25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (2024)

Celebrities are often labeled as money-hungry, greedy, acquisitive – rapacious even. They’re often characterized as the type of people that would do anything to increase their net worth, even if it goes against their beliefs. And while that’s true with some, it’s not true with everyone.

The truth is some celebrities aren’t in it for the money and money only – it goes much deeper than that. Some celebrities only invest their time or money in things they believe in. They’re strict about who they do business with and if it’s not with the right people, they back away.

Then again, there are those that know their worth and value. If the money isn’t right or the deal isn’t lucrative enough, they’ll walk away. Even though they might be leaving behind a large amount of money, celebrities are fine with turning it down if it means making more elsewhere.

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Celebrities Who Rejected a Big Paycheck

25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (1)

What would you do if you had a six-figure, seven-figure, even eight-figure deal knocking on your front doorstep? If you’re like me, you wouldn’t hesitate to take that deal – in fact, you would be stupid not to. This is especially true if you were being paid to do something you enjoy doing.

Well, that’s the exact scenario hundreds of celebrities and prominent figures find themselves in every year. Sure, most of them will take the deal and become several million dollars richer, but then there are the rare celebrities who put their mind over money – ultimately turning it down.

The amount they turn down isn’t always the same, the circumstances are often different, and their reasoning for turning it down is generally unique, but the message is always the same – some things are about more than just money. Let’s take a closer look at 25 such instances.

25. James Arthur

Some pictures of James while performing on stage????

Photos credit: @kellipalotayphotog ????. #jamesarthur #photos pic.twitter.com/EWk76pnry9

— christoffer johnsen (@Chrisjohnsen06) June 24, 2022

Opportunity: Celebrity Big Brother

Turned Down: $350,000

James Arthur is an English singer and songwriter who caught his big break in 2012 when he won The X Factor. He has released four albums and several hits since then, but he found himself in a tough spot financially in 2014. He was approached by the reality show Celebrity Big Brother and reportedly offered roughly $350,000 to join the show, but he turned the deal down.

24. Leonardo DiCaprio

In 'American Psycho' (2000) Leonardo DiCaprio was almost cast as Patrick Bateman because the studio didn't believe Christian Bale was famous enough. pic.twitter.com/3Xieu0KzOd

— Movie Details (@moviedetail) July 24, 2020

Opportunity: American Psycho

Turned Down: $20 million

Leonardo DiCaprio is an American actor who is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of his generation. His films have grossed over $7 billion and he has three Golden Globe awards under his belt. When the show American Psycho released in 2020, it was rumored that DiCaprio all-but had the role as Patrick Bateman, but he turned it down – as well as the $20 million check.

23. Katie Holmes

March 10, 1997 began the 7 season run of the break-out hit, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Fun Fact: Katie Holmes and Ryan Reynolds were offered roles as Buffy & Xander. Holmes declined saying she wanted to go to high school and Reynolds said he didn’t want to go back to high school. pic.twitter.com/ZLmP3edcpc

— Retrofied Magazine – Retro Nostalgia to the MAX! (@RetrofiedMag) March 10, 2021

Opportunity: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Turned Down: $15 million

Katie Holmes is an American actress who is perhaps best known for her role as Joey Potter on Dawson’s Creek from 1998 until 2003. She featured in a number of films since then and was married to Tom Cruise for six years. In high school, she turned down the role of Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer – a role that paid Sarah Michelle Gellar $15 million between 1997 and 2003.

22. Kim Kardashian & Kanye West

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West turn down $3 million offer for photos of daughter North West: http://t.co/g56gsrDyj6 pic.twitter.com/Yqq3oS32RA

— Stephen Dare (@celcafe) August 12, 2013

Opportunity: Photo of daughter

Turned Down: $3 million

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, two icons that need no introduction, began dating in 2011 and tied the knot in 2014. While the two are no longer together, they share four children together – one of which, North West, was born in 2013. That same year, they reportedly turned down a $3 million offer by an Australian magazine for the first published photo of their baby, North West.

21. Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis Replaced In 'Expendables 3' | http://t.co/jjvTbVNRqE | BuzzHorn #Entertainment pic.twitter.com/VL8H0NbLcA

— Hair Style Magazine (@haircaremag) December 14, 2014

Opportunity: Expendables 3

Turned Down: $3 million

Bruce Willis is an American actor who has been involved in over a hundred films over the past few decades. In 2010, he was given the role of Mr. Church in The Expendables and reprised that same role in The Expendables 2 in 2012. He was offered $3 million to be cast in the third edition of the film, but he eventually turned it down because he thought he deserved $4 million instead.

