For celebrities, it's not hard to lose sight of the little people. While it can't be easy to be the center of attention, stars have the choice to either be cool about their fans' overzealous adulation or to be a total celebri-jerk about it. Here are some A-listers who, allegedly, have done some pretty terrible things to us pathetic, regular people.
Rihanna is a rude girl, at least to some fans. "My coworker won free tickets and backstage passes to see Rihanna about a year after they were first playing 'Umbrella' on the radio," a former fan told Thought Catalog. "When her kids finally got the chance to go meet Rihanna, she was sitting at her makeup booth and refused to face them, or even look at them. When they asked for her autograph, she told the closest backup dancer to forge it for them and shooed them away."
In 2014, Rihanna posted a frowny face on Twitter and linked to a picture of a 16-year-old fan's prom dress, which was similar to a Wile E. Coyote-inspired costume the singer wore to an awards show a few years earlier. She tweeted (via The Huffington Post), "Dark Thot Rises" and "#prombat" in response to the unitard and shared the bullying image with tens of millions of people, alienating countless fans, and completely ruining one fan's prom memories. We had to look up "thot," and it's not nice.
Bale has been caught on tape berating crew members on set, and he was arrested for freaking out at family members during a press tour, so his anger issues are common knowledge. However, the actor's so-called former PR agent alleges the Black Knight's behavior towards fans is even worse, recounting an instance when Bale berated little girls to tears after they'd asked him for an autograph, and another event that involved Bale faxing a fan an elaborate death threat involving a screwdriver. Bale was never charged for the threat, nor his crimes against Batman's voice.
The legends of Jordan's rudeness and competitiveness are legion, but none stand out more than when rapper Chamillionaire asked Jordan for a photograph. According to Chamillionaire's interview with the Madd Hatta Morning Show in 2015, the rapper bought a Jordan jersey at a charity event for $15,000, but when he asked for a photo with no. 23, Jordan reportedly said, "I don't take pictures with n****'s" and told Chamillionaire to pay him $15k in exchange for a photo. Chamillionaire declined.
Justin Bieber: where to begin. The pop kid has acted atrociously toward his Beliebers. He allegedly spit on fans from a balcony in Toronto, Canada, mooned others at historic Mayan ruins in Mexico, and desecrated an Argentinian flag handed to him by a fan. And that's just the tip of his tantrums. There are numerous reports and videos of Justin losing his cool with fans, and then, in 2016, he declared on Instagram (via Time) that he was no longer going to take pictures with fans because he "feels like a zoo animal," adding, "I realize people will be disappointed but I don't owe anybody a picture." Okay, well, if the Biebs wanted self-aware, highly restrained fans, maybe he shouldn't have targeted young girls. They're not exactly known for their restraint.
Despite her legacy of down-to-earth 30-minute meals, Ray is known to be a diva off set. Audience members at her shows have complained about her attitude, waitstaff have accused her of being a bad customer, and during one of her tours, Ray allegedly had it out with a hotel concierge, reportedly stating, "I need stupid people not to talk to me."
For a bass player who dresses like a clown, Gene Simmons apparently has a very high opinion of himself. The Kiss rocker made international headlines in 2014 when he spoke harshly about people with mental health issues and depression. He told Songfacts, "I'm the guy who says 'Jump!' when there's a guy on top of a building who says, 'That's it, I can't take it anymore, I'm going to jump. Are you kidding? Why are you announcing it? Shut the f**k up, have some dignity and jump! You've got the crowd." Multiple radio stations stopped playing his music in response.
It's pretty common knowledge among movie buffs that Bruce Willis is a notoriously difficult actor to work with, based on stories told by everyone from Kevin Smith to Sylvester Stallone, but fans' personal stories reflect more of the same. According to a report on Mean Stars, Willis allegedly scolded a couple of kids in a mall food court for recognizing him and pointing him out, though why a child would recognize Willis for anything seems unusual these days.