25 Red Carpet Outfits That Looked So Painful, Everyone Was Saying 'Ouch'

We've all heard the old adage, "Beauty is pain." It has stood the test of time and adapted to different cultures, like the Chinese binding their feet and the use of corsets in England. In the 21st century, this belief is still alive and well in Hollywood, as famous faces tap designers to create looks that will get them a little extra attention on the red carpet.

Some of these crazy getups make the average person say "ouch," but that doesn't seem to stop actors, models, musicians, and more from foregoing comfort for fashion. It also seems like the more important the red carpet, like major award shows and high fashion events, the wilder and more painful the looks become. From one of Kim Kardashian's Met Gala looks that required her to take breathing lessons to Golden Globes gowns that stars couldn't sit down in, we're rounding up celebrity outfits that looked so uncomfortable, we're still wondering how they managed to wear them.

Zendaya is known to take fashion risks, so in 2024, it wasn't totally unexpected that she showed up on the cream carpet in this suit of armor by Thierry Mugler. The very restrictive getup made a splash at the "Dune: Part Two" premiere, while also looking incredibly uncomfortable. The actor later told Vogue that she got "lightheaded" while wearing the piece, explaining, "the metal conducts and holds onto heat very quickly and kind of traps heat in."

The 2018 Met Gala theme, "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," remains one of the most legendary years to look back on — and this Rihanna is a big reason why. Her papal-inspired look included a custom Maison Margiela minidress, an overcoat, and a bishop's hat designed by Stephen Jones millinery. She later told "Entertainment Tonight" that just wearing the ensemble was a workout, explaining, "It was heavy, every step was a squat. I promise you my butt gained from that night." 

Anne Hathaway's fashion renaissance included this ruby red Versace number in 2024, which she wore to the fashion house's runway show that February. The corset-style leather design fit her perfectly, but it didn't exactly look like a comfy dress for sitting front row. Later, the actor took to Instagram to share photos, including one of her giggling with designer Donatella Versace about her inability to sit down. "I just want to respect the integrity of the corset," she exclaimed in the video, while lying flat on a couch. She captioned the carousel, "Breathing? ... Sitting? ... love you @donatella_versace." 

At first glance, Kim Kardashian's 2024 Met Gala getup didn't look uncomfortable — it even featured a shrug! But her custom silver sheer Maison Margiela number was actually incredibly tight. On an episode of her reality show "The Kardashians", you get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the night, where the star reveals, "I've never felt this much pain in my life." In a later confessional, she explains, "I am claustrophobic. I've never felt this way before, where I feel like I can't breathe" (via Yahoo Entertainment). The show also captured Kardashian taking off the look, and how the dress left massive red marks down her back. 

2016 marked Kylie Jenner's first Met Gala, and she selected this shimmering Balmain gown for the big occasion. While the dress certainly didn't look like it was built for comfort, it ended up leaving Jenner with some battle wounds in a surprising place. A few hours after stepping on the carpet, she took to her social media network of choice at the time, Snapchat, to share her injuries with fans. The star posted a photo of her legs and wrote, "When ur dress made you bleed and ur feet are purple" (via Teen Vogue).

Taylor Swift was shimmering like a disco ball in this Balmain minidress at the 2018 American Music Awards. This long-sleeved sparkly silver frock made a splash, but that skintight material ended up being very restrictive for the singer. In some behind-the-scenes footage, Swift revealed that she couldn't move her arms past a certain point to put on her earrings. When asked by her team if she could breathe in the look, the superstar replied, "I can. Is it easy? No," (via TikTok).

Most of these painful fashion moments involve the dress, but Bella Hadid's 2018 Met Gala look's pain point was the headwear. The model sported an embellished veil that weighed ten pounds, and took to Instagram Stories to share her pain. "If anyone was wondering why I couldn't move it's because a legend by the name of @jenatkinhair sewed a whole entire 10 pounds veil to my head," Hadid revealed (via Allure). That tidbit of information made the rest of her Chrome Hearts look, including the latex corset, seem comfortable. 

