Celebrities Who Behaved Like Karens

Usher may be a wildly popular singer, or rather, he used to be - like ten years ago - but that's still no excuse for acting like a jerk. While he's never done anything particularly heinous, he has been known to behave like a Karen from time to time. 

According to some sources, Usher isn't the best at treating servers and waitstaff with respect. He's been known to be highly demanding of his servers without actually tipping them for their hard work. One of the craziest stories involves him leaving his signature in lieu of an actual tip. You may be famous, but you're not that famous, buddy!

There have been rumors of Lea Michele's Karen-like behavior for years since she became a star on Glee. However, it appears that rude behavior in public isn't just a problem for Michele herself—turns out that it's a family tradition! What is it with celebrities and acting a fool in restaurants? 

According to one story, Lea Michele and her entire family made a bit of a scene in a restaurant. The whole family allegedly berated the waitstaff and complained loudly about how slow the service was—even going as far as lying about how long they had been waiting! The whole terrible night was topped off with them refusing to pay for certain items that they ordered. 

Alec Baldwin may be a great actor, but he's not particularly known for being calm, cool, and collected. Folks in Hollywood have tons of stories about Baldwin losing his temper and acting a fool. Today, we're going to take a look at the most Karen-esque meltdown of his career. 

In 2011, Baldwin got so heated on an airplane that he was actually removed from the flight. And what was it that got him so worked up, you ask? It was time for takeoff and he was playing Words with Friends on his phone. When a flight attendant told him to put away his electronic device, all hell broke loose. He did later apologize, but the damage was done. 

We don't know what it is about celebrities and treating employees really badly, but they just can't seem to resist the temptation. When it comes to Naomi Campbell, things can actually get violent in situations like this. On more than one occasion, she's been caught getting violent with her own employees. 

In 1998, she attacked one of her personal assistants with a cellphone. She eventually settled the case with an undisclosed sum of money, which at least means that her former assistant got a ton of money, but it's just ridiculous it came to that. Once again in 2007, Campbell pled guilty to assaulting a housekeeper with yet another cellphone! It's clear she's got some serious anger issues. 

Justin Bieber isn't particularly known for being well-behaved but, overall, he's more of an idiot manchild than a Karen. However, on his 19th birthday, he really let his Karen side show when the massive celebration got shut down early. It's his party and he'll cry if he wants to! 

The Canadian singer was celebrating his 19th birthday in a London club until the party got shut down following a confrontation between Bieber's entourage and the club's security. Apparently, several people in his party were underage, and the club rightfully kicked them out. It didn't take long for Bieber to take to the internet to complain about his "worst birthday ever." 

Miley Cyrus has been known to get wild and crazy, but she definitely seems more chill than a Karen, right? Unfortunately, that's not always the case for the child actor turned pop star. Even she can't resist the temptation to pull the "Do You Know Who I Am?" card. 

Cyrus was apparently once staying at a posh New York City hotel when the staff politely asked her to quiet down a little bit. Miley Cyrus is loud? Color us surprised. However, that really seemed to set her off. According to one source who spoke with Life & Style, "She started screaming at them and saying that she’s spent so much money there that they should be glad to have her."

Everyone loves a diva, but some people can definitely take their diva ways too far—including Nicki Minaj. Before a 2014 performance at a fashion show, the rapper had a Karen moment after learning there was only time to rehearse her set once. However, this is one Karen story with a satisfying ending! 

According to a source who was on the scene, Minaj threw a fit, but no one seemed willing to indulge her bad behavior. They reported that "The CBS executives told her she was being inappropriate, and that she should leave." That's the right way to deal with a Karen! 

It's ridiculous when A-list mega-celebrities behave like Karens, but it's even more ridiculous when C-listers and D-listers think they can get away with acting like a jerk. In 2010 when she was a judge on The X-Factor, British singer and alleged celebrity Cher Lloyd threw an absurd temper tantrum backstage. And what was the problem? Her clothes. 

