The "Do as I say, not as I do" approach has always been problematic. Sure, someone taking a stand on an important issue is great, but if they can't stop doing the very thing they're railing against, doesn't that make them hypocrites? Allow us to present the following test cases, of celebrities doing their best to tell us ordinary folks how to live our lives - while spectacularly failing to follow their own advice - and decide for yourself.
Billie Eilish Bashes Mink Fur Trade, Wears Items From Company That Uses Fur
Billie Eilish is the voice of Gen-Z, whether you like it or not. She isn't just a record-breaking musician - she's an activist who uses her platform to promote the causes that are near and dear to her heart. An outspoken advocate of animal rights, she's condemned both meat consumption and the mink fur trade, winning PETA's "Best Voice for Animals" award. It's that second one that's a little problematic considering her history.
She's been known to rock Gucci and Fendi products, for example - Gucci uses leather while Fendi literally still uses fur. On top of that, in one music video she wore feathered wings, almost certainly taken from real birds.
Harry and Meghan Promote Eco-Tourism, One Private Jet at a Time
When they broke off from the Royal Family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle laid down the infrastructure to what would eventually become Archewell, their nonprofit charitable foundation. One of their first initiatives post-Megxit was Travalyst, a non-profit organization intended to promote sustainable, eco-friendly tourism. It's a worthy cause - but it's also a cause that Harry and Meghan themselves would've been better served following, according to some of their critics.
When they celebrated Meghan's 38th birthday, they took no less than four private jet flights in the span of 11 days. Meghan also took a private jet to New York for her first baby shower. "No one's perfect," Harry conceded at the time.
Natalie Portman Highlights Female Directors' Oscar Snub, but Won't Hire Them
Academy Award-winner Natalie Portman will soon be lighting up our screens as the new wielder of Thor's might, but she has plenty of might of her own. She's been an activist since childhood, for causes ranging from animal rights to women's issues. At the 2020 Oscars, Portman took a stand on the latter, wearing a black Dior cape embroidered with the names of all the women directors, like Greta Gerwig, snubbed by the Academy.
A powerful statement, only slightly dampened by the fact that as many quickly pointed out, her own production company, Handsomecharlie Films, had only ever hired one female director - Portman herself.
Kylie Jenner Fantasizes About Not Being Famous, Instantly Makes Her Toddler Famous
What's it like being Kylie Jenner? Only she knows. She's been on her family's reality show since she was nine, and has admitted that she didn't know what it's like to NOT have everyone know who she was. "I don't know what it's like to live a normal life," she lamented, adding that sometimes she fantasized about not being famous. These thoughtful comments didn't completely gel with what Kylie did when she herself became a mom, though.
Her daughter Stormi Webster made her social media debut mere weeks after being born, and had plans for her own "brand" announced when she was three.
Jennifer Lopez Is Less 'Jenny From the Block' and More 'Jenny From Bel Air'
In 2002, J-Lo tried to convince everyone that superstardom hadn't changed this Bronx native. Her method? The song Jenny from the Block, whose catchy chorus reminded us that she was, in fact, still Jenny from the block. It was slightly ironic, then, that this ode to Lopez's blue-collar roots was filmed entirely in Los Angeles. It actually gets worse. In 2011, she filmed a Fiat commercial that once again capitalized on her Bronx past.
She was seen driving around the borough, while saying, "Here, this is my world." That was ALSO filmed in L.A. - a body double was used for the Bronx scenes.
Scarlett Johansson Condemns James Franco, Calls Allegations Against Woody Allen 'guesswork'
After James Franco wore a Time's Up pin to the Golden Globes awards show, and was promptly accused hours later of the exact misconduct the organization seeks to eradicate, Scarlett Johansson rolled up to the scene. Speaking at a women's march, ScarJo wondered how someone could stand by Time's Up, while "privately preying on people who have no power" - and asked for her pin back! Fighting words worthy of Black Widow.
Such words were in short supply when Dylan Farrow accused her adoptive father, Woody Allen, of assaulting her. Johansson, the star of three of his movies, said that since Allen was never convicted of anything, it was "all guesswork."
Kim Kardashian Blasts Kourtney for Having Children Out of Wedlock, Then Does It Too
Though they never tied the knot officially, Kourtney Kardashian was in a decade-long relationship with Scott Disick that produced three children. It's certainly their business, but Kourtney's sister Kim made it hers. "You're not married! How could you do this?" Kim recalled hurling at Kourtney. This "firm and strict" approach was never applied by Kim on herself. In 2012, she announced she and Kanye West were expecting their first child.
