why I did not wanted to say nothing," she wrote after the "SNL" performance. "People be so thirsty to scrutinize and try to destroy something that it suppose be a blessing."
Mark Ruffalo spoils Infinity War
Nearly a year before "Avengers: Infinity War" was released, Mark Ruffalo, the actor behind the Hulk, ruined the ending during a live interview on "Good Morning America." When asked about "Thor: Ragnarok," Ruffalo seems like he's itching to share some intel. He looks to his Marvel co-star, Don Cheadle, for advice. Cheadle wisely cautions him: "I wouldn't say too much." Ruffalo keeps it fairly vague with this line: "Like every other Marvel movie, it doesn't end well for the superheroes." He should have stopped there.
But just a few seconds later, Ruffalo blurts out, "Wait till you see this next one," referring to the then-upcoming "Infinity War." "Ha! Everybody dies." Cheadle quickly tries to stop him, but the damage was done. "Can we rewind that part?" Ruffalo asks, looking visibly concerned. A year later, we learned just how close he was to revealing the entire surprise ending of the film.
David Letterman ignited Batman fans' wrath
Long before "Avengers: Endgame" directors Joe and Anthony Russo pleaded with viewers to avoid giving away spoilers, another titular comic book franchise finale was ruined live on TV. And perhaps the most egregious part was that it wasn't even a cast member of Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy who was the culprit, but rather, legendary late night funnyman David Letterman. Say what?
While interviewing Anne Hathaway, who played Catwoman in the final installment of the Christian Bale-led series, Letterman gave his hearty seal of approval for the film, before dropping this bomb: "At the end, Batman is dead!" Which, okay, if you've seen the film, you know isn't true; however, it's a critical deception at the climax, which fans probably weren't too keen on knowing about in advance.
Sensing the viral storm ahead, Anne Hathaway nervously laughed and replied, "I just want you to know the wrath you've just invited onto yourself," before assuring Nolan that she wasn't the one who let the ... cat ... out of the bag. "I had no part in this, I'm sorry," she said directly into the camera. Oh, and that wrath Hathaway mentioned? She wasn't kidding.
"Way to ruin the movie, Dave. Idiot," tweeted one fan. It only got worse from there.
Britney Spears' live blunder was that innocent
Before diving into this one, let's take a moment to remember the immortal words of one of the internet's earliest viral stars, Chris Crocker. Leave Britney Spears alone, we shall, but that doesn't mean we can't discuss how she casually told Entertainment Tonight that her one time co-star Zoe Saldana was pregnant with twins — before Saldana went public with the pregnancy. Yeah, record all the way scratched.
Of course, this was in 2014, over a decade after the two starred together in "Crossroads," and to be as fair to Spears as possible, she got a full pass from Saldana a few years later. Answering a fan's question about the spilled tea on "Watch What Happens Live" in 2017, Saldana took responsibility for the gaffe, saying she dished the baby deets to Spears on a flight, and never asked her to keep it a secret.
"The way that it happened was so innocent that I never even thought of holding her accountable to anything," Saldana said, adding, "She was just being Britney, and I loved her — But I don't mean that in a negative way, I mean that in the way that she lives her life in such truth." Britney never publicly apologized, and even though Saldana was clearly a good sport (and fantastic friend) about the whole thing, we still think the possibility of "Crossroads 2" got a major red light.
Mandy Moore's This Is Us co-star announced her engagement before she did
It was Mandy Moore's appreciation of future husband Taylor Goldsmith's music (he's frontman for the band Dawes) that led them to meet. "I took a picture of their album and posted it on Instagram," Moore recalled in an interview with People. "Somehow, Taylor saw it and sent a note to me. We started emailing back and forth, then we went on a date and the rest is history."
The couple subsequently got engaged, then married, and then welcomed a baby. The first news of their engagement, however, didn't come from Moore herself but from one of her co-stars on hit NBC drama "This Is Us." Speaking about Moore during a red carpet interview, actor Chris Sullivan clearly didn't realize that Moore hadn't publicly revealed her engagement. "I was just in the studio with her boyfriend, well, now fiancé, Taylor," he told Entertainment Tonight. "He seemed a little effervescent, but he's always pretty effervescent ..." According to Sullivan, he found out via text. "I've seen the sparkler, but I have not heard the story yet because I have not seen her yet," he added. "She just sent out an alert over our family text chain, so I can't wait to hear about it."
At the time that Sullivan spilled the beans, neither Goldsmith nor Moore had not yet officially made the announcement that they'd gotten engaged — whoops!
The world found out Angelina Jolie was having twins from co-star Jack Black
Back in 2008, Jack Black sat down with co-star Angelina Jolie to promote their new animated movie "Kung Fu Panda." Interviewed by Natalie Morales of "Today," discussion turned to Jolie's pregnancy. "You're gonna have as many as [the] 'Brady Bunch' when you have these," joked Black, as reported by Access. Given that Jolie had yet to reveal she was pregnant with twins, Morales sensed a scoop. "It's confirmed? Is it two?" the intrepid interviewer asked. "Yeah, yeah, we've confirmed that already," replied Jolie, then adding, "Well, Jack's just confirmed it actually." Black then realized what he'd done. "Is that true?" he asked Jolie. "Yeah, you did," she responded, to which Black said, "Sorry."
