The Worst Award-Show Wardrobe Malfunctions Of All Time

In the sparkly world of award shows where glamour takes center stage, even the biggest names in the spotlight aren't immune to the curse of an occasional wardrobe malfunction. From Hollywood A-listers like Margot Robbie and Nicole Kidman to music icons like Nicki Minaj and Alicia Keys, it turns out that no amount of fame can shield you from the occasional fashion faux pas.

Of course, these fashion mishaps aren't just about lost shoes and peek-a-boo pasties — instead, they're also tales of resilience, quick thinking, and the unbeatable spirit of those who gracefully navigate unexpected style hiccups while in the spotlight. After all, famous or not, we've all had a wardrobe malfunction at some point, and how we handle it reveals a lot about us. So, welcome to the world of glitz and glam in which zippers rebel, straps break free, and hems unravel during Hollywood's most prestigious events.

At the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, Taylor Swift not only claimed victories in the Best Female Artist and Top Selling Album categories but also showcased a stunning dress that immediately grabbed headlines. Swift's dress featured a daringly high slit, adding that perfect amount of sultriness to her look. However, the event turned into a high-stakes runway for the star as she had to tiptoe on the brink of unintended exposure when walking up steps. She nearly showed the carpet's photographers her underwear, but she stole the show nonetheless.

At the 2016 People's Choice Awards, Dakota Johnson's dress took an unexpected turn when it decided to fall apart on stage right in the middle of a hug with fellow actor Leslie Mann. Per the YouTube video uploaded by E! Insider, Mann reassured Johnson with a casual, "It's okay, we got it," to which Johnson humorously declared, "Leslie broke my dress," while adjusting it. With a shrug, the actor accepted the award for Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress, and she added, "Okay, well, it's not like nobody here hasn't already seen my boobs."

During the 2010 ShoWest Awards, Katherine Heigl faced an unexpected wardrobe malfunction that added a memorable twist to her acceptance speech for Best Female Star of the Year. Just as Heigl was graciously acknowledging the honor, a strap on her dress decided it was time to break free. Undeterred, the actor skilfully handled the situation, maintaining her composure while holding the undone strap in place.

Amanda Seyfried faced vintage fashion difficulties at the Critics Choice Awards in 2023 when her dress began falling apart throughout the evening. As Seyfried stepped on stage to accept her Critics Choice Award, she found herself clutching the rebellious attire, ensuring it stayed put. "Yeah, it's old. It keeps breaking. I'm not kidding; it keeps ripping. It's actually like breaking," Seyfried told Access Hollywood.

Blanca Blanco brought an unexpected twist to the Academy Awards red carpet in 2017 when her yellow gown, featuring an ultra-high slit, revealed more than the star intended. Notably absent? Any sign of underwear. Blanco, embracing the daring fashion moment, confidently strutted the carpet, not knowing that some of her poses revealed a tad too much. Of course, anyone who has worn a high-slit dress definitely understands the struggle of potentially baring it all. 

Barbra Streisand created an unintentional stir at the 1969 Academy Awards when flash photography revealed that her jumpsuit was see-through. The iconic singer and actress, unaware of the wardrobe malfunction during the fitting, only discovered the sheer nature of the look after the show. Streisand, known for her candidness, later remarked, "I didn't realize the outfit was so see-through. You couldn't tell that in the dressing room, only under the bright lights," Streisand revealed to InStyle.

At the 2017 Emmy Awards, Sarah Hyland encountered a fashion hiccup when her shapewear stole some of the spotlight. The red gown, featuring a midriff cutout, unintentionally revealed her black shapewear, something the actor wasn't aware of at the time. Hyland, always one to bring humor into the mix, later joked about the incident on Instagram, saying, "Kickstarting fall off with a PSL dress and a splash of Spanx." Finding the perfect shapewear certainly isn't easy!

Geri Halliwell faced a momentary fashion blip while accepting a Brit Award with the Spice Girls in 1997. Halliwell's black bra made a subtle appearance as her dress shifted downward. Reflecting on the incident, she explained to the Daily Mail, "When I went to get the awards I had this dress, a bright red sequin dress, and I had a kind of girdle-y thing on. That's why the dress was slipping down; they were kind of satiny." Halliwell immediately noticed it and quickly pulled her dress up on stage.

At the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, Lindsay Lohan encountered a classic Marilyn Monroe moment as the wind played around with her minidress on the red carpet. The star found herself in a fashion malfunction as her undergarments briefly made an unexpected appearance. Embracing the turn of events, Lohan laughed off the incident, embracing the iconic Monroe moment.

During the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in 2017, Katy Perry faced an unexpected fashion glitch when the back of her dress appeared to rip, slightly showing her underwear. The incident unfolded as Perry and James Corden leaned forward toward the television, and unfortunately for the "Firework" singer, cameras captured the wardrobe malfunction.

Back in 1997, Jenny McCarthy unwittingly made a bold fashion statement at the Academy Awards by wearing her Valentino dress backward. It wasn't until fashion maestro Valentino himself informed the actor of her mistake that she realized she experienced a fashion mishap. "I was wondering why it was so tight in the boobs," McCarthy revealed later (via the New York Post).

At the 2011 InStyle/Warner Bros. Golden Globe Awards Party, Hayden Panettiere found herself unintentionally in the spotlight when her fashion choice didn't go as planned. The actor's nipple pasties became visible through her sheer blue-gray gown, likely as a result of the flash photography on the red carpet. Despite the unexpected exposure, Panettiere maintained her composure, showcasing that a wardrobe malfunction can happen even to the best of us. Anyone who loves wearing strapless or thin-strap dresses surely understands the struggle.