Not only were they not married at the time, but Kim was actually technically still married to Kris Humphries! "I've said some things," Kim admitted, "that I completely am, like, a hypocrite about now."
Justin Bieber Rails Against Animal Experimentation, Ditches Too-Young Pet Monkey
In 2014, Justin Bieber passed through Los Angeles International Airport when he met a group of protestors, and learned they were protesting Air France for being the world's last airline to ship monkeys to laboratories. Appalled, Bieber quickly denounced Air France. Well, it's funny, but just the previous year Bieber tried to get his pet capuchin monkey Mally into Germany. Since he didn't have any paperwork for him, however, Mally was confiscated.
Despite being given the opportunity to reunite with his friend, which experts said was too young to be kept as a pet anyway, if he provided the right documentation, Bieber never went back for him.
Lady Gaga Denounces Pirating Her New Song by Posting a Pirated Image
Back when Lady Gaga was still working on what would be Chromatica, her 2020 studio album, a snippet from her song Stupid Love leaked online. Understandably, Gaga was miffed. Taking to Twitter, she simply said, "Can y'all stop." She also added stock images of a girl wearing a ski mask and listening to a song on a music player, insinuating she'd pirated it. The image was, ironically enough, emblazoned with the Shutterstock logo.
We hear you! Shutterstock's Twitter account replied. "We like artists to be paid for their work too. Here's a link to the photographer's work where you can license these images."
Khloe Kardashian Denounces Single-Use Plastics - While Using Them Constantly in Parties
If you're anything like us, you also love to start off every morning by hearing what the Kardashians have to say to the world. In June, 2021, Khloe had a good one. While they're not usually known for their fervent activism, Khloe went on a rant in her Instagram stories decrying single-use plastic items. These items, such as water bottles, end up in landfills, she said, "potentially causing, you know, pollution."
If "you know, pollution" was something Khloe was concerned about, people quickly pointed out, maybe she shouldn't be using obscene amounts of single-use plastics, like balloons and disposable tableware, in her lavish parties.
Benedict Cumberbatch Joins Climate Change Protest in Location Where He Filmed Car Commercial
Benedict Cumberbatch is a frequent, outspoken critic of inaction against climate change. He doesn't just sign celebrity open letters, though. In 2019, the Sherlock Holmes star showed up live and in-person to join an enormous protest in London's famed Trafalgar Square. Photos from the protest showed him smiling next to a hearse containing a coffin that said "Our future." Let's hone in on that protest's location, set as it was in an instantly recognizable London landmark.
It was in that very same Trafalgar Square that Cumberbatch filmed a commercial for a turbo-charged, gas-guzzling car made by India's MG manufacturer. He also once shilled a Jaguar car under the slogan, "It's good to be bad."
Leonardo DiCaprio's Fights Climate Change While Sailing on the World's 5th-Largest Super Yacht
Leonardo DiCaprio's been fighting climate change ever since that iceberg hit the boat he was on. He's supported various environmental causes, like promoting renewable energy. He even spoke before the United Nations, saying, "If we don't act together, we will surely perish." Well, acting is exactly what he's been accused of doing. Yes, his home's powered by solar panels, but he once traveled 8,000 miles by private jet - to accept an environmental award!
Even worse, he was caught living it up on the diesel-powered Topaz, the world's fifth-largest super yacht owned by a government official from oil giant the United Arab Emirates.
Megan Fox Laments Women 'tearing Each Other Apart,' Drags Scarlett Johansson
Is Megan Fox a hypocrite? She is if you ask Megan Fox. The Transformers star revealed she swung both ways romantically, but then admitted she was "a hypocrite," explaining she'd never date a girl who similarly swung both ways because that meant the girl had also been with men. "And men are so dirty," she concluded. Interesting hot take from someone who married a man and is currently dating one.
Furthermore, Fox once said that "women tear each other apart." And yet, she also said she didn't want to be like Scarlett Johansson, who - according to Fox - constantly tries to prove she's smart.
Paris Hilton Encourages Young People to Vote Despite Never Voting Herself
Paris Hilton's many things - the celebutante who brought back "famous for being famous," a brand encompassing 19 product lines, and a successful DJ. What she's rarely been accused of, though, is over-the-top civil engagement. And with good reason, it turns out. Ahead of the 2004 elections, Hilton joined Diddy's "Vote or Die!" campaign, intended to encourage young people to vote. Paris, for her part, donned a T-shirt bearing the slogan.
