The red carpet is a minefield of glamour and frenzied press and pushy PR’s. But even when a celebrity is flanked by beefy security detail, or their publicists are quickly whisking them by reporters who won’t get that soundbite they stood in line for, sh•t gets real on the red carpet. People use the accessibility to celebrities to shame, humiliate and sometimes even physically attack them. So who are these crazies and why are they wilding out on the rich and famous? Find out the stories behind some of the wildest red carpet confrontations ever.
Kim Kardashian gets flour bombed
Kim Kardashian, reality star and professional wearer of questionably-fitting designer wares, was flour bombed by an animal rights activist, who pelted Kardashian at the red carpet launch of True Reflection at The London West Hollywood. The woman who did the deed was originally thought to be one of PETA’s soldiers, but it turned out the attack was not affiliated with the group.
Will Smith gets a little unwanted affection
Will Smith found himself in quite an awkward situation in 2012 at the Moscow premiere of Men in Black 3, when a male reporter pulled the actor in for a smooch on the red carpet. Smith pushed the fellow away, and then smacked him in the face. Smith hopped from that situation directly to an on-camera interview where he (rightfully) expressed no regrets for the slap: “Sorry, he tried to kiss me in my mouth,” he said. “This joker’s lucky I didn’t sucker-punch him.” Turns out that “joker” was actually Vitalii Sediuk, a Ukranian TV personality who pranks celebrities.
The Dictator flour bombs Ryan Seacrest
It’s no wonder that organizers have to take precautions when inviting Sacha Baron Cohen to awards shows. You never know what kind of disruption he’s going to pull. At the 2012 Academy Awards, poor Ryan Seacrest was the target of Cohen’s red carpet antics. The Dictator actor came dressed up as his character wielding the “ashes” of deceased North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il. While being interviewed by Seacrest, Cohen “accidentally” poured ashes all over the E! News presenter, before promptly being carried off. Seacrest was visibly annoyed, but played it off like the professional he is.
Man crawls under America Ferrera’s dress
Image: Oleg Nikishin/Kommersant Photo via Getty
This was probably one of the most tasteless of Sediuk’s celebrity pranks. At the How to Train Your Dragon 2 Cannes Film Festival premiere, the TV presenter crawled underneath America Ferrera‘s Georges Hobieka dress. The actress was visibly upset by the incident, and understandably so. This read as more than a harmless prank, tiptoeing dangerously into sexual harassment/assault territory. This stunt put Seduik’s employers at Ukrainian channel 1+1 over the edge–they fired him shortly after the incident.
Brad Pitt attacked at Maleficent premiere
After being fired, Vitali Sediuk was still at it. Earlier this year at the Maleficent premiere, witnesses say they saw the prankster slap or punch Brad Pitt on the red carpet. Sediuk was promptly apprehended and taken into custody, but his latest prank made headlines.
Tom Cruise squirted with water
Tom Cruise was in for an unexpected surprise at the 2005 London premiere of War of the Worlds. Right in the middle of an interview, a reporter squirted Cruise in the face with a water gun. “That’s incredibly rude. I’m here giving you an interview and you do that … it’s incredibly rude,” a stunned Cruise said. The reporter and four other men were arrested for the incident–all of which were from a British show Balls of Steel. Looks like the quartet lived up to the TV show’s title!
Linsday Lohan gets flour bombed
On her way into a Paris nightclub in 2010, Lindsay Lohan was unexpectedly flour bombed by a PETA member for her flagrant use of fur. The actress at the time was clad in a beautiful fur stole, which naturally is a no-no for animal rights activists. PETA spoke out on the matter hoping that the incident would help change Lohan’s mind about wearing fur. Robbie LeBlanc of PETA Europe made a statement on the matter: “Lindsay Lohan might be able to ignore images of bloody animals skinned alive for their pelts, but we hope a dash of flour will help her rise to the occasion and forsake fur once and for all.”
