We often forget that celebrities are just regular people, going about their days like anyone else. Because of that, when we finally meet the stars that we idolize in public, it can be a bit strange. You might randomly run into a movie star and trip over your tongue, or maybe spot a famous musician who aggressively chews you out.
Point is, you can never control when you're going to bump into a celeb, and that can lead to plenty of awkwardness. Here are 25 people who had a less than ideal encounter with a celeb in real life. Some are funny, some are sad, and some are literally painful!
Extreme Diva Needs A Make Over
Ty Pennington from the show Extreme Home Makeover is painted as quite the diva by a member of the crew.
During one incident, he threw a beer at someone on the production team and stayed in his RV while his colleagues met with fans.
John Cusack's Turbulent Time
According to one fan, John Cusack is not the ultimate airplane passenger.
During a flight, he refused to put his seat up from a reclining position, which resulted in a kid bashing heads with the actor several times throughout the bumpy flight.
Hugh Laurie's Not A Fan Of Mice
Most may know Hugh Laurie from the popular show House, but when a fan went up to him in London, they only had Stuart Little on hand to reference.
When the fan said, "Hey, you're the dad in Stuart Little," the actor told the fan to, "f--k off."
A Golden Celebrity Encounter
Usually, when you go to the movies you don't expect to encounter celebrities in person, nevermind running into them in the men's room, but that's exactly what happened when one man decided to relieve himself.
Mid-way, he realized that someone was peeing on his shoe at the urinal. After smacking the guy in the shoulder, he realized that 80's hotshot Corey Feldman was the offender.
Gwyneth Paltrow's Divine Narcissism
Someone's co-worker had an inadvertently awkward encounter with Gwyneth Paltrow when the star thought the person was taking a photo of her while dining at a nearby table.
Paltrow loudly said for the person to hear, "Ugh you know, I hate when people take pictures of me without my permission."
Vince Vaughn's Bad Day
Vince Vaughn may look like a happy go lucky guy in the movies, but he wasn't in the best of moods during a fan encounter.
During an unexpected meeting, Vaughn reportedly told someone to "f--k off."
Wil Wheaton's Passion For Big Bang Theory
Star Trek actor and resident nerd Wil Wheaton told someone's friend that they were a "s----y" person and struggled with "internalized misogyny" after they admitted they didn't like the CBS sitcom Big Bang Theory.
While the show does have die hard fans, who knew Wil Wheaton was so passionate about the show?
Don't Bother Bieber
After a Justin Bieber concert, a fan ran into him at a restaurant.
When she went up to him and explained how huge of a fan she was and asked if she could get a photo, Bieber rudely replied, "If you were really one of my biggest fans you would know I like my privacy, so f--k off!"
Surf's Up With John C. Reilly
Not every awkward celebrity encounter is horrible - here's a hilarious one. Actor John C. Reilly was spotted by a fellow surfer in Nantucket.
Once the surfer spotted the actor and noticed he was barely hanging on to his beginner surfboard, he paddled on over. When the surfer reached him, the actor said, "Hey man, I'm just trying to hang out here with my surf gang. We call ourselves the Dark Bastards."
Pinned By Jay Leno
A 14-year-old was backed up against a wall by Jay Leno, but it's not what you think.
The 14-year-old's friend was backstage at The Tonight Show and wanted to introduce the friend to Leno, but when he came into the room, the host didn't see the 14-year-old and turned his back to talk to someone else, while simultaneously pinning the teen to the wall. Talk about an awkward encounter.
Don't Help Billy Corgan
Here's a tip -- if Billy Corgan from The Smashing Pumpkins is buying music, best to leave him alone. The lead singer was buying music when someone from customer service asked if they could help.
To that Corgan replied, "I know what I need don't try to sell me anything." Followed by a cold look.
Almost BFFs With Rihanna
This one isn't exactly an encounter, so we're calling it a missed opportunity. One fan's father was hired as a bodyguard when superstar Rihanna visited Denmark.
After the fact, the father reveals that he was the bodyguard for Riri, but the real kicker is when he said, "You could have met Rihanna, but I forgot about you." That's cold!
Emma Watson's Sweat Problem
Sometimes the awkward encounter is caused by a fan.
When one excited fan met Emma Watson, they noted that the Harry Potter star was very nice and signed an autograph, but the experience was almost ruined due to the fan's "excessive sweating." How uncomfortable!
Bizarre Coachella Encounter
Danny DeVito was spotted drunk at Coachella being a complete moron.
An onlooker said that when a fan went up to say hi, DeVito put his hand out to the fan, and then pulled it back only to laugh in their face. Ouch!
While At A Bar Don't Be An Andy
If you run into Andy Dick at a bar, odds are you should run the other way.
According to one fan, Mr. Dick spent the whole night hitting on their younger brother and following him "relentlessly."
John Cleese's Wrong Order
One barista detailed their awkward encounter with actor John Cleese when the star came into the coffee shop to order a latte with vanilla and caramel. Since the barista was rushing, they forgot the caramel, and Cleese grabbed the drink and that's when the awkwardness ensued.
" looked at me and we both knew I f---ed up but we were so busy he just took it and left without saying anything."
Connie Chung's Bad Side
A military escort described his experience in the 90s with reporter Connie Chung as he blocked her and many reporters from invading the personal space of military families.
At the time, the military escort said, "She was screaming at me like a banshee. 'Do you know who I am?" she said. I said, 'Yeah, I know you, Chung, now chill out.' Diane Sawyer on the other hand was a real sweetheart."
Bumpin' In The Whip With Robin Thicke
One fan was visiting their aunt in Los Angeles, and while driving around, they asked if she had seen anyone famous.
As soon as she said no, Robin Thicke pulled up to them in his Porsche. Good thing "Blurred Lines" wasn't playing in their car!
The Ultimate B
Even celebrities get their dogs groomed, but not everyone is nice.
One former dog groomer said that 90210 star Shannen Doherty was "very much a b---h," citing that she never tipped even though she brought her five dogs in to get groomed.
Up In The Air With Jonathan Frakes
Another flight, another celebrity encounter! This time a fan recognized Star Trek alum Jonathan Frakes (Riker).
Once the two locked eyes, Frakes gave a smirk and a "slow nod" to confirm the wordless look of recognition that washed over the fan's face. The only bad part is the fan never got up the nerve to say anything.
B List Boyband Dreams Crushed
This girl got her teen dreams crushed when she blew a kiss to a B listed boyband member. He "caught" her kiss and mocked her to her face.
Later on, she also discovered that all of their gifts at the meet and greet were being tossed in a trash bin. Ouch!
Know When To Pick Your Battles
A person randomly witnessed coach Jimmy Johnson having an argument in Dallas with a parking attendant about not paying a $75 parking fee, despite being a millionaire.
Don't Make Fun Of A Celebrity To Their Face
One good tip is to not make fun of the celebrity if they're right in front of your face.
One person went on to explain an awkward story about how they were pointing out an uncanny resemblance someone had to Burton Cummings. The person discovered mid-snicker that is was, in fact, Burton Cummings when the pair locked eyes. Awkward.
A Petty Guitarist
The guitarist from Tom Petty's band (Mike Campbell) didn't make the best impression on a young 13-year-old boy.
When asked what instrument he played, the young boy said percussion but "mostly" the xylophone. Instead of encouraging the boy, the guitarist said that was "gay."