Her heart was in the right place, but her voter registration wasn't. A quick investigation by the media turned up that not only had Hilton never voted before, but she wasn't even registered.
Ellen DeGeneres Preaches 'Be Kind,' Tells Staffers Not to Make Eye Contact
In 2022, after 19 seasons and over 3,000 shows, The Ellen DeGeneres Show will end. Throughout her prolific career as America's number-one daytime talk show host, Ellen has preached a gospel of kindness. "Be kind" wasn't just her motto - it defined who she was as a person. She always highlighted the importance of being kind to one another, often having "ordinary" people who did extraordinary things on her show.
In 2020, though, rumors that had been making the rounds in Hollywood for years came to light. Ellen, it was alleged, told staffers to never look her in the eye and "picked someone different to really hate every day."
Miley Cyrus Says Illegal Substances Are 'for Idiots' - Then Uses Them
Miley Cyrus has been a lightning rod for controversy ever since ditching her squeaky clean Hannah Montana image from her Disney Channel days. In 2010, for instance, she proudly proclaimed that illicit substances were "for idiots." Great, right? Right, if you ignore her documented history of using them. Then, in 2017 she told Billboard she stopped listening to hip-hop, since she didn't like most artists' focus on excessive wealth and degrading women.
To each their own. But maybe hip-hop WAS Cyrus's own, since just months later she tweeted a video of herself dancing to Offset's Ric Flair Drip (sample lyrics: "I'm giving your h* away like she a raffle").
Dr. Phil Doles Out Relationship Advice His First Wife Wishes He Followed
Dr. Phil's been a fixture on TV since Oprah first introduced him in 1998. He's been America's relationship advice/life coach since, both on his uber-popular daytime advice show and by authoring several self-help best sellers. In one of them, Love Smart, he stated that loving smart meant "believing in you, your worth, and your value." Genuinely good advice - it's just that the good doctor may not have always followed it himself.
According to ex-wife Debbie McCall, he was not only unfaithful but also supposedly pressed her to exercise - not for her physical or mental well-being, but to increase her chest size!
Michael Moore Drags Hollywood Tax Credits While His Movie Applies for One
Michael Moore, the baseball cap-clad filmmaker behind influential documentaries such as Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine, doesn't pull his punches. He's made an entire career out of it, in fact. Let's take Hollywood tax credits as an example. In 2008, he lambasted the tax credit program in his home state of Michigan, saying it takes everyday taxpayers' money and gives them to film studios, which he says are often backed by multinational, ultra-wealthy corporations.
A fair, principled stance, somewhat undermined by the fact that reportedly a "production person" associated with his movie Capitalism: A Love Story, which drags government bailouts of big businesses, applied to that very same program. Oh, the irony!
Jennifer Aniston Calls Angelina Jolie 'uncool' for Taking Her Man - Then Does the Same Thing
Jennifer Aniston says she and ex-hubby Brad Pitt are now "buddies." While that's great, that certainly wasn't the case in 2005, when they divorced after five years of marriage. The reason, it was widely believed, was Angelina Jolie, with whom Pitt starred in Mr. & Mrs. Smith while he was still married to Jen. The two admitted to falling in love on-set, but denied any infidelity. Nevertheless, Aniston said what Jolie did was "uncool" and "inappropriate."
Can't argue with that, but years later, she embarked on a romance of her own with Justin Theroux - while he was still with his then-girlfriend of 14 years!
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, Climate Change Activists, Charter Private Jet to Have Dinner
Like many others in Hollywood, power couple Chrissy Teigen and husband John Legend have been more than vocal about the need for action on climate change. In 2015, Legend even went so far as to declare on Twitter that being a "climate change denier" was in and of itself enough to disqualify a presidential candidate. But then, on Valentine's Day 2020, the couple chartered a private jet - to have dinner.
We're not exaggerating, that's literally what they did, flying out to the exclusive French Laundry restaurant in Yountville, California, 500 miles from their Beverley Hills home, and documented it all on social media.
Victoria Beckham Won't Let Her Daughter Wear the Outfits She Rocked as Posh Spice
Victoria Beckham's now a fashion designer, but any '90s kid will tell you she'll always be Posh Spice. In fact, she still likes to revisit some of her Spice Girls-era threads. When she did in 2018, she was shocked to see just how little fabric they encompassed. "I used to go out with not a lot of clothing on," she told Glamour's editor. She even wore some of them again for a British Vogue photoshoot.
But when her daughter Harper marveled at her mom wearing "really short skirts," Beckham's reply was, "Yes I did, Harper, and no, you're not going to."
