Clay Aiken Speaks Out on Tense On-Air Exchange With Kelly Ripa in 2006
Clay Aiken might have wished he could become invisible.
The American Idol alum spoke out about the difficult interaction he had with Kelly Ripa while filling in for Regis Philbin on a 2006 episode of Live With Regis & Kelly, calling the aftermath of the tense moment “the most catastrophic week” of his life.
During the episode, Aiken had placed his hand over Ripa’s mouth during an interview in an attempt to playfully give their guests a moment to answer a question. However, Ripa was less than pleased with the interaction. And despite being 20 years removed, Aiken had very clear memories about the incident.
“No one would remember but me,” the 47-year-old explained on the June 24 episode of the Hollywood Raw podcast, “because I was the one with the scars.”
“I'm on the show because I wanted to show them I could handle this myself, I could host something. And I wasn't getting to talk,” Aiken recalled. “Like, there were cue cards. They had my name on them. So I tried to be funny, and I did what I did, which was incredibly innocent. And then it got a little cold in the room. I felt bad and I was really worried that I had upset her.”
And while he tried not to think too much about it, the moment gained traction the following week on both Live With Regis & Kelly—where Ripa recounted the incident saying there “was a lack of respect”—as well as on The View when host Rosie O’Donnell called Ripa’s reaction homophobic and Ripa called in to defend herself.
But as Aiken explained, the comment from O’Donnell was slightly nerve-wracking as he had not publicly come out as gay at the time. (The “Rewind” singer publicly came out in 2008.)
“I was not out at the time. I was to Rosie,” he explained. “I was out to people who I knew, but I wasn't publicly out about it. I was not out to my grandparents and the people in my family.”
“And not only does Rosie call it a homophobic remark—which I think she accidentally said, and then she tried to walk it back a little bit—but then Kelly calls in live to The View that day and they get in an argument over it,” Aiken continued. “Not only did she out me, but they had a big argument about whether I was gay and who talked about me being gay.”
Aiken felt like he was “caving in” on himself and asked Diane Sawyer for advice. She suggested he wait to see if it would blow over.
Amid the fallout, Aiked poked fun at the mouth-covering incident while presenting at the AMAs with Tori Spelling and his team even found footage of Ripa putting her own hand over Philbin’s face. All that together helped and Aiken sent Ripa flowers. And when she called to thank him, the two smoothed their issue over.
“She apologized for it becoming blown out of proportion and everything,” he said. “She said, ‘Come back on the show anytime, etcetera, etcetera.' But I do know we tried and were not allowed. So I just haven't tried since. It's not a big deal. I mean, I honestly have not spoken about it until right now.”
As for Ripa, the daytime host has not discussed the incident since the week it happened.
“There was some impropriety there. There was a lack of respect, and when you're a certain person, you're in the public eye, you have to be respectful of other people,” she told Philbin during their show at the time. “And I don't think that he was respectful in any way. If that upsets his fans, I'm sorry to hear that, but you don't put your hands over somebody's face and mouth when they're conducting an interview, even if it's for a laugh. And that's all I'm gonna say.”
While Aiken and Ripa managed to put aside their feud, keep reading for more stars who have had their own issues over the years.
Bobby (pictured second from left) addressed rumors of a falling out with Tan (middle) in January 2024, two months after he announced his exit from Queer Eye after eight seasons.
"I want people to know that Tan and I—we will be fine," he told Vanity Fair. "There was a situation, and that's between Tan and I, and it has nothing to do with the show. It was something personal that had been brewing—and nothing romantic, just to clarify that."
In March 2024, Tan responded to allegations that he had campaigned to replace Bobby on Queer Eye with his friend Jeremiah Brent.
"Netflix and the production companies did a full-on casting. I didn't put my friend up for the job. They ended up getting it because they were the best person for the job," he said on Instagram. "But I didn't get them hired by getting rid of somebody else."
In September 2023, while playing a game called Stir the Pot with her daughter Kelly Osbourne on E! News, Sharon said the That '70s Show alum was the rudest celebrity she had ever met, branding him, a "rude, rude, rude, rude little boy" and a "dastardly little thing."
He did not respond to her remarks publicly.
Five years prior, Sharon told Larry King that when Ashton appeared on The Talk in 2014, he had an "attitude" after she got his name wrong.
"He goes, 'What are you, what have you done in this industry?'" she recalled. "And I was like, 'Kid, don't start with me, because I'm gonna eat you up and s--t you out.' So I was just like, 'You don't know what you're dealing with, kid.'"
In August 2022, Cassadee and Maren traded harsh words with Brittany, wife of fellow country star Jason Aldean, after she shared an Instagram Reel of herself applying makeup on Aug. 23, writing, "I'd really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life."
During a 2022 TikTok challenge, JoJo Siwa described Candace Cameron Bure as the "rudest" celebrity, later explaining that she felt snubbed when Bure once refused to take a picture with her on a red carpet. Shortly after the dig, however, the Full House alum apologized: "I kind of broke your 11-year-old heart. I didn't take a picture with you. Ugh! I feel crummy, I feel—JoJo, I'm so sorry."
The two made amends. But months later, Candace was asked if she expects the Great American Family network, of which she serves as chief creative officer, to feature same-sex couples as leads in holiday movies. She said no, adding, "I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core."
JoJo, who came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in 2021, wrote on Instagram that the actress' comment is "rude and hurtful to a whole community of people."
