Awards season lets audiences get an up close and personal view into celebrities’ lives. Whether relationships are “Hard Launched” in acceptance speeches (yes, we’re looking at you Timmy) or behind-the-scenes secrets that are shared on the red carpet, award shows are a great way to stay up to date with pop culture. With that being said, there are many instances of the media going too far, asking invasive questions at not only award shows, but at press conferences and in interviews. It poses the question: how much privacy is a celebrity entitled too, and where do we draw the line?
Scarlett Johansson:
It’s exhaustingly common how often women are asked sexist and irrelevant questions when being interviewed by the press. One woman who has been subject to this time and time again is Scarlett Johansson. When on a press tour for Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2012, Scarlett Johansson (who played Black Widow) was asked by an interviewer if she was able to wear underwear under her costume while on set. She clapped back, asking “What is going on? Since when did people start asking each other interviews about their underwear?” (ExtraTV). She stated that he wasn’t the first person to ask her that question either.
In the same year at a press conference again promoting Avengers, she was asked about her diet, and how she maintains her figure for the role while her co-stars were asked about their character development. She turned to her co-star Robert Downey Jr. and asked him “How come you get the really interesting existential question, and I get the like, ‘rabbit food’ question?” She went on to answer the question with obvious disinterest, stating she eats “various green things” and goes through training (The List).
Possibly the worst instance of Johansson being disrespected by a reporter was on the 2006 Golden Globes red carpet. Isaac Mizrahi, an actor and fashion designer, was interviewing Johansson on behalf of E!. He asked her what she was wearing underneath her dress (again, why is that relevant?) and she responded with “Not much.” He then made a comment about there obviously being something holding up her breasts, and she told him it was all built in. He then proceeded to touch the underside of her breast. She awkwardly laughed and said “What is going on?” and he replied saying he was just “taking notes” for when he makes a dress in a similar style. Afterwards he laughed, and put his hand in the air as he sing-songed “I touched Scarlett’s boobs, I touched Scarlett’s boobs!” (The Hollywood Reporter). While she laughs with him, you can tell the touch was a shock, unwarranted, and very obviously made her uncomfortable.
Anne Hathaway:
Otherwise known as “The People’s Princess”, Anne Hathaway is best known for her roles in The Devil Wears Prada, The Princess Diaries, and Les Misérables. Despite being one of the most unproblematic celebrities ever, she too has been subject to sexist and intrusive questions from the media. But of course, she handles them with wit and grace.
When promoting One Day, the interviewer started to ask her questions about another movie she was a part of, Catwoman. He asked her how she fits into the catsuit and she answered the question by talking about the process of putting the costume on, saying it takes three people to put it on. He then went a step further, and asked her how much weight she lost in order to get into her current shape. She was completely shocked and with the biggest smile of disbelief on her face, she said “You did not just ask me that! What a forward young man you are.” He then went on to apologize for offending her, and she gracefully shook his hand and told him that she was just messing with him (Glamour Magazine UK). While she may have been joking with her response, it was effective in shutting down the interviewer as well as getting her an apology. Hathaway handled this situation with grace and was able to lighten it, but it doesn’t take away the fact that she shouldn’t have been asked that question in the first place.
Being interviewed by ExtraTV (the same interviewer who asked Johansson about her underwear by the way) on the topic of her role as Catwoman in Dark Knight Rises, Hathaway was asked what the “feline fitness regime” was. She put it simply as watching what she ate and getting to the gym. The interviewer then pried for more, asking if there was a specific workout. He was cut off by Hathaway when she asked, “Are you trying to lose weight? What’s the deal man? You look great.” (Glamour Magazine UK). He laughed and stopped asking the question. This is yet another example of reporters directing unnecessary and sexist questions towards female actors (and an amazing example of why Anne Hathaway is the people’s princess).
Rihanna and Taylor Swift:
Reporters are not only invasive when it comes to celebrities’ bodies, but their love lives as well. Both Rihanna and Taylor Swift have both been bosses at shutting down reporters when they ask them questions about men in their lives.
At the press conference for her debut movie Battleship, Rihanna was asked whether or not Ashton Kutcher would be joining her in London for her press tour, following rumors that the two of them were together. Without missing a beat, Rihanna clapped back by saying, “Wow. How disappointing was that question, […] I’m happy and I’m single, if that’s what you’re really asking.”(CBS News). Dismissing the reporter, she continued to answer other questions.
Taylor Swift was subject to a similar question at the 2015 Grammys where she was nominated in multiple categories. On the red carpet, the camera pans up from her legs, showing off her dress as the reporter says that she believes Swift won’t only be walking home with an award or two, but “lots of men” as well. Swift’s smile immediately fades as she says “I won’t be walking home with any men tonight […]”(Cosmopolitan). She then goes on to say that she’ll be going home to her friends and her cats. Why this question was asked and not questions about her multiple nominations and global success, is something I’ll never understand.
