We do love our Hollywood gossip, but it’s still sad to see a friendship fail. Whether it’s fighting on set or social media tiffs, here are some of the most dramatic celebrity feuds of all time.
Hugh Grant & Drew Barrymore
When Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore were cast in the 2007 film Music & Lyrics, no one knew what to expect - but it wasn't this! "Well, Drew, I think did hate me a bit," Grant admitted in a later interview.
"We just were very different human beings," he explained further. "She was very LA, and I was a grumpy Londoner. The funny thing is, although it was fractionally tense on the set of that film, I think the chemistry is rather good between us. Sometimes tension makes a good crackle." Always a silver lining…
Dwayne Johnson & Vin Diesel
With their signature shaved heads and muscles, most people would expect Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Vin Diesel to get along like a house on fire. But when Johnson was cast in the famous Fast and Furious franchise, rumors began to swirl about the two stars' apparent incompatibility.
Following filming, Johnson took to Twitter to share a few vague posts relating to the film. But eventually, he came right out and explained what he believed had caused friction between himself and Diesel. "We have a fundamental difference in philosophies on how we approach moviemaking and collaborating," he explained.
Lauren Conrad & Heidi Montag
Who could forget the dramatic fallout between Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag, which would go on to be a defining moment in reality TV history? Though they started out as BFFs, they soon turned into enemies while the whole world watched with bated breath.
"I wanna forgive you - and I wanna forget you," Lauren Conrad would later say to her former bestie. The trouble all started when Heidi began dating Spencer Pratt, which created a huge rift in the pair's friendship, and eventually led to increasingly dramatic in-fighting and bad-mouthing on the reality show The Hills.
Isaiah Washington & Patrick Dempsey
We know a celeb feud is bad when it has contractual consequences. During their time on Grey's Anatomy, Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey had a very drawn out and eventually very public conflict that even drew in their co-stars… and would lead to the end of Washington's time on the show.
In an interview with Access Hollywood, Heigl acknowledged that Washington had hurled an offensive slur at Dempsey on set and took a public stance, saying, "I'm going to be really honest right now, he [Isaiah Washington] needs to just not speak in public. Period. I'm sorry, that did not need to be said, I'm not okay with it."
Julianna Margulies & Archie Panjabi
While neither of them was fired over their shared enmity for each other, Julianna Margulies and Archie Panjabi also saw the trajectory of their characters change because of it. By season 4 of The Good Wife, their characters no longer shared any screen time... to save the actresses from having to be in the same room.
"In terms of anything that happened on The Good Wife, I think it's only respectful for it to stay on The Good Wife," Panjabi said of her early departure from the show during a panel for the series Blindspot. "It was time for me, for many reasons, to unzip the boots and step into another show."
Terrence Howard & Robert Downey Jr.
Following months of negotiations, Terrance Howard walked away from the Iron Man franchise after a dispute over the salary he was promised, according to the actor. "They came to me with the second [contract] and said, 'Look, we will pay you one-eighth of what we contractually had for you,'" he claimed.
The dispute soured his relationship with co-star RDJ, with Howard saying, "It turns out that the person that I helped become Iron Man, when it was time to re-up for the second one, took the money that was supposed to go to me and pushed me out." These days he claims that "Life is too short" to hold grudges and has since moved on.
Bruce Willis & Kevin Smith
How's this for a difficult workplace relationship? Since directing Bruce Willis in the 2010 film Cop Out, Kevin Smith hasn't held back from sharing his feelings about the experience. On Marc Maron's podcast, he shared, "Were it not for Tracy [Morgan], I might've killed myself or someone else in the making of that movie."
"It was difficult. I've never been involved in a situation like that where one component is not in the box at all. It was f***in' soul-crushing," Smith continued. "I mean, a lot of people are gonna be like, 'Oh, you're just trying to blame the movie on him.' No, but I had no f***ing help from this dude whatsoever." Yikes.
Lucas Grabeel & Ashley Tisdale
Kids who grew up in the mid-2000s are going to hate this one - but High School Musical stars and on-screen siblings did not share that family chemistry in real life. Apparently, it all began when Ashley gave Lucas line reading in the middle of their screen test, which is a big no-no in the acting world.
"It's not an actor thing to do," she confessed in a candid interview about her early acting career. "We were not good friends; let's just be honest. It's been 10 years... We can totally talk about this now. We hated each other. Like, I'm not kidding." We can hear HSM lovers crying the world over!
