The “Karen” label is thrown around quite frequently these days, isn’t it? But let’s brush up on what the term slang really means.
According to Dictionary.com, Karen is a “derogatory slang term for an obnoxious, angry, authoritative and often racist middle-aged white woman who uses her privilege to do whatever she wants or to control the behavior of others.” And if you take a look on social media, or even just in your own town, you will probably see that the Karen are coming out of the woods more and more.
Every time you turn around there’s a new viral video showing a Karen calling the cops on black kids at a barbecue or a black man watching birds in Central Park. Or lose their temper after being asked to wear a mask in a store in the midst of a global pandemic. Or lead the charge in the current anti-vaxx movement that keeps us stuck in said pandemic. You get the point.
But what about the famous Karens? No, we’re not talking about icons like Karen Huger, Karen Carpenter, or Karen Walker from Will and Grace. (Okay, maybe a little bit on that last one, but hey, she’s fictional and at least she’s hilarious?)
Instead, we’ve put together a list of 11 of the most obnoxious Karen celebrities in recent Hollywood history. Read on for a full rundown, but beware: they are bound to speak to the manager about their inclusion on this list. Or at least their publicist …
- David Livingston, Getty Images1
Kate gosselin
Let’s start with the OG Karen from the 2000s, okay? Uh … Kate, that’s it. Because when you think of the quintessential Karen hairstyle, you probably think of the iconic and terrible look of Kate Gosselin, which consisted of an extreme A-line – long in the front and short in the back. Add to that the Kate Plus 8 star’s long documented history of rude, empowered, and generally horrible behavior, and you can practically imagine her on the warpath at the slightest inconvenience.
- John Phillips, Getty Images2
Jk rowling
Oh, JK Rowling. We will always be grateful for the wonderful wizarding world you have given generations of children with the stroke of a pen. We are less grateful for your more recent rants against the legitimacy of trans women and the subsequent emergence of yourself as a radical trans-exclusionist feminist (or TERF for short). And while we’re at it, let’s talk about the level of pimping that magically tried to add LGBTQ + characters to the world of Harry Potter after the fact.
- Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images3
Jenny mccarthy
Two words can be used to sum up the central point of Jenny McCarthy’s blatant Karen-ness: “Cure for Autism”. The famous anti-vaxxer and co-host of The View is responsible for pushing massive amounts of misinformation onto her personal social media accounts regarding vaccine safety, spreading unsubstantiated claims regarding the cause of autism in people. children; endorse unsafe treatment and advice from discredited doctors; and more. In 2008, she even went so far as to claim that she had successfully cured her son’s autism using only diet and vitamins.
- Michael Loccisano, Getty Images4
Singer Ramona
Singer Stinger has always been resident Karen of The Real Housewives of New York City, whom she orders staff (whom she calls “help”) to help her unpack her vacation with the cast, throwing her privilege , offending his cast mates. left and right, or unleash his alter ego as The Apologizer. However, Ramona Singer took her bad behavior to the next level in RHONY Season 13. From the moment Eboni K. Williams joined the show, the poor newbie managed to trigger Ramotional’s worst impulses – from posting photos with her black comrades to Instagram influence to shutting down Eboni. whenever she tries to bring racial justice issues to the table. And don’t even get us started on this scary episode of Black Shabbat…
- Disney Channel via Getty Images5
Leigh-Allyn Baker
Leigh-Allyn Baker made her name in the early 2010s playing Amy Duncan, the matriarch of Disney Channel’s sitcom Good Luck Charlie. But fast forward a decade and the former Charmed actress is less famous these days for her acting chops and more infamous for going viral as a full-fledged anti-vaxxer. The former TV star made waves when she was filmed addressing the Williamson County School Board at her new home in Franklin, Tennessee to protest the district’s mask mandate school. Posing as a “California refugee” (* gag *), Baker claimed she was justified in protesting children wearing masks in schools to limit the spread of COVID-19 because of “the Constitution, the Declaration independence, the Bill of Rights, the Federalist Papers and also the Bible, “he continues, saying,” These guarantee my freedom and yours and the freedom of our children to breathe oxygen. “
- Frazer Harrison, Getty Images6
Faye Dunaway
Faye Dunaway may be a movie legend, but under Oscar and Emmy award-winning performances, the 80-year-old has a pretty terrible reputation. She has been accused in the past of physically assaulting and slapping various cast and crew members – dating back to her role as Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest in 1981. There was also the time she was fired of the Tea at Five production in 2019 on Broadway for creating a dangerous work environment for other actors. Oh, and then there’s the lawsuit stemming from the same show, when she fired her gay assistant after he complained she was deriding him a ‘little gay boy’ and humiliating him regularly at work. . Add to that her infamous feud with Everyone’s Hilary Duff, and you just know we’ve got an insufferable Karen on our hands.
