Celebrities Caught Lip-Syncing
Outside of celebrities having fun on shows like Jimmy Fallon and Lip Sync Battle, lip-syncing actually has a long history of controversy. From movie stars who couldn’t sing to performers who were sick or just too nervous, numerous celebs have been caught—but some of them still haven't admitted it.
What is Lip-Syncing?
Lip-syncing is the practice of performing to a recording. In and of itself, it’s not a bad practice. Lip-syncing is an accepted part of some art forms, notably drag performances. Where it becomes a problem is when an artist is using it to mislead an audience or take credit for another’s work.
If you're trying to make people think you're singing, but you're not? That's when people get mad.
Milli Vanilli
Singers Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus of Milli Vanilli were bonafide stars after the release of their debut album, which earned them a Best New Artist Grammy award in 1988. Producer Frank Farian brought the duo together and they quickly became dance pop sensations of the late 1980s.
There was just one problem...
Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Where They Did It: Club MTV
Milli Vanilli’s indescretions came to light when a technical malfunction in a live performance revealed that the singers were miming to a tape track. Embarrassing—but it gets worse.
While this kind of lip-syncing may not have been enough to ruin their careers, it later came out that the vocals on their albums had been performed by another singer, Charles Shaw, and Rob and Fab were lip-syncing the whole time!
picture alliance, Getty Images
Ashlee Simpson
The younger sister of pop icon Jessica Simpson, Ashlee Simpson was carving out a solid career for herself in the early 2000s. Like many successful up-and-coming artists, Simpson was invited to showcase her hits on the venerable comedy variety show Saturday Night Live.
Where They Did It: Saturday Night Live
No one knew that Simpson was lip-syncing through her first song, “Pieces of Me”, but when it came time to perform her second number for the night, Ashlee’s vocals for “Pieces” started playing again, tipping everyone off. To make things worse, rather than just owning it, Simpson blamed anyone she could for the gaff. Her career never recovered.
Rascal Flatts
Country music stars Rascal Flatts also fell afoul of lip-syncing. However, their situation offers a reason that, every now and again, a band or performer might choose to mime to their own music. One of their hits was a song called “Rewind”.
Melissa Dale, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Where They Did It: ACM Fan Jam
While performing at an Academy of Country Music event in 2014, fans noticed that the “live” rendition of “Rewind” sounded identical to the album version. The band didn’t deny that they were lip-syncing. Lead singer Gary LeVox had done so many performances that he lost his voice. Rather than canceling their appearance, the band chose to mime over the original track.
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan was a well-known film actor when she decided to follow one of her dreams and record a music album. In 2004, Lohan released her pop-punk-influenced album Speak, fulfilling that dream and, she thought, kickstarting another part of her successful career.
Featureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock
Where They Did It: Good Morning, America
The day before her album was released, Lohan was the guest on Good Morning, America, and was slated to perform the single from her album, a track called “Rumors”. This turned out to be another performance that sounded identical to the album version of the track, though Lohan denied allegations of lip-syncing and claimed only backing tracks were pre-recorded.
Cher
An iconic singer and fashion plate, it may seem inconceivable to fans that Cher would lip-sync any of her music. The singer has had success across multiple decades, always seeming to be authentic to herself and her music.
M Abancourt, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Where They Did It: The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Cher’s lip-sync debacle, like that of Rascal Flatts, seems to come from a good place. While on the Ellen show promoting an album recorded with her 87-year-old mother, the two performed a lip-synced track. Cher later explained that her mother had been quite sick, and they didn’t want to exacerbate things by making her sing on the show.
Syndication, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Sarah Harding
A member of British girl group Girls Aloud, Sarah Harding had a relatively successful solo career after the band broke up. Sadly, Harding passed away from complications due to breast cancer in 2021, at the very young age of 39.
XL XR2, CC SA 1.0, Wikimedia Commons
Where They Did It: Lorraine
In 2015, Harding was invited to promote her latest single on the television show Lorraine. Harding clearly mimed along to the single “Threads”, and caught a good deal of flak from viewers over the performance. Seemingly a one-off, the talented singer was never accused of miming again in her short career.
50 Cent
Given the amount of rapid-fire lyrics in many rap songs, it seems like it would be difficult to lip-sync convincingly to a track. This appeared to be the case for acclaimed rap artist 50 Cent at his Black Entertainment Awards performance.
Alex Const, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Where They Did It: The BET Awards
50 Cent was well into a performance of his song “Amusement Park” when it became pretty clear he was lip-syncing. Realizing this, the rapper just stopped trying, let the backing track continue to play, and began wandering randomly through the audience.
Britney Spears
One of the most popular and well-known pop singers of the last few decades, Britney Spears has been accused of lip-syncing since the very beginnings of her career. So much scrutiny and time in the spotlight led Spears to some very public breakdowns, but she continues to make music and entertain her legions of fans.
Where They Did It: The MTV Awards and Las Vegas
Britney has had two prominent lip-syncing scandals. First, during a difficult time of her life in 2007, she was caught out on stage at the Music Television Video Awards. And then during her residency in Las Vegas, Spears lip-synced her song “Perfume” using the vocals of the singer Sia, who had recorded a demo of the song for the pop diva.
Britney: Piece of Me, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
Michael Jackson
Before his death in 2009, Michael Jackson was the undisputed King of Pop. His career stretched back to the 1970s and included some of the best-selling and most popular songs and albums of all time. While his personal life was somewhat controversial, his musical talent thrilled milions.
Where They Did It: Motown 25th Anniversary Concert
During his Motown 25th Anniversary performance of the hit “Billie Jean”, Jackson premiered his famous Moonwalk before an enthusiastic crowd. What many didn’t realize is that he was lip-syncing to his own track due to concerns over managing both the lyrics to the song and the complex dance moves he hoped to perform.
