10 Worst Celebrities to Serve in a Restaurant, According to Servers
Celebs are often spotted at trendy restaurants and most are perfectly lovely people. They're super approachable, kind, and generous tippers. But in a world of camera phones, TikTok stories, and hot Reddit threads, if they aren't, the public is likely to find out about it—and quickly. And while we might adore their public persona and their work, it's disappointing to hear that your favorite actor or singer treats those who serve them at restaurants poorly, especially if we've built them up to be a wonderful person. According to restaurant serves who have had less-than-awesome celebrity encounters at work, these folks are simply the rudest restaurant guests in the industry.
Anna Wintour
Anna Wintour has been described as "absolutely horrid" and rudely brief to the entire restaurant staff. That's according to Michael Cecchi-Azzolina, the former maitre d' at NYC's Michelin-starred restaurant Le Coucou, who described his encounters with Wintour in his book "Your Table Is Ready." The Vogue fashion icon tends to "march in with no reservation and demand a table," Cecchi-Azzolina writes, and she requests a steak "very rare" to be served "immediately."
"She'd just walk in or call and say, 'I'm coming.' One time she came in and we were closing the back room and she insisted on sitting in the back room and we had to keep a waiter there and give her her own waiter. Boy, was that waitress pissed," Cecchi-Azzolina told The New York Post in an interview.
James Corden
In October of 2022, comedian and TV host James Corden was banned from New York City restaurant Balthazar. According to reports, he shouted at and berated the staff over minor mistakes made with dishes served to his wife. The owner of the restaurant, Keith McNally, took to Twitter to call Corden a "tiny Cretin of a man" and reported that it was not the first time Corden had been unpleasant at his establishment.
To Corden's credit, he reportedly called the restaurant later and offered what seemed a sincere apology and was invited back, but calling to apologize after being publicly outed seems like a face-saving move more than a sincere regret.
Khloe Kardashian
According to multiple servers who had waited on Khloe Kardashian, she is a boorish nightmare of a customer. On a Reddit thread in the subreddit called "Tales From Your Server," one person said of Kardashian: "She was extremely rude and demanding and I hated it so much." Another added: "I cocktailed for Khloe's table at a banquet, so there wasn't a tab and she didn't tip. She was just a pain in the ass, in almost every way . . . She never said thank you or even really acknowledged me, and she wouldn't stop gesticulating long enough for me to place her drinks down. She also brushed her arm with a napkin when I accidentally grazed it. It was an awful night."
Drake
Drake is apparently worth about $250 million, so he can afford to pay his dinner bills. But according to one server who shared in the subreddit "Server Life," he'd rather not. The person said in part: "Drake didn't want to pay the full amount we charged because we charged him a room fee for keeping the restaurant open four hours after we closed. Argued with our GM and finally paid the full amount with no tip."
Gwyneth Paltrow
It seems Gwyneth Paltrow has spent a bit too much time in the proverbial Ivory Tower and has forgotten that other people are . . . also people. One person who had served her said via Reddit: "Gwyneth refused to 'speak with the help' and ordered via her assistant." Based on that post, a heap of additional ire aimed at Paltrow followed in the comments, with another server responding: "Who do these people think we are? Jesus."
Usher
A notorious bad tipper—if he tips at all—per The Richest, Usher is also apparently the type who thinks he is better than the rest of us. According to servers who shared their stories on Reddit, Usher refuses to speak directly to servers, having his staff speak for him and acting as liaisons when someone needs to convey a question or message to the singer.
Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway may be an accomplished actress, but she has apparently not mastered the basic practice of getting over the small stuff. According to a server who shared with The Richest, the actress once sent back a simple breakfast order a whopping four times, then finally changed her order altogether.
Mariah Carey
As it turns out, Mariah Carey entirely deserves her "diva" reputation. One server on Reddit said of the star: "She came to my place of work once and was a NIGHTMARE the entire time. The way she talked to both her own team and my team was horrendous." Another shared that a family friend had worked with her before and had been told to not even to look at the singer.
Tiger Woods
Often aloof, occasionally outright rude, and a notoriously bad tipper, Tiger Woods is a very unpopular guest with servers, not to mention with the staff at golf courses and other venues, per commenters on Reddit. For reference, per Forbes, Tiger Woods is officially a billionaire as of 2022.
Jennifer Lopez
Besides being a terrible tipper (she once reportedly took back a $10,000 tip Ben Affleck was trying to give a Las Vegas casino dealer) Jennifer Lopez was also described as "nasty and rude" by one Redditor, "awful [and] a total diva" by another, and "just awful" by a third. Yikes!
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