Negative reviews are part of the Hollywood game, but not everyone can take the criticism in stride. While some stars have responded with a measured statement (or simply ignored the criticism altogether), others have gone the completely opposite route, publicly calling out critics, firing back at bad reviews, and having some very memorable crash-outs. Here are 35 times celebrities hit back at someone who gave them a bad review.
1. Halsey — The Great Impersonator
In 2024, music critic Anthony Fatano reviewed Halsey's album The Great Impersonator — written after her diagnoses with cancer and lupus — and criticized both its sound and songwriting. Ultimately, he gave a score of one out of 10.
Two years later, he made a snarky comment about the review on X, prompting Halsey to respond directly. She tweeted, "I’m certain my least memorable song will be remembered more fondly and for more time than anything you ever do with your life will be. Everything you say is more 'whiny' and 'edgy' than I was at any point on that album. But at least I had the excuse of going through chemo."
2. Halsey — Manic
After Pitchfork gave Manic (2020) a 6.5 out of 10, criticizing its "tedious" nature and comparing parts of it to a "miserable Lyft ride," Halsey fired back on Twitter. "Can the basement that they run P*tchfork out of just collapse already," she wrote.
Unfortunately, people were quick to point out that Pitchfork's offices were located in the One World Trade Center, which was built after the September 11 attacks. Halsey quickly deleted the tweet and clarified that she'd meant it as a joke. "ABSOLUTELY deleted it upon realizing this," she wrote. "Was just trying to make a joke! Intended zero harm."
She added, "Just figured I could poke at them back with the same aloof passive aggression they poke at artists with! Clearly a misunderstanding ❤️."
3. Paget Brewster — Criminal Minds
In June 2026, ScreenRant published a piece criticizing Criminal Minds for moving to shorter 10-episode seasons.
Paget Brewster wasn't having it.
Posting the article on X and calling out the writer by name, Paget wrote, "You're young. You don't know that bad pics and bad reviews can lead to 350 people losing their jobs. Sell vintage. Work at a shelter. Do something better than what you do now. Because right now you suck."
The backlash was swift, ultimately leading Paget to delete the tweet and apologize. "I profoundly regret it," she said. "Shame on me for insulting a human being for doing their job." Addressing the writer, Paget added, I'm very sorry... And I'm sorry to those who follow me that you saw me behave like that. Turns out, last night, I sucked."
4. Marlon Wayans — Scary Movie
After Scary Movie received a 27% on Rotten Tomatoes, Marlon Wayans took to Instagram to hit back at critics.
Sharing a roundup of shockingly low scores for now-classics like White Chicks, Scary Movie 2, and Little Man, he wrote, "To be clear… “all i wanna say is they never really cared about us." He then clarified, "We don’t make movies for critics, we make movies for people who want to laugh and have fun. 15% for white chicks is NASTY WORK. All these movies are classics."
"#ScaryMovie is funny asf," he later added over positive audience scores of the film.
5. Amandla Stenberg — Bodies Bodies Bodies
While Bodies Bodies Bodies earned largely positive reviews, one particularly harsh review from the New York Times said the slasher film lacked "substance" and was basically an "advertisement for cleavage and Charli XCX's latest single."
Later, the writer revealed that Amandla had written her directly about the review.
According to the critic, Amandla wrote, "Ur review was great, maybe if you had gotten ur eyes off my tits you could've watched the movie!" The writer said she blocked Amandla afterward and wished her well.
6. Lana Del Rey — Norman F**king Rockwell!
After an NPR review described Lana as "uncooked" and suggested she was still performing as a "persona," Lana fired back hard on Twitter.
She wrote, "I don’t even relate to one observation you made about the music. There’s nothing uncooked about me. To write about me is nothing like it is to be with me. Never had a persona. Never needed one. Never will." She then added, "So don’t call yourself a fan like you did in the article and don’t count your editor one either."
7. Chris Brown — Brown
Chris Brown's 2026 album Brown was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews. Pitchfork called it "soulless, hit-chasing" and a "piece of shit," overall rating it a 1.3 out of 10.
"I don't give a fuck," Chris responded in an Instagram video. He also said he believes people will grow to love the album over time. "The last 3 albums have came under the same scrutiny and it eventually grew on people," he wrote in another post. "Thank you for even taking the time out to listen."
