Banned! Celebrities Who Are Black-Listed From Appearing On Live Talk Shows
Some celebrities let their stardom go to their head, exhibiting bad behavior in inappropriate situations, like live television shows. While being a diva is one thing, being rude and making insensitive jokes has led to more than one star’s live TV show banishment.
From Steven Seagal’s annoying antics as a Saturday Night Live host to Kelsey Grammer walking off Piers Morgan Live, here are some stars who aren’t welcome to appear on live TV broadcasts.
Joan Rivers: The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
For years Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers had a great professional relationship. Then everything changed when Fox decided to give the actress her own show, The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers, a program that aired at the same time as Carson’s.
Carson was devastated over this development and promptly banned Rivers from appearing on his show again, a ban Jay Leno continued when he took over The Tonight Show.
Jay Leno: Conan
After Jay Leno took over The Tonight Show from Conan O’Brien, the talk show hosts were engaged in some high-school-style drama. O’Brien had one year with the show and wasn’t pleased when he was fired.
Even so, he became the host of his own show, Conan, with one rule: Jay Leno was never allowed on his set, no matter how much money was offered.
Kelsey Grammer: Piers Morgan Live
When Kelsey Grammer appeared on Piers Morgan Live, the talk show host made a mistake. In the opening credits, Morgan added a picture of Camille Grammer, something Kelsey asked to remove since they’d just gone through a divorce.
Morgan didn’t remove the photo, prompting Kelsey to walk off the set before the interview began! In retaliation, Morgan banned the Frasier actor from the show.
Kathy Griffin: A Lot Of Them
Kathy Griffin is known for her specific type of “hold nothing back humor,” which got her in trouble with more than one talk show.
Apparently, making bold political statements on air isn’t the way to go while appearing on Ellen, The View, The Today Show, Letterman, or Live with Regis and Kelly. She’s been banned from all of them!
Chevy Chase: Saturay Night Live
Chevy Chase isn’t quiet when it comes to his bold form of comedy. And he held nothing back when it came to his time as host of Saturday Night Live in 1997.
Being rude to castmates and making inappropriate skit recommendations was one thing, but what got the comedian banned for life was “jokingly” slapping actress Cheri O’Teri.
Adrien Brody: Saturday Night Live
Academy Award-winning actor Adrien Brody made a huge mistake while appearing as the host of Saturday Night Live. When introducing the musical guest star Sean Paul to the stage, Brody opted to wear a dreadlock wig and talk in a horrible Jamaican accent.
Needless to say, executive producer Lorne Michaels was not amused and banned him from the variety series.
Hugh Grant: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
While actor Hugh Grant is typically tied together with the nice guys he plays onscreen, that wasn’t his persona while appearing on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Apparently, Grant acted like such a high-maintenance diva towards Stewart and was downright rude to the crew that the host wound up banning Grant from coming back.
Gilbert Gottfried: The Howard Stern Show
Actor and stand-up comedian Gilbert Gottfried is known for his controversial jokes and crude humor; it’s part of his bit. While he appeared on The Howard Stern Show numerous times, it only took one inappropriate interaction for the actor to be banned for life.
The thing is, no one really knows what the interaction was, only that it was bad enough to have the talk show host uninterested in seeing Gottfried on his set.
Martin Lawrence: Saturday Night Live
It isn’t a secret that Martin Lawrence is a niche comedian, with his jokes exhibiting a bit of crude humor.
One impromptu joke about the female anatomy during Saturday Night Live led executive producer Lorne Michaels to ban him from ever appearing on the variety series. The joke was so bad they’ve edited it out of the episode’s reruns.
Madonna: Piers Morgan Live
While Madonna was known for telling inappropriate jokes and swearing without thought while on the Late Show With David Letterman, she was never banned. Her banishment actually came from Piers Morgan, who had never actually had the Queen of Pop on his show.
The interesting part is, no one really knows why Morgan won’t entertain the idea of hosting the 1980s pop star.
David Bowie: Saturday Night Live
In 1977, rock star David Bowie went against the wishes of Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels. When Bowie was set to be the guest musical act, Michaels requested he plays his new hit single, “Telling Lies,” and not “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).”
The latter song reminded Michaels of dark times in his past. Bowie didn’t take it to heart, though, and wound up playing “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).” He was banned for three years.
Steven Seagal: Saturday Night Live
In 1991, Steven Seagal appeared as the host of Saturday Night Live. The thing is, he would never have made it in front of the camera if the cast and crew had anything to say about it.
Apparently, the actor was so annoying behind-the-scenes he wound up getting banned from any subsequent appearances.
Vince Vaughn: The Ellen DeGeneres Show
While promoting his film The Dilemma on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, actor Vince Vaughn made an insensitive joke about the LGBTQ+ community. Offended by the comedian’s remark, DeGeneres banned him from coming on her talk show ever again.
Thankfully, Vaughn later apologized to the host and has since been invited back on the show.
Howard Stern: The Tonight Show With Jay Leno
Howard Stern and Jay Leno couldn’t be more different. So, when Stern was invited to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, numerous antics were bound to go down.
Leno probably didn’t expect those antics to involve adult film stars or the fact that Stern would interrupt other guests’ interviews. After the appearance, Stern was banned.
The Kardashians: Anderson Live
When Anderson Live aired in 2011, the host had one thing to say about all of the Kardashians: they are everywhere. Because of the reality television stars’ fame, Anderson Cooper saw no reason to have them on his show.
While they aren’t necessarily banned, they really aren’t welcome on Anderson Live for being “too famous and all over the media.”
Vivica A. Fox: Jimmy Kimmel Live!
When Vivica A. Fox appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2005; she wanted to promote her new Lifetime movie. Sadly, she wouldn’t get the chance. Kimmel took her appearance as a chance to tell some jokes about her friend, Star Jones.
Fox did not appreciate what the talk show host was saying and promptly left in the middle of the live interview! Kimmel never invited her back, banning Fox from the show.
Artie Lange: The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien
When Conan O’Brien hosted Artie Lange on his talk show, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, he wound up giving his long-time friend a bit of tough love.
Mumbling, slurring, and speaking in incoherent sentences, it was clear Lange was under the influence. O’Brien banned his friend from ever coming on the talk show unless he got sober.
Milton Berle: Saturday Night Live
Mr. Television himself, Milton Berle, was banned from Saturday Night Live. During his time as host, he was not a team player. On top of seemingly trying to take control of the production from producer Lorne Michaels, he added comedy bits that were not approved and made the audience give him a standing ovation.
It was too much for Michaels. So, Berle was banned, and the episode doesn’t get aired during reruns.
Bill Hicks: Late Show With David Letterman
Comedian Bill Hicks was an obvious choice to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman. He was a celebrated person in the industry. Sadly, he made one comment that got him banned from ever again appearing on the show.
During their interview, Hicks said a joke about singer Billy Ray Cyrus that Letterman did not appreciate.
Charles Grodin: Saturday Night Live
Charles Grodin was an actor known for his deadpan method of delivering lines. He was a great choice to host Saturday Night Live in 1977, but he took the job a little too far.
While hosting, Gordin wanted to play a character who was very bad at hosting. Throughout the entire segment, he’d pretend to forget the show was live and “forget” his lines. Lorne Michaels was not amused and banned the actor from hosting ever again.