20. ZZ Top

#BeardFacts via #Agfinity????& @JosephBillett & @JarrySeitz #DidYouKnow The Band ZZ Top turned down $1,000,000 to shave their beards for a Gillette commercial. https://t.co/FPA2tObUom pic.twitter.com/uy8dqAnKQF

— Agfinity (@Agfinity) March 23, 2018

Opportunity: Gillette commercial

Turned Down: $1 million

ZZ Top is an American rock band that originally consisted of Billy Gibbons (singer-guitarist), Frank Beard (drummer), and Dusty Hill (singer-bassist). They’re known for their long beards, sunglasses, and hats – rarely being seen without them. In 1984, Gibbons and Hill were offered $1 million by Gillette to shave their beards for a commercial – they, of course, turned it down.

19. The Beatles

Ringo Starr says The Beatles turned down a reunion in 1973 https://t.co/V2ORPgjKqz

rt @FarOutMag pic.twitter.com/akit2bawAa

— ???????????????? fab4_thebeatles ???????????????? (@fab4_thebeatles) October 12, 2021

Opportunity: Reunion concert

Turned Down: $50 million

The Beatles are an English rock band that consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as one of the most influential and popular bands of all-time – active between 1960 and 1970. In 1974, Bill Sargent offered them $10 million for a reunion concert – an offer that increased to $50 million, but they still said no.

18. Lady Gaga

.@ladygaga turned down $1 million to perform at the Republican National Convention. Details: http://t.co/76RMyjfQLx pic.twitter.com/AR0yNCg7hy

— PopCrush (@PopCrush) April 3, 2013

Opportunity: Republican Party Event

Turned Down: $1 million

Stefani Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She’s one of the most successful artists of her generation and is known for her unique and unforgiven style. With that said, it’s no surprise that she turned down a $1 million offer – which included a $150,000 donation in her honor – to perform at a Republican Party event.

17. Hulk Hogan

The George Foreman grill was 1st offered to Hulk Hogan, but he turned it down to endorse a meatball maker #DidjaKnow pic.twitter.com/X1OmUzblHd

— Josh Gilbert (@joshuagilbert) March 24, 2016

Opportunity: Grill Endorsement

Turned Down: about $200 million

Hulk Hogan is an American professional wrestler who is regarded as one of the greatest WWE wrestlers of all-time. He was known for his many world championships as a wrestler, but he could’ve been much wealthier than he is today. He was approached by Bollea in the early 90’s to endorse a grill, but didn’t respond to the offer in time – which went to George Foreman instead.

16. Vince Gilligan

Did you know: JEFFREY KATZENBERG (the CEO of DREAMWORKS), offered BREAKING BAD showrunner VINCE GILLIGAN $75,000,000 to make 3 MORE EPISODES? TV Show facts from Your Mind University!#GeekHistoryLesson#GHL pic.twitter.com/eL33ZQ8ICK

— Geek History Lesson (@GHLPodcast) December 14, 2019

Opportunity: 3 Breaking Bad episodes

Turned Down: $75 million

Vince Gilligan is an American writer, producer, and director. He spent over a decade as a writer and producer for The X Files before blessing the world with the hit television show Breaking Bad. The show ran for five seasons (62 episodes) between 2008 and 2013. He refused $75 million to add three more episodes to the final season, but turned it down to avoid rewriting the ending.

15. Gotye

TIL Gotye didn't monetize his music on YouTube, missing out in millions of dollars in revenue from just his "Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra)" video on YouTube. https://t.co/BFhdJDVnTU pic.twitter.com/y5BBnNRUsR

— Bobby (@denver_patriot) March 6, 2021

Opportunity: YouTube Royalties

Turned Down: about $10 million

Wouter De Backer, who most of us know as Gotye, is a Belgian-Australian singer, songwriter, and musician. His 2011 single titled Somebody That I Used to Know was an instant success and the best selling song of 2012. He could’ve made millions if he monetized his song on YouTube, but he’s against ads with his music. The music video earned nearly two billion views.