Clayne Crawford & Damon Wayans
Next, we've got a lot of "he said, he said," coming from the set of Lethal Weapon. After a report of an on-set fight between the two lead actors, they both took to social media to set the record straight… with two very different views. "It was an unfortunate event that happened in spite of all precautions," Clayne insisted.
But Wayans quickly hit back, sharing his side via Twitter. "How does the shrapnel from this hit me on the opposite side of the head? #directedby @claynecrawford." He followed it up by tweeting that "He [Crawford] became UNINSURABLE! Relished in making females cry. And stuck fear in cast and crew."
Charlie Sheen & Selma Blair
Here is another on-set drama that got so out of hand it led to the dismissal of a lead star. During the production of the TV show Anger Management, co-stars Selma Blair and Charlie Sheen clashed throughout filming. It appears that Blair was less than impressed with Sheen's work ethic and had no issue making her feelings known.
Unfortunately, Sheen also happened to be an executive producer on the show and chose to fire his co-star via an expletive-laden text message. "We are confirming that Selma Blair will not be returning to Anger Management, and we wish her the very best," Lionsgate reps announced later in 2013.
Shannen Doherty & Alyssa Milano
For fans of the 90s hit show Charmed, it's hard to believe that these on-screen sisters had the exact opposite of a sisterly bond behind the scenes. Milano recalled her deteriorating relationship with Doherty, saying, "There were times when I'd come in and say, 'Good morning, Shannen,' and she didn't say anything to me."
"There were times when she'd come in and say, 'Good morning, Alyssa,' and I wouldn't say anything to her," she continued. "There was too much drama on the set and not enough passion for the work. I want to work with actors who really, really care and that want to be there every single day." We hear that loud and clear, Ms. Milano.
Betty White & Bea Arthur
Looking back on The Golden Girls, all of the cast members seemed so happy and at ease with one another. But this couldn’t be further from reality, with stars Betty White and Bea Arthur constantly at odds with one another! Eventually, Betty elaborated on their dislike for one another in an exclusive 2011 interview.
"She was not that fond of me. She found me a pain in the neck sometimes," the acting legend explained. And she wasn't the only one faced with Arthur's apparent wrath. "If you were chewing gum on the set, Arthur would try to have you fired," she confessed. That doesn't sound like a set we'd want to work on!
Shia LaBeouf & Tom Hardy
While no one else is 100% sure what caused the rift between Hollywood stars Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy, there's no denying that the leading men had a serious problem with one another. "There was definitely a fight between them," director John Hillcoat admitted.
It all started while filming Hillcoat's 2012 film Lawless, where "It escalated to the point where they had to both be restrained," according to the director, who also added that he "was very pleased to hear it didn't go that way because I would hate to see the outcome."
Sarah Jessica Parker & Kim Cattrall
This has to be one of the most infamous celebrity feuds in TV history. That's right, we're talking about Sex and the City's very own Carrie and Samantha, who share a long history of drama! "Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now," Kim shaded on Instagram in 2018.
"Let me make this VERY clear (If I haven't already)," she continued. "You are not my family. You are not my friend. So I'm writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your 'nice girl persona." No wonder she didn't return for the SATC reboot!
Dwayne Johnson & Tyrese Gibson
Turns out it wasn't just Vin Diesel who had a problem with The Rock's presence on the set of the Fast and the Furious. Tyrese Gibson was originally happy with Johnson's participation, but that all changed when he realized the star had also accepted a spin-off FATF film following his character.
And he went straight to Twitter to give fans his take. "They offered, but YOU didn't have to agree with a solo #HobbsMovie. #OriginalFastFamily, we salute you and stand on your shoulders #VinDiesel #PaulWalker #RobCohen #RomanTej were offered a spin-off we TURNED IT DOWN!!!"
Rachel McAdams & Ryan Gosling
Few could have guessed that of all the on-screen couples who initially felt zero chemistry, it would be these two! Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams's time in The Notebook may be the most iconic love story of the 21st century so far. But according to director Nick Cassavetes, it took them a while to warm up to one another.
"Maybe I'm not supposed to tell this story," the director tentatively explained. "Ryan came to me... and he says, 'Would you take her out of here and bring in another actress to read off camera with me?' I said, 'What?' He says, 'I can't. I can't do it with her. I'm just not getting anything from this."
