20 Things Most People Assume About Celebs (That Are Completely Wrong)
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We're all guilty of it. Celebrity stereotyping is something that we do on a daily basis (yet for some reason, doing it to celebrities is "totally okay"). We'll sit there on our sofas, scrolling through our phones, judging. Typical assumptions include: The Kardashians are all self-centered and dim. Justin Bieber is rude. Victoria Beckham was born with a mean face. Considering how much of their real lives celebs share via social media, interviews, and reality shows, we should really know better.
Some of the stereotypes are definitely true. Rappers do love their Versace and Gucci. Hollywood actors do seem to favor Beverly Hills mansions with a price tag around the $20 million mark. Then again, there's a whole side to these famous faces that we're getting completely wrong. Sometimes, it's like we're literally forgetting that these are real people. They have emotions just like us. They have families. They have disagreements. They feel the exact pressures that we face, multiplied by a million. Some might say: "That's the price you pay for fame." But how many of us actually know Selena Gomez's inner thoughts? Or Kim Kardashian's staggeringly impressive business model? From the chart-topping artists and the silver screen's glitziest faces, to reality queens and fashion icons, we'll be separating the myths from the truth. Here are 20 celeb stereotypes that we're all guilty of making. The problem is, they're completely wrong.
ARIANA GRANDE GETS CARRIED AROUND LIKE A CHILD
With the release of her new Sweetener album and her whirlwind Pete Davidson engagement, Ariana Grande is definitely making headlines. Ariana may only be 25, but she's had her fair share of "diva" headlines. In 2014, IB Times reported that Ariana requests to be "carried around like a child" when she's too tired to walk. The reputation stuck. In 2018, Ariana appeared on Carpool with James Corden– check out the Youtube video, it's hilarious. Ariana set the facts straight – she was filming in pointe shoes. "I was in pain." Ariana did ask to be carried, but only because she was in painful ballet shoes.
DWAYNE JOHNSON DOESN'T TOUCH INDULGENCE FOODS
There are two ways that the scale can read 260 lbs. For Dwayne Johnson, it isn't a reading that comes with a health warning. The strongest actor in Hollywood clangs around 45,000 lbs of home gym equipment at 3.50 a.m. every day, and he's a dad of three. When you workout on that level though, calories are something that you desperately need. Dwayne consumes a staggering 5,165 calories per day, according to The Daily Mail. The steaks, egg whites, and protein shakes are part of The Rock's diet, but so are midnight pancake snacks like these. Dwayne has even eaten 12 whole pizzas in one sitting.
KIM KARDASHIAN ISN'T INTELLIGENT
We give it five years before the Kardashian business model works its way into economics textbooks. Sure, Kim Kardashian comes across as ditzy. She's got the blonde hair (sometimes). She's got the daily selfies. She's got the phrases like: "Cellulite is, like, my biggest fear in life."
When you make $53 million in one year from a video game alone, you're not stupid. Kim K is super-smart.
Kim built up the KKW Beauty empire, with the range selling out in 3 minutes. She has sell-out fragrances and a net worth of $350 million. Her sponsored Instagram posts can earn her up to $750,000. There's nothing stupid about that.
EMINEM WAS BORN IN DETROIT
This one is probably the biggest misconception of all. Whether you know the lyrics to every Eminem track or you just about recognize the Nicki Minaj collaborations, you probably associate Eminem with Detroit. The rapper grew up there and he has a home there. Where Eminem was actually born? On October 7, 1972, Marshall Bruce Mathers was born in St. Joseph, Missouri. Em's early childhood was spent shuttling between Michigan and Missouri. The family actually lived in three different Missouri towns – St. Joseph, Savannah, and Kansas City. By his teens, Eminem was in Detroit, but those early years were in an entirely different state.
VICTORIA BECKHAM NEVER SMILES
This one is technically a stereotype, but even we're admitting that it's partly based on fact. Victoria Beckham is rarely papped without somewhat of a stony face. Whether Victoria is stepping out of a Paris hotel looking fashion-ready or hitting brunch spots with her four kids, the fashion queen will rarely crack a smile. Do that enough though, and the media will ask you about it.
"I'm smiling on the inside. I feel that I have a responsibility to the fashion community."
Victoria actually has a great sense of humor. In 2015, Victoria told The Daily Mail that her poker face is a responsibility. Victoria is smiling on the inside, though.