14. ABBA

In 2000, ABBA turned down $1 billion to do a hundred concert reunion tour. pic.twitter.com/NJN2tkszBb

— World Class Facts (@WorldClassFacts) March 18, 2016

Opportunity: $1 billion

Turned Down: Reunion tour

ABBA is a Swedish pop group that consists of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad – their group name is an acronym of the first letter of each of their first names. They enjoyed a lot of success between 1972 and 1982 before splitting apart. In 2000, they were offered $1 billion for a reunion tour, but turned it down to avoid stress.

13. Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey's makeup transformation in The Mask (1994) pic.twitter.com/75DrD1k4WE

— Horror4Kids (@horror4kids) May 22, 2022

Opportunity: The Mask 2

Turned Down: $10 million

Jim Carrey is a Canadian-American comedian and actor who’s regarded as one of the most influential actors of his generation. He was known for his goofy attitude and amazing character development, most of which was on display in his 1994 film The Mask. He was reportedly offered $10 million to reprise his role as Stanley Ipkiss in The Mask 2, but turned it down.

12. Stephen Curry

Nike Rejects Stephen Curry’s Religious Sneaker, So He Pursues A Deal With UA https://t.co/qIamQuZza5 pic.twitter.com/XRBwok9bUy

— HelloChristian (@HelloChristians) March 16, 2016

Opportunity: Nike deal

Turned Down: $2.5 million per year

Stephen Curry is an American basketball player who has spent the past 13 years in the NBA – all of which with the Golden State Warriors. He’s a four-time champion and two-time MVP that started his own brand with Under Armour – much like Michael Jordan did with Nike. Speaking of Nike, they offered Curry $2.5 million per year before he turned it down to sign with UA instead.

11. Michael Keaton

On June 23, 1989, BATMAN was released in theaters. On June 23, 2023 Michael Keaton returns to the iconic role after 31 years for THE FLASH ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/eaLky2ck3A

— The Flash Film News ⚡ (@FlashFilmNews) June 23, 2022

Opportunity: Batman Forever

Turned Down: $15 million

Michael Keaton is an American actor who began his career in 1975 and appeared in numerous projects before landing the role of a lifetime in 1989 – Bruce Wayne, also known as Batman. He was paid $5 million in 1989 for his role in Batman and $10 million in 1992 for his role in Batman Returns. He was then offered $15 million to be in the third edition of the film, but turned it down.

10. Christian Bale

Christian Bale Reportedly Offered $50 Million To Reprise Batman | SEE MORE AT http://t.co/QwYHVVjaML | #Movies pic.twitter.com/gmE16DGvmH

— Hair Style Magazine (@haircaremag) May 5, 2015

Opportunity: Batman v Superman

Turned Down: $50 million

Christian Bale is an English actor who has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe awards in his career. He started his career in 1982 and has been one of the biggest actors ever since. Like Keaton, he played Batman between 2005 and 2012 in Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. He turned down a hefty $50 million to continue the role.

9. Jodie Foster

Hannibal ★★★ Unfortunately not as striking as the first film- but it is nice to see Hopkins reprise the role and a shame Jodie Foster didn’t. pic.twitter.com/TTebWopFsJ

— 1st Row (@firstrowreviews) August 10, 2019

Opportunity: Hannibal

Turned Down: $15 million

Jodie Foster is an American actor, director, and producer who is best known for her role as Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs in 1991. The movie grossed over $270 million and she won an Oscar for Best Actress in 1992 for her performance. She was offered $15 million to reprise the role as Clarice in the sequel Hannibal, but she unfortunately turned the offer down.

8. Matt Damon

James Cameron offered Matt Damon the lead role in 'Avatar' and 10% of the film's box office but he turned it down

The film grossed over $2.8B

“I will go down in history… you will never meet an actor who turned down more money"

(via @Deadline) pic.twitter.com/nLwtcp2V98

— Film Facts ???? (@Factsonfilm) July 9, 2021

Opportunity: Avatar

Turned Down: $280 million

Matt Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and producer who has appeared in films such as Good Will Hunting, the Ocean’s trilogy, the Bourne franchise, Saving Private Ryan, The Martian, and more. He was also offered the lead role in Avatar, which would’ve netted him 10% of the box office sales. Since it earned $2.8 billion, he missed out on a $280 million paycheck.

7. Keanu Reeves

Why Keanu Reeves Rejected 'Speed 2' https://t.co/0FEM4IXoGW pic.twitter.com/q3KGbVXSRi

— PopCulture.com (@PopCulture) December 16, 2021

Opportunity: Speed 2

Turned Down: $12 million

Keanu Reeves is a Canadian actor who is best known for his roles in The Matrix, John Wick, and The Replacements. He’s one of the most influential actors of his generation and is known for his generosity and good heart. He also starred in Speed in 1994 and was offered $12 million to reprise his role in the sequel. He turned it down because he was unimpressed by the script.

