In 2006 , Kim Kardashian and Nick Lachey went out one prison term . She later credited that engagement as her rise to fame , but he said , " permit ’s just say this : We went to a movie . No one followed us there . Somehow , enigmatically , when we left , there were 30 lensman waiting outside . There are sure ways to play this game , and some people play it well . "
Warning: Some entries mention body-shaming.
Sometimes, celebrity news stories seem too convenient — or too weird! — to be true. Fans often accuse certain relationships or viral moments of being publicity stunts. Occasionally, the celebsshut downthose rumors, but other times, they admit that they’re true.
Here are 14 times that big celeb headline news stories turned out to be PR stunts:
1.THE STORY: In 2006,Nick Lacheywent on a single date withKim Kardashian. There were a ton of paparazzi, and in the 2010 bookKardashian Konfidential, Kim credited that date as her launch to fame.
THE TRUTH: In 2019, Nick toldWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, “Let’s just say this: We went to a movie. No one followed us there. Somehow, mysteriously, when we left, there were 30 photographers waiting outside. There are certain ways to play this game, and some people play it well.”
2.THE STORY: In 2019,dating rumorssurroundedRachel BilsonandThe Bacheloralum Nick Viall. Theyflirtedon Instagram and went todinnerwith friends.
THE TRUTH: Appearing on Nick’s podcast,The Viall Files, in 2023, Rachel said, “No, Nick and I never dated… We were messing around, not with each other, but with the internet.”
Nick bestow , " We were both epically single , and we wanted the aid . "
They affirm that , after Rachel appear on his podcast in 2019 , they deciding that faking a relationship would be a great agency to promoteThe Bachelorpodcast they contrive to start together . However , she ultimately decide not to do the podcast , so there was no reason for their simulated romanticism to proceed .
3.THE STORY: In 2005, rumors circulated thatJay-Zwas cheating on Beyoncé with his protégé Rihanna, who was a new artist at the time. The storyreportedlycontributed to Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s year-long breakup.
THE TRUTH: In 2015, Rihanna’s former publicist, Jonathan Hay, admitting to making up the rumor to promote her debut single, “Pon de Replay.” He toldInside Edition, “It was all a publicity stunt… I was desperate at the time because I wanted to have a hit record.”
In the unauthorised biographyBecoming Beyoncé : The Untold Story , he also said , " The public relations stunt that I did was out of desperation to help infract ' Pon de Replay . ' It was heedless , and I did n’t think it was going to work . I was just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick . "
4.THE STORY: In 2021, theNew York Postpublished paparazzi pictures of Grimes walking down the street and readingThe Communist Manifestoafter she broke up with Elon Musk.
THE TRUTH: Sharing the pictures on herInstagram, Grimes wrote, “I was really stressed when paparazzi wouldn’t stop following me this wk but then I realized it was opportunity to troll .. i swear this headline omg wtf haha im dead…Anyway if paparazzi keep chasing me perhaps I will try to think of more ways to meme - suggestions welcome! [sic]”
She also wrote , " Full disclosure I ’m still endure with [ Elon ] and I am not a commie ( although there are some very smart ideas in this Word of God -but in person I ’m more concerned in a radical decentralized ubi that I retrieve could potentially be achieved thru crypto and gaming but I have n’t press that idea out enough yet to explicate it . irrespective my opinions on political sympathies are difficult to describe because the political system that cheer me the most have not yet been implemented ) . [ sic ] "
5.THE STORY: When Joaquin Phoenix appeared on theLate Show with David Lettermanin 2009, he claimed that he was quitting acting to pursue a hip-hop career.
You can (and honestly should!) watch the entire interview below:
THE TRUTH: Both the interview and the “role” Joaquin played in the press turned out to be part ofI’m Still Here, a “mockumentary” shot by his then-brother-in-law Casey Affleck. Though there wasspeculation, they didn’tconfirmit until after the movie was released.
6.THE STORY: In a 2013 video forMTV News, DJ Khaled publicly proposed to Nicki Minaj.
Here’s the full video:
THE TRUTH: A few days later, Nicki toldHot 97’s Funkmaster Flexthat it had been a publicity stunt to promote his song “Take It to the Head,” which featured her. She said, “Khaled is my brother, and Khaled was not serious with that damn proposal, ya’ll. Please let it go. He was kidding. He’s not attracted to me, he doesn’t like me. We’re brother and sister.”
She also aver , " I was shocked just like the rest of the world . I was break through up laughing with the rest of the existence ‘cause Khaled is a professional at what he does … It was just another way for him to kinda give the cosmos a glance on the feeling of this disk . Nobody in my veridical life-time took it seriously . Everybody just hit me like , ' LOL . Yo , Khaled is crazy . ' "
7.THE STORY: At the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, Sacha Baron Cohen — who in character as his titular role fromBrüno— was flying through the air on wires when he flipped the wrong way and begged to be lowered down. He landed on top of Eminem with his butt in the rapper’s face.
THE TRUTH: A few days later, Eminem toldRap Radar, “Sacha called me when we were in Europe, and he had an idea to do something outrageous at the Movie Awards. I’m a big fan of his work, so I agreed to get involved with the gag.”
" I ’m thrilled that we pulled this off better than we practise it , " he add .
8.THE STORY: In 2006, Steve-O and Nicole Richie were at the center ofdating rumors.