Lloyd apparently hated the outfit her stylists had picked out for her so much that she had a complete meltdown. Lloyd eventually addressed her temper tantrum (without actually apologizing for it) by saying, "I had a bit of a meltdown earlier in the week. But I just couldn't go on stage in something I felt uncomfortable in."

As sad as it is, no one really expects child actors to grow up normal and well-adjusted. So is it really any surprise when they eventually end up acting like Karens? When he was a teenager, actor Jake T. Austin had his own Karen moment backstage at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards. 

Apparently, Austin got hostile when security wouldn't let him into a VIP suite backstage. According to witnesses, Austin pulled out a Karen classic and shouted, "Don't you know who I am? I'm a presenter. Who the f— are you?!" Hopefully, he's learned to keep his cool better now that he's an adult. 

Is Kendall Jenner a Karen or is she just the victim of rumors? In 2014, stories began to circulate that Jenner had a meltdown in a restaurant after she was denied service, going as far as to throw a wad of cash in the hostess' face. Knowing what we know about the Kardashians, this doesn't seem too far-fetched. 

However, Jenner herself has denied that this encounter ever happened and that it's just a nasty rumor. After the story began to spread she tweeted, "These rumors r absolutely ridiculous! I would never throw money in anyone's face or act that disrespectfully. I was raised better than that." Were you, Kendall? 

It's almost unfair to Karens to call Russell Crowe one. As obnoxious as a Karen might be, they're usually all bark and no bite, but Crowe has taken his bad behavior to violent levels multiple times. Why people still want to work with him is beyond us—he's clearly a scary dude! 

Most infamously, Crowe was charged with assault in 2005 after throwing a telephone at a hotel concierge in New York City. While Crowe eventually apologized and settled out of court, the concierge was left with facial injuries from the incident. Additionally, on the set of Gladiator, Crowe allegedly threatened to kill a producer with his bare hands. 

A Karen thinks that the world revolves around them and that they don't have to bring anything to the table themselves. And that's exactly what happened with actor Wesley Snipes when he was filming the movie Blade Trinity. Thankfully, the director of the movie pushed back on his Karen behavior and put him in his place. 

In addition to spending hours smoking weed in his trailer and only communicating via post-it notes, Snipes straight-up told the director that he was detrimental to the movie and that he should just quit. Thankfully, the director didn't back down and instead told Snipes that he's the one that should quit and that they'll just use his stand-in. 

It turns out that filmmaker Michael Bay's temper can be just as explosive as his action-packed movies. However, Bay didn't get huffy on set. He had a Karen meltdown during a keynote speech, of all places. We're sure it was a speech that those folks will never forget though! 

Bay was slated to speak at a Samsung corporate event. But, as it often does, the technology was not cooperating, and there were problems with Bay's teleprompter. Instead of just keeping his cool and being patient while the problem was fixed, Bay stormed off the stage without giving his speech. 

Nicolas Cage is a strange guy, but we were shocked to learn that he's got a bit of a Karen side to him. The actor went full Karen during a 2011 incident. Unfortunately for Cage, the police got involved and they weren't willing to indulge his bad behavior as some people would be. 

The police were called on Cage in New Orleans after a drunken, public altercation with his wife. When they arrived, Cage inexplicably dared the cops to arrest him...which they promptly did! While the charges were eventually dropped, Cage did have to spend a little time in jail before he was bailed out by Dog the Bounty Hunter. 

If there's one thing we know about airlines it's this—they're not afraid to kick you off a flight, no matter who you are. While sometimes they might abuse this power, there are other times when it's completely deserved, and that's exactly the case with Ivana Trump when she got booted off a plane. 

In 2009, Trump was on a flight that happened to also have several loud, obnoxious children. Kids on a plane are the worst, but Ivana made things worse when she started ranting and raving about their bad behavior, going as far as to call them "little f*ckers." It was no shock to anyone when she was eventually kicked off the plane. 