Victoria Justice & Ariana Grande
It's hard when fans pit two young artists against each other. And it appears that's what happened with former teen stars Victoria Justice and Ariana Grande, who did not get along during the filming of Victorious. "I think we're kind of both on our own separate paths right now," Victoria told ET.
"I've been more focused on acting, and she's doing her singing thing," she continued. And it seems Ariana is on the same page after she invited several Victorious co-stars to appear in the music video for Thank U, Next, which coincidentally did not feature Justice, who left Coachella before Grande's set that same year.
Chad Michael Murray & Sophia Bush
It's one thing for a person to get married under intense public scrutiny, it's another to do it when they don't even want to! Just ask Sophia Bush, who married her heartthrob co-star Chad Michael Murray in 2005 and stayed with him for just five months. In her own words, it "was not a thing I actually really wanted to do."
So why did she marry someone against her will? Well, according to Bush, it was "Because how do you let everybody down... when you have bosses telling you that you're the only person who gets a person to work on time, and 200 people either get to see their kids at night or they don't because our days start on time ... ?"
Eva Longoria & Teri Hatcher
As if Desperate Housewives wasn't dramatic enough, it seems that the tension leaked out on set! Eva Longoria took aim at co-star Teri Hatcher, saying, "Teri was just a loner. Me and Marcia [Cross] and Felicity [Huffman] were a lot closer because we are just girlie girls who like to be in each other's company. Teri didn't."
And it didn't end there. Showrunner Marc Cherry revealed that even Nicolette Sheridan had "pulled me aside and told me that Teri Hatcher was the meanest woman in the world because of how she was acting." Looks like we won't be seeing a Housewives reunion anytime soon.
Kiefer Sutherland & Freddie Prinze Jr.
What could drive an actor away from working on one of the biggest shows on TV? Well, unprofessional coworkers apparently. When Freddie Prinze Jr. was cast in 24, it could have been a match made in heaven… except he ditched the hit show after just one season.
And when asked why he didn't sign on for another year, Prinze didn't hold back. "I did 24; it was terrible," he told ABC News. "I hated every moment of it. Kiefer was the most unprofessional dude in the world. That's not me talking trash; I'd say it to his face. I think everyone that's worked with him has said that."
Leighton Meester & Blake Lively
These next two stars may have played two of the most complicated frenemies in TV history, but their off-screen relationship couldn’t have been more different. According to executive producer Joshua Safran, Gossip Girl stars Leighton Meester and Blake Lively had virtually nothing to do with one another.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, he clarified that "Blake and Leighton were not friends. They were not friends like Serena and Blair. Yet the second they'd be on set together, it's as if they were." While they may not have hated each other, they definitely made us believe they could have been real-life BFFs!
Clint Eastwood & Leonardo DiCaprio
As of today, Eastwood and DiCaprio are practically Hollywood royalty and two of the biggest names in the business. Sadly, they still didn’t have enough in common to build a warm working relationship, according to people who worked on the 2011 film, J. Edgar.
Mike Walker shared behind-the-scenes tea in The National Enquirer, reporting that "You coulda heard a pin drop when Leonardo DiCaprio suddenly got feisty with Oscar-winning director Clint Eastwood on the set of J. Edgar and demanded a retake on a scene where he reacts to a bomb explosion on a Washington, D.C., street."
Claire Danes & Leonardo DiCaprio
Mr. Eastwood wasn’t the only Hollywood hot shot that Leonardo couldn’t warm up to. After starring alongside Claire Danes in the 1996 film Romeo and Juliet, DiCaprio began clashing with his on-screen lover - and even publicly referred to Danes as being “too uptight.” Ouch!
No surprise that Claire later rejected the role of Rose in Titanic after it was initially offered to her. On the podcast Armchair Expert, she admitted that: "honestly, I had just made this romantic epic with Leo in Mexico City, which is where they were going to shoot Titanic, and I just didn't have it in me."
Shenae Grimes & AnnaLynne McCord
Like many dramatic TV series, 90210 was subject to some off-screen tension between castmates, particularly between Shenae Grimes and AnnaLynne McCord. "I just was removed from everything. I had social anxiety, and I didn't know it, so it makes you seem like a real little piece of work," McCord admitted years later.
"Shanae and I, who played Annie [Wilson], we were literally at each other's throats for five years," she elaborated about the experience in an exclusive interview. "And the day before we wrapped, Shenae calls me and was like, 'Hey, I can't believe it's over.' I'm like, '[Expletive]?!'"