6. Jerry Seinfeld

Director: Jerry Seinfeld Turned Down $2 Million an Episode for Another Season http://t.co/zMsz8XT4oW pic.twitter.com/HQl0U75ZVW

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 26, 2015

Opportunity: Seinfeld (10th season)

Turned Down: $110 million

Jerry Seinfeld is an American comedian, writer, producer, and actor who is best known for his role as a fictional version of himself in Seinfeld – one of the biggest television shows of all-time. It aired between 1989 and 1998 (180 episodes) before Seinfeld turned down a $110 million offer for a tenth and final season of 22 episodes. The decision rocked the entertainment community.

5. Dave Chappelle

Dave Chappelle made headlines when he walked away from “Chappelle’s Show,” but 12 years later, he's returning to TV: https://t.co/xNUcrtkDtx pic.twitter.com/bbcKGzBaa4

— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 19, 2017

Opportunity: Chappelle’s Show

Turned Down: $50 million

Dave Chappelle is an American comedian and actor who is best known for his stand up comedy and sketch series Chappelle’s Show – as well as his lead role in Half Baked. The Chappelle’s Show ran for two seasons between 2003 and 2006, but Chappelle walked away from a $50 million deal to continue the show. It was at the height of its popularity at the time.

4. Will Ferrell

Will Ferrell was offered $29M to make 'Elf 2' but turned it down because the script was bad ???? pic.twitter.com/ZiAdoqEYxU

— Film Facts ???? (@Factsonfilm) October 28, 2021

Opportunity: Elf 2

Turned Down: $29 million

Will Ferrell is an American actor, writer, comedian, and producer who is widely regarded as one of the funniest actors of all-time. Aside from his seven years with Saturday Night Live, Ferrell has numerous hit films that are now viewed as classics – one of which being Elf. He was offered $29 million to reprise his role in Elf 2, but didn’t want the sequel to ruin the original one.

3. Ja Rule

Before shooting ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’ in 2002, director John Singleton offered Ja Rule a role for $500,000.

He never responded to the call, so the role was offered to Ludacris.

Ludacris has featured in 8 Fast & Furious films since earning $20M+ in the process. pic.twitter.com/4RucQLojm0

— The Numbers Game (@Tngtweets1) June 2, 2021

Opportunity: 2 Fast 2 Furious

Turned Down: $500,000

Ja Rule, born Jeffrey Atkins, is an American hip hop artist and actor. One of his first roles as an actor was Edwin in The Fast and the Furious in 2001, which he was paid $15,000 for. He was offered the same role in the sequel, but the pay was increased to $500,000. Unfortunately, Ja Rule turned that offer down and it went to Ludacris, who made over $130 million with the series.

2. Sean Connery

Did you know? Sean Connery was offered the role of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but turned the role down. He was offered 15% of the film’s total box office receipts, which would’ve totaled over $400 million pic.twitter.com/QRknoAhQuY

— Film Codex (@FilmCodex) May 18, 2022

Opportunity: The Lord of the Rings

Turned Down: $450 million

Sean Connery is a Scottish actor who was active between 1954 and 2007 – he passed away at the age of 90 in 2020. Best known as the first James Bond actor, many people are unaware that he was offered the role of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. They offered him $6 million per film and even a 15% stake in box office sales – which would have amounted to about $450 million.

1. Shaquille O’Neal (reebok, starbucks)

Shaquille O'Neal reveals he turned down $40 million offer from Reebok after a woman cursed him out for charging kids too much for sneakers https://t.co/h5v8mxR8mz pic.twitter.com/w41jPdBIYx

— Showbiz (@showbiznotices) August 27, 2021

Opportunity: Reebok and Starbucks

Turned Down: $40+ million

Shaquille O’Neal is a retired American basketball player who spent 19 seasons in the NBA. He was a four-time champion, three-time Finals MVP, and 2000 MVP. He not only walked away from a $40 million Reebok deal because his fans complained their shoes were too expensive, but he declined to invest in Starbucks’ early days because he didn’t drink coffee – a big mistake.

Some Celebrities Aren’t as Greedy as You Think

Just when you think you have your favorite celebrity figured out, they’ll surprise you. That’s exactly what these 25 celebrities above did when they chose to walk away from millions of dollars – sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars – to maintain their integrity and morality.