8. Melissa McCarthy — Tammy
While Tammy received mixed reviews, some critics went beyond critiquing the movie and commented on Melissa McCarthy's appearance, as well as her relationship with her husband, who directed the movie.
Years later, Melissa unexpectedly came face-to-face with one of those critics at the Toronto Film Festival. When they complimented her newer work, she sharply replied, "Are you the one who wrote I was only a good actor when I looked more attractive and that my husband should never be allowed to direct me because he allowed me to look so homely?”
"Would you say that to any guy?" she continued. "When John C. Reilly — or any actor — is playing a character that is depressed and dejected, would you say, ‘Well, you look terrible!'?" After learning the critic had a daughter, she added, "Watch what you say to her. Do you tell her she’s only worthwhile or valid when she’s pretty?"
9. Melissa McCarthy — Identity Theft
A 2013 review of Identity Theft didn't just criticize the movie — it also included several body-shaming comments about Melissa, calling her "tractor-sized" and a "hippo."
Melissa later told the New York Times that the review made her sad — not for herself, but for the writer. "I felt really bad for someone who is swimming in so much hate," she said. "I just thought, that’s someone who’s in a really bad spot, and I am in such a happy spot.”
10. Samuel L. Jackson — The Avengers
A 2012 review of The Avengers in the New York Times praised much of the film, but criticized Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, calling him "more master of ceremonies than mission commander."
Samuel responded on Twitter by naming the critic and suggesting they find another career. "Let's help him find one!" he tweeted to fans. "One he can ACTUALLY do!"
11. John Krasinski — A Quiet Place
A Quiet Place was a huge critical success, but a review from The New Yorker felt that it had "regressive politics" by featuring a white family with guns being terrorized by "big, dark, stealthy, predatory creatures."
John later pushed back on that interpretation in an interview with Esquire, saying the film was never intended to be political. “I never saw it that way or ever thought of it until it was presented to me in that way,” he said. “It wasn't about being, you know, silent and political time that had nothing to do with that. If anything it was about, you know, going into the dark and, and taking a chance when all hope looked lost, you take, you know, you fight for what's most important to you... My whole metaphor was solely about parenthood.”
12. Amy Schumer — Trainwreck
After seeing the trailer for Trainwreck, one reviewer criticized Amy's appearance and said she wasn't convincing as a romantic lead. "There’s no way she’d be an object of heated romantic interest in the real world," the author said, criticizing specific parts of Amy's looks.
Amy later told USA Today she didn't care what the critic said. "From the bottom of my heart — I could not care less," she said. She also poked fun at the review on Instagram, posting photos of herself with captions like, "Loving your feedback on my appearance. Am I ok now?" and "Hollywood here I come #pretty enough."
13. Kevin Smith — Clerks II
One critic disliked Clerks II so much that, according to reports, he stood up during a press screening and walked out. "Time to go!" he reportedly said, before adding, "First movie I've walked out on in 30 fucking years."
Kevin was furious, blasting the critic in a lengthy Myspace post. "How about a little common fucking courtesy?" he wrote. "You never, ever disrupt a movie because you don't like it." Kevin added, "Cardinal rule of movie-going: shut your fucking mouth while the movie's playing." He later continued criticizing the writer during a radio appearance, calling him childish.
14. Drake — Honestly, Nevermind
When Drake released Honestly, Nevermind in 2022, the album's house-inspired sound marked a major departure from his usual rap and R&B style. While some enjoyed it, others did not, with several outlets calling the project "disappointing."
Addressing the criticism during his album release party, Drake told fans, "It’s all good if you don’t get it yet." He then doubled down, adding, "That’s what we do! We wait for you to catch up. We in here, though, we caught up already."
15. Jamie Dornan — Fifty Shades of Grey
Fifty Shades of Grey was a huge box office success, but critics were far from impressed. In addition to criticism of its clunky dialogue and surprisingly tame sex scenes, critics also felt that Jamie's performance lacked charisma, with one person even comparing it to oatmeal.
Jamie addressed that particular comment in a 2020 interview with Variety, calling it "harsh." He said, "Some people like oatmeal, so I thought it was kind of harsh." He also said the reviews stuck with him, adding that he didn't "entirely disagree" with the criticism and even found some of it "funny."
