SkimIt
Most of this year’s celebrity feuds have been transparently ridiculous attempts by one party to use the other to grab at press and publicity. However, the harshest fights seem to involve custody disputes over children of former couples, and it’s sad to see exes using Twitter to attack each other. From the inane (Donald Trump) to the frightening (Halle Berry), these fighting famous people aren’t likely to mend fences any time soon.
Donald Trump vs. Brian Williams
Donald Trump has had a banner year, fighting with anyone whose name he can remember. When not offering romantic advice online to Twilight stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, the follicle-challenged Donald was having a go at President Obama, joining the imbecilic Birther Movement and offering $5 million for more documentation of Obama’s pre-presidential life. On election night, as Mitt Romney lost, Trump threw a tantrum on Twitter. When news anchor Brian Williams got a chuckle out of the childish rant, Trump attacked him, making inaccurate claims about the anchor’s ratings and inflating his own Celebrity Apprentice ratings in comparison. Williams had the last laugh, and Trump moved on to bait other celebrities online, making an even bigger fool of himself on a seemingly daily basis.
Nicki Minaj is another celeb who is probably on Santa’s naughty list this year, as she has not been playing well with anyone at her new gig, American Idol. Sources claimed that Mariah Carey was unhappy when Minaj was signed to the show as she wanted to be the only famous lady at the judges’ table. Regardless, Minaj escalated the unfriendliness by calling out Mariah in person and in song, so aggressively that Mariah told Barbara Walters she felt threatened and increased her personal security. The ladies appear to have squashed their beef for now for the sake of their paychecks, but Nicki moved on to try and fight with Steven Tyler as well, making her the apparent loser in the feud.
Chevy Chase vs. Dan Harmon
Everyone loves a catfight between two grown men, right? Chevy Chase has been known to be difficult since his famously ugly Saturday Night Live blowout with Bill Murray, and age does not seem to have mellowed the fellow once known as Fletch. He was angered by late scripts on the set of his latest sitcom, Community, and reportedly made life difficult for everyone working with him. Creator and writer Dan Harmon responded by posting unflattering voicemails from Chevy online, and Harmon was eventually dismissed from the show he began. Even that didn’t satisfy Chevy, who continued to disparage the show as “the lowest form of television,” before eventually quitting altogether. Employees and fans of Community may be the ultimate winners here as Chevy’s character was the weak link in a solid production.
Anyone who saw the photograph of Halle Berry’s ex, Gabriel Aubry, after his physical fight with her current fianc'e, Olivier Martinez, would have doubts that these two could calmly co-parent their daughter any time soon. Halle has been attempting to take their child to live with her and Olivier in his native France, but her requests have been denied. Subsequently, Halle’s camp claims that Gabriel initiated the fistfight, even though Olivier appeared to have emerged without a scratch and Gabriel’s handsome face was black and blue. The parents have reportedly reached a custody agreement, but without serious therapy for all involved, it seems only a matter of time before tempers flare again. Hopefully the child can be spared exposure to her parents’ violent tendencies.
Leah Remini vs. Sharon Osbourne
Well, as Leah Remini was fired from The Talk, I guess we know who won this battle! Scientologist and sometime sitcom star Leah Remini claimed that Osbourne was behind her ouster from the daytime chatter, saying that Osbourne thought that Remini and co-host Holly Robinson Peete were too “ghetto.” Osbourne claimed that she had nothing to do with Remini’s firing, but we wouldn’t expect these two to be sharing a glass of eggnog this month.
Kelsey Grammer vs. Ex Wife Camille Grammer
Kelsey Grammer seems to be making some dubious parenting choices this year, and his ex-wife, Camille, is only too happy to call attention to them in public. The Frasier star and his new child bride brought their baby to a Halloween party at the Playboy mansion and were recently seen driving around Los Angeles without a car seat for the infant (the actual baby, not the new wife). As Kelsey, himself a grandfather with decades of parenting experience, tried to clear up the controversy by stating that he didn’t have a nanny on Halloween and that the child was strapped in before the car left the airport, one could practically hear Camille’s delighted giggles. Still, as Camille is currently supporting herself as a “Real Housewife of Beverly Hills,” her constant comments on Kelsey’s parenting skills, not even related to a child of her own, seem like vain efforts to keep a public tie to her ex.
Chris Brown vs. Drake
Yes, it’s shocking to hear that mild-mannered Chris Brown is not getting along with someone, right? The angry young man has a feisty feud with Drake, originating in the affection both men have for temptress Rhianna. Brown appears to have won the heart of the lady in question, but both could be hit in the wallet after their fight in a New York night club last summer injured bystanders and the reputation of the club. They escaped criminal charges relating to the incident, but civil claims could still deliver a whack to their bank accounts, and both men have retreated to their respective corners. Drake appears to have ignored Brown’s performance at the recent American Music Awards, reportedly texting on his phone throughout the number, but if the penalties from the civil cases are harsh enough, these men might never patch things up.
Lindsay Lohan vs. Dad Michael Lohan
Admittedly, Lindsay Lohan lost the parent lottery. Nothing will make you appreciate your own father more than hearing whatever latest exploit Michael Lohan has launched to try to gain his daughter’s attention. As Lindsay continues to spiral out of control, facing allegations of bar fights, jewelry theft, car accidents, and tax evasion, her father takes every opportunity to discuss Lindsay’s problems with the media. He claims that he attempted to set up an intervention but that his ex-wife, Dina, refused to take part. He also told CBS recently that he thinks Lindsay has problems with alcohol, cocaine, and sleeping pills, and he used the outlet to place the blame for Lindsay’s problems solely on Dina. As he has been repeating this pattern of airing her personal issues to the media for years now and Lindsay continues to ignore him, it does not seem to be the path to rekindling his relationship with his troubled daughter.
Rage Against The Machine vs. Paul Ryan
The heart wants what the heart wants, but when Vice-Presidential candidate Paul Ryan declared his love for ultra-political indie rockers Rage Against the Machine, the band members gave him a collective “No thanks.” Clearly, Ryan hadn’t ever listened to the lyrics of the band, as singer Tom Morello accurately responded that “Paul Ryan's love of Rage Against the Machine is amusing, because he is the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades." Don’t expect to see Ryan backstage with Rage.
LeAnn Rimes vs. Brandi Glanville
Another catfight that sadly involves children is the Twitter war between LeAnn Rimes and professional Housewife Brandi Glanville. LeAnn met Glanville’s then-husband, Eddie Cibrian, while the two were filming a Lifetime movie, and they both subsequently left their spouses to be together. Glanville was understandably angry, but her continued attacks now seem like desperate attempts by a woman scorned to maintain contact with a man who doesn’t want her anymore. Rather than moving on with her life, she wrote a book about her marriage and continues to profit as a “Real Housewife of Beverly Hills” (how is she a “Housewife” when she isn’t married?), all the while ranting about LeAnn’s alleged eating disorder, laxative addiction, and mental instability. Eddie and LeAnn have tried to take the higher road, but one can only imagine how this public fighting is affecting the children, both of whom are old enough to be hearing about the attacks from friends and schoolmates.
