Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne had good intentions when she appeared on an episode of The View in 2015; however, her comments resulted in a public backlash. Attempting to criticize Donald Trump’s immigration plan, she asked, “If you kick every Latino out of this country, then who is going to be cleaning your toilet, Donald Trump?" Though she was attempting to denounce racism, many people accused Osbourne herself of being racist.
Kendall Jenner
People were shocked when Kendall Jenner appeared on an episode of The Kardashians attempting to chop a cucumber. In what seemed like an attempt to appear “normal,” Jenner said she was going to fix herself a snack. However, viewers were left confused and alarmed by her slicing technique. Later, her mother was seen asking their chef to take over the task.
Jennifer Lawrence
When Jennifer Lawrence first rose to fame, she was well-known for being funny and relatable. However, some fans have begun to tire of her antics over the years. In one interview, Lawrence described how she used sacred rocks in Hawaii for “butt-scratching.” Apparently, one of the rocks then came loose, causing significant damage. Rather than finding the story amusing, many people accused Lawrence of being disrespectful.
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres was lambasted when she hosted an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. Commenting on being required to stay indoors, she said, "This is like being in jail, is what it is.” The backlash stemmed from the fact that she was speaking from far more luxurious living quarters than the general public at the time.
Bella Hadid
Model Bella Hadid was harshly criticized after an interview with Vogue was released in 2021. Sounding emotional, she explained that she did not have designer clothing growing up and didn’t get her first pair of Christian Louboutin shoes until she graduated high school. Fans were quick to point out that she was hardly deprived growing up, though it appeared that's what she was alluding to.
Vanessa Hudgens
As the Covid-19 pandemic began to unravel in 2020, Vanessa Hudgens took to social media to share her views. She mused, "It's a virus. I get it, I respect it. But at the same time, even if everyone gets it, people are gonna die, which is terrible, but like, inevitable?" She was subsequently called her out for being rude and insensitive.
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian, who was clearly born into a wealthy family, faced a huge backlash when she shared her business advice for women. She said, "Get your ass up and work. It seems like nobody wants to work these days.” Meanwhile, she failed to acknowledge her own abundance of resources and position of privilege. The advice was therefore deemed completely out of touch with reality.
Sam Smith
Sam Smith is another celebrity who failed to come across as relatable during the Covid-19 pandemic. In one social media post, Smith was pictured crying outside their home (which was a mansion, no less). Many people thought the post was in bad taste and that Smith could have simply sought help privately instead of seeking attention on social media.
Emma Chamberlain
Influencer Emma Chamberlain tried to appear relatable on a podcast episode titled The Truth About Being Self-employed. While she attempted to comment on how difficult self-employment can be, it simply came across as whiny. Listeners noted that Chamberlain earns millions of dollars through her line of work and was in no position to comment on nine to five jobs being “fun” when she has no experience of them herself.
Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake was heavily criticized when he was interviewed by SiriusXM during the pandemic. He stated, “We're mostly commiserating over the fact that just 24-hour parenting is just not human." This attempt at relatable humor fell completely flat given that many of us mere mortals are 24-hour parents every single day.
Blake Lively
Blake Lively is known for her sarcastic sense of humor; however, her efforts are beginning to wear thin. In one 2014 interview, she jokes with the interviewer that pregnant women take advantage of their partners by lying about their symptoms and cravings. She has been widely criticized for making these dismissive comments, with many people stating that they came from a place of privilege.
Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen failed miserably at attempting to connect with her followers on X (formerly Twitter). In one post, she relayed a story about being recommended a nice wine at dinner that ended up costing $13,000. Users were quick to point out how wildly unrelatable the anecdote was, leading Teigen to respond that not everything she says is going to be relatable.
Gwyneth Paltrow
In 2015, Gwyneth Paltrow took part in a SNAP challenge to raise awareness of the struggles faced by families on food stamps. She had $29 to spend on a week’s worth of groceries. When she shared her haul online, she was immediately criticized for being impractical and out of touch. The food shop included seven limes, kale, and fresh herbs.
