From blood rituals to fake private jets, celebrities will do almost anything for the spotlight! Join us as we count down the most outrageous publicity stunts and attention-seeking antics from Hollywood's biggest names. These stars took shocking to new heights with bizarre behavior that left fans speechless!
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00I know what you want.
00:01Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most outrageous and infamous publicity stunts orchestrated by public figures, all in the name of attention.
00:13So this is the product that we're talking about. This is a real product, this is not a joke. Or maybe it is, I don't know.
00:21Number 30. Jared Leto climbs the Empire State Building.
00:25Now look closer. That's not Spider-Man. It's Oscar-winning actor Jared Leto.
00:30If any celebrity was going to scale the Empire State Building, we suppose it was going to be Jared Leto.
00:37And so, in November 2023, Leto became the first person ever to legally climb the iconic skyscraper in full climbing gear, all while fans and tourists watched in, let's just say, disbelief.
00:50The climb was Leto's way of promoting the 30 Seconds to Mars world tour, but it was also clearly a bold stunt designed to capture the spotlight he clearly thrives in.
01:00He made it to 1,300 feet in the air, the base of the building's antenna.
01:05Heck, his career is full of attention-grabbing moments. Do we even need to remind you that he gifted his Suicide Squad castmates bizarre items like rats and condoms?
01:15Yeah, subtlety isn't his strong suit.
01:17I was born with a gift. I am an artist.
01:23Number 29. JoJo Siwa's Extreme Makeover.
01:27Once known for her giant bows and bubbly persona, JoJo Siwa has gone from a vibrant child star to one of the most polarizing figures in entertainment.
01:37I swear I did it all for fun and it meant nothing.
01:40Siwa shocked fans in 2024 when she debuted a complete transformation into a self-proclaimed bad girl.
01:48Gone was the girly glitter and rainbows, replaced with black makeup and punk hair.
01:53I used to be Rainbow Sparkles and now I'm Black Sparkles.
01:58The sudden shift raised eyebrows, especially since her brand had long catered to a younger audience.
02:04Some critics saw it as a natural attempt to break free from her Nickelodeon image and stir up buzz online.
02:11I'm a bitch, oh, oh, and she's with you right now.
02:15Other critics say she's trying too hard to be edgy and that her new persona comes across as laughable.
02:21But you've never met a gay girl before!
02:27Number 28. Gwyneth Paltrow's This Smells Like My Vagina candle.
02:32You must be the famous Pepper Potts.
02:34Indeed I am.
02:35For anyone paying attention, Gwyneth Paltrow has said and done some pretty peculiar things over the years.
02:41No one has ever said anything bad about me before.
02:45The one that takes the cake?
02:46Why, that would be when Paltrow and her lifestyle brand, Goop, dropped a candle that purportedly smelled like her nether region.
02:53I heard about this like 300 times in one week.
02:56I'm really sorry, I...
02:57No, there's no reason to apologize.
02:58The product sold out almost instantly, but not before the internet lost its collective mind.
03:04The Oscar winner said the candle was meant to be provocative and empowering, but it also raised questions about shock marketing.
03:11Either way, it worked.
03:13Gwyneth and her candle were suddenly everywhere.
03:15Talk shows, headlines, and memes.
03:18Whether genius or just bizarre, it was peak Paltrow.
03:22But it doesn't really...
03:24You know what I'm saying?
03:25Number 27.
03:26Kim Kardashian's Break the Internet Photoshoot.
03:29There's just more moments in my life where I just, like, pinch myself.
03:36Raise a glass if you remember this one.
03:38In 2014, Kim Kardashian set the internet ablaze with her now-iconic Break the Internet Photoshoot for Paper magazine.
03:45Shot by famed photographer Jean-Paul Goode, the provocative spread featured Kardashian recreating the famous champagne incident image, balancing a glass on her backside as champagne arced over her head.
03:59The image immediately went viral, sparking intense media buzz, not to mention heated debates.
04:05While there were discussions over celebrity culture, body image, and the boundaries of self-promotion, Kim and company achieved exactly what they set out to do.
04:14They broke the internet.
04:16There's moments like that where I'm just like, what is my life?
04:19Like, this is so exciting.
