Interviews with public figures are often a great opportunity to look behind the scenes of their lives. The host definitely plays a big role, as he should provide the viewer with interesting answers and especially the much-coveted spicy information. At best, we learn something surprising and unexpected... But then there are also interviews that many celebrities would love to take back, accompanied by media hype, a huge wave of criticism, or even criminal prosecution. Here are some examples of really shocking ones!
Monika Lewinsky about her affair with the president
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Monika LewinskySource: Profimedia
In January 1998, the media barely covered anything but the alleged relationship between US President Bill Clinton and former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. This case was filling the front pages of newspapers for almost a year and made Lewinsky the most famous intern in the world. She was only 22 at the time.
In March 1999, Lewinsky broke her silence by saying yes to an ABC interview with Barbara Walters. She was unexpectedly open in it, admitting, for example, that Clinton was a very good kisser. When asked if she would have a relationship with him again, Lewinsky answered:
"There are some days that I regret that the relationship ever started and there are some days that I just regret that I ever confided in Linda Tripp."
Tripp was her friend, but she was recording their conversations about the affair with Clinton and passing them on. Despite all the problems, however, Lewinsky admitted during the interview that her feelings for Clinton were still strong. The president himself confessed to the romance only in 2001, on his last day in office.
"What I had done with Monica Lewinsky was immoral and foolish. I was deeply ashamed of it and I didn't want it to come out,"
Clinton explained his former lying in his memoirs published in June 2004. In the end, the president was punished only symbolically by a five-year ban on legal practice and a fine of half a million crowns.
Lance Armstrong’s drug confession
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Lance ArmstrongSource: Profimedia
The 2013 interview of a cycling legend and seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong with Oprah Winfrey shocked the entire sports world. A world in which he had enjoyed the highest possible respect. A top athlete who had suffered from cancer, yet managed to return to the saddle of his bike. But Armstrong suddenly painted a different picture when he first admitted that he had won all seven titles on drugs in an interview. By doing so, he turned his back on the years of pretending and admitted that his legendary career had been fueled by drugs, lies and bullying.
Among other things, he also confessed to getting carried away by a touching media story that he refused to spoil. A fairy tale story of an athlete who overcame testicular cancer to repeatedly emerge victorious in the most demanding cycling race.
"Everything I used to say was untrue. That story has been perfect for so long and now it's gone,"
Armstrong said in an interview.
His life changed overnight. After the interview with Oprah, he faced huge criticism and was banned from professional sports for life. But Armstrong was able to overcome that, too. As he confessed several times, investing in Uber saved his life. In 2009, he put a total of 2.3 million crowns in the investment company Lowercase Capital. Uber was a large part of the investment portfolio. Thanks to the steep growth in the value of the company, the investment of 2.3 million crowns earned him almost 600 million.
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Princess Diana confirms her separation from Charles
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Princezna DianaSource: Profimedia
It will soon be 26 years since Princess Diana sat down for the most famous and controversial interview in royal history. It was moderator Martin Bashir who persuaded her to give the exclusive interview. Princess Diana agreed to set the record straight about all the tabloid speculations about her marriage to Prince Charles, which had been falling apart and could no longer be saved. During the interview, she admitted that the marriage was over and that there was a third person involved, referring to Charles' continuing affair with the future Duchess Camilla.
"There were three of us in our marriage, so it was a little crowded,"
Diana confessed. The interview was the last nail in the coffin of their marriage, forcing the queen to insist that the couple get divorced. They split the following year.
Interestingly, the aftermath of the interview could still be felt last year. Host Martin Bashir had apparently manipulated Diana by showing two fake bank statements to her brother Charles Spencer, who stated that Bashir's documents had played a huge role in his decision to contact Diana about the interview because they claimed that a member of his staff had been paid for leaking information about the royal family. However, after a month-long investigation, Scotland Yard decided in early March that no further action would be taken against Bashir.
The documentary that ruined Michael Jackson's life
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Michael JacksonSource: Profimedia
Martin Bashir caused a huge stir in the world of celebrities. Diana wasn’t his only catch; he also interviewed the world-famous king of pop Michael Jackson. And the singer was one of the celebrities who rarely gave interviews. In April 2002, however, he agreed to do a series of interviews with the British journalist. They spent eight months in front of the camera together, resulting in the documentary "Life with Michael Jackson", which was first shown in public media in February 2003.
In the documentary, Jackson is asked, among other things, why he lets children who aren’t his own sleep in his bed. He replies:
"Why wouldn't I share my bed? That's the kindest thing you can do, to share a bed with someone. ”
The broadcasting of the documentary was followed by public outrage, which led to the opening of an investigation against Jackson. The singer was later arrested and brought to trial in 2005. He then said that he felt very betrayed by Bashir and that the host had abused his trust.
Controversial Meghan and Prince Harry
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Meghan Markle a princ HarrySource: Profimedia
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have recently caused more royal outrage. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey for the American station CBS, the former actress really opened up - a discussion about the colour of their son's skin, the loss of the right to protection or suicidal thoughts - all these topics and more were brought up in the interview.
Prince Harry spoke as well, surprising many viewers with the information that the royal family had cut him off financially in early 2020. He claims to be able to provide for his family thanks to the money he’d inherited from his mother (Princess Diana).
"I was a prisoner of the system, as was the rest of my family. My father and brother, both of them are prisoners,"
revealed Prince Harry. According to preliminary calculations by the analytical company Nielsen, the interview with the prince and his wife was watched by about 17 million Americans, Reuters reported.
And which interview do you consider the most shocking?