Earlier in the article, we asked what you would do if you were given a deal that was too hard to pass up. Now that you’ve had some time to digest the question, what would you do? Are you the type of person that would take the deal? Or are you someone that would rather walk away?

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If you ask me, it would depend on the situation. I wouldn’t want to do anything that goes against my personal beliefs and morals – no matter how much money is being thrown in my face. Of course, there are some people who feel different and wouldn’t mind doing so – to each their own!

Now, if you want even more juicy details about celebrities, keep reading below to discover the biggest celebrity feuds of all time. It gets so shady so don’t miss out!

These Celebrity Feuds Were as Shady as It Gets!

Martha Stewart & Gwyneth Paltrow

25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (2)

The lifestyle moguls started beefing in 2014 after Martha Stewart slammed Gwyneth Paltrow for starting Goop. Martha told Porter Magazine, “She’s a movie star. If she were confident in her acting, she wouldn’t be trying to be Martha Stewart.”

The drama didn’t end there. After Gwyneth announced her split with Chris Marten, she didn’t use the word divorce, instead, she called it a “conscious uncoupling.”

Martha wasn’t too impressed and trolled Gwyneth by naming a pie recipe “conscious coupling” and publishing it in Martha Stewart Living magazine. Gwyneth decided to hit back with a recipe of her own. She shared the recipe for a “jailbird cake,” a reference to Martha’s time spent in prison.

Cardi B & Nicki Minaj

25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (3)

Rappers Cardi B and Nicki Minaj got into a big fight (literally) at the Harper’s BazaarICONS by Carine Roitfeld party in New York City on September 7, 2018. After the police ended the brawl, Cardi shared a statement, “When you mention my child, you choose to like comments about me as a mother, make comments about my abilities as a mother, make comments about my abilities to take care of my daughter is when all bets are f–kin off!!”

Nicki denied everything in an interview on her Queen Radio show, saying, “I would never talk about anyone’s child or parenting. It’s so crazy to me that people always need to make [me] the bad guy. When you have to say that I said or did something that I never said or did … I am not a clown. That’s clown s—t.”

Then, Nicki escalated the situation further by accusing Cardi of calling black people “roaches.” She said, “You calling black women roaches, you getting girls beat up because of what your man doing,” she said. “Real b—ches never do that. You never attack the woman. You take that up with your f— man.”

Nicole Richie & Paris Hilton

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Childhood friends Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton became reality TV stars together after they filmed The Simple Life in 2003. But, just two years later, at the peak of their fame, the friends turned to enemies.

“It’s no big secret that Nicole and I are no longer friends,” Parissaid in a press statementin April 2005. “Nicole knows what she did and that’s all I’m ever going to say about it.”

Apparently, Nicole was jealous of the attention Hilton was getting. Hilton was being invited to parties and events, including a taping of “Saturday Night Live.” Nicole threw a party to ‘celebrate’ Paris’s SNL appearance. The party ended with a screening of Paris’s sex tape.

Things got dicey, but the two eventually did get over it.

“The short answer is I haven’t spoken to her in a while,” Nicole said on an episode Watch What Happens Live. “But we are very good friends and I love her and love her family and have a lot of respect for her.”

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50 Cent & JaRule

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Rappers 50 Cent and Ja Rule have been fighting with one another since 1999. Their latest spat happened in October 2018 when 50 Cent said he bought 200 tickets to Ja Rule’s concert to keep the seats empty. Ja Rule retaliated with some non-flattering, photoshopped images of 50 Cent he posted on social media.

Lauren Conrad & Heidi Montag

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The year was 2007 and MTV’s The Hills documented a lot of this fight. Lauren Conrad cut ties with Heidi Montag after season two of the reality series when Heidi’s husband, Spencer Pratt, spread a rumor thatLauren made an adult tape with ex-boyfriend Jason Wahler.

Lauren denied the rumors and did her best to stay away from the couple until she finally left The Hills in 2009. Since then, Heidi and Spencer have apologized. But, they still maintain that the sex tape is real!

In an interview with Complex, Spencer said, “Lauren is a cold-hearted killer. That’s what people don’t get. She will cut you in your sleep. She tried to destroy us. If you want to throw missiles, I’m throwing a nuke. This is how I operate.”

