A lot of things went viral in 2025, from some controversies that now seem somewhat innocent to others that still haven’t lost momentum. From celebrities going to outer space to ridiculously luxe billionaire weddings and that notorious denim ad, choosing a singular pop culture moment that stirred the pot feels impossible. Here are pop culture’s most controversial moments that dominated headlines in 2025.
The Elon Musk and Donald Trump feud
These two had a dramatic feud that warranted its own Real Housewives spin-off. It all started over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Musk, a former Trump ally, went on X in the summer of 2025 and released a series of tweets about the bill, including rants that Trump was part of the Epstein Files. Trump criticized his former buddy, a drug addict, and told him to go home to South Africa. As a result of the feud, Trump lost around $34 billion when Tesla’s stock dropped 15%.
Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot’s ‘Snow White’ press disaster
The live-action adaptation of “Snow White” had a disastrous box office performance, causing significant shockwaves within the Disney studio. The bad press began in 2022, when its star Rachel Zegler called the original movie “dated” and the prince a “stalker,” saying the remake was correcting the original film’s errors. Her co-star Gal Gadot also steeped the film in controversy when she came out with her pro-Israel stance, leading much of the public to turn against her, culminating in pro-Palestinian groups protesting at her Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony. Zegler’s vocal support for Palestine heightened the drama.
The cheaters kissing on camera at Coldplay
A Coldplay concert has never been as high-profile as the one on July 16, 2025, when frontman Chris Martin highlighted a not-so-lucky couple on the Kiss Cam. The cuddling couple broke apart and tried to hide from cameras after realizing they were captured on the big screen, leading to Martin’s famous quip, “Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy.” The footage spread like wildfire, revealing their identities and causing massive damage, leading both of them to leave their jobs and end their marriages.
The Gulf of Mexico gets an unwelcome makeover
One of Donald Trump’s first executive orders was to rename the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America.” This decision was mocked by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who said she would now refer to America as “Mexican America.” Lawsuits commenced after the name change was made. Unsurprisingly, 72% of registered US voters opposed the name change.
The Sydney Sweeney jeans commercial
Actor Sydney Sweeney lost many fans this year after participating in a controversial campaign for American Eagle in July 2025. The ad, which was meant to channel the sultry energy of that infamous Brooke Shields ad, had political undertones, with the slogan “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” acting as a pun on the word “genes.” The ad was attacked for having white supremacist messaging and became a left-wing versus right-wing debate, with many accusing the ad of promoting Nazi propaganda.
Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl halftime show
The Kendrick and Drake feud has been going on for a while now, and Kendrick brought it to the public at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show. His set focused on a diss track aimed at the Canadian rapper. Another reason the show was controversial was that it featured Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam, commenting on the current cultural and political divide in the US. Some parts of the show were censored, and the FCC logged around 125 complaints.
Katy Perry went to space
Katy Perry didn’t have a great year in 2024 with her “143” album and ties to sexual predator Dr. Luke. 2025 didn’t go great either when she went to space and got roasted by the internet. Along with five other women in April 2025, she boarded the Blue Origin NS-31 suborbital spaceflight. This was worsened by the fact that Perry and the other women called themselves “astronauts” when in reality they were just space tourists.
The ridiculous Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez wedding
The billionaire wedding of the century took place over three days in Venice, Italy, in June 2025. The event was star-studded and packed with glitz and glamour, but it didn’t take away from the fact that they had an affair while Bezos was still married. Many Venice locals strongly opposed the wedding and even held protests over the event, taking over the city. Famous figures like Rosie O’Donnell and Charlize Theron Alsop called the event excessive and unnecessary.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s fallout
“It Ends With Us” was a box-office smash, but its lead stars’ major feud overshadowed the film’s success. It started with reports that Lively undermined Baldoni’s authority as producer and director, followed by claims by Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband, that he wrote much of the dialogue for a pivotal scene. Lively also accused Baldoni of starting a smear campaign against her and sexually harassing her on the set of the film. Many of her female co-stars supported her, while a significant portion of the internet sided with Baldoni.