16. Rose McGowan — Bridget Jones’s Baby
After the trailer for Bridget Jones's Baby was released in 2016, Variety published a review focused entirely on Renée Zellweger's appearance and whether she'd had plastic surgery.
While Renee didn't publicly respond, Rose McGowan did. In a piece for the Hollywood Reporter, Rose slammed both the article and the publication for publishing it.
"Renee Zellweger is a human being, with feelings, with a life, with love and with triumphs and struggles, just like the rest of us. How dare you use her as a punching bag in your mistaken attempt to make a mark at your new job," she wrote, calling the essay "vile, damaging, stupid and cruel."
17. Rob Schneider — Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo
After Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo was panned by critics, one Los Angeles Times reviewer mocked the movie and sarcastically suggested there should be an Oscar category for "Best Running Penis Joke Delivered by a Third-Rate Comic."
In response, Rob took out a full-page ad attacking them. Calling out the critic by name, Rob wrote, “Well... I decided to do some research to find out what awards you have won. I went online and found that you have won nothing. Absolutely nothing. No journalistic awards of any kind… Maybe you didn’t win a Pulitzer Prize because they haven’t invented a category for Best Third-Rate, Unfunny Pompous Reporter Who’s Never Been Acknowledged by His Peers."
The ad ended up catching Roger Ebert's attention, and he came to the critic's defense. "I have won the Pulitzer Prize," Roger wrote, "and so I am qualified. Speaking in my official capacity as a Pulitzer Prize winner, Mr. Schneider, your movie sucks."
Years later, Rob called Roger's review "mean but fair." He also said that they'd made up, revealing that when he learned Roger was sick, he even sent him a nice note. It read, "Roger, thank you for sharing your love of cinema with all of us. I hope you are back doing what you love most soon, watching movies from your La-Z-Boy chair! Signed, Rob Schneider, your least favorite movie star."
18. Nicki Minaj — Queen
Ahead of the release of Nicki Minaj's 2018 album Queen, a culture critic tweeted their hopes for the album's musical direction. "You know how dope it would be if Nicki put out mature content?" they wrote. "No silly shit. Just reflecting on past relationships, being a boss, hardships, etc. She’s touching 40 soon, a new direction is needed."
The post incensed Nicki's fans, leading to a wave of harassment that included death threats and posts about the writer's 4-year-old daughter. The author also claimed to have received a profanity-laden DM from Nicki herself. "I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy," the writer said, adding that they were "physically drained," "mentally depleted," and had also lost their job.
19. Daniel Kaluuya — Nope
After YouTuber Logan Paul called Nope "one of the worst movies" he'd seen in a while, Daniel Kaluuya was asked about the comments in an interview with Capital FM.
While he acknowledged that everyone is entitled to an opinion, he questioned why Logan's was so important. “Why is his opinion top of the tree?" he said. "Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but what’s he done in cinema?" Daniel then compared the situation to being asked for his thoughts on Eric Clapton, adding, "It's just Logan Paul, innit?"
20. Kings Of Leon — "Waste A Moment"
A 2017 SPIN investigation alleged that Kings of Leon threatened to pull out of the MTV Europe Music Awards after MTV News published a review describing their single "Waste A Moment" as "almost aggressively anonymous." According to the report, MTV ultimately removed the post and implemented a rule requiring reviews to be at least 500 words before publication. "MTV associated those kinds of blog posts with snarkiness and criticism, both of which were deemed detrimental to the network’s broader ability to work with artists who may be the subjects of such posts," SPIN reporter Jordan Sargent wrote in the report.
21. Chance the Rapper — Coloring Book
The same investigation shared similar claims regarding Chance the Rapper's 2016 Coloring Book mixtape, which one writer said left them feeling an "emotional disconnect." According to the report, Chance's management threatened to never work with MTV again, leading to the post's deletion.
Chance's management subsequently confirmed the story, telling SPIN, "Upon the publication of the article, Chance and I got together & both agreed that the article was offensive. When we brought our concerns to MTV, our rep agreed that the article was 'a harsh shot' & took ownership of the editorial misstep." They added, "From there, MTV chose to, on their own volition, to remove the piece."
