Angelina Jolie was too close with her brother
During the early days of fame, Angelina Jolie was plagued by wicked rumors. One was proven true - Jolie wore a locket with a smear of her then husband, Billy Bob Thornton’s, blood.
However, one rumor proclaiming that she and her brother were closer than siblings should be, caused quite the stir. It began after the pair were seen kissing on the lips at the 2000 Academy Awards.
Mariah Carey was jealous of starving children
Mariah Carey spent most of the 90s plagued by a rumor inspired by a spoof interview that was conducted in jest.
During the interview, Carey allegedly made controversial comments about starving children, saying that she would love to be that skinny. Taken out of context, these remarks are horrendous and Carey had to do a lot of work to undo the bad publicity.
Barney the Dinosaur had a drug problem
Every child’s favorite purple dinosaur, Barney, has been the subject of a troublesome rumor involving his tail, which painted him in a not so wholesome light.
There was a much circulated rumor that, during a search, police discovered a cache of illegal drugs hidden inside Barney’s tail.
Gene Simmons has a cow's tongue
It is a well known fact that Gene Simmons, the bassist in the band KISS, has an extraordinarily long tongue.
With his tongue being so unusually long, rumors began to circulate that Simmons had grafted a cow tongue onto his own in order to make it so large.
Marisa Tomei's Oscar win was a mistake
At the 1993 Academy Awards, Marisa Tomei was awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in My Cousin Vinny. However, if you believe the rumor, she didn’t.
Given that Tomei was still relatively unheard of, people found it hard to believe that she would have won. The rumor was that Jack Palance read her name accidentally.
Stevie Wonder isn't really blind
Of all the wild stories circulating around Hollywood, the rumor that Stevie Wonder is not actually blind might be the craziest.
Quite why Wonder would spend his career trying to fool audiences is unclear; sighted or not, his talent remains the same.
Lindsay Lohan had a twin sister
Lindsay Lohan got her first claim to fame playing twins in The Parent Trap. Her performance was so convincing that many believed that Lohan was a twin.
The rumor was that Lohan’s ‘twin’ died shortly after filming, so Disney covered it up and fabricated the story that Lohan played both parts.
Cher removed ribs to be thinner
In 1988, the French magazine, Paris Match, began the rumor that superstar Cher had undergone extensive plastic surgery, including the removal of two of her ribs to make her skinnier.
Cher refuted the claim, countering that, given she liked wearing skimpy outfits, everyone would be able to see the operation scars.
Pippa Middleton deliberately upstaged Kate
The world tuned in to watch the union of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011. All eyes should have been on Kate, but her sister Pippa stole her thunder.
All anyone was talking about was Pippa’s behind. Her rear was so prominent that chatter quickly picked up speed that Pippa wore a fake butt in an attempt to upstage the bride.
Steven Spielberg directed Poltergeist
The classic 1982 horror, Poltergeist, was directed by the late Tobe Hooper, and produced by fellow director Steven Spielberg. Or was it?
For years, speculation has been rife that the man behind the camera was Spielberg and not Hooper. Spielberg has spent much of his career denying the rumor.
Alanis Morissette wrote You Oughta Know about Dave Coulier
You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette is the ultimate cathartic karaoke song. The lyrics are of a scorned woman spouting vitriol at her ex lover. But who inspired the song?
For years the identity of the mystery man was thought to be Fuller House’s Dave Coulier. Alanis’ fans made him persona non grata, but the truth is the song was written about several of Morissette’s former partners.
Kanye West compared himself to Nelson Mandela
Throughout his career, Kanye West has said some pretty controversial things, and so when people heard that he had compared himself to Nelson Mandela, people believed it and got mad.
Whilst he admits he called himself the new version of Jesus, he refutes claims that he once described himself as the next Nelson Mandela, posting on Twitter, “I've never said anything to dishonor one of the most inspiring leaders.”
Katy Perry is actually JonBenét Ramsey
In 1996, the murder of 6 year old JonBenét Ramsey gripped the nation. Her body, though, was never found, leading some to speculate that she is actually alive.
The theory goes further, insisting that the girl grew up to be Katy Perry. Apparently their eyebrows are the same, a fact which outweighs Perry being two years older than Ramsey.