Anjelica Huston & Jacki Weaver

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Actors Anjelica Huston and Jacki Weaver got into a fight via the press in 2019. Anjelica was asked her opinion about Jacki’s film Poms and she had a strong one! “I’m looking for movies that impress me in some way, that aren’t apologetically humble or humiliating like, ‘Band of cheerleaders gets back together for one last hurrah,’ you know,” she said. “An old-lady cheerleader movie. I don’t like that kind of thing.”

Jacki clapped back by telling Vanity Fair, “I just laughed. And then I said, ‘Well, she can go f— herself,'” she said, adding, “I thought, ‘That’s a bit mean and petty.’ … I would say she must be going through menopause, but she must have had that ages ago.”

Lindsay Lohan & Hilary Duff

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In 2003, actors Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff were fighting over a boy, Aaron Carter. Aaron was dating Hilary after they appeared on her show, Lizzie Maguire together in 2001. Aaron ended up leaving Hillary for Lindsey out of boredom.

Aaron didn’t last with Lindsey long and went back to Hilary. Lindsey was not having it! She accused Hilary of stealing her man.

Hilary told Allure, “I’ve never stolen anyone’s boyfriend! I don’t know how you do that!”

“She was talking about it and I wasn’t. It made us both look bad and put up a big weirdness.”

Elton John & Madonna

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Superstar musicians Elton John and Madonna have had a contentious relationship over the years. The pot seemed to boil over in 2012 at the Golden Globe Awards when Elton did an interview with Carson Daly. Elton was asked who had the best chance of winning the category of “best original song.” When Madonna’s name came up, he said she didn’t have a “f—ing chance of winning.”

Madonna responded by saying, “Those are fighting words.”

Then, Madonna won the award.

Shonda Rhimes & Katherine Heigl

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Powerhouse TV creator Shonda Rhimes and actor Katherine Heigl got into it after Katherine turned down an Emmy nomination for her role as Izzie Stevens on Shonda’s show, Grey’s Anatomy.

“I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination and in an effort to maintain the integrity of the academy organization, I withdrew my name from contention,”Katherine said in a statement in 2008.

Shonda fired Katherine from the show in 2010 after six seasons. Shonda later opened up to Oprah Winfreyabout the Emmy nomination snub, saying that she wasn’t surprised by her actions. “On some level, it stung and on some level I was not surprised,” Shonda said. “When people show you who they are, believe them.”

Joan Rivers & Johnny Carson

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Funny television personalities Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers had a falling out in 1983. Joan became a permanent guest host of the Tonight Show and worked closely with Johnny for years until Fox offered her own show. Johnny was furious that Joan never contacted him for his advice or blessing. Joan denied Johnny’s claims.

“The first person I called was Johnny and he hung up on me — and never, ever spoke to me again. And then denied that I called him. I couldn’t figure it out. I would see him in a restaurant and go over and say hello. He wouldn’t talk to me,” she toldThe Hollywood Reporter.

Naomi Campbell & Tyra Banks

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Those supermodel beefs from the nineties were fun! Let’s revisit the Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks affair. Tyra said that her and Naomi were pitted against one another when she first started modeling.

“The industry was saying, ‘Look out Naomi Campbell, here comes Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell sit your butt down, this younger one is coming to take your place,'”E! News reported.

Tyra went on to explain that Naomi had her fired from jobs, said hurtful things behind the scenes, and was just an all-around bully. Years later, Tyra had Naomi on her show and Naomi “couldn’t remember” doing any of those things.

Julia Roberts & Nick Nolte

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in 1994, actors Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte had a meltdown onset of the film, I Love Trouble. The two grew so frustrated with each other that they refused to film together and instead, filmed scenes with stand-ins.

The Los Angeles Times reported at the time, “Roberts reportedly wasn’t thrilled with Nolte’s machismo, so she would deride and insult her co-star. Some on the set claim that he became so annoyed with her attitude that he would do things to agitate her even more. The discord was so intense, the sources say, the two played more to stand-ins than to each other.”

After the film wrapped, Julia said, “From the moment I met him we sort of gave each other a hard time, and naturally we get on each other’s nerves. He can be completely charming and very nice, he’s also completely disgusting. He’s going to hate me for saying this, but he seems to go out of his way to repel people. He’s a kick.”

Nick responded by saying, “It’s not nice to call someone ‘disgusting.’ But she’s not a nice person. Everyone knows that.”