During a subsequent appearance on "Today," reported People, Black admitted he revealed more than he should have, but blamed his wife, Tanya Haden, for it. "It was my wife's fault," he said, more than likely jokingly throwing Haden under the bus. "She said, like it was common knowledge, 'Angelina's having twins' — because my wife is a triplet, and she was interested in that."
In fact, Black also claimed that his live-television faux pas actually did Jolie a favor. "She was relieved," Black contended. "She wanted to spill the beans, but didn't know how to and I did it for her."
Cher outed Tom Cruise as one of her 'top five' best lovers
Andy Cohen has often pulled revealing information out of the celebrities who appear on his Bravo talk show "Watch What Happens," and that was absolutely the case when he welcomed legendary singer and Oscar-winning actor Cher.
In the segment, Cohen enlisted the "If I Could Turn Back Time" singer for a game of "Truth or Cher," and kicked it off with a wildly provocative question. "Who was your all-time best lover," he asked. After a few moments of pondering, Cher replied, "Well, a lot of 'em kind of came in first. I've had just the greatest lovers ever!" When pressed to single out just one, Cohen asked, "Where did Tom Cruise rank on that list?" Responded Cher, "Well, he was in the top five."
For the benefit of anyone who just read and thought, "Wait, Cher dated Tom Cruise?" they did indeed date back in the 1980s. As she told the Daily Mail in 2018, she and Cruise met when they were both invited to the White House for an event featuring accomplished people who had overcome dyslexia, and wound up bonding over their shared learning disability. Asked if they'd remained in touch, she confirmed that they had. "Yeah!" she declared, but admitted their conversations didn't venture into his controversial religious beliefs. "Though I don't get what he does, that whole Scientology thing," she added. "I can't understand it so I just ... don't."
Jane Fonda revealed she'd stopped having sex
Jane Fonda has been in the public eye for so long and continues to star in so many film and TV projects. So, it's easy to forget that celebrated her 85th birthday in December 2022. Fonda has never been one to shy away from discussing issues related to her age, which came into play when she made a virtual appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." About midway through the interview, comedian Tiffany Haddish — who was filling in as guest host in the 2021 episode — posed a blunt question to Fonda. "Are you still having sex?" she asked. "Are you having, like, crazy sex?"
Fonda responded by gesturing with one of her hands, giving a definitive thumbs-down. "No," she said. "Zero. I don't have time." With Haddish laughing in disbelief, Fonda proffered an explanation. "I'm so old and I've had so much of it, and I don't need it right now because I'm too busy," she shared, a response that prompted an enthusiastic round of applause from the studio audience.
As if that hadn't already crossed over into TMI territory, Fonda continued by sharing even more details about her non-existent sex life. "But you know, my favorite ex-husband, Ted Turner, he always said, if you wait too long, it grows over," Fonda recalled, adding, "Well, I think he's right! I couldn't have sex again, even if I wanted to."
Joey King was 'violently high' while shooting a Kissing Booth scene
For Joey King, her breakout acting role came from playing Elle in the Netflix teen rom-com "The Kissing Booth," so popular that it spawned two sequels. That success propelled King to far edgier roles in such projects as "Bullet Train" (playing a deadly assassin), and real-life scam artist Gypsy Rose Blanchard in the acclaimed TV miniseries "The Act."
While promoting the final film in the "Kissing Booth" franchise, King appeared as a guest on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Discussing the film with comedian Chelsea Handler (filling in as guest host), King shared a never-before-told anecdote from the set when Handler asked about her partying habits, and whether she preferred liquor or weed. "I'm not a party girl, but I love me an edible," King admitted. She went on to tell Handler that she hadn't planned on revealing what she was about to divulge. But she figured the passage of time would diminish any controversy that might result.
"On my last day of filming 'Kissing Booth' two and three, I took an edible while we were still filming — it's very unprofessional," she began. "I had, like, seven more setups, I had seven more shots to do, and my friend Taylor [Zakhar Perez], who played Marco, he wasn't working, and he took one too. And I got, like, so violently high ... you know the high, like, when you're really high, and all you know how to say is, 'I'm so high'? That's where I was at."
Kate Upton revealed why sex with baseball player husband Justin Verlander was off the table before and after games
Model Kate Upton and baseball player Justin Verlander have been together since 2012, married since 2017. Prior to their wedding, Upton appeared on Andy Cohen's "Watch What Happens Live," where she was posed a provocative question by a caller: Did Verlander, who was then a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, prefer to improve his athletic focus by having sex before or after games?
"There's no sex before a game," Upton declared. "Absolutely none." That, however, wasn't the complete answer, with Upton sharing even more TMI details about their bedroom habits. "And also, what I've just found out is, if he plays too well, there's no sex after, either," she added, and then proceeded to explain why. "He's exhausted," Upton said. "It's kind of a buzzkill for me."
During that same interview, she also addressed a controversial tweet she'd issued. It was in response to Verlander being stiffed by the Baseball Writers of America when he lost the 2016 American League's Cy Young Award to Boston Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello. "Hey @MLB I thought I was the only person allowed to f*** @JustinVerlander ?!" she wrote. As Upton told Cohen, she issued that particular tweet with lightning speed. "I had to write it so fast because he wasn't even off TV yet," she explained. "I was like, 'Oh I have to write it before he, like, edits me.'"