THE TRUTH: Appearing onThe Howard Stern Showlater that year, Steve-O said that he was fine with the fact that, since she’d just broken off her engagement, she was actually interested in dating or hooking up with him. He said, “It’s, like, by far more important to me to continue going around town with the paparazzi chasing us everywhere. Because the truth is, what she wanted, was to get some media coverage that wasn’t about her being fucking skinny…”
Jokingly , he add together , " It was a ridiculous publicity stunt … ' [ I ’ll ] operate around with fucking Steve - O , and they wo n’t be talking about how penny-pinching I am . They ’ll say I ’ve lost my goddamn mind . ' "
9.THE STORY: Nicole Richie and Brody Jennerreportedlydated for about two months in 2006.
THE TRUTH: In a MySpace post Nicole made after their split, she said, “The truth is, we were never really together. We hung out, and he’s a nice guy, but my heart was never in it. Anything further is just a cry for publicity.” Then, in a 2007 profile on Brody, his “manager/publicist/agent/stylist” Spencer Pratt toldDetailsmagazine that the relationship had been his idea to help get his friend’s name out there.
Making light of the tabloids’fixationwith Nicole ’s system of weights during the ' 00s , Spencer lay claim that he assure Brody , " Here ’s what you ’re gon na do . You ’re gon na start go steady Nicole Richie . And you ’re gon na get that skinny bitch to eat , all correct ? You are about to become The Guy Who Got Nicole Richie to Eat . Process that cocksucker , bro . You ’ll be , like , a fuckingheroto America . "
10.THE STORY: In late 2006,The Hillscostars Brody Jenner and Lauren Conradreportedlydated and even kissed on the show.
THE TRUTH: In 2019, Brody toldEntertainment Tonight, “We never actually dated. In the beginning, we had a little kind of chemistry, and we hung out, and I think it played pretty well on screen. I think that they, the producers, really wanted us to keep that going, even though we just wanted to be friends.”
He continued , " But she ’s great . We had a large time . It was so wanton to work on with her . It was so easy to film scene with her and do poppycock and act like we were [ together ] , because we really did bask each other ’s company . We really liked each other , just not in that romantic path . "
When their fellow former costar Spencer Pratt appeared onCall Her Daddyin 2022 , he admitted to orchestrating the fake relationship to complement his veridical kinship with his now - wife , Heidi Montag . He said , " I babble out Brody into breaking up with Nicole Richie to fudge double - date with LC . "
11.THE STORY: In 2016, Tara Reid and Dean Mayappearedas a couple on the rocks onMarriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars.
THE TRUTH: In thepenultimate episode, Tara and Dean got into an argument. He said, “We’re just friends. We’re not having a relationship.” She replied, “I did it for you because you said, ‘I just wanna make a little bit of money, and I wouldn’t mind the fame.'” The counselors, Jim and Elizabeth Carroll, watched the recorded fight and confronted them about their lies in the finale.
In aconfessional , Tara said , " He owes money in revenue enhancement , and he could use the money , and he would n’t mind the fame . So I injure up doing the show for him , so he could get out of trouble . "
Dean later said , " She told me she did the show because I needed the money . That ’s the most bullshit thing in the whole world . I did the show as a favor to her . " He also unwrap that he had a real girl at the time .
Tara and Dean got kick off of the show .
CBS / Viayoutube.com
12.THE STORY: OnThe BacheloretteSeason 19 finale, Hannah Brown gotengagedto musician Jed Wyatt after fans watched them fall in love.
THE TRUTH: While the season was airing, Haley Stevens — another musician who alleged that she was dating Jed before he went on the show — toldPeople, “He told me [the show] was just an obstacle and we’d be stronger on the other side because of it… He told me [early on] that he had applied. He said, ‘It’s probably not going to happen, but it’s a huge opportunity. I’m only doing this for my music.’ He only did it for his career.”
She said , " He was always so reassuring . He told me , it ’s not actual . It ’s acting … He called me when he landed in LA [ for filming ] . He said , ' I love you , and I ’ll call you when I get back . ' "
However , she sound out that , after he returned home to Nashville , he did n’t call her , and after she phoned him to confront him , they never utter again .
Between filming the proposal and the lively specialAfter the Final Rose , HannahconfrontedJed about Haley ’s interview . DuringAFR , she confirmed that they ’d call off the engagement .
You can watch the full clip of Hannah confronting Jed about his alleged secret relationship below:
13.THE STORY: YouTubers Jake Paul and Erika Costell had apublic relationshipin 2017. They made a video about theirVegas weddingand continued to vlog about being amarried couple.
THE TRUTH: Three months later, Jake admitted that their marriage wasn’t legit. He told theNew York Times, “We’re not even actually dating. It’s like the WWE. People know that’s fake, and it’s one of the biggest things of entertainment.”
However , theyreportedlyending up dating for actual , but they collapse up in belated 2018 .
14.And finally, THE STORY: In 2019, following a month-long engagement, Jake Paul and fellow YouTuber Tana Mongeautied the knotin a live-streamed Las Vegaswedding. Theybroke upin early 2023.
THE TRUTH: Two weeks later, Tanarevealedin a vlog that they weren’t legally married. A few months after their split, Jake confirmed it had been a publicity stunt, tellingEntertainment Tonight, “We all do things sometimes. And sometimes you end up getting fake married.”
" So I ’ll exit it at that , " he tell .