Will Smith & Janet Hubert-Whitten

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Apparently there was some serious drama on the set of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Actors Will Smith and Janet Hubert-Whitten had a falling out so bad that Janet was replaced on the sitcom by Daphne Maxwell Reid in the role of Vivian Banks.

Janet was asked years later if she’d consider doing a reunion with the cast of the show and she responded, “I will never do anything with an a— hole like Will Smith.”

In 2017, Janet was shown a picture of the cast reunion and commented about the photo on Facebook, “I have no interest in seeing any of these people on that kind of level.”

Kim Cattrall & Sarah Jessica Parker

25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (15)

Actors from Sex and the City Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker really do not get along. There have been so many rumors over the years about these two and the degree of their distaste gotten even more bitter in 2018. Kim was grieving the loss of her brother and took to Twitter to thank fans and former castmates of the show.

Sarah sent her condolences to Kim, but Kim didn’t want any it. She shared a message on Instagram that read, “I don’t need your love or support at this tragic time @sarahjessicaparker.”

“My Mom asked me today ‘When will that@sarahjessicaparker, that hypocrite, leave you alone?’ ” she wrote in the post’s lengthycaption.“Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now.”

Kim added shewanted to be “VERY clear” that she wants nothing to do with SJP.

Kim Kardashian & Lindsay Lohan

25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (16)

In January of 2018, TV personalities Kim Kardashian and Lindsay Lohan (hello again, Lindsay!) got into a teeny tiny little fight online. Kim posted an image of herself with a new hairstyle that included some controversial braids. Lindsay commented on the post, “I am confused.”

Kim was also suffering from some confusion, she fired back, “You know what’s confusing… your sudden foreign accent.”

Don’t come for Kim on Insta.

Bette Midler & Kim Kardashian

25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (17)

In March of 2016, Kim Kardashian (oh hey, Kim!) posted a nude selfie to Twitter and Instagram. The comments on the photo, of course, were divisive (divisiveness is the Kardashian secret sauce). Star, Bette Midler was not having it and went after the reality star on Twitter.

“Kim Kardashian tweeted a nude selfie today. If Kim wants us to see a part of her we’ve never seen, she’s gonna have to swallow the camera,” Bette wrote.

Kim responded on Twitter, “hey @BetteMidler I know it’s past your bedtime but if you’re still up and reading this send nudes #justkidding.”

Don’t come for Kim on Twitter and pray don’t ever catch Bette’s attention.

Chloë Sevigny & Jennifer Lawrence

25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (18)

This instance should really only include actor Chloë Sevigny, who went out of her way to shade Jennifer Lawrence! In talking about some of her fellow actresses toV Magazine, Chloë said, “Jennifer Lawrence, I find annoying. Too crass.”

Chloë just came out and said that! Wow!

Lady Gaga & Kelly Osbourne

25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (19)

Back in 2013, celebs Lady Gaga and Kelly Osbourne got into it or rather, got deeper into it. It all started when Kelly criticized Gaga for not walking the red carpet at the 2009 Grammy Awards. Gaga’s fans did not like it!

Kelly later said she was trolled and even received death threats from Gaga’s loyal fans.

In 2013, Gaga tried to bury the hatchet by reconciling with Kelly through Kelly’s mother, Sharon Osbourne. In short, Gaga gave Sharon a birthday cake for Kelly on TV (it’s as ridiculous as you might think).

Kelly responded by writing, “Not to be ungrateful but why would you send me a birthday cake via my MOTHER in a country half the (world) away? … #EatMyS***.”

Andy Cohen & Jillian Michaels

25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (20)

The host of Watch What Happens Live Andy Cohen shared in 2013 that his least favorite guest on the show was Jillian Michaels, host of The Biggest Loser. Any explained, “She freaked out after the show and was so mean to my staff.”

It took an entire five years for Jillian to respond and claimed that Andy “hates women” and she also trashed his Real Housewives franchise.

Andy fired back, “This is the woman who screamed at people for a living onThe Biggest Loser. She should stay in her own lane.”

Whoopi Goldberg & Roseanne Barr

25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (21)

The View’s Whoopi Goldberg responded to has-been Roseanne Barr after Roseanne posted a doctored photo of Whoopi at the Women’s March. The fake photo showed Whoopi wearing a t-shirt that had a vulgar image of the President superimposed on it.

Whoopi explained that the shirt she had actually been wearing said, “And you thought I was a nasty woman before? Buckle up, buttercup.”