Richard Gere likes to play with gerbils
Of all rumors about a celebrity, the one about Richard Gere and gerbils is the most infamous, and although now laughed about, did derail Gere’s career to a degree.
The urban legend involved Richard Gere, a set of elaborately constructed tubes, a gerbil, and one of the actors' orifices.
Jamie Lee Curtis is a hermaphrodite
Somehow a number of years after she made it big with Halloween, Jamie Lee Curtis found herself the target of a rumor that she had been born a hermaphrodite.
This was probably started due to her androgynous looks, lower voice register, and an affinity for short hair. Hardly substantial evidence, but it was enough to get Hollywood talking.
Jennifer Lopez insured her rear
Sometimes actors get known for a particular bodily feature and go to great lengths to keep them safe. Tom Cruise for example had his smile insured, and, if you believe the rumor, Jennifer Lopez insured her butt.
J.Lo has a body to die for so no one questioned the rumor. However, the musician and actor revealed it was a hoax during Carpool Karaoke with James Cordon.
Marilyn Monroe was 'fat'
When it was revealed that Marilyn Monroe wore a size 16, people began to think of her as plus size. They believed that had she been born a few decades later she would have been teased for being fat.
The truth however, is that dress sizes have changed over the years. The measurements for a size 16 in the 50s would equate to today's size 4 - 6.
The White Stripes are related
When rockers The White Stripes first came onto the scene, everyone assumed that duo Jack and Meg were siblings. The two shared the same surname and looked alike.
Fans were then horrified to see pictures of the pair kissing and embracing. But it was okay as they were actually husband and wife.
Lauryn Hill didn't want white people buying her records
The rumor that began circulating about Lauryn Hill almost cost, not only her career, but almost incited a race war.
A quote from the singer was manipulated for sensationalism and claimed that Hill said, "I would rather die than have a white person buy one of my albums.” She had actually said that “I make my music for young Black youths because I'm a young Black youth myself."
Halle Berry has extra toes
According to the rumor mill, inside of Academy Award winning actress Halle Berry shoes are twelve toes - six on each foot.
No one quite knows when or where the rumor started, but it was so persistent that Berry flashed her feet during an appearance on Ellen to prove there were no extra toes hiding.
Frank Sinatra is Ronan Farrow's dad
Paternity is a common celebrity rumor that does the rounds, one of the most prominent concerns the identity of the real father of journalist Ronan Farrow.
Mia Farrow is obviously his mother, but given his lack of resemblance to father Woody Allen, many speculate that Frank Sinatra is actually Farrow’s real dad.
Walt Disney froze his body
One of the oldest rumors that everyone has heard is that Walt Disney had himself cryogenically frozen in the hopes that technology would one day be able to reanimate him.
Several biographies on him attest this to be true, but Disney’s daughter insists that her father’s remains were cremated after his death in 1966.
Lena Heady employs people she can yell at
Lena Heady played the truly despicable Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones, but if you believe the rumors, it wasn't a stretch for the actor.
According to whispers, Heady would hire interns to help her prepare for her scenes. These people were only allowed to wear their underwear and were not allowed to look at Heady as she berated them.
Mr. Rogers was covered in tattoos
The wholesome persona of the loveable children's icon, Mr. Rogers, almost came unstuck due to a strange rumor. Despite having been declared unfit to fight, word got out that Rogers had fought in the Vietnam War as a sniper.
Apparently the reason he always wore long sleeves was because, during his time fighting, he tattooed himself for every kill he made.
Marilyn Manson was in The Wonder Years
Marilyn Manson has many rumors about himself, and whilst the one about the rib removal got him street cred, another one could have ruined his rock star image.
For years, some believed that Manson had been a child actor and starred in The Wonder Years as the super geeky next door neighbor, Paul Pfeiffer.
The J in Michael J. Fox stand for Jello
Just like with Homer J. Simpson, people have spent years trying to figure out what the J in Michael J. Fox stands for.
The rumor was that, aged 6, Fox was allowed to choose his own middle name and he chose Jello. Sadly, Fox was actually born Michael A Fox and changed it to J to sound less Canadian.
Barbra Streisand made an adult film
According to legend, prior to making it in the big time, Barbra Streisand had a short-lived career in adult entertainment, making one ten minute rompfest. After achieving fame, the video was sold with the promise “Streisand in Hardcore!”