04:21Number 26.
04:23Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly's Blood Rituals.
04:26There are displays of affection, and then there are celebrity displays of affection.
04:30Don't be my bloody Valentine.
04:37Machine Gun Kelly revealed that his then-fiancée, Megan Fox, gifted him a vial of her blood to wear around his neck.
04:44As you might expect, the vampire-chic accessory caused quite the stir, and quickly became tabloid gold.
04:51They even admitted to drinking drops of each other's blood.
04:54It's just a few drops, but yes, we do consume each other's blood on occasion for ritual purposes.
05:00Fox later clarified that it was a small, symbolic gesture, not a full-on bloodletting ritual.
05:06But the internet had already run with it at this point.
05:08Of course, Megan and MGK weren't the only celeb couple to have done this.
05:13Right, Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton?
05:16Number 25.
05:17Madonna Kisses Britney and Christina at the VMAs.
05:26They say the MTV Video Music Awards are all about expecting the unexpected.
05:31And this moment is a perfect example of just how wild things can get.
05:35You see, during the 2003 broadcast, pop sensation Madonna left collective jaws on the floor
05:41when she locked lips with both Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera live on stage.
05:46Although, Aguilera's kiss was mostly missed, thanks to a cutaway of Britney's ex Justin Timberlake.
05:54Regardless, the moment was iconic.
05:57A veteran queen of publicity, Madonna knew exactly what she was doing.
06:01Mixing controversy and sexuality to dominate headlines.
06:05And hey, we're still talking about it to this day.
06:08Number 24.
06:09Kanye West and Bianca Sensori's Grammy's red carpet appearance.
06:14Where do we even begin with Kanye West?
06:16The rapper is no stranger to headline-grabbing stunts,
06:19including another later in this very list.
06:22Whether he's donning a White Lives Matter shirt or promoting inflammatory rhetoric,
06:26Kanye has built a reputation as one of Hollywood's most relentless attention seekers.
06:30So, the answer to why I wrote White Lives Matter on a shirt is because they do.
06:39It's the obvious thing.
06:40However, it was an appearance at the 2025 Grammys red carpet alongside Bianca Sensori
06:45that crossed into desperate territory.
06:47In a boundary-pushing moment, Bianca shed a large coat to reveal a barely-there outfit made of sheer tights.
06:54With Kanye allegedly orchestrating the spectacle,
06:57the stunt quickly proved too outrageous for the public's tolerance.
07:01Kanye, a nominee this year up for best rap song,
07:05rather opted to walk the carpet, then got in his car and left.
07:09Number 23.
07:10Lil Nas X's Satan Shoes.
07:13It's safe to say Lil Nas X likes to raise a little hell.
07:16In his music video for Montero, Call Me By Your Name,
07:19the singer is featured giving a lap dance to the devil himself.
07:23He later said the performance was a critique of religious condemnation,
07:26but it also cemented him as a master of the shock factor.
07:32That wasn't all, however.
07:35In March 2021, Lil Nas X released a limited edition of Satan Shoes,
07:39in collaboration with art collective Mischief.
07:43Blood Sneakers, Lil Nas X's collaboration with art collective Mischief,
07:48were released the same day as the video.
07:51The 666 pair of sneakers are black with red trim.
07:55Each pair supposedly contained a drop of human blood and bore satanic imagery,
08:00sparking outrage.
08:02Nike even distanced itself from the product and filed legal action.
08:06Nike has asked Mischief to permanently stop fulfilling orders of the unauthorized shoe.
08:11Just don't do it.
08:13Number 22.
08:15Miley Cyrus twerks on Robin Thicke.
08:17Remember what we said about the VMAs priding themselves on being wildly unpredictable?
08:22Well, Miley Cyrus definitely ran with that idea.
08:24Red cuss and sweaty bodies everywhere.
08:27Hands in the air like we don't care.
08:30The 2013 show featured Miley shedding her Hannah Montana image once and for all,
08:35literally and figuratively.
08:36During a chaotic performance of Blurred Lines,
08:39a tongue-wagging Cyrus let loose and suggestively twerked all over a Beetlejuice suit-clad Robin Thicke.