Whoopi hit Roseanne again after she posted a racist tweet, “Roseanne. Just because you were caught with your pants down, don’t try to drag other people down with you,” Whoopi said. “You understand? Don’t do that … The bottom line is simply this: I didn’t fake my shirt, someone else faked my shirt. But that’s your tweet. That tweet came from you. So that’s yours. You did this to yourself.”

The Rock & Vin Diesel

25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (22)

In August 2016, The Rock AKA Dwayne Johnson took to Instagram and posted a now-deleted rant about one of his costars from the Fast and Furious franchise. He said that he had “zero-tolerance for candy-a—s.” So who was the candy-a—? None other than actor, Vin Diesel.

The post was deleted and the matter seemed to be resolved, but Vin Diesel still had something to say about the rumor. He told the Todayshow “I don’t think the world really realizes how close we are, in a weird way. I think some things may be blown out of proportion. I don’t think that was his intention. I know he appreciates how much I work this franchise. In my house, he’s Uncle Dwayne.”

Yay! Problem solved.

Jane Fonda & Megyn Kelly

25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (23)

In September of 2017, Jane Fonda was asked by Megyn Kelly about her history of plastic surgery on live television. Visibly shaken Jane replied, “We really want to talk about that now?”

A few months later, Jane and Lily Tomlin were promoting their show, Grace & Frankie on the Today show. Lily made a joke that Jane and herself had been friends since their “first face-lift.”

“We don’t need to hear that. Who are you, Megyn Kelly?” Jane responded.

Megyn responded by calling the actor “Hanoi Jane.”

Megyn’s daytime talk show has since been canceled.

Giuliana Rancic & Zendaya

25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (24)

As part of the coverage of the 2015 Oscars, E! News enlisted the help of Fashion Police host, Giuliana Rancic to cover the red carpet. Actor Zendaya wore locs to the event and Giuliana criticized the 18-year-old actor’s hair saying her dreadlocks must have smelled like, “patchouli oil and weed.”

Zendaya responded on Instagram in a thoughtful post that said in part, “There is a fine line between what is funny and disrespectful. Someone said something about my hair at the Oscars that left me in awe. Not because I was relishing in rave outfit reviews, but because I was hit with ignorant slurs and pure disrespect.”

Giuliana eventually apologized for the comments on air. Both Kelly Osbourne and Kathy Griffin quit the show in protest.

Taylor Swift & Katy Perry

25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (25)

Pop stars Taylor Swift and Katy Perry were rumored to be feuding in 2012 about John Mayer. It turned out the issue wasn’t over a boy, it was about business.

“[Katy] basically tried to sabotage an entire arena tour. She tried to hire a bunch of people out from under me. And I’m surprisingly non-confrontational — you would not believe how much I hate conflict. So now, I have to avoid her. It’s awkward, and I don’t like it.” Taylor toldRolling Stone.

Taylor went on to release a diss track, “Bad Blood.”

Then, Katy responded by telling Entertainment Weekly that when “women come together and they decide to unite, this world is going to be a better place.”

Then Katy released “Swish Swish” which many considered a diss track for Taylor.

Kanye West & JAY-Z

25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (26)

Up until 2016, Kanye West and Jay-Z had been friends and collaborators. But something changed, and while in concert in Sacramento, Kanye went on an infamous rant about Jay-Z saying, “Jay Z, call me, bruh. You still ain’t calling me. Jay Z, call me… Jay Z. Hey, don’t send killers at my head, bro. This ain’t the Malcolm X movie. We growing from that moment. Let ‘Ye be ‘Ye.”

Kanye went on to criticize Jay-Z for not calling after Kim Kardashian was robbed in Paris and not setting up playdates for their kids… It was weird.

Jay-Z hit back on his “4:44” album. In the song “Kill Jay-Z,” he raps: “You ain’t a saint / This ain’t KumbaYe / But you got hurt because you did cool by Ye / You gave him $20 without blinking / He gave you 20 minutes on stage / [What] was he thinkin’?”

In an interview with Rap Radar Jay-Z addressed the feud saying, “What really hurt me was you can’t bring my kid or my wife into it. You brought my family into it, now it’s a problem with me. That’s a real, real problem. And he knows it’s a problem.”

That was a whole lot of celebrity beef! We could never choose a favorite celeb feud because each one is uniquely annoying and stupid in its own special way. Feuds are fun because they generally don’t result in any real harm.

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25 Celebrities Who Walked Away From Huge Amounts of Money (2024)

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