KENDALL JENNER ONLY EATS RABBIT FOOD
The modeling world has its reputation. For the most part, we assume that models just don't eat. Kendall Jenner is arguably the biggest face in modeling. What most people don't know though, is that Kendall also has the world's biggest appetite. "People always find it funny that Kenny is on the anti-model diet," Khloe Kardashian wrote on her app. Kendall does eat super-healthy carrot sticks, hummus, and fruit, but she's a fast-food queen. After the 2016 Victoria's Secret show, Kendall headed straight to a burger joint. Her favorite foods include pasta with cream and peas, burgers, pizzas, and frozen yogurt.
NICKI MINAJ LIKES HER NAME
Nicki Minaj is probably one of the most confident women in the music industry. She was confident enough to openly accuse Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott of "using baby Stormi" to help Travis' Astroworld album reach number one. That said, there's a side to Nicki that's less confident, and it starts with her name. Onika Tanya Maraj is Nicki's birth name. In an interview with The Guardian, Nicki revealed: "One of the first production deals I signed, the guy wanted my name to be Minaj and I fought him tooth and nail. But he convinced me. I've always hated it."
KANYE WEST GREW UP ON THE STREETS
It's a rapper thing, right? Rapping about the underground years when life was hard and there was no food on the table. Some rappers get to pull that card. Eminem grew up in poverty – 8 Mile showed us exactly what life is like in the trailer park. Cardi B had an unsteady start in the Bronx. Kanye West doesn't mention this too often, but his decidedly middle-class upbringing was anything but a struggle. Kanye was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He grew up in Chicago. While Kanye's mom raised him as a single parent, she was a professor for 31 years (complete with a Ph.D. in English Education).
When your mom has a Ph.D., you didn't grow up "underprivileged."
PARIS HILTON'S KIM K IMPRESSION WAS TOTALLY ACCIDENTAL
Nothing in the Kardashian-West business world is accidental. In 2018, this pic of Paris Hilton dressed as Kim Kardashian went viral. #YeezySeason6 #ParisHilton were Kim's Instagram captions to a series of pics that showed Paris looking the spit of Kim in head-to-toe Yeezy. Most people figured that it was just a joke. When Business Insider broke down the strategy behind it, they called Kanye West a "marketing genius." And with good reason. According to Lyst, the hype spiked a 45% rise in online searches for Yeezy products versus the week before the pic. Again, we'll repeat: These people are seriously smart.
TOM CRUISE PULLS ALL OF HIS OWN STUNTS
The world of stunt doubles is one that's rarely talked about. Some stars, like Dwayne Johnson, give their stunt doubles full credit. Dwayne's cousin is his stunt double, and Dwayne gives the guy regular props on social media. Others, however, never mention it. In 2013, The Daily Mail shocked the world by revealing that Brad Pitt's World War Z stunt double was earning just $6 an hour for doing risky takes. Tom Cruise is arguably the king of stunt work. The Mission Impossible star largely pulls most of his own dangerous stunts– but not all of them. Ethan Hunt is Tom's double. The really dangerous stuff is left to a pro– not Tom.
SELENA GOMEZ IS A REALLY CONFIDENT PERSON
Selena Gomez's fame has sky-rocketed in 2018, and she is now the most-followed person on Instagram. 140 million people subscribe to updates from the star. The person underneath is hiding inside a shell, though. In an emotional 2017 interview with Girlfriend, Selena revealed that she has "a lot of insecurities." Selena said that she is "sensitive." Selena has had to step back from the spotlight due to crippling anxiety, for which she has undergone professional treatment. Selena also told InStyle that her 90-day in a rehabilitation center was "the best thing that [I] could've ever done." Selena may appear very confident in her Puma ads, but there's a little girl underneath who is incredibly vulnerable.
RIHANNA ONLY PUTS HER NAME TO BIG BRANDS FOR CASH
Celebrity endorsements are a huge deal. LeBron James' lifetime Nike contract is worth $90 million a year, according to Business Insider. Beyonce's Pepsi deal netted her a sweet $60 million. Rihanna is now the lady of the hour in the music, fashion, and beauty world. The stereotype of Rihanna just swanning into a Los Angeles office and signing her name on the dotted line may be how other celebs do their deals, but not Rihanna. Rihanna put her design skills to use for Puma – not many people even know that she has any.
Rihanna was appointed creative director of Puma in 2014. That's way more than just posing for a few shoots.
JENNIFER ANISTON ONLY DOES ROMANTIC COMEDIES
Being typecast in Hollywood is tough – once those producers have found your "signature edge," it'll stick like glue. Jennifer Aniston became a household name overnight in 1994. Friends was the biggest show on TV, and Rachel Green was the most talked-about character (by far). Friends paved the way for a string of rom-com movie roles for Jen, and yes, they're endless. While Jen is most remembered for movies like Bruce Almighty, Horrible Bosses, Bruce Almighty, and Marley & Me, most people have no idea that Jen has taken on serious roles. Her 2014 movie, Cake explored the world of chronic pain. The Good Girl might have a rom-com title, but it's no comedy.