22. Chance the Rapper — Starline
When Pitchfork reviewed Chance the Rapper's 2025 album Starline — which was written during a period of personal growth after his divorce — the publication argued that his attempts at vulnerability felt "self-conscious and shallow." They added, "His half-committed divorce album is simply boring, only scratching the emotional surface when he’s not hiding behind technique."
Chance disagreed, saying he believed he'd made "the greatest" album of the year. "I hate even talking about my work like that, but I know how good it was," Chance said. He also said album ratings in general "suck," adding that they should be more "graceful" instead of "snarky."
23. Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman — Big Little Lies
When the New York Times reviewed Big Little Lies in 2017, they dismissed many of the storylines as "a compendium of clichés about upper-middle-class angst."
Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman later appeared to address the criticism during the Television Critics Association press tour, though they didn't name the critic outright. Reese said, "There was one critic who probably didn't watch more than one episode and said it was a 'chick show' or something." Nicole agreed, suggesting the critic probably hadn't seen the entire series. "I was like, please watch the whole show," she said. "Which is what I always say! Which I know is a massive time commitment because there are only so many hours. But you make the show whole."
24. Seth Rogen — The Green Hornet and The Interview
During a 2023 appearance on the Diary of A CEO podcast, Seth Rogen reflected on the harsh reviews his projects have received over the years, including The Green Hornet and The Interview. The Green Hornet was widely criticized for its clumsy energy and unlikable lead. The Interview, meanwhile, was highly controversial for its plot alone, with theaters famously refusing to screen it over safety concerns.
Seth described the feedback as deeply hurtful. "I think if most critics knew how much it hurts the people who made the things they are writing about, they would second-guess the way they write these things," he said. "It's devastating. I know people who never recovered from it, honestly, years, decades of being hurt by this. 'Cause it's very personal... and so it is devastating when you are being institutionally told that your personal expression was bad... It fucking sucks."
25. Rosalie Chiang and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan — Turning Red
In 2022, CinemaBlend reviewed Pixar's Turning Red, which focuses on a Chinese-Canadian teenager named Mei who turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets really excited. The writer said it felt too specific to the experiences of a Chinese-Canadian family and lamented that they "connected with none of it."
Rosalie Chiang, who voices Mei, pushed back on the idea that the film was less relatable because of its cultural aspects. "Of course not," she told CBC. "This is a coming-of-age film; everyone goes through this change… I think different people of different cultures are going to go through it differently, but at the end of the day, the core messiness and change is something everyone can relate to.”
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, who portrayed Mei's friend, agreed, arguing that anyone could connect to the story.
Ultimately, the review was pulled, and the writer issued an apology.
26. Lizzo
Despite the overwhelmingly positive reception to Lizzo's breakthrough album Cuz I Love You, Pitchfork gave the project a 6.5 out of 10 and criticized the "overwrought production, awkward turns of phrase, and ham-handed rapping."
Lizzo got very mad at that, writing on Twitter, “PEOPLE WHO ‘REVIEW’ ALBUMS AND DONT MAKE MUSIC THEMSELVES SHOULD BE UNEMPLOYED.” When another Twitter user pointed out that she might feel differently if the review had been positive, Lizzo replied, "Ur absolutely right."
27. Tyler Perry — Many of his projects
Over the years, Tyler Perry has faced plenty of criticism from reviewers who argue his work is repetitive or reinforces negative stereotypes about Black people.
Addressing the backlash on episode of Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, Tyler made it clear that critical reviews matter far less to him than audience reactions. He said, “For everyone who is a critic, I have thousands of — used to be — emails from people saying: ‘This changed my life. Oh, my God, you know me. Oh, my God, you saw me. How did you know this about my life and my family?’ So that is what is important.”
28. Alysha Umphress — Smokey Joe’s Cafe
After a New York Times review of Smokey Joe’s Cafe criticized the "unnecessarily unflattering" way that Alysha Umphress was dressed in the production, Alysha publicly called out the review online.
Tagging the writer, the New York Times, and an editor on staff, Alysha wrote, "It's shocking to see a woman body shame an actress who isn't a size 0 and praise one who is. Her wording wasn't constructive. It was full on mean girl."
29. James Corden's dad — Peter Rabbit
One BBC review of Peter Rabbit singled out James Corden's voice performance, calling it "almost instantly irritating."
