Katie Peterson
Table of Contents
You know what they always say: don’t put your favorite celebrities on a pedestal because they’ll end up disappointing you. Well, that statement couldn’t be more accurate for the singers on this list. They may have money and fame, but they aren’t always the nicest when it comes to showing respect and grace to their fans. As actress Anne Hathaway once said, the reason [celebrities] won the lottery is because [fans] bought a ticket.
Here’s our list of the 22 meanest singers of all time. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
1. Miranda Lambert
This country “diva” is no exaggeration when we start discussing the meanest singers of all time, and she’s one that has been making numerous headlines lately. Be prepared to potentially be called out or berated if you’re taking a selfie or getting into shenanigans at one of Miranda Lambert’s shows.
From slashing beach balls with her pocketknife to saying “she doesn’t like it” if a back is turned to her, she hasn’t always shown much grace to her fans who spend the money to come and see her. Recently, she even stopped performing “Tin Man” to call out some girls taking selfies instead of “listening to the music.”
Related: Miranda Lambert’s Net Worth
2. Adam Levine
In his early years of fame, Adam Levine may have been the bad boy heartthrob of Maroon 5, but according to many fans, he was an actual bad boy to fans.
He reportedly lived up to the “bad boy” part of his persona, allegedly once telling a fan that he “didn’t give autographs to ugly chicks,” and during an interview, apparently stated that “one of the perks of being a rockstar” is dating a model.
Thankfully, since marrying his wife, Behati Prinsloo, in 2014 and welcoming two daughters, he seems to have become much humbler.
Related: 15 Best Maroon 5 Songs: Discover the Pop Rock Mainstays
3. Britney Spears
Britney Spears may have a reputation for being the biggest pop star of the 1990s and early 2000s, but she also has a reputation for being mean to her fans.
From yelling at fans to refusing to sign autographs, to canceling concerts deemed a “waste of her time” and even going so far as to call an 8-year-old girl a “s****,” Spears has rubbed many people the wrong way. Becoming a star at such a young age might have something to do with her attitude.
Related: Britney Spears Biography
4. Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande has had no shortage of mean and questionable behavior both during interviews and toward her fans. She found herself estranged from the public after stating in 2015, “I hate Americans. I hate America” while visiting a California donut shop where she also licked several pastries without paying for them.
She has also been known to mistreat fans, even sometimes walking out on meet-and-greets because she didn’t like photos. Also, after a meet-and-greet with fans, upon getting in the elevator, she allegedly once said, “I hope they all [expletive] die.”
Related: 28 Interesting Facts about Ariana Grande
5. Lea Michele
We all loved her on Glee, but according to fans and former co-stars, Lea Michele isn’t the nicest person behind the scenes. Actress Samantha Ware claims that the “Cannonball” singer made many bullying comments to her, including racially insensitive ones. “She had an issue because I had laughed [while watching a scene from the show], and that’s when the ‘I’m going to [expletive] in your wig’ comment happened,” the star told Variety.
While we’re not letting her off the hook, unlike many of the meanest singers of all time on our list, Michele publicly apologized for her behavior exclusively through Glamour after more allegations from her co-stars surfaced, including Amber Riley and Alex Newell.
6. Jennifer Lopez
TikTok blew up when several people named Jennifer Lopez during a viral post asking users to share “a time a celebrity was rude to you.”
Apparently, you shouldn’t get excited if you’re providing customer service to the “I’m Real” singer. One alleged that Lopez yelled at her for not having the correct shoe sizes in stock at a Foot Locker, while a maid at a house where the “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” singer was staying forced a pedicurist to paint her toenails upside down because she refused to shift from laying on her stomach.
Related: Jennifer Lopez’s Biography
7. Justin Bieber
Considering the endless praise he’s gotten from his fans over the years, it might surprise you to see the “STAY” singer on our list of the meanest singers of all time. Recently, however, Justin Bieber has shown on numerous occasions that he’s not always about the love when it comes to fans.
