If Anderson Cooper has something to say, you better believe he’ll say it. The CNN host took issue with Star Jones’s accusation that he only came out as gay in an email to The Daily Beast’s Andrew Sullivan as a ploy for ratings—but the former View host isn’t the first to get on Cooper’s bad side. From the plastic-surgery-addled pageant mom whom Anderson kicked off his show, to Karl Lagerfeld, Amanda Bynes, and Lindsay Lohan, see more of Cooper’s rants against the people who disappoint him.
Star Jones
In a segment on the Today show, former The View host Star Jones claimed that Anderson Cooper might have come out in order to boost the ratings of his show and said “there are times when you generate information for ratings.” Cooper fired back at Jones and called her out for lying about her gastric-bypass surgery and using her time on The View to garner attention for her wedding. He also poked fun at her and claimed she wasn’t relevant anymore. “I haven’t thought about Star Jones in I don’t know how long,” he said. “I was unaware she was even on TV still.”
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Mary Landrieu
Amid the destruction and confusion after Hurricane Katrina, Anderson Cooper interviewed Mary Landrieu. Cooper put Louisiana’s Democratic senator on the spot, asking if the federal government should be held accountable for what was taking place. Landrieu dodged the question and instead thanked former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush for their support. But Cooper didn’t let her off the hook, saying it was not the time to hear politicians pat each other on the back and that somebody needed to be held accountable.
Guy on a Plane
Despite spending the majority of his career in front of a camera, Anderson Cooper is apparently not a big fan of being photographed by strangers—especially on a plane. Cooper discussed the incident with his good friend Kathy Griffin on her talk show, Kathy. A passenger sitting in front of him was attempting to sneak photos of Cooper on his iPhone. Instead of shrugging it off, Cooper confronted the guy. As he recounted the incident, “I grabbed the guy on the shoulder and said something to the effect of ‘Bitch what the f--k are you doing?’”
Michele Bachmann
Earlier this year, Michele Bachmann and four other U.S. representatives made claims that they believed Muslim extremists had “deeply penetrated” the State Department. In a radio interview with the American Family Association, Bachmann said, “I am calling upon the Justice Department and these various departments, to investigate through the inspector general to see who these people are and what access they have to our information.” Cooper was quick to point out critics’ claims that Bachmann’s plan was essentially a “Muslim witch hunt” with “shades of McCarthyism” and also pointed out her lack of evidence.
Teresa Giudice
Real Housewife of New Jersey Teresa Giudice has never been one to stay away from a fight—but on Anderson Cooper’s talk show, she attempted to defend herself. Giudice went on and on about how she was constantly defending herself on the show when Cooper made a brilliant observation: “So you’re saying you’re the victim all the time?” he asked. Cooper went on to point out an incident in which she called a fellow cast member fat, and when she attempted to tell him what she had said to her first, he cut her off and said “I don’t care! You’re not 12 years old!”
Dr. Laura Schlessinger
In 2010, Dr. Laura Schlessinger was under heavy scrutiny after using the N-word 11 times on the air during a conversation with a caller. Schlessinger later attempted to defend herself and blamed CNN for going on a “shark frenzy” on her for 48 straight hours without attempting to talk to her. This landed her a spot on Cooper’s “RidicuList,” where he quickly debunked her claims. He pointed out that her story was one of many that was run on his show that day and showed footage and emails of his team inviting her to appear on his show, which was turned down by her producer. Cooper finished the segment by saying “take your own advice and stop whining!”
Amanda Bynes
Pink Hair Curse victim Amanda Bynes made Cooper’s RidicuList for her DUI arrest and Twitter request to Obama (“Hey @BarackObama… I don’t drink. Please fire the cop who arrested me. I also don’t hit and run. The end.”) Cooper quipped, “If you don’t know who she is, join the club,” and then introduced a spinoff to the RidicuList, “Things More Important Than Amanda Bynes’ Tweet,” which included Miley Cyrus’s engagement, a Kanye West tweet (“I Hate big ass striped scarves”), and a squirrel on waterskis.
Lindsay Lohan
Anderson also has beef with another of Hollywood’s worst drivers, Lindsay Lohan. After Amanda Bynes’s driving troubles became news, Lohan tweeted, “Why did I get put in jail and a nickelodeon star has had NO punishment(s) so far?” Anderson did not sympathize. “If I were Lindsay Lohan, I would just be quiet,” Cooper said on Anderson Live. “Just do your job. Get off Twitter, stop hanging out—just do your job.”
Barbie Mom
When Cooper invited Sarah Burge, a.k.a. “The Human Barbie,” to his show, he intended to be as polite as he is to any of his guests. But after just a few minutes of hearing Burge’s explanation about why she was getting her 15-year-old daughter injected with Botox (“She doesn’t want to sweat onstage during beauty pageants”), Anderson could take no more and booted her off the set. “I gotta be honest, I gotta just stop. I’m sorry,” he told her on-air. “I try to be really polite to all my guests, but I just think you’re dreadful … I honestly don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
Karl Lagerfeld
“Chronic foot-in-mouth sufferer Karl Lagerfeld” (as Anderson put it) attracted the ire of the CNN host when he publicly said, “The thing at the moment is Adele. She is a little too fat, but she has a beautiful face and a divine voice.” Anderson fired back by reminding his viewers that Lagerfeld is hardly one to talk. “He’s had his own weight issues. Years ago, he lost 90 pounds.” He then pretended to fall asleep during a clip of Lagerfeld explaining how he lost the weight.
Wolf Blitzer & His Hipster Glasses
Let it be known that Anderson Cooper is an equal-opportunity ridiculer—even when it comes to his fellow CNN employees. Wolf Blitzer got served some Cooper sarcasm when he appeared on-air with some new, very familiar-looking glasses. “I don’t want to accuse Wolf Blitzer of going all Single White Female on me, but these glasses—they’re kind of my thing,” he joked, adding, “I like the new glasses, for one thing, they really compliment Wolf’s skinny jeans—yeah, you didn’t know? He wears skinny jeans.”