It's one thing to be such a Karen that you get kicked off a flight, but it's a whole different level of Karen bad behavior that gets you banned from an airline for life. Unfortunately for Tudors actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers, that's exactly what happened when he had too much to drink in the airport. 

Back in 2010, Meyers had a few drinks while waiting for his flight to depart. By the time it was time to board the plane, Meyers was very obviously way too drunk to fly. The attendants at the gate saw this and wouldn't allow him to board. He got rowdy and attempted to start a fight, and United Airlines ended up banning him for life. 

Airplanes are a common place to see celebrities (and everyday people) turn into total Karens, and that's what happened with long-time Transformers actor Josh Duhamel. During takeoff from JFK, Duhamel was so engrossed with his Blackberry that he refused to put it away after being asked by flight attendants. 

According to eyewitnesses on the plane, attendants asked Duhamel to put his phone away multiple times and that he simply laughed in their face. Unfortunately for Duhamel, the pilot wasn't laughing and ended up returning to the gate so that the actor could be kicked off the flight. We're glad this is one Karen that didn't get their way!

Amanda Bynes has a history of disturbing, erratic behavior that pretty much stopped her career in her tracks. However, the former child star still finds time to act like a good, old-fashioned Karen occasionally. She had a major Karen moment in 2013 during an incident at the airport. Needless to say, she didn't make her flight. 

Trouble started for Bynes when she wasn't allowed on the plane because she lacked a valid form of identification. Rolling up to the airport without your I.D. is crazy enough, but things got worse when she pulled a Karen and told the pilot to Google her. That wasn't good enough for the pilot who obviously didn't let her on the flight. 

Conrad Hilton is barely a celebrity, but that didn't stop the Hilton Hotels heir from throwing an extremely Karen fit during a flight. Thankfully, things didn't end well for Hilton after his tantrum. During a 2015 flight, Hilton made a scene by threatening the crew and insulting his fellow passengers. 

He allegedly referred to other people on the flight as "peasants", and he ended up getting so rowdy that the flight crew had to physically restrain him in his seat. Needless to say, he had a warm welcome from the police once the plane finally landed. Hope the tantrum was worth it! 

What is it about celebrities and behaving badly on planes? Like so many other famous people before her, Kate Moss became a mile-high Karen during a flight in 2015. Luckily for her, she didn't really suffer any consequences for her outburst, unlike some stars who have gotten rowdy on planes. 

Moss allegedly became belligerent with the flight crew when they refused to serve her alcohol. While both Moss and the airline have been tight-lipped about the incident, there's a good chance Moss had already had a few drinks in her—most people don't throw a fit stone-cold sober. While police were notified of the incident, Moss was never arrested or charged with a crime. 

Dennis Rodman acts like a Karen? That's probably the least shocking thing we've heard in a long time. The former NBA star is known for his erratic and bizarre lifestyle, so it's no surprise that he gets a little ridiculous from time to time. When he's not rubbing elbows with North Korean dictators, he's making a scene in public. 

In 2010, Rodman was staying at the Surf and Sand Resort in Laguna Beach, Florida. Staff at the resort asked the basketball star to quieten down multiple times, but he refused to do so. Eventually, he got so rowdy that the resort called the cops to have him escorted off the premises. 

Movie stars aren't the only celebrities known for their Karen-like behavior. There are plenty of sports stars who don't know how to behave in public either! And one of those is former NBA point guard Allen Iverson. Over the years, Iverson has managed to get himself banned from multiple casinos, including MGM and Greektown. 

And what seems to be Iverson's problem? He hates to lose. According to one source familiar with his casino bans, "He is a bad loser, and he loses a lot, often throwing his chips or cards at the dealer." He sounds like a real fun guy to play with! 

Tommy Lee hasn't been an A-list celebrity for at least a decade at this point, but he's still alive and kicking and manages to garner some bad press for himself from time to time. One of his biggest Karen moments happened in 2019 when he was kicked out of Emeril Lagasse’s restaurant Delmonico.

