Top 10 Times Celebs Got Into Fights On Live TV

On the daytime program “The Talk,” Sharon Osbourne got heated with her co-host Sheryl Underwood. In discussing Piers Morgan’s comments about Meghan Markle, Osbourne defended her former “America’s Got Talent” colleague against accusations of racism. Underwood attempted to calm down her fellow panelist, but it was too late for the British host. Feeling targeted, Osbourne launched into a bleeped tirade as the show went to commercial. The show came back from break even more tense than before, as the host became more defensive. Even as the program went south, Underwood kept her cool as she was verbally attacked. The resulting impact of the fight led to Osbourne’s departure from the show.

In 1982, comedian Andy Kaufman took the “Late Night with David Letterman” audience for a theatrical ride. Joining wrestler Jerry Lawler as a guest, the performer riled up his rival in an escalating argument that turned physical. Unable to break up the fight, Letterman was only able to watch as the show went off the rails. Lawler slapped his neck brace-wearing counterpart, knocking him out of his chair. Things only got worse when Kaufman returned to chew Lawler out, in one of the more intense moments in late night history. Even if it was staged, the two were clearly dedicated to making it all look legit.

MTV’s mainstay show “Ridiculousness” welcomed outspoken media personality Charlamagne Tha God to the guest couch. It started off cordially enough, but it was only a matter of time that “The Breakfast Club” host stirred up trouble. Co-host Chanel West Coast was reminded of a series of criticisms leveled against her by Charlamagne. Avoiding eye contact, the two exchanged words with West Coast standing up to deliver her rebuttal. Defending her talent and hip-hop career, the performer didn’t mince words in front of the studio audience. Host Rob Dyrdek tried to extinguish the fire, but even his lovable energy couldn’t stop this fight.

There's no place too fancy for a good old fashioned rumble. These two musicians encountered each other at the Harper’s Bazaar Icons party. Cardi B attacked Nicki Minaj over alleged words about the former's daughter. The "Anaconda" rapper later denied speaking ill of her rival's family, but that didn't stop the latter from starting a fight. In the heat of the moment, the "Bodak Yellow" artist even threw her shoe at Minaj. Insults and punches didn’t stop until the two were separated. Needless to say, the New York fashion community watched in horror as it all transpired.

On “Love & Hip-Hop: New York,” Cardi B made a name for herself as a rapper and a one-of-a-kind personality. Her reputation for throwing footwear in fights was etched into legend with this televised disaster. The performer and her co-star Asia Davies hashed out their many grievances on a reunion show. It was immediately clear why the two had been positioned so far away. After a few stern words, the artist was ready to throw down again with Davies. Cardi B needed a whole team to keep her from laying hands on her rival. This wasn’t the last we would see of the performer, but it was certainly a turning point for her career.

During a memorable episode of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” the kindly Marc Summers was the second guest after a testy Burt Reynolds. The legendary actor started things off on a sour note by picking a fight. Summers reciprocated by mentioning Reynolds’ failed marriage, leading to an unexpected water war. Even Jay Leno himself realized that he’d lost control of his own show. By the time everyone’s mugs were empty, the show was never going back to normal. The two guests later squared off in a pie duel that left nobody unscathed. Bizarre and unexpected, this fight was surprising from start to finish.

Geraldo Rivera made a name for himself in the 1980s with his own controversial show. In a particularly heated discussion, three White supremacists squared off with activists on a tense panel. When one of the skinhead leaders called Roy Innis a racial epithet, the CORE chairman confronted the bigoted man. The resulting chaos created a domino effect that spread throughout the studio. A flying chair broke the host’s nose during the brawl. It’s one of the few television broadcasts that became a near-riot. Afterwards, the racist portion of the panel was removed from the stage. When all was said and done, a bloodied Rivera continued the show like nothing happened.

The “Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast were no stranger to confrontations, but this iconic reunion made other episodes look tame. Everything went downhill fast as Porsha Williams and Kenya Moore chirped at each other. Kenya’s megaphone prop only made things worse, as the two tried to talk over each other. After being accused of cheating on her ex-husband, Williams had been pushed to her limit. Host Andy Cohen wasn’t able to break up the bout before it got really ugly. Williams took her co-star to the floor, grabbing Moore by her hair. Needless to say, this fight was one for the “Real Housewives” history books.

In this vintage clip, two heavyweight champions duked it out in a studio instead of the ring. Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier talked boxing with host Howard Cosell while sitting a little too close for comfort. Analyzing match footage, the rivals went from good-natured ribbing to a full argument. After Ali started name-calling, Frazier didn't take the criticism well. Most viewers saw this coming a mile away. The pair hit the ground in an impromptu grappling session. There’s no question that things would've gotten much worse if security hadn't showed up. In the end, the champs chose to save the remaining fight for their next faceoff.

It was the “slap heard ‘round the world.” As comedian Chris Rock took the stage to introduce the Best Documentary Feature category, he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. Her husband Will Smith laughed along until he noticed his wife’s reaction. What followed was the defining moment of the ceremony. Smith slapped the presenter across the face, before taking his seat to yell at him. To Rock’s credit, he didn’t escalate the fight any further with the "King Richard" star. The actor received the Best Actor award less than an hour later with no immediate consequences. Turning the Academy Awards on its head, this outburst went down as one of the most infamous in live television history.