Grimes
In 2022, Grimes landed herself in hot water when she claimed that her then-partner Elon Musk “lives below the poverty line.” The public were quick to respond, insisting that neither of them had any idea about the reality of living in poverty. They rightly pointed out that Musk has huge financial resources to fall back on – some critics even accused the pair of “cosplaying” as poor people.
Gal Gadot
Gal Gadot roped in an impressive number of A-listers to sing a rendition of John Lennon’s song Imagine during the Covid-19 quarantine. Stars like Natalie Portman, Will Ferrell, Mark Ruffalo, and Amy Adams all participated. While the intent was to boost morale, the fact that celebrities were singing about hardship from their sprawling mansions did not go down well.
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton is vocal about being vegan for environmental reasons, which many people can certainly relate to. However, the fact that he owned a private jet worth millions of dollars while campaigning to save the planet seemed rather hypocritical. According to reports, he has now sold his plane and chooses to fly commercially whenever possible.
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato believed she was doing the right thing when she criticized a frozen yogurt store for selling sugar-free frozen yogurt. Her argument was that the offering could trigger eating disorders (something she herself has struggled with); however, her viewpoint simply came across as entitled. Fans also slammed Lovato for failing to consider diabetics and for encouraging hate towards a small business.
Brie Larson
Brie Larson rose to fame as an actress but also decided to launch a YouTube channel not so long ago. While the channel amassed a good following, Larson has been criticized for trying way too hard to be relatable. Some videos feature her playing video games at home and eating junk food, but it’s also clear that she’s in incredible shape and works out in a private gym...
Khloe Kardashian
During the infamous Covid-19 toilet paper shortage in 2020, Khloe Kardashian’s attempt at pulling off a relatable prank failed miserably. In a tone-deaf move, she decided to TP her sister Kourtney’s house for fun. The aftermath was documented on Instagram stories. Users accused the sisters of being insensitive and out of touch.
Brooklyn Beckham
The eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham was just a teen when he released his photography book in 2017 – and it showed. One image of an extremely dimly lit elephant did not go down well online. Beckham attempted to explain in the caption of the picture that elephants were "so hard to photograph but incredible to see." The book’s poor reception raised important questions about privilege.
Tyra Banks
Whether she was hosting America’s Next Top Model or interviewing guests, Tyra Banks would often draw on her own experiences to appear relatable to others. However, she did take things too far on occasion. In one episode of The Tyra Banks Show, she donned a fat suit to understand what it’s like to live with obesity. The act was deemed condescending and offensive by many.
Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott faced backlash when they presented their three-year-old daughter Stormi with a school bus in 2021. According to Jenner, Stormi had seen yellow school buses and was desperate to ride on one. However, rather than being able to experience the real thing, Stormi was pictured boarding a pristine-looking, empty school bus that had presumably been hired. Fans described the fiasco as sad.
Molly-Mae Hague
British influencer and reality star Molly-Mae Hague attempted to inspire others on an episode of The Diary of a CEO podcast in 2021. However, she was highly criticized when she said, “Beyoncé has the same 24 hours in the day that we do.” Clearly, she failed to take into account the fact that financial status and privilege also have an impact on success.
Taylor Swift
During the Covid-19 lockdown, Taylor Swift decided to record a message to the graduating class of 2020, who were unable to attend in-person celebrations. The issue, however, is that she compared their situation to her own experience of missing graduation (because she was on tour). People swiftly pointed out that a global pandemic cannot be likened to a major career breakthrough.
Lily-Rose Depp
Lily-Rose Depp (the daughter of Johnny Depp) tried to appear relatable when she insisted that she doesn’t rely on her family to win roles. Speaking to Elle magazine, Depp admitted that she might get her foot in the door more easily, but that hard work was still required to be cast. Anyone can see, though, that her first two film credits were in movies alongside her famous father.
Larry King
In an accidentally hilarious 2020 interview, Larry King (worth millions of dollars at the time) pulled up guest Danny Pudi for not answering a question correctly. When asked about a luxury he can’t live without, Pudi replied coffee or nice socks. King stated those weren’t luxuries and suggested that “private plane” was a better answer. Pudi quickly shot back, “Larry, I’m on DuckTales. There are no private planes for me.”
Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman majorly slipped up in 2009 when she called the recession an "exciting time." On the topic of people losing their jobs, she commented that they could look toward their passions and what really excites them. Somehow, we don’t think that those who are laid off see it quite the same way.
Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle was accused of being totally out of touch when she commented on parenting during an interview with Ellen DeGeneres. Markle casually stated that having one child is like a "hobby," but having two is "parenting." While the comment was likely an attempt at humor, many mothers were left less than impressed.
Adele
Adele might be a global superstar, but she's also famous for being down-to-earth and relatable. Unfortunately, not everything she says has gone down well with fans. She has previously stated that she’s unable to afford living in London and has complained about the tax rate on her album sales. Unsurprisingly, few people found it difficult to sympathize with the multimillionaire.
Heidi Montag
Reality TV star Heidi Montag appeared on The Hills in the early 00s, when there was much less open conversation about diversity in the media. In 2019, however, the show got a reboot. When Vogue decided to address the topic of diversity and casting, Montag tried her best to appear relatable. She responded, “We don’t all look the same. Audrina has darker hair… Mischa has darker hair.”
Lizzo
Lizzo caused an uproar in 2019 when she took to social media to complain about a food delivery driver. In the post, she uploaded a photograph of a Postmates employee who she believed had stolen her food order. While online complaints are nothing new, Lizzo failed to realize the potential impact her actions could have, given her massive following. She later apologized for being petty.
Harry Styles
Harry Styles certainly isn’t the worst offender on this list, but he did experience a Freudian slip at the 2023 Grammy awards. While accepting his Album of the Year award, he said, "This doesn’t happen to people like me very often." While he likely intended to sound modest and relatable the issue was that, historically, the winners of that award have largely been white, cisgender men.
Victoria Beckham
Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham was amusingly called out while filming for her Netflix docuseries The Beckhams. In one episode, she claims to have grown up "working class." Her husband can be seen quickly stepping in and pressing her to be honest, even asking what kind of car her father drove (a Rolls Royce, it turns out). Some viewers were irked at her willingness to lie about her past.
Gordon Ramsay
When chef Gordon Ramsay was interviewed for The High Performance Podcast, listeners were quick to mock how unrelatable his story was. In the episode, he explained that, years ago, he required money for a deposit on an apartment. Instead of taking a loan from his father-in-law, though, he had the bright idea to sell his Porsche first. The anecdote was hilariously unhelpful for those who have genuine financial struggles.
Keke Palmer
In 2023, Keke Palmer attempted to display relatable behavior on social media when she approached EA with a question about how to merge her accounts. In fact, many fans love that she plays video games like The Sims just like everyone else. However, she did receive some backlash. Some accused her of using her platform to get preferential treatment or to save money on something which she could clearly afford.
Alicia Silverstone
Another celebrity who has been accused of being unrelatable is Alicia Silverstone. In her book The Kind Mama, the actress explains that she spent ten days in bed with her son after giving birth (a “lying-in” period) – and she advises other new mothers to do the same! She wrote, “I assure you that it's not something that only the super-privileged and trust-fund endowed can afford."
Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek raised a valid issue when discussing the challenges of parenting in 2014 interview; however, she completely missed the mark when it came to relatability. She said, "You have to work very hard to please them all. If you are making pizza, there is one who doesn't like cheese, and another who hates tomato. Our chef sometimes looks so downhearted." People didn’t hesitate to poke fun at her comments.
Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks faced negativity following an interview with People magazine. Talking about celebrating the holidays as a family of four, she said they had “no nannies, no babysitters. It was crazy. I lost all my nails. I did dishes and cleaned bottles for 10 days.” The criticism, of course, was that this is the constant reality for many families who can’t afford hired help.
John Cena
In 2022, John Cena tried to make light of the invasion of Ukraine, but his attempt at cultural commentary flopped badly. Cena, who plays the DC character Peacemaker, posted, "If I could somehow summon the powers of a real life #Peacemaker I think this would be a great time to do so." He was subsequently criticized for using the war to promote his TV show.
George Clooney
George Clooney divided public opinion when he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2006. The award itself wasn’t in question, but rather his acceptance speech. In an attempt to win over the crowd with humor, he referenced the fact that he was also cast as Batman and named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive.” Many people thought his speech was smug and condescending rather than laughing along with him.