Back in June 2021, Courtney Love accused Olivia Rodrigo of copying her band Hole's album cover for a promotional photo without giving credit. Olivia responded, "Love u and live through this sooooo much." Courtney then replied, "Olivia - you're welcome. My favorite florist is in Notting Hill, London! Dm me for deets! I look forward to reading your note [winking face emoji]."
During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, the Happy Days actor was asked why he didn't get along with the Forrest Gump star on the set of the 1989 flick Turner & Hooch.
"I was directing that movie for 13 days and then I was called into [producer] Jeff Katzenberg's office and he said, 'You have everything with you? Go home,'" he said.
Winkler did, however, seem to get along with Hanks' four-legged co-star. "I got along great, great with that dog," he said. "Love that dog."
He also refused to admit if he's even seen the flick.
"You know what you did!"
Fans of The Hills will remember that iconic line, delivered by Lauren on the season three premiere. Their feud began when Heidi started dating her now-husband Spencer Pratt, and hit its peak when Lauren accused Heidi and Spencer of starting a rumor that she had made a sex tape with then-boyfriend Jason Wahler.
The costars reignited their ongoing feud in 2017 when Tyrese publicly called out Dwayne on Instagram after the Fast and Furious 9 release date was pushed back to April 2020. That same day, it was announced that a Fast and Furious spinoff starring Dwayne and Jason Statham would hit theaters in 2019. The following month, Tyrese threatened to quit Fast 9 if Dwayne was in the movie.
Tyrese then opened up about the feud, telling Van Lathan on The Red Pill podcast, "I have yet to talk to The Rock to this day, and we will have a conversation." He shared that he did have a chat with the former wrestler's producing partner, but not the actor himself.
"I found myself being the messenger on behalf of various people associated to the franchise, but stupid me was the only one who went public about those feelings, which is my own fault," Tyrese said. "It's not professional, it's not cool."
No more bad blood here.
Taylor and Katy had been in a feud for years, their rift even allegedly inspiring Taylor's song "Bad Blood." The drama, which reportedly started over a backup dancer and competing tours, came to an end after Perry sent Taylor a literal olive branch before her Reputation Tour kickoff.
"So I just got to my dressing room and found this actual olive branch," Taylor said in an Instagram video. "This mean so much."
Taylor captioned the video, "Thank you Katy."
Sex and the City costars Kim and SJP had dodged feud rumors for years. But they were reignited after Kim decided not to return for a third movie and made comments about her costar that raised eyebrows.
"What was your reaction to Kim Cattrall telling Piers Morgan that you were never friends just colleagues?" Andy Cohen asked SJP on a September 2017 episode of Watch What Happens Live.
As she explained, "Just...heartbroken. I mean that whole week, you and I spoke about it because I was just...I don't know I found it really upsetting because that's, you know, that's not the way I recall our experience."
"So...it's sad but I'm kind of...I don't know, I always think that what ties us together is this singular experience is the thing," she contined. "It was a professional experience but it became personal because it was years and years of our lives. So I'm hoping that that sort of eclipses anything that's been recently spoken. That many years spent doing something so special that people had a connection with is such a privileged."
And though they didn't film scenes together, Kim did make a small appearance on And Just Like That.
The iconic singers have been feuding since 2004. While accepting the Classic Songwriter Award at the Q Awards that year, Elton said to attendees, "Madonna, best f--king live act? F--k off! Since when has lip-syncing been live? Sorry about that, but I think everyone who lip-syncs in public on stage, when you pay like 75 quid to see them, should be shot."
The former Grey's Anatomy star sparked a feud with the series creator in 2008 when she removed her name from the Emmy Awards consideration. The actress stated that her reason for the move was because she wasn't "given the material to warrant a nomination."
Shonda later opened up about Katherine's decision during an interview with Oprah Winfrey on Oprah's Next Chapter in 2012. "On some level it stung and on some level I was not surprised," she said. "When people show you who they are, believe them. I carry that [mantra] with me a lot. It has served me well."
It was the New York Fashion Week fight heard 'round the world when Nicki and Cardi got into a heated altercation at the Harper's Bazaar Icon party. The following month, Cardi opened up about the catalyst for the fight with Nicki.
"For a while now she's been taking a lot of shots at me," Cardi said in W magazine's Art Issue. "I spoke to her twice before, and we came to an understanding. But she kept it going."
The real spark of the fight came when Cardi saw that Nicki had allegedly liked and then unliked a tweet about Cardi's parenting skills, which Nicki has denied.
"I was going to make millions off my Bruno Mars tour, and I sacrificed that to stay with my daughter," Cardi continued. "I love my daughter. I'm a good-ass f--king mom. So for somebody that don't have a child to like that comment? So many people want to say that party wasn't the time or the place, but I'm not going to catch another artist in the grocery store or down the block."
Tension between Kanye and Taylor first started in 2009, when the "Stronger" rapper took the stage during her acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards. Years later, the two would make up and even become friends, but that came to an end in 2016 after the release of his song "Famous," in which he name-checks the "End Game" singer.
In February 2025, one day before the Grammys, Kanye updated his Instagram to follow only Taylor. He added no further comment, and his fellow musician did not respond publicly to the move.
"I don't know her."
Mariah and J.Lo's supposed feud started when the Queen of Christmas was asked to give her opinion on several singers during a 2003 German TV interview. When asked her opinion on Jennifer, she replied, "I don't know her."
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