This didn't sit well with James's father, Malcolm Corden, who sent a letter about the review to the critics' live show. "To hear you describe our son as 'appallingly irritating' was very difficult to listen to. One sincerely hopes that you never have to hear someone else describe your children as such, especially live on air," the letter said. While Malcolm said he generally enjoyed the BBC's programming, this time particular time, they went too far.
30. Carey Mulligan — Promising Young Woman
In a review of Promising Young Woman for Variety, the writer called Carey an "odd choice" for the lead role and suggested that producer Margot Robbie may have been a better fit.
Carey later told the New York Times that she thought it was “basically saying that [she] wasn’t hot enough to pull off this kind of ruse.”
“It drove me so crazy," she said. "I was like, ‘Really? For this film, you’re going to write something that is so transparent? Now? In 2020?’ I just couldn’t believe it.”
After backlash, Variety issued an apology to Carey for "the insensitive language" used in the review.
31. Bryan Cranston — Last Chance
Before Breaking Bad made him a household name, Bryan Cranston wrote, directed, and starred in a movie called Last Chance alongside his wife, Robin Dearden.
After one anonymous critic called Bryan's directing "inept" and suggested he stick to acting, Bryan took to the internet to respond. While he acknowledged that negative reviews are part of the game, he took issue with the fact that the review was published anonymously. "I won't argue the point that my direction was 'inept' as Anonymous put it, but I won't agree with it either," Bryan wrote. He then challenged the writer to reveal their identity and invited them to a "respectful debate," adding, "I find that when anyone is bold enough to build a soap box, stand on it, and declare their feelings to the whole world, but refuses to back it up with their name, the message looses some of its validity...but then again, that's just my opinion." It's unclear if the writer ever responded.
32. Maisie Williams — The New Mutants
In 2020, Forbes published a review dubbing The New Mutants "the worst X-Men movie ever." "It’s a monotonous, redundant and irrelevant fantasy flick that fails to commit to being a teen melodrama, a YA fantasy or a horror movie, instead offering half-assed components of all three," the writer said. While Anya-Taylor Joy's performance received praise, the author wrote, "none of the other kids, all of whom have done fine work elsewhere, make an impression."
Tweeting a link to the review, Maisie Williams, who portrayed Wolfsbane, wrote, "Sounds like a must see! Get your tickets now."
33. Vincent Gallo — The Brown Bunny
After seeing The Brown Bunny at Cannes in 2003, Roger Ebert famously called it the "worst film in the history of the festival."
Vincent fully crashed out and launched a personal attack on Robert, calling him "a fat pig with the physique of a slave trader" and even saying he hoped he would die from cancer. Robert responded, "It is true that I am fat. But one day I shall be thin, and he will still be the director of The Brown Bunny." He also added, I had a colonoscopy once, and they let me watch it on TV. It was more entertaining than The Brown Bunny."
34. Jonathan Majors — Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
When Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania premiered in 2023, it earned only a 48% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While many critics praised Jonathan's performance as Kang the Ruler, they criticized the messy plot and underwhelming conclusion.
Asked about the rating on IndieWire's Screen Talk podcast, Jonathan said he tries not to focus too hard on reviews. "One thing I will say to my team as we're leaving a premiere, as they're reading reviews — I just keep saying 'How's the movie doing? How's the movie doing?'" he said.
"It's just people," he added. "They have an opinion. You always have an opinion… I'm no fool. I got 33 years of living, real living. I know these are people writing it, right? These aren't my Yale professors. These are not my NCSA drama teachers."
35. Finally, Cara Delevingne — Suicide Squad
Despite its star-studded cast and massive hype, Suicide Squad was trashed by critics and currently holds a 26% on Rotten Tomatoes. The critical consensus says, "Suicide Squad boasts a talented cast and a little more humor than previous DCEU efforts, but they aren't enough to save the disappointing end result from a muddled plot, thinly written characters, and choppy directing."
Cara Delevingne, who played Enchantress, strongly defended the film. "The critics have been absolutely horrific, they're really, really horrible," she told Reuters. "You know, I just don't think they like superhero movies." She did acknowledge that the "movie isn't perfect," but she said that it was ultimately for the fans.
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