- Amy Sussman, Getty Images7
Kirstie Alley
Where to start with Kirstie Alley? And no, we’re not even talking about his problematic role as one of the most outspoken members of Scientology in all of Hollywood. While that in itself is far too much to unwrap, let’s go back to 2020, when the former Veronica’s Closet star responded perfectly to the Oscars announcement that they would add diversity standards in a long overdue effort to make the best of it. Imagine a more inclusive and fair race. Alley was less than satisfied, calling the measure of inclusiveness “a shame for artists around the world.” In a series of since-deleted tweets, she also said: “You’ve lost your mind. Controlling the artist, controlling individual thought… OSCAR ORWELL.
- James Gourley, Getty Images8
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan has racked up a rather sordid history of bad behavior during her years in Hollywood, but her previous etiquette as a responsibility on set and her wild party girl antics pale in comparison to this prime example of LiLo engaging in serious Karen behavior. In 2018, the Freaky Friday star inexplicably went live on Instagram, harassing a mother and two sons the actress allegedly identified as Syrian refugees under the (gravely mistaken) pretext of trying to help the boys. Not only did Lohan blame and outright shame the mother, telling her that she was “ruining Arab culture,” but she went even further by accusing the woman of trafficking in the children – then tried to keep her away. one of his mother’s boys in order to “save him. Needless to say, Lindsay’s white savior complex hit her by the mother. But maybe that’s what you get by trying to forcibly kidnap a child on IG Live?
- Jason Kempin, Getty Images9
Shepherd’s Rose
Who Said Only Women Can Be Karen? Don’t get me wrong, most of the time Shep Rose comes across as a nice guy. A little elitist, to be sure, but on Southern Charm he’s generally the carefree playboy who doesn’t take things too seriously. However, Sheppy found himself in hot water in August 2019 on a trip to New York City when he was caught live on Instagram mocking a homeless woman for picking up cans. . The controversy was brought up in the final season of the hit Bravo, and Shep has since apologized, but his rude and callous behavior has left a bad taste in the mouths of many fans. (But seriously, what’s up with celebrities spreading rude behavior on Instagram? Someone takes their phones!)
- Jon Kopaloff, Getty Images10
Lena Dunham
To some people, Lena Dunham probably comes across as just irritating rather than a full-fledged Karen. But while the girl behind Hannah Horvath and co. may be a gifted voice of her generation, she’s also had a few misguided Karen moments during her polarizing career. As well as being a shining example of the worst white feminism in the eyes of some people, there was also that time when she unnecessarily called out Odell Beckham Jr. for allegedly judging and ignoring her at the Met Gala. She then approached her self-victimization with a lengthy Instagram apology, but the damage had already been done. And if that’s not enough, never forget that she submitted us six seasons of Marnie Michaels on Girls, which is just unforgivable.
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Meghan mccain
During her four-season stint on The View, Meghan McCain was subject to fairly regular times where her inner Karen-ness was stung. While those postings typically involved her on-screen fight with her counterparts Joy Behar or Whoopi Goldberg (the viral December 2019 “Girl, please stop talking!” Moment about McCain has since been forgotten) , the conservative political star did not reserve his anger for his fellow co-hosts. Just look at former Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, with whom she became involved in the assassination of Qasem Soleimani in January 2020, or the moment McCain left the stage following an argument. with GOP commentator Anna Navarro. McCain certainly enjoys being heard … but rarely seems interested in listening.
