16 Times Celebs Made Out-Of-Touch Comments About Their Work And "Normal People" Jobs

Not all jobs are created equally, and it's an unfortunate part of reality that the "cushiest" jobs also seem to be among the best paid. Sometimes, wealthy actors, athletes, and entertainers appear to forget that other people aren't living the same privileged lifestyle they've been afforded.

Here are 16 times celebs made out-of-touch comments about their work and "normal" jobs:

1.Sydney Sweeney faced backlash for telling Variety that she had to "fight" for her role in Reality like other actors. She said, "I had to audition for it. I had to put myself on tape and send in my audition just like everybody else."

She continued, "It was the same for White Lotus. They didn’t think that I was right for White Lotus, because I did Euphoria. So, I put myself on tape, I auditioned for White Lotus just like everybody else and had a call back like everybody else. I could get offered roles that are similar to the ones that I've played, but the ones that are different, the ones that surprise people that I do, are the ones that I usually have to fight for."

On Twitter, people mocked her for balking at having to audition like most actors.

Twitter: @HarryBarnes

2.Bryce Dallas Howard was criticized for sharing entertainment career advice without mentioning the leg up she got from her dad, director Ron Howard, who cast her in most of her early roles. On Instagram, she wrote, "My peers and I were fortunate to attend one of the best drama schools, but there was a massive gap. While school gave us an amazing foundation, we finished our formal training and still felt stuck because we were told our only option was to wait for someone else to hire us."

She continued, "So, after months of trial and error, I knew I needed to create a strategy for myself; one based on what my grandparents taught me: To make a consistent living in the entertainment industry, you must become a multi-hyphenate (actor/director/writer/producer) and create work for yourself AND your peers. Most students don’t learn that until years into their career. I want to change that."

In the comments, many people called her out, including fellow actor/writer Franchesca Ramsey.

3.On his podcast Let's Go! with Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald, and Jim Gray, Tom Brady said, "I almost look at, like, a football season like you're going away on deployment in the military, and it's like, 'Man, here I go again.'"

Football fans and veterans alike called him out for the comparison.

Twitter: @amvetsupport

Following backlash, he apologized during a media call, saying, "Earlier this week, I made a statement about playing football and the military. It was a very poor choice of words. I just want to express that to any sentiments out there that people may have taken in a certain way, so I apologize. ... In the end, we play a game, and the military is defending our country. It's two very different things, and I shouldn't have made the comparison."

4.Discussing the challenges of having a public-facing career, Alicia Vikander told the Sunday Times, "Sometimes, you go through things that are tough in life, and if you have an office job, you can step away for a bit."

"But there are times that myself or colleagues have been through something and, well, I can't understand how they went on to the red carpet afterwards," she said.

She drew criticism for her lack of understanding over what an office job is actually like.

Twitter: @amil

5.On the topic of being a working single mother, Gwyneth Paltrow told E! News, "I think to have a regular job and be a mom is not as, of course there are challenges, but it's not like being on set."

She also said, "I think it's different when you have an office job, because it's routine and, you know, you can do all the stuff in the morning and then you come home in the evening. When you're shooting a movie, they're like, 'We need you to go to Wisconsin for two weeks,' and then you work 14 hours a day, and that part of it is very difficult."

She responded to criticism with a Goop blog post titled "Ending the Mommy Wars." She wrote, "This [quote] somehow was taken to mean I had said a 9-5 job is easier, and a lot of heat was thrown my way, especially by other working mothers who somehow used my out-of-context quote as an opportunity to express feelings (perhaps projected) on the subject."

She continued, "As the mommy wars rage on, I am constantly perplexed and amazed by how little slack we cut each other as women. Is it not hard enough to attempt to raise children thoughtfully, while contributing something, or bringing home some (or more) of the bacon? Why do we feel so entitled to opine, often so negatively, on the choices of other women?"

6.On fellow nepo baby Hailey Bieber's YouTube show Who’s in My Bathroom?, Gwyneth Paltrow said, "As the child of someone, you get access other people don't have, so the playing field is not level in that way. However, I really do feel that once your foot is in the door, which you unfairly got in, then you almost have to work twice as hard and be twice as good."

She continued, "People are ready to pull you down and say, 'You don't belong there' or 'You are only there because of your dad or your mom.' ... Nobody in the world, especially anybody that doesn't know you, should have a negative impact on your path or the decisions that you make."

In the comments, fans called both women out.

7.Ariana Grande's fans called her out over a since-deleted Instagram post, which she captioned, "When you're cute but you're also the hardest working 23-year-old human being on earth."

On social media, fans pointed out that, around the world, there are other 23-year-olds who are "making 60 cents a day trying to provide for their families" or "working four jobs to stay in their tiny apartments."

8.Popular vloggers the ACE Family faced backlash for their video "WORKING AT A RESTAURANT FOR 24 HOURS." In a Snapchat video that Catherine Paiz, the mom of the family, shared while filming, she said, "Guys, we are literally working right now, at a restaurant. Austin [McBroom, her partner] has been making food for the past hour, and I've been taking orders."

Catharine Paiz / @demonicaquarius / Via Twitter: @demonicaquarius

They drew criticism from other internet personalities as well as their viewers.

