These pop divas live for drama
The world of pop is full of divas, and with their inflated egos, they're bound to clash with one another. Here are some of the messiest, shadiest pop diva moments ever.
Nicki Minaj and Cardi B's "fight" at NY Fashion Week
The "fight" between Nicki Minaj and Cardi B during New York Fashion Week in 2018 made international headlines. The alleged altercation at a Harper's Bazaar event involved Cardi reportedly hurling her shoe at Minaj.
Cardi left the event with a giant bump on her head, adding to the shock value of the incident.
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Ariana Grande's "Thank U, Next" about her exes
The intro to Ariana Grande's song "thank u, next" mentions her former boyfriends: Big Sean, Ricky Alvarez, Pete Davidson, and Mac Miller. She speaks briefly about the significance of each of them in a verse, digging into some more than others.
Grande then explains in chorus that she discovered self-love through these four relationships.
Madonna thinks Lady Gaga's music is "reductive"
In 2012, Madonna criticized Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" for similarities to her song "Express Yourself". Fans believe Madonna was simply annoyed with the comparisons being made between her and Gaga. In 2017, Gaga squashed the rumors of their feud, mentioning that she admired Madonna in her Netflix documentary.
Katy Perry's "Regina George in sheep's clothing" tweet
Katy Perry's tweet "Watch out for the Regina George in sheep's clothing" was believed to be aimed at her fellow contemporary, Taylor Swift. The tweet hinted at someone pretending to be nice with ulterior motives, which seemed reminiscent of the reported feud between Perry and Swift over backup dancers.
Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" music video
In 2014, Swift informed Rolling Stone that "Bad Blood" was inspired by another pop star, although Perry was not mentioned specifically. "It had to do with business," Swift clarified at that moment. "She basically tried to sabotage an entire arena tour. She tried to hire a bunch of people out from under me".
Mariah "doesn't know" Jennifer Lopez
Mariah Carey threw shade towards Jennifer Lopez by saying "I don't know her" in a 2003 interview and it ended up becoming a famous pop culture moment. Fans believe her comment was influenced by past professional conflicts involving Tommy Mottola, Carey's ex-husband and producing partner.
Shawn Miller, Wikimedia Commons
Christina Aguilera unfollows Britney Spears
Christina Aguilera unfollowed Britney Spears on Instagram after a body-shaming post towards Aguilera's backup dancers. The post, which included a quote from Rodney Dangerfield, suggested that Spears would look "small" next to Aguilera's dancers. Spears faced backlash for the controversial message, which is still up on her page.
Madonna kissing Drake onstage at Coachella
Madonna surprised Drake with a kiss at Coachella. The moment left Drake visibly shocked as he wiped his mouth in apparent disgust. Madonna then declared, "I'm Madonna, b***h," as she left the stage, while Drake chuckled and asked the audience, "What the f**k just happened"? After the incident, Madonna admitted to regretting the kiss.
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Katy Perry's "Part of Me" music video
The lyrics of Katy Perry's "Part of Me" describes a woman who is resilient and powerful after a romantic relationship ends. Numerous critics speculated that Perry's divorce from Russell Brand influenced the lyrics, although Perry denied this, saying it was written before their split in 2010.
Rihanna's tweets clapping back at Ciara
Fans will always remember the Twitter exchange between Rihanna and Ciara, which started when Ciara appeared on E'!
s Fashion Police in 2011. Ciara commented on Rihanna's image at the BRIT Awards and then later brought up an unfriendly encounter with her at a party. Rihanna responded: "My bad ci, did I forget to tip u? #howrudeofme".
Aretha Franklin on Taylor Swift's "beautiful gowns"
In 2014, Aretha Franklin was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal and asked for one-word impressions of notable "divas". Curious about her opinion on Taylor Swift, Franklin simply uttered a brief response:
"Great gowns, beautiful gowns". It seems that the Queen of Soul did not think too highly of Swift's musical talents.
Iggy Azalea beefs with Azelia Banks
Iggy Azalea and Azelia Banks' beef goes way back. It started when Banks disagreed with Azalea on being the lone female rapper on 2012's XXL Freshman cover.
But the worst moment happened when Azelia commented on one of Azalea's Instagram posts, encouraging her to, well, "off" herself.
