Times Celebrities Clapped Back In Interviews

In a 1977 interview, Barbara Walters made many pointed remarks about Dolly Parton's background and appearance that bordered on directly insulting her guest. Walters first brought up Parton's country upbringing:

Walters: Dolly, where I come from, would I have called you a hillbilly?

Parton: If you had… it would have been something very natural, but I probably would have kicked your shins or something [laughs].

Walters: But when I think of hillbillies am I thinking of your kind of people?

Even though Walters seemed to be prodding Parton to call herself a hillbilly, Parton spoke highly of the community she grew up in, proudly describing what she called “country class.”

Walters next moved to Parton's figure, asking, “Did you look like this when you were a kid?… Is it all you?” When Parton gracefully skirted the intrusive question, Walters remarked, “You don't have to look like this.” The country music queen replied: 

It's certainly a choice. I don't like to be like everybody else. I've often made the statement that I would never stoop so low as to be fashionable. That's the easiest thing in the world to do. So, I just decided that I would do something that would at least get the attention. 

Once they got past the shock of the ridiculous way I looked and all that, then they would see there was parts of me to be appreciated. I'm very real, where it counts, and that's inside… As far as my outlook on life and the way I care about people and the way I care about myself, and the things I care about, but I just chose to do this. Showbusiness is a money-making joke, and I just always like telling jokes…

Walters then asked Parton if she ever considered that she was the joke. Parton responded:

I know they make fun of me. But actually, all these years that people, you know, have thought the joke was on me, but it's actually been on the public. I know exactly what I'm doing, and I can change it at any time. I make more jokes about myself than anybody…

I am sure of myself as a person. I am sure of my talent. I'm sure of my love for life and that sort of thing. I'm very content. I like the kind of person that I am. So, I can afford to piddle around and do-diddle around with makeups and clothes and stuff, because I am secure with myself. 

Matt Damon and his mother Nancy Carlsson-Paige (who is a schoolteacher) attended the 2011 Save Our Schools rally in Washington, DC, to show their support for the public education system. When Reason.TV reporter Michelle Fields interviewed Damon and Carlsson-Paige, suggesting that teachers should be under the same performance pressure as actors in pursuing parts, Damon defended educators: 

Fields: In acting, there isn't job security, right? There's an incentive to work hard and be a better actor, because you want to have a job. So, why isn't it like that for teachers? 

Damon: You think job insecurity is what makes me work hard? 

Fields: Well, you have an incentive to work harder. But if there's job security…

Damon: That's not an incentive. That's the thing. So, you take this MBA style of thinking, right? It's the problem with Ed[ucation] policy right now. It's just an intrinsically paternalistic view of problems that are much more complex than that. It's like saying a teacher is going to get lazy when they have tenure. A teacher wants to teach. I mean, why else would you take a sh**ty salary, and really long hours, and do that job, unless you really love to do it? 

Cameraman: Aren't 10% percent though? Ten percent of teachers are bad.

Carlsson-Paige: Where'd you get that number?

Cameraman: I don't know. Ten percent of people in any profession maybe should think of something else.

Damon: Well, okay, maybe you're a sh**ty cameraman, I don't know! 

After Lauren Conrad publicized so much of her life through reality TV shows like Laguna Beach and The Hills, a radio interviewer felt bold enough to ask a personal question about her love life in 2012. When Sway Calloway pulled out the “mystery sack” of questions for the celebrity entrepreneur to draw from and answer, the questions got personal. 

When Conrad drew a question asking, “What's your favorite position?” (which was likely intended to illicit a sexual response), she slyly responded: “CEO.” 

Surprised by the response, the former MTV VJ responded: “CEO? I like that! High-five! CEO. That was dope.”

In 2019, when Ellen DeGeneres tried to call out Dakota Johnson on her show for not being invited to her 30th birthday party, the 50 Shades of Grey star shed light on the reality: 

DeGeneres: When was your birthday? 

Johnson: It was October 4. 

DeGeneres: You turned 30.

Johnson: I did. 

DeGeneres: And how was the party? I wasn't invited. 

Johnson: Actually, no. That's not the truth, Ellen. You were invited. Last time I was on the show, last year, you gave me a bunch of sh*t about not inviting you. But I didn't even know you wanted to be invited. 

DeGeneres: Well who wouldn't want to be invited to a party? 

Johnson: 'Cause I didn't even know you… Well, I didn't even know you liked me. 

DeGeneres: Of course I like you. You knew I liked you. You've been on the show many times, and don't I show like? 

Johnson: Yeah… but I did invite you and you didn't come. So…

DeGeneres: This time you invited me? 

Johnson: Yeah. 

DeGeneres: How do you know? I don't think so. 

Johnson: Ask everybody. 

After the cameras panned to producers and those in charge of the show's production, and they all agreed that she had, indeed, been invited and chose not to go, DeGeneres admitted: 

No, I think I do remember. I was invited. Thank you… But Tig Notaro performed at your party? 

Without hesitation, Johnson clapped back: 

She did. It was a surprise… [She did] a bunch of funny stuff. She's my favorite comedian.

In January 2024, Colombian and American actress Sofía Vergara was a guest on the Spanish talk show El Hormiguero (meaning “The Anthill”; two ant puppets are part of the show) to promote her Netflix miniseries Griselda. She appeared perturbed when host Pablo Motos seemed to question her pronunciation of Modern Family, the very successful TV show she starred on for 11 years. Here's part of their conversation (translated from Spanish):

Vergara: Gloria Pritchett was my character in Modern Family.

Motos: How do you say “Modern Family”?

Vergara: How do I say it in English?

Motos: It's because in English it's like…

Vergara: It sounds wrong?

Motos: No, no.

Vergara: Or because you speak better English than me? How many Emmy nominations do you have in the United States, sorry? How many times were you nominated for Golden Globes, sorry?

Vergara received four Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for her role as Gloria on ABC's Modern Family, as well as four Golden Globe nominations. 

After the talk show aired, Vergara didn't seem to hold a grudge: She shared a photo on Instagram of herself with Motos on the show and captioned it, “Gracias por invitarme!!!!" (Thank you for inviting me!!!!")

During a 2011 interview for the premiere of the film Friends with Benefits, Mila Kunis had some serious questions directed at a Russian reporter who wondered why her co-star, Justin Timberlake, had turned to movies instead of focusing solely on his music career. Born in the Ukraine, Kunis responded in her native Russian tongue:

Reporter: Justin, I have two questions about the movie and the sex…

Mila: Huh?

Reporter: About the movie and the sex.

Mila: Oh, I thought I misheard you about the sex. 

Justin: I don't like this!

Reporter: What brought you into movies? Why are you in movies? 

Mila: What?

Reporter: Why movies? 

Mila: Why movies? 

Reporter: Well, many showbiz people move to movies, and sometimes it's for better. But why is Justin in movies?

Mila: Wait, you're asking why he wants to be in movies? 

Reporter: Yes. 

Mila: Well what would you rather him do? Hold on. 

Reporter: But isn't it enough? 

Mila: Huh? 

Reporter: I mean, isn't showbiz enough? 

Mila: Well if he wants to make movies, and he can, why shouldn't he? What kind of question is that? What are YOU here? Huh?

Reporter: Well I'm just doing my job. 

Mila: Well, so is he! It's the same thing!

As a flabbergasted Justin Timberlake tried to keep up with the conversation via an earpiece providing a delayed translation, he pointed at Kunis and responded:

 This is my bodyguard.