Like a lot of high-end establishments, Delmonico has a dress code. And unfortunately for Tommy Lee, that dress code doesn't involve hats. When staff asked him to remove his hat, Lee got belligerent and started cussing. He made such a scene that he and his date were asked to leave the establishment. 

Bruce Springsteen is seen as a musician for the common man, but even the Boss has acted like a diva Karen before! Thankfully, his outburst happened decades ago in the '80s when he was much younger. You probably won't see him acting like a Karen these days, but you never know! 

Springsteen revealed in his memoir that he was once kicked out of Disneyland for wearing a bandana, which was prohibited in the park at the time. He refused to remove it and was eventually escorted from the park. He says that as he and his friend were kicked out, he shouted, "Screw you, fascist mouse! We're going to Knott's Berry Farm!"

Ruby Rose got famous in the 2010s thanks to roles on hit shows like Orange is the New Black. And it seems like the actress spent no time in letting all that fame go to her head. In 2016, she was kicked out of a New Orleans restaurant after getting belligerent with the staff there. 

Rose allegedly threw a good, old-fashioned tantrum and even ended up throwing French fries at the waitstaff of the restaurant. Once the incident became public, Rose claimed her bad behavior was due to the bartender pressuring her to drink despite being sober. Okay, but that still doesn't explain why you threw fries at the other staff members, does it? 

Singer Ariana Grande wasn't content to just be a Karen—she was a seriously strange Karen. Her public outburst in a donut shop was one of the weirdest on the list. And, unfortunately for her, a security camera caught the whole bizarre incident. What in the world was she thinking? 

In 2015, security camera footage emerged of Grande licking donuts on the counter of Wolfee Donuts in California. The strange, bad behavior didn't stop there, though. The cameras also caught the singer declaring that she "hates America." We're not sure what Grande has against donuts or America, but this whole ordeal was just incredibly weird and rude. 

Sorry Game of Thrones fans, but we have to let you know that Jon Snow is a bit of a Karen. Like so many of these Karen stories, it all began when actor Kit Harrington had a little too much to drink in 2018. By the end of the night, Harrington had to be physically dragged out of a bar. 

Harrington was drinking and playing pool at Barfly in New York City when he started to get a little too rowdy and belligerent and was asked to leave. He initially complied and left the building. However, it wasn't long before he was back and more aggressive than ever. Ultimately, Harrington was dragged out of the establishment by bar security. 

If we didn't know any better, we'd think that the stars of the Real Housewives series were contractually obligated to make trouble in public. They've all had their Karen moments, but none have been quite as strange as when Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kenya Moore was kicked out of a New York City restaurant. 

According to people on the scene, Moore was at a ritzy restaurant when she just started changing her baby's diaper right at the table. Needless to say, staff at the restaurant asked her to leave after this. Why she didn't just go to the restroom is beyond us, but surely this is not something people do on a regular basis, is it? Parents should be able to enjoy a good meal, but this is just ridiculous! 

During his time with Motley Crue, Vince Neil was a rock god. However, more recently, he's turned into something of an aging Karen. In 2012, Neil took to Twitter to complain about the poor service he had received at a Las Vegas hotel. However, when the hotel got wind of his comments, they had a much different story to tell. 

According to the hotel, Neil had actually gotten kicked out of the premises for making a scene and getting belligerent and abusive with the staff. They eventually got fed up with his behavior and gave him the boot. In his defense, the hotel could be lying, but it's not like bad behavior from celebrities is rare and unheard of. 

Madonna will always be the OG Material Girl, but she might also be a little bit of a Karen, too. In 2013, she managed to get herself banned from an entire chain of businesses, which is pretty extreme, even for celebrities who are behaving badly! So what exactly was her crime? 

During a screening of 12 Years a Slave at the Alamo Drafthouse, Madonna was apparently texting so much that staff at the movie theater eventually asked her to leave. The CEO of the movie chain tweeted that Madonna wouldn't be allowed back at any Drafthouse location until she apologized to movie fans. He may have been joking around with that tweet, but it was still an embarrassing moment for the pop superstar.