There are many instances of his lapses in character, from his 2015 Snapchat rant about taking photos with fans to his storming off stage in Norway to his quitting meet-and-greets with Beliebers because it’s “spiritually draining” (what a tool lol). While we’ll admit he has some valid points about wanting to feel respected and like a human being to fans, the way he approaches it often comes off as whiney and unlikeable.
Related: Justin Bieber
8. Kanye West
Considering the infamous 2009 VMA moment when he interrupted Taylor Swift’s speech on stage, it isn’t all that surprising to see Kanye West grace our list of the meanest singers of all time.
He isn’t so gracious with his fans, either. When he saw a fan not dancing with everyone else, he reportedly stopped a concert, saying he wouldn’t continue performing unless she started dancing with the rest “unless you got a handicap pass and get special parking and [expletive].”
He put his foot in his mouth once again, as it turns out the fan was in a wheelchair with a prosthetic leg.
Related: Who Is Kanye West?
9. Rihanna
With the internet age, the problem of bullying has only increased in recent years, with cyberbullying becoming a huge problem many fans face. You don’t expect that kind of treatment from your idols, though. Unfortunately for one 16-year-old in 2014, Rihanna became a cyber bully.
After Alexis Carter posted a prom picture donning a bat-winged pantsuit inspired by the “Pon de Replay” singer, the latter tweeted a sad face with the photo and then another post featuring a side-by-side of Carter and the bat-like logo of the Wu-Tang Clan.
Understandably, Carter responded to Fox Baltimore in disappointment toward the singer. “I was very offended. Why throw shade on it when you had on the exact same thing? The poses was (sic) different, but the outfit wasn’t. She doesn’t love her fans like she says she does.”
Related: 20 Facts About Rihanna
10. Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera may be a little bit full of herself at times, whether it’s to fans or her fellow celebrities. While serving as a judge on The Voice, she allegedly berated a contestant when they didn’t pay enough attention to her critiques and even got slightly on the edge of sexual misconduct by repeatedly asking one of the male singers to remove his pants.
She even reportedly was mean to Hot in Cleveland actress Valerie Bertinelli, who complimented the singer’s beautiful voice, to which the “Tough Lover” singer replied, “Yeah, whatever.”
Related: 16 Interesting Christina Aguilera Facts
11. Demi Lovato
While there haven’t been any standout reports since she came into the spotlight, according to one Reddit post, Demi Lovato was the mean girl on set before Disney turned her around.
“Demi Lovato. She was a [expletive] to everybody, and everybody hated her. She actually was the bully,” the user wrote. “Then she started with Disney, and she couldn’t take the criticism the world gave her. I guess that’s why people are bullies, right? They’re insecure. I think she’s nice now, though. I don’t judge people by how they were when they were young.”
Related: Demi Lovato’s Net Worth
12. Eminem
Eminem has often proved why he’s considered one of the meanest singers of all time. He is known for using controversial topics and often gruesome lyrics to fuel his raps, including Chris Brown’s assault on Rihanna and the Manchester bombing outside of an Ariana Grande concert. He has also had lyrics expressing his desire to punch Lana Del Rey and once used a homophobic slur aimed at fellow rapper Tyler the Creator.
Related: Eminem’s Net Worth
13. Deadmau5
Like another on our meanest singers of all time list, Deadmau5 is known for being a troll on the internet.
From comments deemed homophobic and transphobic to calling the music of fellow DJ and music producer Slushii “AIDS [expletive] music” and “autistic [expletive].”
14. John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp is apparently very particular regarding how fans act during one of his live shows. Just this past March in San Francisco, a YouTube video captured the “Jack and Diane” singer making a “public service announcement” before continuing with the show.
“In this next section, if you’re one of these mother[expletive]s that has to scream and yell and draw attention to yourself, would you go out in the hallway and do it? I don’t like when people do that. And some of these people paid money to hear music, and they don’t want to hear your [expletive] mouth anyway.”
While we may see his point, again, there’s a classier way of relaying the information.
15. Evan Dando
Don’t make The Lemonheads’ Evan Dando mad, or you’ll be the source of a major Twitter rant. In 2022, the singer released a string of Tweets against the alternative rock band Jawbreaker after The Lemonheads were removed from the former’s tour.