Julia Roberts & Nick Nolte
We can hardly find a spicier back and forth between two uber-famous actors than what came out between Julie Roberts and Nick Nolte. After being asked about their working relationship on the set of the 1994 film I Love Trouble, Roberts said, "From the moment I met him, we sort of gave each other a hard time."
"Naturally we got on each other's nerves," she continued, adding that while Nolte could also be "completely charming and very nice… he's also completely disgusting." Nolte didn't waste time shooting back that "It's not nice to call someone' disgusting.' But she's not a nice person. Everyone knows that."
James Franco & Tyrese Gibson
It seems we've got some repeat names on our list! Tyrese Gibson is another actor who's apparently had several conflicts on set. Back in 2006, Tyrese starred in the film Annapolis alongside James Franco, and things took a drastic turn for the worst, with the stars' dislike for each other almost devolving into a physical fight.
And again, Gibson had no problem sharing his work trouble with the public. "Actually, I didn't get along with James Franco, but that's some other s," he exclaimed. "We fought. We actually got in a full-on fight. It was a situation. They had to shut down production for a whole day. That s*** was crazy."
Mark Harmon & Pauley Perette
This is the first onscreen father-daughter pair on our list, and these NCIS stars had anything but a loving off-screen relationship. Apparently, it all came to a head when Mark Harmon bought his pit bull to the set, and the dog got loose and bit one of the crew members.
His show-daughter Pauley Perette was understandably upset by the incident, and when asked if she would ever return to NCIS after her final episode, Perette responded very bluntly via Twitter. "NO I AM NOT COMING BACK! EVER! (Please stop asking?) I am terrified of Harmon and him attacking me. I have nightmares about it."
Robert Pattinson & Reese Witherspoon
While it's unlikely that Rob Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon are enemies, it seems they really didn't have a good time together on the set of Water for Elephants. "I was doing it when I had a really bad cold," Pattinson admitted. "Reese had this wig on, and literally, I was wiping my nose on her wig."
"Rob possibly had the most hideous horrible cold of any co-star I've ever had to do a love scene with ever in my entire life," Reese shared with In Touch magazine. "He was literally snorting and snotting through every second of it - and it was not appealing. I'm talking green, infectious, disgusting."
LL Cool J & Jamie Foxx
Franco and Gibson may have come to near-blows, but rappers-turned-actors LL Cool J and Jamie Foxx really did throw a few punches while filming the 1999 drama Any Given Sunday. For years the two former castmates have been at odds with each other, something Cool J eventually spoke about publicly.
"So, we did another take, and I was rough with him again," he elaborated. "And, then, I don't know why, but he thought it was a good idea to punch me in my face. This wasn't scripted. I'ma keep it 100 with you. You want me to keep it 100 - I'm gonna keep it 100. He punched me in my face."
Mariah Carey & Nicki Minaj
In 2010 Nicki Minaj took her career to the next level when she collaborated with world-famous diva Mariah Carey on the song Up Out My Face. But the collaborative spirit didn’t last long, especially when the two stars were hired as judges on American Idol. “Up out my face,” indeed.
This uneasiness between the pop icons became increasingly obvious when footage appeared of the two judges fighting in 2012. "[Carey's] team admitted that she did not want another female doing the show, thinking somebody's coming to steal her shine," Minaj insisted in My Truth, her own TV special.
Dakota Johnson & Jamie Dornan
Considering that Fifty Shades of Grey is famous for its steamy scenes and intense chemistry between the two central characters, Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, it may surprise some to hear that the duo didn’t share that chemistry in real life.
While there has been no word of on-set squabbling, it's been said that there was a noted lack of empathy between Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan. And while journalist Natalie Morales interviewed the cast and noted that their relationship was "built on trust," Johnson instead stated that they were "forced into being best friends."
Lea Michele & Naya Rivera
In recent years, all kinds of behind-the-scenes drama have been shared concerning the cast of Glee - in particular, involving co-stars Lea Michele and Naya Rivera. Several cast and crew members have acknowledged the conflict between the pair, with Zimbio reporting that they were known to be "rivals onscreen and rivals off."
And unfortunately, this had an increasingly negative impact on Rivera's role in the show. After "on-set confrontations," Michele called for the late actress to be removed from the show, and she was later cut from the two-episode finale. Showrunner Ryan Murphy recalled being "devastated" by the feud, according to toofab.
