Actor Interviews That Aged Poorly

The following article includes accounts of domestic violence, substance abuse, and sexual assault.

There is an old saying which states that it's better to regret something you have done than something you haven't done. This idea applies mostly to situations involving missed opportunities: Essentially, if one tries and fails to accomplish something, that will hurt less in the long run than having not tried at all. Where it doesn't apply is in cases where something is said or done that probably shouldn't have happened in the first place — an insensitive phrase, a foolish gesture. We've all had them, and celebrities are no exception.

But unlike most of us, the regrettable statements of celebrities are often preserved for all to see and hear by the media — in interviews or social media, where their gaffes can be viewed over and over again. The following are 12 actors who are probably still smarting over the fallout from these interviews, which haven't aged well at all.

Years after his death in 2020, Sean Connery is still a beloved screen icon thanks to his seven appearances as James Bond, plus his performances in countless other films, including his Oscar-winning turn in "The Untouchables." Often ignored in adoration of Connery's life, however, are ugly statements he made about violence towards women — not once, but on three separate occasions.

In a 1965 interview with Playboy (via news.com.au), Connery stated, "I don't think there is anything particularly wrong about hitting a woman, although I don't recommend doing it in the same way that you'd hit a man." He stood by those comments in a 1987 interview with Barbara Walters. "[Women] want to have the last word, but they're not happy with the last word," said Connery. "They want to say it again, and get into a really provocative situation ... then I think it's absolutely right."

Connery began to backpedal in a 1993 interview with Vanity Fair, although his explanation is more a roundabout confirmation. "I was really saying that to slap a woman was not the crudest thing you can do to her," he said, adding, "Sometimes there are women who want to take it to the wire. That's what they're looking for, the ultimate confrontation — they want a smack." Connery finally disavowed his comments in 2006 after an outcry from social media. "My view is I don't believe that any level of abuse against women is ever justified under any circumstance," he told the Times of London (via the Irish Times).

Bill Cosby isn't the only celebrity to have a throwaway joke about a sensitive subject come back to haunt him. Former "That '70s Show" star Danny Masterson, who was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for two charges of forcible rape, made comments that seemed to allude to a darker nature on multiple occasions. Masterson's 2004 interview on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" saw him discussing his lack of a Long Island accent, despite having been raised there. Masterson said that there are certain words that can't escape an accent, and gives as an example a joke by his friend, actor Bodhi Elfman, who pretended to quote the actor by saying, "Hi, my name is Danny Masterson, would you like to touch my b**ls?"

A seemingly baffled O'Brien asked why Masterson might say such a thing, to which the actor replied, "Everybody should grab." O'Brien quickly retorted, "I've heard about you, and you'll be caught soon." Even more eyebrow-raising was Masterson's 2012 interview on comic actor Kevin Pollack's "Chat Show" podcast, in which he discussed his DJ name, Donkey Punch, which is a slang term for a violent sexual act. The episode, now deleted from the podcast's YouTube page, also featured a clip from the 2009 movie "Made for Each Other," in which Masterson's character, pretending to be a lawyer in a cheap commercial, tells the viewer, "I will rape your spouse ... financially."

Some interviews turn sour for celebrities almost immediately after they're completed, while others marinate for months and even years before landing their full impact. Case in point for the latter: Mindy Kaling's 2016 interview with Conan O'Brien, in which she discussed an improvised kiss with co-star Lee Pace while filming "The Mindy Project." In the scene, Kaling's character was supposed to simply converse with Pace, but as she recalled to O'Brien, "He's so tall and so handsome, and in the middle of that, he was just supposed to be like, 'What do you think of that, Mindy?' and I was like [mimes kissing Pace]."

Kissing an actor without consent is one issue, but how Kaling handled the fallout from the improv was another, more serious problem altogether. When two of the show's writers told her that she could be fired for her actions, Kaling said, "I got very scared. Then I said, 'Tell anyone and you're fired.'" The comment drew laughs at the time of the show's airing, but in 2023, social media posts began surfacing that criticized Kaling for acting in the same privileged and inappropriate manner that had resulted in the cancellation of many male Hollywood figures during the #MeToo movement — of which Kaling had been a vocal supporter.

The subject of abortion has fierce adherents on both sides of the argument, but Lena Dunham managed to offend them both with a comment on a 2016 podcast. Speaking on her series "Women of the Hour" — from which the episode has been scrubbed — the "Girls" creator and star discussed a visit to Planned Parenthood in Texas, where she was invited to share a story about her own experiences with abortion (via Variety). While Dunham noted, "I myself had never had an abortion," the conversation allowed her to address her own long-dormant issues with abortion and exorcise them for good. However, Dunham capped the conversation with a tone-deaf note, stating, "Now I can say that I still haven't had an abortion, but I wish I had."

Response to the comment on social media by anti-choice and pro-choice advocates was, for once, largely united in opposition to Dunham's statement. Anti-choice supporters disliked her position, while pro-choice advocates found her statement flippant and out of touch with the emotional and financial obstacles that many women face when considering abortion. Dunham responded with an apology on Instagram, citing the "sort of 'delusional girl' persona that [she] often inhabits." She also promised to make donations to abortion rights groups in New York, Texas, and Ohio.

Ben Affleck is often open in media interviews about his struggles with alcohol, for which he's sought treatment on several occasions. That candid approach has won Affleck support from fans, but as a 2021 interview on The Howard Stern Show (via Good Morning America) illustrated, it occasionally doesn't spare others from painful feelings. When asked about his marriage to actress Jennifer Garner, Affleck told Stern that if he had remained with her rather than divorcing in 2018, he'd probably still be drinking.

"It's part of why I started drinking," said Affleck, who said that feeling trapped in the marriage led him to drown his feelings in alcohol. "I was like, 'I can't leave 'cause of my kids, but I'm not happy, what do I do?'" Affleck later added that the demise of the marriage was ultimately due to the couple growing apart. "We had a marriage that didn't work," he said. "This happens, with somebody that I love and respect, but to whom I shouldn't be married any longer."

Admitting one's faults is part of recovery from addiction, but so is owning up to one's role in those mistakes. Affleck appeared to lay the blame for the marriage's end at the feet of Garner, but only acknowledged that his response was wrong. Affleck later walked back his comments to various media sources, claiming that his statements had been taken out of context.

In addition to her Oscar-winning career as an actress, which includes multiple appearances as Pepper Potts in "Iron Man" and other MCU titles, Gwyneth Paltrow also oversees the wildly successful health and lifestyle website Goop.com. Paltrow and Goop have earned a loyal following, as well as media attention for some of the site's more outre endorsements: A 2016 article in the U.K.'s Independent cites apitherapy, which involves multiple bee stings to cure inflammation, and a process for women that involves herbal steaming and a part of the body that probably wants neither herbs nor steam.

All of this made her 2011 comment about processed cheese something of an eyebrow-raiser. In a 2012 Q&A on Goop.com, a fan asked Paltrow to confirm an answer she gave to interviewer Jonathan Ross in 2011, who wanted to know if the actress would rather eat cheese from a can or smoke crack cocaine. Paltrow, who stated crack as her choice in 2011, doubled down in 2012, stating, "Hell yes. You know, crack might be extreme, but spray cheese is not my kind of party." What's not being said here: crack cocaine is most likely not its user's party either, especially given that addiction to a debilitating and often lethal narcotic is not ever a choice. Equating junk food with deadly drugs was not only tone-deaf but also completely divorced from reality.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues or may be the victim of domestic violence or sexual abuse, contact the relevant resources below:

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
• The National Domestic Violence website or contact their Hotline at 1−800−799−7233.
• The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).