Lena Dunham Urges Everyone to Believe Women Accusers, Until They Accuse Her Friend
When multi-hyphenate Lena Dunham speaks out, millions of people listen. The outspoken writer and actor has a long track record for speaking about hot-button issues. She declared, for example, that male actors should publicly condemn those accused of abuse in Hollywood and restated the importance of always believing accusers. At least one woman probably wishes Dunham herself stayed true to that. In 2012, actress Aurora Perrineau accused Murray Miller, producer of Dunham's hit show Girls, of assaulting her.
Instead of supporting her, Dunham released a statement saying her "insider's knowledge" of Miller led her to believe this was a "misreported assault case." She then walked back the statement after facing immediate backlash, and later admitted she had no such insider knowledge.
Prince Charles Is an Environmentalist Whose Private Jets Traveled 8,000 Miles in One Month
To be completely fair, while everyone's an environmentalist nowadays, Prince Charles was the O.G. eco-warrior. He's been promoting environmental conservation since the '70s, for Pete's sake! But, and this is a big but, he's also the second most senior royal, and regularly travels the world on behalf of the Royal Family. Despite an initiative to encourage "rapid decarbonization," in a single month in 2020, Charles's aircrafts traveled 8,000 miles - usually without ANYONE onboard!
One example - an empty private jet was sent from Vienna to Scotland to pick Charles up and fly him to Oman, and then returned empty to Austria.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminates for the Environment Now - While Driving a Military Vehicle
Arnold Schwarzenegger's an environmentalist who talks the talk and walks the walk. The former Terminator has also promoted several causes relating to climate change, which he once dubbed the "issue of our time," both as a private citizen and as a leader. Meanwhile, though, Arnie's been making time in a Pinzgauer, a military utility vehicle that gets about 12 miles a gallon. The only green on it was the paintjob.
He drove that armored monstrosity to do grocery shopping in Santa Monica. Amusingly enough, mere days before the same Schwarzenegger was traveling around Satna Monica on a bicycle with Greta Thunberg.
Kanye West Claims to Be a 'free Thinker,' Bashes Anyone Who Disagrees
To be blunt, Kanye West's biggest fan is probably Kanye West. Heck, he'd probably agree. If there's one thing Kanye doesn't like, though, it's people who suppress free thinkers. Everyone has a right to "independent thought," he once tweeted, adding a call for free thinkers to never fear retaliation for their thoughts. He's also claimed to be interested in having a dialogue, which implies that he's interested in differing ideas and viewpoints.
His own words tell a different story. "I'm a proud nonreader of books," West said once. "He isn't a free thinker. He's a free moron who doesn't read," one writer suggested.
Ke$ha, Global Ambassador for Animal Rights Group, Smuggles Ivory Bottle Into U. S.
Singer Ke$ha is almost synonymous with animal rights groups. She's appeared in multiple anti-animal cruelty campaigns for PETA and has been named a "global ambassador" for the Humane Society of the United States. Great! We're even willing to overlook her wearing leather every now and again. What's harder to ignore is that in 2012, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security caught Ke$ha trying to smuggle a $500 ivory bottle from Japan into the country.
Trafficking ivory is both illegal and highly immoral. In her defense, Ke$sha claimed she was "unaware" it was ivory. So she paid $500 for a plastic bottle?
Chloe Grace Moretz Drags Kim Kardashian for Posing the Same Way She Did - Disrobed
One day in 2016, Kim Kardashian woke up and decided to break the internet. She then posted a selfie in the buff to social media, captioning it, "When you're like I have nothing to wear LOL." One person who wasn't LOLing was actor and self-proclaimed feminist Chloe Grace Moretz, who tweeted she hoped Kim would teach young women that they had so much more to offer than just their bodies.
Your Nylon cover is cute, boo, Kardashian clapped back, referring to Moretz posing for Nylon magazine similarly disrobed. Moretz, for her part, simply found Kim's reaction "sad" and "woman-on-woman hate."
Perez Hilton Spends Years Britney Bashing, Fake-Apologizes When It Isn't Trendy Anymore
Gossip blogger Perez Hilton spent most of the 2000s exploiting celebs' struggles for financial gain. Still, he seemed to have it out for Britney Spears personally. He sold revealing photos of her, then claimed she "wanted" them taken for attention. He made a T-shirt after Heath Ledger's tragic passing that said "Why couldn't it be Britney?" However, when #FreeBritney took off in 2021, a supposedly remorseful Hilton wore a Britney shirt and lamented not "leading with empathy and compassion."