08:46Though the raunchy routine faced backlash,
08:52Miley had successfully transformed herself from a Disney star into a headline-grabbing adult artist,
08:57all-in-one performance.
08:59Audiences were split, though.
09:01Some loved it, some hated it.
09:02But nobody could look away.
09:08Number 21.
09:10Jada Pinkett Smith airs family drama on Red Table Talk.
09:14If I was still on my porn game, I'd be able to show you some good porn.
09:18Because back in the day, I had a little porn addiction.
09:20No one does family oversharing quite like Jada Pinkett Smith.
09:23On her now-defunct Facebook show, Red Table Talk,
09:27Jada revealed everything from her entanglement with Austin Alcina
09:30to her struggles in her marriage with Will Smith.
09:33An entanglement?
09:34Yes.
09:35The episode where she and Will sat down to dissect their personal issues in front of millions
09:39was not only jaw-dropping, but for many, deeply uncomfortable.
09:44Through that particular journey, I learned so much about myself
09:48and was able to really confront a lot of emotional immaturity, emotional insecurity.
09:56And I was really able to do some really deep healing.
10:00Critics were quick to accuse Jada of exploiting her family's pain for viewership.
10:05The TMI train didn't stop there.
10:07While promoting her memoir, Worthy, Pinkett Smith continued dropping revelations,
10:12touching on everything from her relationship with Tupac
10:15to the time Chris Rock asked her out.
10:17He called me and he was like, hey.
10:20You know, basically he was like, I'd love to take you out.
10:23And I was like, what do you mean?
10:23Number 20.
10:25Brooks Ayers fabricates medical documents.
10:28Brooks Ayers gained prominence as the controversial ex-boyfriend of cast member
10:33Vicki Gunvalson on The Real Housewives of Orange County.
10:37I want to tell you how sorry I am.
10:40For what?
10:40I'm going to be specific.
10:42During his time on the show, Ayers claimed to be battling cancer,
10:46a diagnosis which was disputed by some of the housewives.
10:49In a bid to back up his claims, Ayers provided multiple documents that seemingly showed he was
10:54undergoing chemotherapy at the City of Hope National Medical Center.
10:58However, an investigation by E! News revealed several inconsistencies in the documents.
11:04Was that a picture of you having chemo?
11:06It was me prepping for chemo, yes.
11:08Also, an official from City of Hope revealed that he had never been a patient there.
11:13In November of 2015, Ayers admitted to faking the documents,
11:17although he maintained that his cancer diagnosis was real.
11:20I don't listen to the noise anymore, because I know the truth.
11:22Number 19.
11:24Bow Wow's fake private jet photo.
11:26If you ever needed a reminder to not believe everything you see on the internet,
11:30this would be it.
11:31In 2017, Bow Wow posted a picture of a private jet on his Instagram,
11:36suggesting that he was about to embark on a trip to New York with the aircraft.
11:40And he wrote,
11:41Travel day, NYC press run for growing up hip-hop.
11:44It's like he's going to promote a show.
11:45Let's go.
11:45But just a few hours later,
11:47the rapper and actor was photographed sitting inside a New York-bound commercial flight.
11:52Once fans did a little digging,
11:53they found out that the image was actually a stock photo obtained from the website of a
11:57private limousine service.
11:59That's lifted from a Florida-only transportation company.
12:03Oh, wow.
12:04The controversy subsequently inspired the hashtag Bow Wow Challenge,
12:08in which social media users would post side-by-side pictures,
12:12poking fun at the deception behind the supposed luxury.
12:15What the hell?
12:15What the hell's the problem?
12:17Because the way it looked,
12:18it looked as if I was taking the big boy jet going to New York,
12:21and really, I was on Delta.
12:22First class.
12:23Number 18.
12:25Kathy Griffin's Donald Trump mask.
12:27Kathy Griffin is no stranger to controversy.
12:30In the past,
12:31her comedy routines about religion and celebrity culture
12:34have attracted intense backlash.
12:36However,
12:37that all paled in comparison to this horrifying stunt.
12:40I understand how it offends people.
12:42In May of 2017,
12:44Griffin found herself in hot water after a photo shoot featuring her holding a bloody mask
12:49that closely resembled then-President Donald Trump went viral.
