While watching certain celebrity feuds unfurl online can be quite fun, witnessing an actual physical altercation between famous people feels kind of illegal, doesn’t it? Like they’re celebrities, they’re meant to be untouchable, right? Well… turns out that’s not always the case. So let’s take a look at some of the weirdest celebrity fights we witnessed live.
Andy Kaufman vs. Jerry Lawler on Late Night With David Letterman
For those of us who weren’t watching this live, let’s do a little breakdown of what’s what and who’s who. Andy Kaufman is a comedian known for pushing the limits of comedy and creating situations that made people question what’s real and what’s not. Jerry Lawler is a famous Wrestler. They’d been in a feud for a while before they showed up on Late Night with David Letterman. In fact, Kaufman’s comedy bits got him into a situation where Lawler challenged him to a Wrestling ring and they had a fight, in which Lawler used a prohibited move in wrestling and allegedly broke Kaufman’s neck. That’s why Kaufman is wearing a neck brace on the show, he’s been wearing it for months at that point.
So once they were both invited to Late Night, viewers were intrigued. Will they resolve their feud or not? Most watching probably expected a verbal fight, but even Letterman didn’t know that pure chaos would follow and a physical fight would happen on air. In the end Kaufman pushed Lawler too far with his jabs and comments and that got him slapped across the face and he fell out of his chair, stormed off stage and later returned to berate Lawler. It was quite shocking at the time and no one, including Letterman, knew for sure if this was a real fight or if it was staged. The fight was odd and unforgettable due to the tension and uncertainty about what happened.
Will Smith vs. Chris Rock at the Oscars
Will Smith and Chris Rock probably don’t need an introduction at this point, both are very well-known actors. So Chris Rock was hosting the Oscars, which is a pretty difficult gig to get right. You’re basically supposed to walk the line between roasting your colleagues and keeping things interesting for the audience at home, while not ruining your working relationships.
Chris Rock made a joke about Will Smith’s wife (Jada Pinkett Smith) looking like G.I. Jane (because of her shaved head). And while it seemed that at first Will laughed at the joke, Jada wasn’t impressed at all (her shaved head was the result of dealing with alopecia). Minutes later, Will Smith stormed the stage, slapped Chris Rock across the face, and yelled for him to keep his wife’s name out of his mouth. Unprecedented physical violence occurred at the Oscars, and as the most televised event of the year, it escalated and gained significant attention. The Oscar’s afterparty must’ve been awkward.
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier
Muhammad and Joe weren’t just boxers, they were boxing icons, we’d go as far as to say—
legends. And while they were known for their professional rivalry in the ring, most believed it was kind of for hype. I mean, you need to get the audience excited, right? But an interview with boxing host Howard Cosell brought that professional tension to a whole new level.
They were watching and analysing some footage from the ring when comments started flying and the tensions in the room were rising, and the next thing you know, these two professional boxers are wrestling on the floor. The fight had to be broken up by security before it went any further, but the fans were stunned. Who knew Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier could lose their cool on air so suddenly?
Geraldo Rivera Got His Nose Broken On Daytime TV
Geraldo Rivera is a well-known face on daytime TV and he’s known for not being scared to venture into the more controversial topics. So on one of the shows he invited white supremacists and racial justice advocates to have a debate. You can tell from the get-go that this was a recipe for disaster, right?
Not only were the guests unable to have a calm conversation about their views on the matter, but also slurs were flying, a full-on fight broke out on live TV, chairs were thrown, and one of the chairs hit Geraldo Rivera in the face and broke his nose. But being the professional that he is he continued to host the show until the end with a bloody nose. Now that’s exciting television.
Cardi B vs. Nicki Minaj Fashion Week Fight
Cardi B and Nicki Minaj’s feud took on a whole new intensity level at the New York Fashion Week. Both ladies were present at the Harper’s Bazaar Icons party, a very glitzy event full of cameras and celebrities. You’d expect people to play nice at such a glamorous setting. But all it took was apparently a comment from Nicki Minaj about Cardi’s kids or her style of parenting, and fists were flying. Cardi actually threw her shoe (and those red high heels were quite chunky) at Nicki and lunged to punch her. The two had to be broken up by security. Cardi was seen leaving the event barefoot and with a sizeable bump on her forehead. These ladies really aren’t afraid to throw punches.