Many said it was self-serving and hypocritical. Didn't help that he refused a suggestion to donate his wealth, insisting his therapist and him agreed that he shouldn't.
Priyanka Chopra Calls to End 'race Wars' While Endorsing Skin Lightening Creams
While she's had a respectable career in the United States, Priyanka Chopra's practically worshipped in her homeland of India. A former Miss World, she became a Bollywood superstar and married Nick Jonas. Despite being showbiz royalty on two separate continents, though, Chopra isn't afraid to speak her mind. During the 2020 protests in the U.S., Chopra took to social media to publish a call to "end this race war around the world."
Admirable, except that back in India, she's been brand ambassador of skin lightening creams AND failed to speak up when members of the "untouchable" Dalit caste raised a similar call to end violence against them.
Lewis Hamilton's an Eco-Warrior While Driving Racecars in Formula One
Of all the world's celebs, you might be a little surprised to find Lewis Hamilton's name among those who also happen to be hardcore environmentalists. It's true, though - he's been talking about using recyclable tooth brushes despite the fact he's a seven-time world Formula One champion - probably the least eco-friendly sport imaginable. So how does a racecar driver reconcile making millions from driving a gas-guzzling vehicle with championing the environment?
To his credit, Hamilton's aware of the contradiction. "I could quit," he conceded. "But the fact is if I stop, the thing will keep going. They're not going to stop for me." Alright then.
Joan Rivers Dishes Out Criticism Like Nobody's Business - But Couldn't Take It
Some might say there was an inherent hypocrisy to Joan Rivers hosting a show like Fashion Police and criticizing other women's appearance, when she herself admitted she had so much work done that when she passed they'll "donate her body to Tupperware." But let's get specific. In 2014, Rivers went on CNN to promote her book Diary of a Mad Diva. When the host said she was sometimes mean, Rivers objected, saying she was "telling the truth."
However, when the host confronted her on being an animal activist while wearing fur on her book's cover, Rivers got so upset that she stormed out of the interview.
Rosie O'Donnell Says Gunowners Should Go to Jail, Has Armed Bodyguards
Hard to believe though it might be, Rosie O'Donnell used to be known as the "Queen of Nice." Man, those days sure have passed, haven't they? Nowadays, Rosie O'Donnell's known for picking fights on issues she thinks are important. One of them was definitely the right to bear arms, as O'Donnell explicitly stated that people shouldn't be allowed to own firearms. If they did, she added, they should go to prison.
She was less vocal mere months later, when her bodyguards applied for a concealed carry permit - which she previously specifically criticized. It was fine, though, O'Donnell explained, because she didn't "personally own a gun."
James Franco Wears Time's Up Pin, Immediately Gets Accused by Multiple Women
At the 2018 Golden Globes award ceremony, James Franco donned a Time's Up pin on his jacket when he accepted the Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy award for The Disaster Artist. Later, in the press room, he spoke about how all Hollywood men could do better in that context. While he was speaking, it was revealed that maybe Franco himself should get a head start on doing just that.
During the actual show, multiple women accused him online of inappropriate or exploitative behavior. Franco, for his part, later said he respected them too much to expose how their allegations weren't true.
Thom Yorke Champions the Environment While Radiohead Flies All Over the World
Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has been a hardcore environmentalist since at least 2000. When he had children, he'd "wake up every night just terrified," leading him to join the fight against climate change. The problem should be pretty evident - he leads a rock band that tours all over the world. "I totally agree I'm a hypocrite," Yorke said, "but I'm trying to do something about it." To his and his band's credit, that really seems to be the case.
Radiohead, for example, prefers playing venues supported by public transportation and uses low-energy LED lighting in their shows. That's something even a Paranoid Android would support.
Kevin Costner Honors the American Indians Who Brought Him Fame by Eyeing a Casino on Sacred Land
In 1990, Kevin Costner directed and starred in Dances with Wolves, a three-hour epic about ex-Union Army lieutenant John Dunbar who "goes native" among South Dakota's Lakota Sioux. The movie cleaned up at the Academy Awards, netting Costner Best Picture and Best Director. It also made him a rich(er) man. With that in mind, you might be wondering whether he gave anything back to those American Indians who helped make his movie a success.
By buying up land sacred to them in Dakota's Black Hills, and wanting to build a 320-room luxury hotel-casino on it. Oh, and he wanted to name it The Dunbar, in a final ironic touch. Fortunately, the casino never materialized.