celebrity

12 times famous women were asked wildly inappropriate questions in interviews.

It can be difficult being a famous woman. Your fashion is scrutinised, your dating life is a topic of public debate, and you're asked mind-numbing interview questions that men never have to navigate. 

So what are some of the most outrageous examples of celebrity women being asked inane and inappropriate questions?

A Reddit thread has rounded up some of the worst offenders.

Read 'em and weep... quite literally. 

Anne Hathaway was asked about the "lesson learnt" from a photo being taken up her skirt.

Anne Hathaway appeared on The Today Show to discuss her role in Les Misérables in 2012, but the interview got derailed when host Matt Lauer brought up a photo doing the rounds that paparazzi had taken up her skirt.

"Seen a lot of you lately," Lauer actually said to Hathaway, who'd just turned 30 at the time. He went on to ask her "What's the lesson learnt?" from err... some creep taking a photo of her private parts and sharing it with the internet.

Hathaway remained composed. "It was obviously an unfortunate incident," she responded. 

"It kind of made me sad on two accounts. One was that I was very sad that we live in an age when someone takes a picture of another person in a vulnerable moment, and rather than delete it, and do the decent thing, sells it. And I'm sorry that we live in a culture that commodifies the sexuality of unwilling participants." 

Watch her response here. Post continues after video. 


Video via NBC. 
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Mila Kunis was asked if she 'enjoyed being ugly'.

Kunis was promoting Oz the Great and Powerful in 2013 when BBC Radio 1 interviewer, Chris Stark, asked Kunis, "Did you enjoy being ugly for once? Because generally you're hot."

Kunis took it like a champ, ending the interview by saying "This is the best interview I've had today," she chuckled. 

Hayley Williams was asked when she had her last orgasm.

Appearing on a French radio show, the Paramore singer was asked in a game between the male hosts "when was your last orgasm?". Williams responded, "We don't talk about that on the radio."

Her bandmate added "Not cool," as the men continued to laugh among themselves. 

Carmen Carrera was asked about her genitals.

In a 2014 interview with Katie Couric, model and trans woman Carmen Carrera was asked about her private parts. 

Carmen was evidently uncomfortable, replying "I don't want to talk about it because it's really personal. And I'd rather talk about my modelling stuff, I'd rather talk about being in W and maybe in Italian Vogue. And doing fun stuff and showing people that after their transition there's still life to live." 

Katie has since regretted the interview question, referring to herself as an "insensitive buffoon". 


Video via Katie. 
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Mariah Carey was asked to drink champagne to prove she wasn't pregnant.

In a 2008 chat with Ellen DeGeneres, Mariah Carey was essentially forced into confirming she was pregnant. The day-time host offered Mariah a glass of champagne in the interview. "I can't believe you did this to me Ellen... This is peer pressure," the singer replied. When she pretended to take a sip, DeGeneres shouted "You're pregnant!"

The singer would later suffer a miscarriage. 

Carey reflected on the moment in 2020. "I was extremely uncomfortable with that moment is all I can say," Carey told Vulture. "And I really have had a hard time grappling with the aftermath."

Dolly Parton was asked if she was a "hillbilly" and when she first developed breasts.

In a 1977 Barbara Walters interview that's uncomfortable throughout, Dolly Parton is asked when she developed breasts. Barbara then asks whether she is a "hillbilly" referring to this category of American as "your kind of people". Dolly does not miss beat, articulately answering every question with that trademark Dolly glimmer in her eye.

Lady Gaga was asked if she had a penis... many times. 

The 2010s were wild times, but it's hard to imagine this was ever okay. When Lady Gaga first burst into the pop music scene, rumours abounded about not just her sexual orientation but her gender identity. 

This led to several interviewers asking the 'Just Dance' singer if she had a penis, or even used the slur term to describe being intersex. 

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Gaga handled it as gracefully as she could. "Would it be so terrible?" she told Anderson Cooper in one interview. 

@gagadaily The audacity #ladygaga #lgbt ♬ original sound - Lady Gaga Daily

Ariana Grande was asked whether she'd choose her makeup or phone. 

It's a real Sophie's choice, right ladies! 

In a 2016 interview with Justin Credible and Eric D-Lux on Power 106 radio, Ariana Grande was actually asked: "If you could use makeup or your phone one last time, which one would you pick?"

Grande did not come to play. "Are you kidding me? Is this men assuming that that's what girls would have to choose between?" She said later in the chat that the hosts "need a little brushing up on equality". Amen. 

Taylor Swift was asked if she'll be taking home any men.  

A moment at the 2015 Grammys got awkward between Taylor Swift and Entertainment Tonight reporter Nancy O'Dell.

It started off weird, as Nancy asked for the camera to pan down Taylor's body. "I just wanted to show the legs," she said. Could you... not. 

The reporter then told the multi-Grammy-award winner, "You're going to walk home with more than just a trophy tonight, I think lots of men..."

Before she could finish that thought, Swift cut her off. "I'm not going to walk home with any men tonight," she replied. " I'm going to go hang out with my friends and then I go home to the cats."

Taylor's death stare said it all.

Image: Entertainment Tonight. 

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And finally, so many famous women were asked about their size and weight...

Victoria Beckham and Geri Halliwell were asked to weigh themselves.  

In a TV segment that could thankfully never exist today, both Victoria Beckham and Geri Halliwell were made to weigh themselves by a UK male presenter, Chris Evans, in 1999. 

In the case of Beckham, she had just had a baby. "Is your weight back to normal?" Evans pressed. "Can I check? Do you mind?" As Victoria was made to step on the scales, she said "This is horrible." 

Meanwhile Geri told the host "I don't believe in weighing yourself, I think it's traumatic," she pleaded, as she was hurried on to the weights. Halliwell has been open about having an eating disorder in her years in the Spice Girls. 

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Scarlett Johansson was asked about her diet.

In a 2012 interview alongside Robert Downey Jr. the actor was asked about her diet to prepare for her Black Widow costume. 

The question followed Downey being asked questions on about how he approached his latest role as Iron Man. Scarlet called out this misogynistic double standard, turning to Robert and saying "How come you get the really interesting existential question, and I get the like rabbit food question?"

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were asked what size they were. 

In a lesson in what not to say to teenage girls, Oprah asked the Olsen twins what size they were. Mary-Kate and Ashley were 17 years old at the time of Oprah's probing questions in 2004. 

"I know a new rumour [that’s] recently surfaced has really upset you, right?" Oprah told the sisters. "You know, the one about eating."

As Ashley tried to respond, Oprah interrupted her to ask "What size are you, by the way?"

Neither sister would say their exact size, to which Oprah replied "That is so interesting, I'm obsessed with size and you're like, 'I really don't know.'"

Feature image: ET + Power 106 + Today. 

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