Marilyn Monroe & Laurence Olivier
Let's take a step back to the "golden years" of Hollywood, when 'it-girl' Marilyn Monroe clashed with several of her male leads, including Tony Curtis and Sir Laurence Olivier. According to Slashfilm, the latter took issue with Monroe's "method acting" while on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl (1957).
The tension between these acting techniques was on the rise in Hollywood, but Monroe and Olivier's relationship, in particular, embodied this. She was reported to have an "unpredictable work ethic" that led her to show up "sometimes as late as three days later," to Olivier's frustration and annoyance.
Will Smith & Janet Hubert
They may have played a happy (if occasionally dysfunctional) family on The Fresh Prince of Bel-air, but on-screen niece and nephew Janet Hubert and Will Smith struggled to see eye-to-eye. In fact, it was this rift between the two actors which led Hubert to reject an invitation to appear on the Fresh Prince reunion show years later.
If that wasn't enough, she was even reported as referring to the actor as a "snotty-nosed punk," as well as laying the blame on Smith when she was released from her contract back in 1993. Thankfully, Hubert eventually gave in and joined the 2020 Fresh Prince reunion, where she finally made amends with her on-screen nephew.
Jennifer Grey & Patrick Swayze
While being swung across the dancefloor by Patrick Swayze seems like a dream come true for most of us, his Dirty Dancing co-star may not have agreed. Despite their sizzling on-screen chemistry, it was the character arguments that were most true to life when it came to Swayze and Jennifer Grey’s relationship.
Grey was known for being fairly casual, and some say even careless, on the Dirty Dancing set. Swayze, on the other hand, was strictly professional and apparently had "little patience for Grey." Reporters at Zimbio couldn't help but note how realistic the teaching montage was, as Swayze's character became increasingly frustrated.
Bill Murray & Lucy Liu
While it’s obvious that Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and Cameron Diaz had a bundle of fun filming Charlie’s Angels, the same can’t be said for Bill Murray. In fact, the veteran comedian took particular issue with Liu, criticizing her acting often enough that it led to an on-set feud between the two.
And it appears that at least one of her co-stars was firmly on her side. On The Drew Barrymore Show, Barrymore openly defended Liu and praised her for "standing up to Bill Murray's Charlie's Angels' insults." Although she acknowledged comedians could be "a little dark," it appears Murray took things a little too far.
Alec Baldwin & Shia LaBeouf
Shia LaBeouf joins our list again, after experiencing friction with his co-star and seasoned veteran actor Alec Baldwin. New York Magazine reported that the two thespians were struggling to get along on the set of the Broadway show Orphans, with Baldwin blaming it on the behavior of "a lot of young actors today."
But LaBeouf seemingly had his own reasons to be irritated on set, as he would frequently "memorize all of his lines prior to rehearsal and was frustrated waiting for his co-star to catch up." The actor even went as far as accusing Baldwin of "slowing him down," resulting in an on-stage fight and LaBeouf's removal from the show.
Reese Witherspoon & Vince Vaughn
Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year for most, but it was something quite different on the set of this festive film. Hollywood heavy hitters Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon were cast in Four Christmases, and it seems the production was anything but jolly.
Most of the inside info came from Witherspoon herself, who shared her criticism and praise of her co-star with The Hollywood Reporter. Vaughn was "exciting" and "constantly thinking of funny things and really bringing everyone into it." But he also regularly arrived "looking like he just came in from a night out."
Sylvester Stallone & Richard Gere
Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere first worked together on the 1974 film Lords of Flatbush, and for all intents and purposes, the production seemed fairly serene. Everyone played their parts and went their separate ways… but that wasn’t the end of the story for Rocky and The Officer (and the Gentleman).
Some years later, the pair attended a dinner party which allegedly ended in a fist fight. The cause? None other than Princess Diana. And it seems there has been a history of bad blood between the pair, with Stallone telling Ain't It Cool News that he had harbored an "immediate dislike" for Gere and "got a little carried away."
Lindsay Lohan & America Ferrera
Who remembers Ugly Betty? The sitcom was most pre-teens' favorite show back in the mid-2000s, and it had its fair share of famous cameo performances. But the most infamous of all guest stars was former wild child Lindsay Lohan, who immediately clashed with lead actress America Ferrera.
To this day, no one knows exactly how it started. HuffPost reported that Ferrera's team claimed that Lohan destroyed her dressing room and exercised a "power play" over Ferrera, while Lohan's team asserted that she had been embarrassed by Ferrera during their scenes together. As they say, there's no business like show business.