Robert Downey Jr. (RDJ):
Women aren’t the only ones harassed with intrusive questions from the media. In an interview promoting Avengers: Age of Ultron, RDJ (who played Iron Man) was asked questions about his past incarceration by British journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy. He asked Guru-Murthy “Are we promoting a movie?” and shut the question down. Guru-Murthy explains that yes, he is promoting the movie, but they (the public) would like to know more about him as well. When he’s explaining this, RDJ is clearly uncomfortable, looking around at what we can assume is his team behind the camera. He tells Guru-Murthy to hurry up and ask his question, and the reporter asks about his past with drug addiction and his relationship with his father. RDJ says, “I’m sorry, […], what are we doing?” before leaving the interview early (Channel 4 News, YouTube). This interview went viral on social media, and fans were quick to point out that this isn’t the first time this journalist has asked invasive and offensive questions. Quentin Tarantino sat there and put Guru-Murthy in his place two years prior in 2013 when promoting his movie Django Unchained, showing that Guru Murthy has a problem of stepping over the line with invasive questions (Channel 4 News, YouTube).
Jonah Hill:
Jonah Hill, best known for 21 Jump Street and SuperBad, was known as the “Fat Funny Guy in Hollywood” for many years. This title is problematic on so many levels, but when Hill lost weight, people couldn’t seem to let it go. In an interview in 2011, Hill was asked whether or not he was still the “fat-guy” in Hollywood, following his weight loss. He ignored the reporter and said “Do you have any other questions? That are smart?” (UNILAD). In anticipation of his documentary about his journey with mental health, Stutz, Hill announced on social media that he would not be doing press for the movie. He said that the media often aggravates his anxiety and that’s something he’s learned on his wellness journey. Hill explained that he wouldn’t be acting true to himself or true to the film if he made himself sicker by participating in any form of press tours (Variety).
Eileen Gu:
Following her historic win in the Milan Cortina Olympics this past February, Eileen Gu blew up on social media for a clip of her laughing in an interviewer’s face. The interviewer asked her at a press conference whether she considered her two silver medal wins as “two golds lost”. She laughed out loud and said “I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history. I think that’s an answer in and of itself,” She went on to explain how it is equally as hard- if not harder to win her first medal as it is to win her sixth. Yet since it’s something she’s done repeatedly, the public’s expectations rise, and that’s a difficult dynamic. “So, the two medals lost situation, to be quite frank with you, I think, is kind of a ridiculous perspective to take. I’m showcasing my best skiing. I’m doing things that quite literally have never been done before, and so I think that is more than good enough, but thank you.” (Cosmopolitan).
Princess Diana:
Possibly the most infamous example of a person who was repeatedly harassed by the media, is Princess Diana of Wales. Diana was one of the most notable women in history and the media loved her. In August of 1997, Princess Diana died in a car accident while fleeing paparazzi at high speed. Even before her death, she was vocal about being uncomfortable with the media’s relentless pursuit of her. She famously shouted at a group of reporters and photographers “You make my life hell!” a year before her death (TIME Magazine). Her death shocked the world, and changed the way the relationships between the media and public figures are viewed, even today.
Chappell Roan:
The most notable confrontation between a celebrity and the press in recent years has to be what happened on the red carpet of the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. Chappell Roan cursed out a photographer who seemed to tell her to “shut the f— up.” “You shut the f— up!” she yelled back at the photographer, before adding “Not me b——.” (USAToday). While it’s unclear who the reporter aimed the obscenities at, what is clear is that Chappell was not afraid to stand up for herself/others. While many people critiqued her reaction, she sure made an impact and made the red carpet less hostile for artists.
At the Grammys this year, Sabrina Carpenter made a comment about the red carpet being quiet compared to previous years. “Chappell really started a movement” the singer said, before adding “She (Chappell Roan) really whipped them into shape.”, with a smile on her face (E! Entertainment News).
The media shapes pop culture and how we see celebrities. With that being said, celebrities are also entitled to their own privacy. Coming up, we will see actors such as Michael B. Jordan, Timothee Chalamet, Teyana Taylor, Emma Stone, Jacob Elordi and more as they arrive for what could be the biggest night of their lives. We can only hope that these artists will be treated with the respect they deserve. Tune in to the Oscars on Sunday, March 15th at 7:00p.m. ET on ABC or stream it live with Hulu, Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV, YoutubeTV, AT&T TV or through the ABC website by entering your TV provider.