Motown Pictures, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn is remembered as one of Hollywood's great talents from the 1960s. Known as much for her acting chops as for her impeccable style, she has become an icon, influencing artists and fashion for decades. But not a lot of people realize she was lip syncing in one of her most iconic performances.
Where They Did It: My Fair Lady
Hepburn was known to have a decent singing voice, but for My Fair Lady, producers decided that she would only deliver Eliza Doolittle's speaking lines, while singer Marni Nixon was responsible for the songs Hepburn mimed in the famous film. A little rude, if you ask me.
Warner Bros., My Fair Lady (1964)
Beyoncé
The quality of Beyoncé’s vocal prowess can hardly be called into question. From her early days in Destiny’s Child to her current day international stardom, Queen Bey has demonstrated her talent as a performer, singer, songwriter, and businesswoman many times over.
Everett Collection, Shutterstock
Where They Did It: Barack Obama’s Inaguration
Despite all of her talents, it came as a shock to some that Beyoncé’s performance of the American national anthem at the 2013 presidential inauguration was lip-synced. When asked about it, Beyoncé did not deny the allegations, explaining that she had chosen to do so due to a lack of rehearsal time with the orchestra.
The Beatles
In the early days of rock music, it was not uncommon for performers to lip-sync to their big hits on television. Even The Beatles, considered to be one of the greatest musical acts of all time, had to perform this way, a fact that often did not sit well with the more rebellious members of the band.
Where They Did It: “Hello, Goodbye” Music Video
Ever the innovators, in the late 1960s The Beatles produced a promotional music video for their single “Hello, Goodbye”. As with many music videos, the band lip-synced to their own studio version of the track, but British television laws at the time prohibited miming on television! The video didn’t become publicly available until 2012.
Abbey Road Studios, The Beatles - Hello, Goodbye
Whitney Houston
Regarded as one of the great vocalists of the last few decades, Whitney Houston wowed audiences with her performances right up to her tragic death in 2012. Known for the huge hit “I Will Always Love You” from The Bodyguard soundtrack, Houston epitomized the pop diva, and influenced all who followed her.
Where They Did It: Super Bowl 1991
At the height of her popularity, Houston was invited to sing the national anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl. Her performance was widely regarded to have been lip-synced, apparently a common practice at the celebrated football game, given the many difficulties associated with a live television broadcast.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
California funk punks the Red Hot Chili Peppers are not strangers to controversy through their long career. Their success through the turbulent 1990s alternative music scene led to numerous scandals, yet the band keeps on rocking and churning out hit records.
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Where They Did It: Super Bowl 2014
Another Super Bowl lip-sync controversy, when the Peppers joined Bruno Mars onstage during the halftime show, many noticed that the bands instruments weren’t even plugged in! Rather than denying the allegations, bassist Flea admitted to it, noting it was the request of the show’s producers, and the band had gone along with it in order to not miss out on playing at the Super Bowl.
Icon Sports Wire, Getty Images
Katy Perry
Since the release of her hit songs “I Kissed a Girl” and “Hot ‘n’ Cold”, Katy Perry has produced hit after pop hit throughout her career. Perry is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, an accolade fueled primarily by her huge hit album Teenage Dream.
Where They Did It: 2014 NRJ Music Awards
At an awards show in Cannes, Perry was performing her hit single “Roar” when it became apparent that she wasn’t actually singing. The tape was playing one verse while Perry was “singing” another. After this gaff, Perry embarrassedly tried again, restarting the song and, this time, singing live.
Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Muse
Alt-rockers Muse are famed for their complex and bombastic musical style. Since the late 1990s, they have been entertaining fans with their energetic live shows and albums of experimental, exhilarating rock music.
Where They Did It: Italian Television
In 2009, Muse were invited to play on an Italian entertainment show. They were informed that they would have to lip-sync to their single “Uprising”. Since they wouldn’t really be playing, the band decided it would be funny to switch roles, including lead singer Matt Bellamy pretending to drum. The show’s host was less-than amused.
Warner Music Sweden, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsMuse (band)
Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez is a multi-talented performer who got her start as a child star for Disney. Gomez is both an actor and a singer. Her shows, films, and albums have garnered her great popularity and millions of loyal fans.
Where They Did It: All Over
Like many of the pop singers covered here, Gomez has a long public history of accusations of lip-syncing. Numerous appearances throughout her career appear to be mimed, though she has also had a few embarrassing moments of speaking while not realizing her microphone was live, so who knows?
Public Image Ltd.
Public Image Ltd., or PIL, were the second band led by Sex Pistols singer and founder Johnny Rotten. He brought with him the same anarchy and dislike for authority that made the Pistols into punk legends, though PIL were a more musically-inclined group.
Σπάρτακος, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Where They Did It: American Bandstand
Perhaps inspiring 50 Cent’s strange performance, PIL knew they would be lip-syncing on the show and proceeded to not even pretend to be playing their instruments. Instead they left the stage and wandered around the crowd, or rearranged the set. Host Dick Clark still ranks their set as one of Bandstand’s great performances.
Mariah Carey
Known as one of the great pop divas of the last couple of decades, and as a somewhat…erratic star, Mariah Carey is undoubtedly in possession of a great voice and knows how to use it. Like we’ve seen in some previous examples, however, sometimes the choice to use lip-syncing is a convenient one. Until it all goes wrong.
Shawn Miller, Wikimedia Commons
Where They Did It: New Year’s Eve, 2016
Carey was one of the musical guests on Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve in 2016, and her performance became infamous. Moments into her set, it became apparent that Carey was lip-syncing, as her vocal track glitched and the singer could not fit her lips to the lyrics. Carey seemed to have a sense of humor about the incident, and it hasn’t hurt her popularity in the least.
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