“I just want anyone and everyone to know that Jawbreakers are [expletive]. Fact, not my opinion,” Dando wrote in the first of several Tweets. “Or rather, they aren’t the Bruce Springsteens of alternative rock that they pretend to be. I’ll meet any of them any time for a fight. Let’s go.”
Even before he was famous, Dando was deemed not very pleasant by a Reddit user who claimed he was bullied by the future alternative rock singer and his friends.
16. Wes Scantlin
A whole slew of misbehaviors has plagued Wes Scantlin, the frontman of Puddle of Mud, but a performance in Marietta, Ohio, most solidifies his place as one of the meanest singers of all time.
He reportedly stormed off the stage after verbally abusing a fan. During the bizarre incident, Scantlin yelled at a concertgoer, accusing him of “stealing his house” and “laughing at him.”
17. Jack White
Jack White of the White Stripes hasn’t always been the perfect idol to fans.
He’s been known to be so strict about how things play out during his shows that during his 2018 solo tour, he provided locked pouches for fans’ phones, providing only certain designated spots for their usage.
While we deem it extreme, we appreciate his desire for fans to enjoy the concert and for coming up with a less rude way of making his wishes known compared to others on our meanest singers of all time list.
Related: Jack White’s Net Worth
18. Gene Simmons
In a world where mental health remains a hot topic, and many are trying to advocate that it’s a struggle that must be recognized, it doesn’t bode well that Gene Simmons of KISS made headlines in 2014 after commenting on people who struggle with depression and other mental health issues.
Songfacts quoted him as saying, “I’m the guy who says, ‘Jump!’ when there’s a guy on top of a building who says, ‘That’s it, I can’t take it anymore. I’m going to jump.’ Are you kidding? Why are you announcing it? Shut the [expletive] up, have some dignity, and jump! You’ve got the crowd.”
Related: 18 Wild and Shocking Facts About the Rock Band KISS
19. Billy Corgan
Apparently, Billy Corgan doesn’t know how to take a compliment.
According to Reddit users, the frontman of the Smashing Pumpkins isn’t very gracious to his fans. One wrote that he saw Corgan in a club while on tour. Instead of thanking the fan when he told the “Rhinoceros” singer that he was a huge fan, Corgan responded by saying his opinion was “[expletive] bs” and to “[expletive] off.”
This sparked a whole host of other fans chiming in on the discussion, with one user noting, “I like the Pumpkins, but Billy is the most pretentious knob just for the sake of being a pretentious knob.”
20. Madonna
Don’t be surprised if the Queen of Pop signs something other than her name if you ask her for an autograph.
According to one fan, Madonna once wrote “[expletive] you” instead of signing a proper autograph for a fan.
She’s also been known to be mean during her live shows, yelling at the frustrated crowd after she was more than an hour late to start a 2015 England concert, as well as humiliating a fan during a concert when they didn’t know the words to “Open Your Heart.”
Related: 41 Interesting Facts About Madonna
21. Jared Leto
Last on our list of meanest singers list is Jared Leto.
According to Thought Catalog, one fan was badly treated by the star. “The band was autographing things after the show, so I waited in line. They all talked amongst themselves as they absentmindedly signed autographs,” the fan said. “When I got to Jared Leto, I said, ‘Hey, that was a great show.’ He responded, ‘I signed your [expletive], now [expletive] off.’”
22. John Mayer
He may be singing for mothers and fathers to be good to their daughters, but John Mayer sure doesn’t keep that sentiment in his personal life about how to treat a woman.
Fans everywhere got a really good taste of what we mean when Jessica Simpson released her autobiography, Open Book, in February of 2020. Along with sharing the road throughout her career in music, both country and pop, as well as her success as a businesswoman, particularly in fashion, Simpson shared the ups and downs of her many high-profile relationships. Of them all, her relationship with Mayer was the craziest as she told of his continual emotional abuse and how the “Free Fallin'” singer’s constant negativity in her life even led to her breakup with former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
Even after all is finally said and done, Mayer talks complete trash about his ex-girlfriends, including making comments with inappropriate sexist and racist themes. Talk about a Class-A jerk to end this meanest singers of all time list.
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