Judy Greer faced a beaded debacle at the 2012 Academy Awards, turning what should have been a glamorous red carpet moment into a fashion fiasco. "Those f***ing beads started it all," Greer revealed in a collection of essays entitled "I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star" (via Vanity Fair). "My very first step on the red carpet, someone stepped on the hem of my dress and the beads just started unraveling. Everywhere." Luckily, most of the beads remained on the dress throughout the night.

Giuliana Rancic had to deal with a zipper malfunction at the 2014 Academy Awards, turning the red carpet glamour into a humorous moment. In an on-camera confession, Rancic revealed, "My zipper broke!" (via a YouTube video posted by user BlueDaisy). Quick to the rescue, Ryan Seacrest offered his assistance while playfully asking, "Should someone be hosting?" Unfortunately, all that Seacrest could do was use tape, and Rancic had to laugh about the situation. "This is what you brought to fix my zipper — old tape?" 

Oprah Winfrey faced a wardrobe malfunction at the 1987 Academy Awards, transforming her night into a tale of tailor troubles. For The Hollywood Reporter, Gayle King revealed that the media mogul had a dress-fitting mishap. Winfrey asked a tailor to make adjustments to her dress, but the gown became too small. " ... she discovered that an hour before the show," King said, adding that all Winfrey kept saying during the show was, "Please don't call my name, please don't call my name, please don't call my name."

Nicole Kidman had a discreet yet noteworthy wardrobe adjustment at the 2017 Academy Awards. Keen observers would catch the subtle transformation of her gown. Initially, the back straps appeared crossed, but as the evening unfolded, they had seemingly broken. Undeterred, Kidman demonstrated her resourcefulness by fashioning a makeshift summery halter dress, and unless we had seen the crisscross prior, we wouldn't have even noticed.

Halsey faced a fashion malfunction at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards when the right strap of her dress decided to break, leaving one side of the garment dangling. Despite the unexpected wardrobe malfunction, Halsey continued her mesmerizing performance with unwavering confidence, proving that even amid a wardrobe malfunction, the show must go on.

Nicki Minaj faced a true zipper crisis at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards when, just moments before hitting the stage, her dress decided not to cooperate. "Right before it was time for me to walk out, they went to zip it up, and nothing. And right there, I thought I died," Minaj told Ellen DeGeneres. However, being the ultimate professional, she didn't miss a beat. Minaj not only held her composure but also her dress, delivering a flawless performance while managing the unexpected fashion malfunction.

Selena Gomez also faced a Marilyn Monroe moment, and hers was at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards. Dressed in a stunning red gown by Giorgio Armani, Gomez experienced an unexpected gust of wind on the red carpet. Much like the iconic Monroe, her dress decided to dance with the breeze, requiring Gomez to hold down her shirt with her hands. Luckily, this resulted in an adorable red carpet moment that was beautifully recorded on camera.

At the 2016 American Music Awards, Chrissy Teigen stole the spotlight with an incredibly high-slit gown that certainly showcased her entire leg and more. Embracing the daring fashion choice, Teigen later humorously remarked on Instagram, " ... apologies to anyone harmed mentally or physically by my hooha."

During the 2009 Academy Awards, Alicia Keys had to go through a true Cinderella moment as she lost a heel just before going on stage. Remaining remarkably composed, Keys cleverly concealed the whole wardrobe hiccup beneath her gown. An assistant later spilled the beans, sharing with The New York Post that "[Keys] walked on the ball of her foot so that nobody would know what had happened under her long dress. She was very calm and professional."

Khloé Kardashian faced a wardrobe malfunction that turned into a hilarious adventure at the 2022 People's Choice Awards. As she revealed on her Instagram story, her outfit suffered a zipper catastrophe, which resulted in her being sewn into it: "I had to pee. So we had to cut the stitching out and sew me back in," Kardashian admitted (via HuffPost). Having to do this in a rush before hitting the stage, the star's hair ended up looking a bit too fluffed up. "My hair — here, right here — it is a disaster," Kardashian shared.

Selena Gomez had a memorable moment at the 2022 SAG Awards when she ended up taking a graceful fall due to her heels. However, embracing the unexpected turn of events, Gomez decided to go barefoot on stage later on, seemingly to prevent another fall. Sharing the magic on Instagram, she wrote, "Last night was such a magical one. I couldn't keep my heels on, but I did manage to take a couple of selfies."

Margot Robbie dazzled at the 2018 Academy Awards, but behind the scenes, she faced a fashion emergency. Beads from her dress started to unravel, but in a true display of female power and self-sufficiency, Robbie didn't panic. According to Time, she simply grabbed a needle and thread, skilfully fixing the fashion malfunction before it could become a red-carpet spectacle.

Nicki Minaj took the spotlight as the host of the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, but even queens as big as Minaj face occasional wardrobe hiccups. In the midst of hosting duties, she hilariously admitted, "I just realized that one of my motherf***ing shoes wasn't buckled properly," (via Express). A moment of unexpected, unscripted humor from the rap sensation added a playful touch to an already lively event, proving that fashion malfunctions are not always a bad thing.

Selena Gomez had an unexpected fashion twist at the 2022 Emmy Awards. The star faced a wardrobe malfunction when her dress kept riding up throughout the event; however, being the star that she is, she dealt with it unnoticeably. "My dress was actually riding up the entire time, so a lot of people saw something they didn't want to see," Gomez candidly shared later (via Business Insider).

Kim Kardashian faced a pocket problem with her dress at the 2015 Grammy Awards. During the event, disaster struck when a pocket of her dress decided to make an early exit by falling off. Later, Kardashian opened up about the wardrobe malfunction, saying, "Basically, my pocket fell off — the whole pocket fell off. When I sat, it ripped, and we were sewing and safety-pinning" (via E!).