Intrigued, Streisand herself watched the tape and commented that, although she and the woman both had long hair, that was where the similarities ended.
Beyoncé faked her pregnancy
After Beyoncé’s bump appeared to ‘deflate’ during a TV interview, whispers began to circulate that the singer faked her pregnancy with Blue Ivy.
That Beyoncé and Jay Z paid for the entire floor of the delivery ward to be closed down during the birth did nothing to allay the surrogacy theory.
Avril Lavigne is an imposter
One of the most infamous modern celebrity rumors is that the Avril Lavigne of today is not the same one that burst onto the scene with Sk8er Boi.
The urban legend claims that the real Avril died in 2003 and was replaced by a stand-in called Melissa Vandella.
Paul Mescal runs away from women
After his performance in Aftersun, Paul Mescal is a name on the rise. He will next be seen in Gladiator 2, and given his new found fame, he has of course attracted a rumor.
It seems that although Mescal is skilled at wooing the ladies, he is less adept at saying goodbye. Instead, he allegedly takes them to the park, excuses himself momentarily and runs away home.
Taylor Swift is the clone of a Satanist
When researching Taylor Swift, it does not take long to kick up a rumor or twenty. The most interesting is the theory that Swift is actually the clone of a Satanist.
After an image surfaced of former House of Satan high priestess, Zeena LaVey, fans couldn’t help but notice the striking resemblance. The current whisper is that Swift is LaVey’s clone.
Justin Bieber is a shapeshifter
A decades old nonsense theory out there is that some of Hollywood's most popular stars are able to shift into the form of an animal.
Apparently there is evidence of Justin Bieber being one of these bizarre creatures, with some eyewitnesses claiming to have seen Bieber shapeshift into lizard form.
Tom Cruise is prepared for an alien invasion
Everyone knows that Tom Cruise is an eccentric guy, but many people he takes his beliefs to the extreme.
As part of his spiritual beliefs, it's rumored that Tom Cruise has allegedly built an alien bunker at his Colorado estate in case UFOs ever arrive on Earth.
Khloé Kardashian is only Kim’s half-sister
For years, the Kardashian family were beset with whispers that Khloé was not a genuine Kardashian. Speculation suggested that O.J. Simpson was her real father.
The accusations eventually became too much for the family to bear and so they addressed it on their reality show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, with the results proving everyone wrong.
Britney Spears was weaponized by the government
During 2007, pop singing royalty, Britney Spears, had a very public breakdown, which amongst other actions, saw her shave her head. Her antics kept the media very busy.
At the same time as Britney’s meltdown, the current government was in some very hot political water, but that went almost unnoticed thanks to Spears, and rumor has it the singer did it deliberately to help distract the masses.
Jennifer Lawrence fell at the Oscars on purpose
In 2013, whilst on her way on stage to receive the best actress award for her role in Silver Linings Playbook, Jennifer Lawrence tripped on the stairs.
With the whole world watching, the moment was mortifying, however there are some that say Lawrence deliberately fell in a bid to earn more pages on the morning papers.
Lorde is older than she claims
It’s pretty hard to hide your age, especially in the world of showbiz, but there is a theory doing the rounds that singer Lorde is in her late 40s, not her 20s.
This rumor appears to have begun out of spite, with many not being able to accept that someone could be as successful as her so young - Lorde broke onto the scene as a teenager.
Lady Gaga is secretly a man
Just like Jamie Lee Curtis, Lady Gaga has spent much of her career fending off accusations that she is either a hermaphrodite or a man in drag.
The rumor gained traction after an up-skirt photograph taken at Glastonbury appeared to reveal a bulge between the pop princess's legs.
Stephen King killed John Lennon
Although the facts and evidence are that a crazed fan, Mark David Chapman, killed Beatles singer John Lennon, some think otherwise.
One bizarre theory devised by a Florida man accuses master of horror, author Stephen King, as being the one who did the deed.
Lea Michele can’t read
Being able to read is an integral skill for actors to possess. Without that ability, how are they supposed to learn their lines?
During her time on Glee, Lea Michele was the subject of a vicious rumor that she couldn’t read and had to have all her lines recited to her.