Top 3 Historic Hollywood Feuds Of All Time

Celeb JusticeApril 16, 2023

When you think of Hollywood, often the first things that come to mind are glamour, fame, and fortune. But what about the drama? Throughout history, Hollywood has been home to some of the biggest icons in film and television- all with their own egos and career aspirations. This has resulted in many famous feuds that have become renowned for their intensity and implications.

GTN / The history of Hollywood is full of iconic feuds.

In this article, we are going to look at three of these iconic Hollywood feuds:

Olivia de Havilland vs. Joan Fontaine: The Notorious Sibling Rivalry

The two sisters’ rivalry dates back as early as 1941, when they were both nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress. Despite being incredibly close growing up, it quickly became clear that this was now a competition between siblings. In 1942, Joan Fontaine was crowned the winner, and her victory reportedly caused a big rift between the two sisters.

BBC / Olivia de Havilland Vs Joan Fontaine is by far the most iconic feud of all time.

The feud escalated when de Havilland sued Warner Brothers in 1943 for violating their contract: It was a case that she won and one that set a precedent for the film industry. This only furthered the animosity between the two sisters as Joan claimed Olivia had stolen her thunder and that she would never forgive her. The two went on to have strained relationships with one another until de Havilland’s death in 2020.

Raquel Welch vs. MGM

In 1965, Raquel Welch signed an exclusive contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), only to find out after months of being assigned numerous roles within the studio that they wanted her to portray a bikini-clad cavewoman in the movie “One Million Years BC.” Welch was furious, as she felt that being typecast as a sex symbol would damage her long-term career prospects.

Despite the studio’s attempts to pressure her into taking on the role, she stood her ground and refused, resulting in MGM filing an injunction against her and even publicly accusing her of unprofessionalism. The battle between them lasted for months before finally coming to an end when Welch was granted access out of the contract after agreeing to do publicity work for MGM.

Johnny Carson vs. Joan Rivers

Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers were close friends and colleagues until 1986 when it all changed. In September of that year, Rivers announced that she was leaving “The Tonight Show” (that Carson hosted) in order to take on her own talk show. This decision did not sit well with the late-night legend, and he responded by not speaking to her for years.

LA Times / Johnny Carson vs. Joan Rivers was one of the most iconic feuds back in the 80s.

This feud became even more intense when Rivers made jokes about their relationship on her new show, which only further infuriated him. It was not until 2017 – a full 31 years later – that the two reconciled and finally ended their long-standing conflict.

These top three iconic Hollywood feuds are just a few examples of how ego, ambition, and competitiveness can fuel big rifts between industry colleagues. Whether they eventually make up or not is often anyone’s guess!