@drewisgooden / Catharine Paiz / @demonicaquarius / @chrissyteigen / Via Twitter: @chrissyteigen

9.While accepting her Best Director award for her work on The Power of the Dog at the 2022 Critics Choice Award, Jane Campion said, "I'd also just like to give my love out to my fellow — the guys. The nominees. And you know, Serena and Venus [Williams, whose biopic King Richard was nominated for several awards], you are such marvels. However, you do not play against the guys — like I have to."

In the comments under the YouTube video of Campion's speech, viewers called her out for using the Williams sisters to make her point. They also pointed out that the sisters have competed against men in mixed doubles competitions — and Serena has two Grand Slam titles for it, and Venus has two major titles of her own.

In a statement, the director apologized. She said, "I made a thoughtless comment equating what I do in the film world with all that Serena Williams and Venus Williams have achieved. I did not intend to devalue these two legendary Black women and world-class athletes. The fact is the Williams sisters have, actually, squared off against men on the court (and off), and they have both raised the bar and opened doors for what is possible for women in this world. The last thing I would ever want to do is minimize remarkable women. I love Serena and Venus. Their accomplishments are titanic and inspiring. Serena and Venus, I apologize and completely celebrate you."

10.On an episode of her podcast Anything Goes, Emma Chamberlain described why she thought having a 9-5 would be easier than being a self-employed influencer. She said, "Because you're an employee of somebody else, mentally, it's easier for you to disconnect after work so that you can enjoy all of your free time to the fullest without having to think about your job. Whereas, when you're self-employed...you never stop thinking about it.."

"You never get to disconnect. You never get to be like, 'Oh, I'm done for now.' It is so hard," she said.

Fans expressed their disappointment over her comments in a Reddit thread.

11.Discussing her modeling career, Kendall Jenner told Love Magazine, "Since the beginning, we’ve been super selective about what shows I would do. I was never one of those girls who would do, like, 30 shows a season or whatever the fuck those girls do."

She continued, "More power to ‘em. But I had a million jobs, not only catwalks but everything else."

Among the other models calling her out was Daria Strokous, who posted pictures of famous models, such as Kate Moss and Jourdan Dunn, who walked tens of shows every season. On her Instagram story, she wrote, "'Whatever the fuck those girls do' is do their very best to make their way up AND try to make some money so that they can provide for themselves and their families. Oh, and it's 70 shows a season by the way, and we are all fucking proud of every single one of the girls that did it."

Responding to the backlash on Twitter, Jenner said, "I was misrepresented in a recent interview over the weekend, and it's important to clarify the meaning. It was intended to be entirely complimentary, but unfortunately, my words were twisted and taken out of context. I want to be clear. The respect that I have for my peers is immeasurable!"

12.In her episode of Variety's Actors on Actors, Jennifer Aniston said, "I feel so lucky that we got a little taste of the industry before it became what it is today. More streaming services — you’re famous from TikTok, you're famous from YouTube, you're famous from Instagram. It's almost, like, it's diluting the actor's job."

On Twitter, people criticized her for leaving out the fact that the privilege of having already-famous parents helped her get her career off the ground.

@shalifoestark / @PopCrave / Variety / Via Twitter: @shalifoestark

13.After facing backlash for accepting the role of Tex Gill, a trans man, in Rub & Tug, Scarlett Johansson told As If magazine, "You know, as an actor, I should be allowed to play any person, or any tree, or any animal because that is my job and the requirements of my job."

She said, "I feel like it’s a trend in my business, and it needs to happen for various social reasons, yet there are times it does get uncomfortable when it affects the art because I feel art should be free of restrictions."

Her comment became an instant meme.

Twitter: @pixelatedboat

She eventually withdrew from the film.

She told Out magazine, "I have great admiration and love for the trans community and am grateful that the conversation regarding inclusivity in Hollywood continues. While I would have loved the opportunity to bring Dante's story and transition to life, I understand why many feel he should be portrayed by a transgender person, and I am thankful that this casting debate, albeit controversial, has sparked a larger conversation about diversity and representation in film."

14.Discussing being an actor during the pandemic, Saif Ali Khan told the Quint, "During the lockdown, we quietly sat at home for six months, wasted our lives and lost our time. But now, when the government is saying go out and work to support the economy, we are in the frontline again. It's a high-risk profession, almost like working at a hospital."

In the comments of the YouTube video, viewers called him out for comparing being an actor to being a healthcare worker.

15.On Twitter, Addison Rae joked about landing a job as a UFC correspondent despite dropping out of Louisiana State University's sports journalism program to become an influencer. She said, "I studied broadcast journalism in college for three whole months to prepare for this moment."

In the replies, she faced backlash for seemingly taking a position she wasn't qualified for in a very competitive field.

@VictorJahaj / @whoisaddison / Via Twitter: @VictorJahaj

A day later, she joked that the criticism got her fired.

Clarifying the situation, an ESPN representative told Insider, "Addison did some interviews with us for UFC 264. However, she is not a full-time employee with UFC."

16.And finally, Elizabeth Hurley once called non-famous people "civilians." In 2000, she told Larry King Live, "I think for a civilian to go out with somebody in the public eye is a pretty awful proposition, to be quite honest."

On his panel show Celebrity Ding Dong, comedian Alan Carr jokingly referred to the "regular" people who competed against celebrity contests as "civilians" because "that's what Liz Hurley called them."