The Celebrity Wardrobe Malfunctions: Fashion’s Iconic Flashing Accidents in Photos
Every celebrity is bound to have a wardrobe malfunction at one time or another. But some stars have had them on such a massive scale that they’ve gone down in infamy.
The term “wardrobe malfunction” wasn’t even in the American vernacular until early 2004, when Justin Timberlake used it to refer to how he tore at Janet Jackson‘s right breast pocket of her costume during the Super Bowl XXXVIII half time performance. A live TV viewing audience of nearly 100 million people witnessed the incident where her bare breast was exposed.
As they ended the set to a duet of Justin’s “Rock Your Body,” the costume’s fabric came flying off as Justin tore it away from Janet’s outfit, exposing her bare right breast and pierced nipple on live television. It occurred as he sang the lyrics “better have you naked by the end of this song.”
Justin coined the infamous term in his statement to MTV News, saying, “I am sorry if anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the halftime performance at the Super Bowl. It was not intentional and is regrettable.” While both singers apologized, Janet faced the fallout. She was banned from attending the 2004 Grammys, and the aftermath from the incident negatively affected her career for years to follow.
Actress Tara Reid had an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction in 2004 when she attended Diddy’s 35th birthday in New York. While posing on the red carpet, the strap of her black satin dress fell down, completely exposing her left breast. Tara kept smiling for the cameras, unaware to the accidental peep show she was giving.
To make matters worse, Tara had a botched breast enhancement, which was revealed by the wardrobe malfunction. “That was terrible,” The American Pie star told The Today Show in 2006 of the incident. “I became known as having the ugliest breast in the world. It was all over these web sites. Millions of them.”
“I was already dealing with what it looked like. The last thing I wanted to happen was to have the whole world see it,” she said. “The actual center part, where the areola is, instead of being a circle, it turned out to be a large square. It was horrifying.” Tara added, “It was very irregular like a goose shape egg. It was terrible.”
Stars have had wardrobe malfunctions down below as well. Fortunately, supermodel Bella Hadid wears underwear, and it ended up on display when she bent over to greet someone on the red carpet at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. The slit in her dress was past her hip and just the slight bending at her waist flashed her nude-colored undies. At least, she didn’t go commando that day!
LADY GAGA
A gust of wind turned out to be Lady Gaga’s worst enemy as she left The Late Show on November 15, 2021. Her black skirt was slit to her upper thigh and was blown completely open, exposing the singer-actress’ flesh-colored underwear.
DOJA CAT
The “Need to Know” singer suffered a brief wardrobe malfunction while performing at the Balmain fashion show in Paris on September 29, 2021. Doja didn’t miss a beat though, and proved she’s a force to be reckoned with on stage!
CARDI B
Cardi B loves to shake her booty during her rigorous concert dancing. But her twerking ended up causing her pants to rip up the back when she performed at the Bonaroo Music Festival in 2019.
BELLA HADID
It’s a good thing the supermodel doesn’t appear to go commando very often. At the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, her gorgeous gown had a high slit past her hip. When she bent over to greet someone on the red carpet, the slit fell open, exposing Bella’s nude-colored underwear.
CHRISSY TEIGEN
Chrissy’s 2016 American Music Awards dress was beyond daring, and it came back to sting the model with a serious wardrobe malfunction where she was underwear-free. Her black dress had massive slits up the sides to her chest, with a small strap holding the front fabric to the back placed high above her hips. As a result, the front panel of fabric swayed a little too far, exposing Chrissy’s lady bits in front of a sea of red carpet photographers.
GIGI HADID
Runways can be hazardous to more than just walking in huge heels. In 2016, supermodel Gigi Hadid’s strap fell down as she strutted down the catwalk during Milan Fashion Week, exposing her right breast.
KATHERINE HEIGL
It’s a good thing the actress has quick reflexes, as the red strap on her dress broke as she was being presented with an award at the 2010 ShoWest convention in Las Vegas. She managed to grab the strap before it slipped down far enough to expose her breast.
JANET JACKSON
The term “wardrobe malfunction” was coined by Justin Timberlake in 2004, after he ripped off the right chest pocket fabric of Janet Jackson’s costume at Super Bowl XXXVIII half time show. Her bare right breast was exposed on live TV to a viewing audience of nearly 100 million people.
TARA REID
The American Pie actress’ strap of her black gown completely fell down as she posed on the red carpet at Diddy’s 35th birthday party in 2004. Her entire left breast was exposed, showing the results of her botched breast job.
CAMERON DIAZ
The stunning actress had to go barefoot on the red carpet of the 2003 Charlie’s Angels premiere in Los Angeles. The strap on her shoes broke while she was walking to the carpet after signing autographs for fans across the street.