12:53The pictures drew immediate criticism,
12:55with many on both sides of the political divide arguing that she had crossed the line.
13:00People weren't laughing online either,
13:02calling it disgusting, repugnant, shocking.
13:05As a result,
13:06Griffin lost multiple endorsement deals and jobs,
13:09and was reportedly investigated by the Justice Department.
13:12She initially apologized for the pictures,
13:15acknowledging that she had gone too far.
13:17But a few months later,
13:18she retracted her apology.
13:20I called my stand-up agent,
13:22and I said,
13:22this is a weird way to route a tour,
13:24but can you just send me to countries where they hate Trump?
13:28Two weeks later,
13:29I had 15 countries and 23 cities.
13:31Number 17.
13:32Katy Perry goes to space.
13:34In a move that was truly out of this world,
13:37literally,
13:38pop star Katy Perry blasted off into space
13:40as part of a headline-grabbing Blue Origin space flight.
13:44Lift off.
13:46New Shepard has cleared the tower.
13:48Katy joined a group of female VIPs on a suborbital joyride that barely lasted 11 minutes,
13:55but generated enough publicity to fill a galaxy.
13:59While floating above Earth, Katy sang What a Wonderful World,
14:02making her the first pop star to sing in space.
14:05After zero Gs,
14:07Katy sang What a Wonderful World.
14:09She did?
14:10Isn't that nice?
14:11Oh, come on.
14:11She sang What a Wonderful World.
14:13I see dreams.
14:15Oh, yes, yes, yes.
14:16Many fans and critics alike couldn't help but roll their eyes at the situation,
14:21calling it less about science and exploration,
14:24and more about bathing in the spotlight.
14:26We suppose nothing grabs attention quite like blasting off the planet.
14:30Number 16.
14:31Dennis Rodman Marries Himself
14:33One of the most widely celebrated NBA players,
14:37Dennis Rodman is also known for his controversial antics.
14:40The basketballer infamously traveled to North Korea,
14:43where he became pals with Kim Jong-un.
14:45He also had a wrestling stint opposite Hulk Hogan.
14:48But perhaps his craziest stunt was when he decided to take himself to the altar.
14:52Back in 1996, Rodman published his first autobiography,
14:56Bad As I Wanna Be, which included multiple salacious claims.
15:01While promoting the book, he dressed up in a custom-made wedding gown
15:04and rode up to a New York bookstore in a horse-drawn carriage,
15:08claiming to have married himself.
15:09I'm all of both worlds, yes.
15:12The stunt seemed to work in his favor,
15:14as the book became a bestseller for several months.
15:17Number 15.
15:19Kevin Spacey's Bizarre Christmas Video
15:21In the wake of the Me Too movement in 2017,
15:24multiple people came forward alleging that they had been assaulted by actor Kevin Spacey.
15:29He did what he did because he knew he'd get away with it.
15:33As a result, Spacey was fired from multiple projects,
15:36and he disappeared from the public eye.
15:38About one year later,
15:40just as criminal charges were formally filed against him,
15:43the actor put out a bizarre YouTube video titled Let Me Be Frank.
15:47In the clip, Spacey resurrected his House of Cards character Frank Underwood,
15:52adopting his signature Southern drawl and persona.
15:56I know what you want.
15:57He then delivered a chilling monologue,
15:59filled with double entendres that seemingly addressed the accusations leveled against him.
16:04Like I ever played by anyone's rules before,
16:07I never did,
16:09and you loved it.
16:11The video was criticized for being insensitive,
16:14but that didn't stop Spacey from putting out even more Christmas videos in the years that followed.
16:19Number 14.
16:20Lochte Gate
16:21During the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
16:26American swimmer Ryan Lochte generated a huge media frenzy
16:29after claiming to be the victim of an armed robbery.
16:32We went to a couple of cylinders.
16:34We were coming back to his friend's house,
16:36and we got pulled over in our taxi.
16:40According to Lochte,
16:42he and three of his teammates were pulled over by fake policemen and robbed at gunpoint.
16:47However, surveillance footage and witness testimonies later revealed
16:51that the group of swimmers had vandalized a gas station bathroom
16:54and were made to pay compensation by the security guard.