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Mariah Carey's "Obsessed" music video
Mariah Carey's "Obsessed" music video is seen by many as a jab at rapper Eminem, referencing their rumored relationship. Carey plays a male stalker resembling Eminem, while also portraying herself.
The lyrics "Why you so obsessed with me"? is believed to be a response to Eminem's claims of their romance, which Carey denies.
Lana del Rey's Twitter feud with Azealia Banks
In 2018, Lana Del Rey criticized Kanye West's support for Donald Trump, leading to a Twitter feud with Azealia Banks. Banks accused Del Rey of hypocrisy for working with ASAP Rocky, who Banks claimed was misogynistic.
Del Rey fired back, criticizing Banks for past remarks and personal attacks.
Demi Lovato speaks her mind about Mariah Carey
Demi Lovato publicly called out Mariah Carey on social media, criticizing her behavior towards Jennifer Lopez. She also said that Ariana Grande was superior to Mariah. Mariah's fanbase quickly criticized Lovato, prompting her to quit Twitter and Instagram.
Mariah also commented on the situation, saying she "doesn't know" Lovato.
Angela George, CC-BY-SA-3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj go at it on live TV
At the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, Nicki Minaj criticized the nominations for not acknowledging black women in the music industry. Miley Cyrus, who had previously criticized Minaj, reacted defensively during the show. This led to a live clash between the two as Minaj confronted Cyrus for her remarks.
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Hailey and Kylie on Selena's eyebrows
In 2023, Selena Gomez joked about her eyebrows on TikTok, causing an online scandal. Hailey Bieber, Justin Bieber's wife, appeared in a FaceTime photo on Kylie Jenner's Instagram story with similar eyebrow jokes. Fans accused Jenner and Bieber of making fun of Gomez, but all parties denied it, calling it a coincidence.
VOGUE Taiwan, CC-BY-SA-3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Dakota Johnson puts Ellen in her place
In 2019, Dakota Johnson visited "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" where an awkward interaction occurred. DeGeneres joked about not being invited to Johnson's birthday party, even though she had been. Johnson's straightforward responses clashed with DeGeneres's humor, creating an unsettling TV moment between the two.
Cher totally shades Madonna
Cher addressed an interview clip where she called Madonna "mean" during an interview with the Los Angeles Times. At the time, Fox News had reported on Madonna's tour, which included a montage with the clip.
Cher explained that she had said "worse things" and denied any animosity towards Madonna.
Ian Smith, CC-BY-SA-2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Pink is salty over Christina Aguilera
During the recording of "Lady Marmalade" for the "Moulin Rouge"! soundtrack in 2001, Pink was unhappy with Christina Aguilera's excessive vocal ad-libs, as she felt they overshadowed the other artists. Things became even more tense when rumors started circulating that Pink was jealous that Christina was given the best part of the song.
Andemaya, CC-BY-SA-4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Fifth Harmony performs without Camilla Cabello
Fifth Harmony seemingly shaded ex-member Camila Cabello at MTV VMAs. During their performance, a mysterious fifth member was thrown off stage during their "Down" performance, somewhat hinting at Cabello's recent and sudden departure from the group. The group later clarified their decision was based on their needs, not hers.
Celine Dion fires back at Aretha Franklin
In 1998, VH1 launched Divas, an annual event showcasing iconic singers like Aretha Franklin. Joined by Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, and Carole King, they delivered a powerful performance of "(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman". At one point, it appeared that Franklin was not letting some of the other women sing, so Dion got into a riff-off with Franklin during the song—and Franklin apparently did not appreciate it.
Erykah Badu accuses Beyonce of copying
Erykah Badu claims Beyoncé copied her album cover for "Cowboy Carter" on social media, causing an online controversy. Beyoncé's publicist reportedly responded on Instagram, denying the allegations. Badu then shared the cover with a cryptic caption reading "Hmmm". This isn't the first time Badu has accused Beyonce of being a copycat.
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Kanye West vs. Taylor Swift
The rivalry between Kanye West and Taylor Swift started at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards when West interrupted Swift's acceptance speech. Things escalated in 2016 when West released the song "Famous" with controversial lyrics about Swift. Swift denied approving the lyrics, leading to a public feud.
Swift addressed the feud in her album "Reputation," and Kim Kardashian later shared a phone call between West and Swift about the song, fueling the conflict.
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