We didn't know it at the time, but Kendall Jenner had a panic attack over this Prada combination at the 2022 Met Gala. The model never let it show on the red carpet, but she later revealed on "The Kardashians", "My skirt was so big and so heavy, there was so much stuff under it, that I literally was out of breath by the time I got into the sprinter van." Cameras were rolling and caught the star amid a panic attack en route to the big event.

You wouldn't assume this sweet Prada ballgown, complete with red and pink embellished flowers, could be dangerous. But Elle Fanning found out the hard way when she wore it to the 2019 Cannes Film Festival Chopard Trophée dinner and fainted. The star later told W Magazine, "My dress was too tight. My sister was sitting at another table, and she saw my chair just completely fall back. It's kind of hilarious—very dramatic."

Naomie Harris knew a big night was in store for her back at the 2017 Golden Globes. The beauty was nominated for best performance by an actress in a supporting role for "Moonlight," and selected a metallic gown worthy of winning — this custom Armani Prive design. While the perfectly tailored dress wowed in static photos on the red carpet, moving in the frock was a different story. She shared a behind-the-scenes look on Instagram, which included lying completely flat in the car on the way to the award show.

Back in 2016, Jennifer Garner tapped Versace to create her gown for that year's Academy Awards. The black confection, which featured one off-the-shoulder sleeve and a sweetheart neckline, also included a pretty intense corset underneath. Garner later told "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" exactly how the designer got her into the dress, sharing, "What they do is, they move your organs around ... It was a metal corset, and it did take two Italian people who were talking very quickly. And the next thing you know, my ribs were compressed."

This Doja Cat fashion moment that set the internet on fire also goes down as one of the most painful days of her life. In January 2023, the singer arrived at the Schiaparelli runway show in a head-to-toe look covered in red body paint and crystals. She'd later reveal to L'Officiel that she had a stomach bug during the extensive process of placing 30,000 Swarovski crystals all over her body. "I would have one, two, three, four people on my body as this was happening." Overall, it wasn't a pleasant experience, as she explained, "I never felt pain worse than that."

Here's a request you don't hear often — when Kylie Jenner tried on her Versace gown for the 2017 Met Gala, she thought it was too loose and asked it be altered. Her very specific and strange demand? "I need to kind of suffocate," the reality star-turned-mogul noted on an episode of her show "Life of Kylie". The fashion house complied, and the star arrived in the intricate design on fashion's biggest night. The custom rose gold gown featured beaded fringe, with "7,000 crystals on it," to be exact. 

In 2021, Zendaya arrived at the Venice Film Festival red carpet premiere of "Dune" in this unique Balmain dress. While it looked like liquid, it was actually made of leather. The actor later told Harper's Bazaar that the dress required making a cast of her body, and that the final result had some restrictions. "It was really difficult to sit in and to breathe in. You can't breathe, it's just hard," she explained, adding that she was huffing and puffing while watching the movie.

One wrong move and this elaborate ensemble could have been super painful. When Katy Perry arrived at the 2019 Met Gala, she wore a crystal chandelier costume, complete with working lights. Vogue got the scoop from Moschino designer Jeremy Scott, who revealed that the look included "a built-in corset consisting of 18 steel bones and two hidden battery packs to illuminate the lights." Sounds comfy, right?

When Bella Hadid stepped on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet in this unique Schiaparelli dress, it made serious headlines. The long-sleeved black frock was missing a bodice, and in its place was a gold necklace in the shape of human lungs, very precariously placed. Hadid would later tell Vogue she was concerned about a wardrobe malfunction, but another unexpected effect bothered her more. "It's also a bit wintery, this dress ... it was very bizarre walking onto the carpet with a breeze in places you wouldn't usually have a breeze." 