16:58Now, two of the quartet of swimmers in this now infamous video
17:01blaming Lochte for inflaming a standoff
17:04that had them hauled into two police stations in Rio.
17:07The incident caused significant outrage in Brazil,
17:11where Lochte was initially charged with falsely reporting a crime.
17:14Lochte had released his own tepid apology on Friday for, quote,
17:18not being more careful and candid in how I described the events.
17:22Although those charges were eventually dismissed,
17:24the Olympic gold medalist lost multiple endorsements
17:27and was suspended from competitive swimming for 10 months.
17:31Number 13.
17:32Tonya Harding's Boxing Career
17:34In what is arguably the biggest scandal in professional figure skating,
17:39Nancy Kerrigan was wounded in an attack orchestrated by the ex-husband of her rival,
17:44Tonya Harding.
17:45The attack plunged Kerrigan's Olympic dreams into doubt.
17:49Although Harding denied any involvement in the plot,
17:51she accepted a felony plea deal
17:54and received a life ban from the U.S. Figure Skating Association.
17:58Despite this fall from grace,
18:00Harding was still a household name.
18:01She capitalized on that notoriety and transitioned into a different,
18:05unexpected sport, boxing.
18:07Terrible Tonya Harding!
18:12Between 2003 and 2004,
18:15the former figure skater participated in multiple professional boxing matches,
18:19winning half of them.
18:21This stint, however, didn't last long.
18:23Due to her struggle with asthma,
18:25Harding dropped her gloves and never returned to the ring.
18:28Number 12.
18:29Joaquin Phoenix Lies to David Letterman Twice
18:32Um, what, uh, what can you tell us about your days with the Unabomber?
18:41In 2008, Joaquin Phoenix shocked Hollywood when he announced he was giving up acting to become a rapper.
18:48A few months later, the actor made an appearance on Letterman's show for an interview.
18:51You look different than I remember.
18:54You've got a nice beard going and, uh...
18:57Oh, yeah, thank you.
18:58Phoenix's wild beard and unusual behavior had people genuinely concerned that he'd lost his mind.
19:05You're not gonna act anymore?
19:07No.
19:08Huh.
19:09Why is that?
19:11Hmm...
19:12I don't know.
19:15However, it turned out that the appearance was an act to promote his upcoming mockumentary,
19:19I'm Still Here.
19:24After Phoenix apologized,
19:26he lied to Letterman again in 2014
19:28by making up a story about getting engaged to his yoga teacher.
19:32I'm like, I just want the audience to like me,
19:34and they really like people that are getting married.
19:36So I just, I thought I'd say I was getting married.
19:39Although both pranks received some backlash,
19:42Phoenix's thriving acting career proves that he got the last laugh.
19:45Number 11.
19:47Shia LaBeouf's Paper Bag
19:49So, so you wore that?
19:51Yeah.
19:52All right.
19:53Shia LaBeouf's bizarre behavior has produced many attention-grabbing headlines.
19:57He's volunteered to become a meme,
19:59Do it!
20:00watched all his movies with fans in a non-stop marathon,
20:04and applauded a song that painted him as a vicious cannibal.
20:07Actual cannibal Shia LaBeouf!
20:09But LaBeouf's most famous stunt occurred on the red carpet.
20:12During the Berlin premiere of Nymphomaniac,
20:15he wore a paper bag with eye holes over his head that said,
20:18I'm not famous anymore.
20:19The strange fashion choice may have been LaBeouf's way of distracting people from his plagiarism scandal,
20:24or it could have been another one of his performance art pieces.
20:27Regardless of LaBeouf's intent, his bizarre fashion choice turned many heads.
20:32Number 10.
20:33Kim Kardashian's Marriage to Kris Humphries
20:35Most people get married expecting it to be a lifelong commitment.
20:39But for Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries,
20:42it took less than three months for things to come to a screeching halt.
20:46Kim told ABC News,
20:48After careful consideration, I have decided to end my marriage.
20:52The couple first began dating in October 2010,
20:55and their whirlwind romance culminated in a wedding ceremony less than a year later.
20:59The lavish event aired as a two-part special on the E! channel,
21:03and reportedly cost millions of dollars.