KYLIE JENNER ONLY VALUES MATERIAL POSSESSIONS
Given what you're looking at, you could be forgiven for thinking that this one is true. In 2018, Kylie Jenner posted this pic of herself to Instagram. She wore $800 Gucci sneakers, a powder pink tracksuit, and a $21,000 Hermès Birkin bag. A few days later, Kylie's sporty white outfit was accessorized with a Louis Vuitton purse and a $34,500 Rolex watch. While this reality star clearly loves material possessions, it isn't just all about the $1.4 million Ferraris. Kylie's baby, Stormi Webster seems to have really grounded her. Just recently, Kylie posted a simple pic of herself and her baby. She captioned it: "You make all my mornings."
MILA KUNIS USED A BODY DOUBLE IN BLACK SWAN
Body doubles aren't just for the cast of the MCU. In 2010, Mila Kunis was cast alongside Natalie Portman in the psychological thriller, Black Swan. The movie didn't just demand a captivating emotional performance from these actresses. It is set in the professional ballet world, and yes – these two had to undergo strict diets and ballet training. Natalie came under fire, according to The Sun for "giving her body double virtually no credit." Mila did the whole thing herself.
Mila was strict while preparing for her role. "I don't recommend anybody ever doing it." She did all of the ballet herself, though.
THE KARDASHIANS AREN'T HARD-WORKING
On the surface, the Kardashian lifestyle seems like the easiest deal ever. Roll out of bed in your hotel suite, order room service, hit the upscale boutiques, then spend your afternoon packing your designer clothes for your Mexican getaway. People automatically assume that the Kardashians do zero work. Wrong. Kim K gets up at 6 a.m. to work out and check on her kids. This entire family will be in a business meeting by 9 a.m. (and they'll have another one wrapped up by noon). Their surroundings might be luxurious, but Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, Kendall, and Kylie all have crazy schedules.
CHRIS PRATT HAS BEEN MR. LUCKY ALL HIS LIFE
Hollywood superstars look slicker than ever – Chris Pratt included. The Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic star is an undeniable A-Lister. With his suave good looks, promotional social media, and mega fanbase, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Chris has been looking (and living) like this for years. Not the case. Chris Pratt was homeless before he got famous. He lucked out by serving an actress at his Bubba Gump Shrimp job, after which he was cast in Parks and Recreation. Chris had the ambition, though. "I know I'll be famous and I know I'll make a ton of money," he told EW. Chris started out broke, though.
BEYONCE DOESN'T HAVE TIME FOR FANS
There are probably as many "diva" stories about Beyonce as there are for Mariah Carey. There's no arguing this one – Beyonce is a queen. While The Daily Mail has racked up Beyonce's stage demands (like reporting that Bey demands hand-carved ice balls to "soothe her throat"), we don't see the newspaper telling the real story. Beyonce may not have the time to shake everybody's hand, but she'll spend time on other things. Two whole years is how long Bey spent tracking down two fans. Laurent and Larry Bourgeois, a.k.a. Les Twins filmed themselves on YouTube. Bey spotted their talent and did everything she could to track them down.
"JENNY FROM THE BLOCK" WAS FILMED IN THE BRONX
Just like Cardi B, Jennifer Lopez pulled herself out of poverty. "I shared a bed with my two sisters," J-Lo told E! News about her humble upbringing. "Jenny From The Block" was a 2002 track that saw the singer vow to never forget how she grew up in the Bronx. Jen never filmed the video in the Bronx. The entire music video was filmed in Los Angeles. No reason for this has been given, although E! has reported that Jen only agreed to be in a vehicle commercial if she "didn't have to go to the Bronx." Maybe there's a link, maybe there isn't. Either way... Oops.
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY WAS BORN WITH THE PERFECT NAME
Sometimes, the celeb world is just as hilarious as the real world. Keira Knightley is an internationally acclaimed actress with an A-lister label and co-stars including Johnny Depp and Benedict Cumberbatch. Unlike Benedict's fancy name, Keira's is actually a total accident. "My name is a spelling mistake!" Keira told Hello. "I was meant to be named Kiera after a Russian ice skater who was on the TV one day," she continued. Keira's mom went to register the baby name, but she accidentally inverted the letters. There you go. Keira Knightley is a giant typo.
If you know anyone who judges people (or thinks that they know celebs inside out), hit share on Facebook. Eminem not being from Detroit? Chris Pratt being homeless? That Sheldon Cooper-level doctorate that Kanye's mom had? You've got 17 others alongside those...
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