Fans noticed Nicki Minaj posing in a strange way on the 2022 Met Gala red carpet. She later explained to Vogue that she had been holding her arms across her chest because the top of her dress didn't fit. "The only unplanned thing about my look is that my boobs [are] popping out. Because they made my cup size a little small," Minaj told the outlet. The rapper nearly suffered a wardrobe malfunction due to that tight, custom-made Burberry gown. 

Priyanka Chopra's beautiful crimson-red Ralph Lauren Met Gala gown back in 2018 hid a very uncomfortable secret — there was a painfully tight corset underneath the velvet fabric. The star would later open up to People about the stunning fashion moment, revealing, "The corset under that thing, I couldn't breathe. I felt like it reshaped my ribs." She also shared that it made attending the event difficult, adding, "So hard to sit during dinner and I obviously couldn't eat too much during that night."

Natalia Bryant made a splash on her first Met Gala red carpet back in 2021. The beauty arrived in this structured, multicolored Conner Ives dress that looked like a work of art — and also looked incredibly uncomfortable. On the cream carpet, the daughter of the late Kobe Bryant (see what he did in his final days) told "Access Hollywood" the truth about the look, revealing, "I can't sit in it." That means she couldn't sit on the drive there either; she revealed she got there by standing in a sprinter van. 

Another day, another painful Versace dress for Anne Hathaway. The actor wore this snowy tweed number on the 2023 Met Gala white carpet. The strapless design's fabric looked fine, but it was held in place by sharp metal safety pins emblazoned with the design house's iconic Medusa logo. Despite the harsh nature of the gown, Hathaway would later tell Vogue it was one of her favorite looks of all time, calling it "a magnificent garment." 

The evolution of Kim Kardashian's looks reached its peak when she put her phenomenal figure on display at the 2019 Met Gala — but there was a price to pay underneath that impressively tiny corset. A few months later, the star revealed to the Wall Street Journal, "I have never felt pain like that in my life." She also told the outlet she had indentations all over her back and stomach when she removed the Mugler dress. On Instagram, Kardashian revealed she had to take "breathing lessons" from famous corset-maker Mr. Pearl ahead of wearing the design.

It looked like Julia Louis-Dreyfus was rocking a simple little black dress (LBD) on the red carpet of the "Downhill" premiere back in 2020... but looks can be deceiving. Unfortunately for her, the actor was smiling through quite a bit of pain while wearing the fitted dress. The cap-sleeved Dolce & Gabbana midi-length frock included a corseted detail at the waist, which resulted in an uncomfortable moment for Louis-Dreyfus. She told Page Six that night, "I can't breathe." 

Anitta was nominated at the 2019 Latin Billboard Music Awards and arrived in this show-stopping black-and-pink look. While it certainly got attention, the star paid for it in pain. The Brazilian beauty told "Entertainment Tonight", "I'm here smiling to you, pretending everything's okay, but I'm dying here inside." When pressed what was hurting, Anitta revealed, "It's everything. Hair, shoes, clothes." When asked by Billboard how she was doing, she replied, "Happy and in pain. Because beauty hurts." Ain't that the truth!

After the Academy Awards, it's time for the Vanity Fair party. Kylie Jenner was on hand for the 2020 bash, and the reality star selected this Ralph & Russo design for the occasion. The navy blue number featured an immaculately fitted silhouette and all-over sparkle, and while it gave Jenner an hourglass figure, it didn't offer the ability to sit. She took to Instagram Stories that night to share a photo of herself lying flat in the car en route there, writing, "couldn't really sit in this but it was worth it" (via E! News).

Doja Cat announced she was in her "ranting era" after wearing this black garment to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2023. While it appeared to be pretty inoffensive, the singer had a lot of gripes about the black frock. After the event, the star took to Instagram Stories to complain about the slip dress in a profanity-laced rant, pointing out that she felt like she had been "... man handled by a piece of fabric" (via Page Six). Her biggest issues? A pair of built-in underwear and incredibly uncomfortable straps.