21:05However, just 72 days after tying the knot,
21:08Kardashian said,
21:10I don't,
21:10and filed for divorce.
21:12In the divorce papers filed Monday,
21:13Kim said she doesn't want to pay Kris Spousal support.
21:16Due to the short-lived union,
21:18and a claim by one of her supposed former publicists,
21:20many believed that the entire affair was orchestrated as a publicity stunt.
21:24Kardashian has since denied such claims.
21:27You didn't marry to get ratings.
21:29No.
21:29Number 9.
21:30DJ Khaled Proposes to Nicki Minaj
21:32There's nothing like a celebrity marriage to get people talking.
21:44DJ Khaled knew this when he proposed to Nicki Minaj on MTV in 2013.
21:48I prepared for this day,
21:51so I went and got this ring.
21:55His heartfelt confession of love and stunning 10-carat ring
21:59made his proposal seem legit.
22:00However, it didn't take long for the truth to come out.
22:04Minaj and Khaled both admitted the proposal was a publicity stunt for an upcoming album.
22:08While Minaj said she didn't know about the stunt beforehand,
22:11she's also been accused of stretching the truth about her personal life.
22:15After fans were led to believe Minaj was bisexual,
22:17she revealed in an interview that she has no physical or romantic desires towards women.
22:22Number 8.
22:23Kanye West interrupts Taylor Swift at the VMAs
22:26The 2009 VMAs went largely without any hitches,
22:31right until Taylor Swift won the award for Best Female Video.
22:34While the singer gave her acceptance speech,
22:36Kanye West infamously grabbed the mic from her
22:39and declared that Beyoncé should have won instead.
22:41Yo, Taylor.
22:42I'm really happy for you.
22:45I'm going to let you finish.
22:46But Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time.
22:50It wouldn't be the first time West showcased his inclination to air his opinions regardless
22:55of the consequences, but it was probably the most shocking.
22:59When Beyoncé later received Video of the Year,
23:01she gracefully called Swift back on stage to have her moment.
23:05Maybe, maybe we could try this again?
23:08The incident lit a firestorm on social media,
23:12with many including President Obama criticizing West for it.
23:15He's a jackass.
23:18While the rapper later apologized to Swift,
23:21his actions that night have had a lasting impact on their relationship since.
23:26Number 7.
23:27Farrah Abram lies about her tape.
23:29When reality TV star Farrah Abram was first asked about her rumored sex tape,
23:34she said it didn't exist.
23:35So no, there's nothing like that and there should be no talk of that.
23:38But after adult film performer James Dean confirmed he shot a scene with her,
23:42the story drastically changed.
23:44Abram claimed the tape was only for her personal use.
23:47She then sold it to adult film company Vivid Entertainment for around $1 million.
23:52Why did you make the tape?
23:54For me to be happy for myself and my own privacy,
23:58and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
24:01In less than a day, the racy video racked up millions of views.
24:05Despite its popularity,
24:07Abram was criticized for apparently misleading people about the tape's release.
24:11While the racy video's origins are confusing,
24:13it clearly got people looking in Abram's direction.
24:16I have my body back.
24:17I am modeling again.
24:18I'm super happy and thankful and blessed that I'm where I am right now about.
24:23Right.
24:24My body.
24:24For over a decade, siblings Meg and Jack White garnered praise as the Grammy Award-winning rock duo The White Stripes.
24:36Although the music was real, their familial connection was a lie.
24:39Jack originally said he formed the band after hearing his sister Meg play drums.
24:43But the two weren't related.
24:45In fact, they got married and divorced while playing in the band.
24:48Even after their marriage license was made public,
24:51the duo continued the lie until the band was dissolved.
24:54In 2005, Jack said that the sibling angle made them more interesting.
24:58It's up to fans to decide if the truth makes legendary singles like Seven Nation Army sound any less awesome.
25:045. Garth Brooks Creates an Alter Ego
25:08Music fans are generally okay with musicians creating alter egos.
25:15Beyoncé had Sasha Fierce, Eminem had Slim Shady,
25:18and country star Garth Brooks had the soul patch wearing Chris Gaines.
25:22In 1999, Brooks slimmed down and changed his hair to transform into his alter ego.
25:27While assuming the persona, he released an album, performed as Chris Gaines on SNL,
25:32and played the character in a Behind the Music special.
25:34Unfortunately, Gaines' music didn't generate huge album sales or interest.
25:39I know, I know, Garth is Chris Gaines.
25:41You really think I'm stupid, don't you?
25:43As a result, a movie centered around Gaines was canceled,
25:46and Brooks had to go back to being a hugely successful country star.
25:504. Ashanti's Label Sends Threatening Emails
25:54If your PR stunt inspires talk of protests, you may be doing it wrong.
25:59In 2008, Ashanti released a murder-themed music video for her new single,
26:03the way that I love you.
26:04To promote the video, the label created the GotchaGram website.
26:08When users submitted their personal information,
26:11an email would be sent that said the user's life was in imminent danger.
26:15An email link would take them to a news report where their name was written in blood at a crime scene.
26:19The stunt received immediate backlash for its grim content.
26:23After people protested Ashanti, the label ended the bloody campaign.
26:273. Brian Williams Exaggerates His Iraq Story
26:31Shortly after the Iraq war began, Brian Williams traveled abroad to cover the conflict for NBC News.
26:37During a difficult day in the field, a friendly helicopter was hit with an RPG.
26:42Although Williams originally told people this version of events,
26:45he later exaggerated the story to say he was in the helicopter struck by the RPG.
26:49Williams' reputation came under fire when his lie was exposed.
26:52I made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago.
26:57It did not take long to hear from some brave men and women in the air crews who were also in that desert.
27:04I want to apologize.
27:05I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG fire.
27:09I was instead in a following aircraft.
27:12Furthermore, NBC suspended him from his lucrative NBC Nightly News position.
27:17After apologizing and taking a step back from the spotlight, he continued his reporting career on MSNBC.
27:23Williams has since retired, ending his 50-year career.
27:272. Steve Ranazzisi Lies
27:30The September 11th attacks irrevocably changed many lives.
27:35For 14 years, comedian Steve Ranazzisi claimed he was at the center of the tragedy.
27:40He claimed he was working for Merrill Lynch on the South Tower's 54th floor on that tragic day.
27:44After narrowly escaping, he was inspired to chase his comedy dreams in Los Angeles.
27:50However, a 2015 New York Times article revealed he never worked for Merrill Lynch
27:55and wasn't even in the towers during the attack.
27:58Ranazzisi apologized for the lie in a series of tweets.
28:01Although he kept his job on the league,
28:03Buffalo's Wild Wings' choice to pull commercials featuring Ranazzisi
28:06showed that some people weren't ready to forgive him.
28:09I'm an idiot. I made a terrible mistake.
28:12But this is not who I am, and I'm going to move on beyond this.
28:16Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
28:19and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
28:22You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
28:27If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
28:311. Jussie Smollett Accused of Staging an Attack
28:36In early 2019, Empire actor Jussie Smollett said that he was attacked by two men
28:48who screamed racial and homophobic slurs at him, threw liquid on him, and placed a noose around his neck.
28:54After he talked to police and received tons of support,
28:56rumors circulated that his January 29th attack had actually been staged.
29:01Following police investigation a few weeks later,
29:04the alleged attackers were revealed to be former Empire extras,
29:07and evidence had been reportedly uncovered,
29:09showing that Smollett had actually hired these men.
29:12Charged with lying to the police and filing a false police report,
29:16he was soon formally indicted on 16 felony counts by a grand jury in Chicago.
29:21Following his arrest, Fox announced his character wouldn't appear
29:24in the last two episodes of Empire Season 5.
29:26Smollett's ongoing story echoes the saga of Morton Downey Jr.
29:30The talk show host alleged he was attacked by skinheads in 1989,
29:34but never filed a police report.
29:36In 2021, Smollett was found guilty and sentenced to 150 days in jail.
29:42As of April 2025, the Illinois Supreme Court has overturned Smollett's conviction,
29:49finding that retrying him violated his constitutional right against double jeopardy.
29:54Which of these bizarre antics shocked you the most?
29:57Let us know in the comments.
29:58And Joaquin, I'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight.