TV Kisses That Got People In Real-Life Trouble

The following article contains discussions of sexual harassment and sexual assault

Television kisses are known to be quite memorable. Whether as part of a series-long "will they or won't they?" subplot culminating in a kiss that was worth the wait or a sudden peck that creates conflict for characters, kisses pull a lot of emotion out of both television audiences — and the actors performing them. However, these oftentimes uncomfortable scenes to film can lead to problems for cast and crew, be it a negative reaction from audiences or behind-the-scenes turmoil that threatened the show's very existence.

In some cases, TV kisses have been known to stir up controversy for pushing the limits of what was acceptable on television at any given point in history. In other cases, an actor's admission of what it was really like on set while filming said scene has created problems for co-stars, directors, and producers. Particularly in an entertainment industry before on-set experts and itimacy coordinators changed Hollywood forever, romantic moments could often be a minefield for professionals.

These 12 TV smooches, for one reason or another, caused a lot of issues for actors, directors, and producers off-camera. More often than not, these issues led to people getting fired, cancelled, or other heaps of trouble. 

One of the most pause-worthy moments in the original "Star Trek" series took place in the Season 3 episode "Plato's Stepchildren," which originally aired in 1968. The episode features the first kiss between William Shatner's James T. Kirk and Nichelle Nichols' Uhura. But besides being a triumphant moment for fans of the two characters, it was also controversial for being widely regarded the first interracial kiss to be broadcast on television, despite earlier TV romances like Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's on "I Love Lucy."

"Plato's Stepchildren" aired only one year after Loving v. Virginia, a Supreme Court case that upheld interracial marriage under the Constitution. However, executives at NBC were reportedly worried that the moment would offend some American audiences. NBC execs forced the producers to shoot an alternative version where Kirk doesn't kiss Uhura, as well as another where the kiss occurs off-screen. Shatner and Nichols, wanting the authentic moment to air on TV, made the non-kiss takes unusable, with Shatner crossing his eyes in one take and flubbing his lines in another. While the Kirk-Uhura kiss ended up making TV history, the BBC refused to re-air the episode until 1994, citing the portrayal of its villains rather than the kiss.

"Little House on the Prairie" was one of the most iconic television shows of the 1970s, though some moments during filming aren't exactly fond memories for certain cast members. This was particularly the case for Melissa Gilbert, who broke out on the show playing Laura Ingalls, the daughter of Michael Landon's Charles Ingalls. At 15 years old, Gilbert had her first kiss, both on-screen and in real-life, in the episode "Sweet Sixteen," though there was some on-set turmoil that nearly prevented it from happening.

The turmoil came from Gilbert's mother, who was upset that Gilbert's first kiss at 15 was with her TV husband, played by Dean Butler, who was 23 at the time. However, years later, Gilbert herself revealed she was also uncomfortable with the kiss, writing in her memoir (via Daily Mail), "Today that eight-year-difference between us is a tiny gap, but 45 years ago, it was the Grand Canyon."

Nevertheless, Butler has defended the kiss, saying it was an important moment for the characters, though not everyone who watched "Little House on the Prairie" agreed. The episode received complaints from viewers who felt the relationship between a teenager and an adult man depicted on the show was inappropriate.

Rhea Perlman's portrayal of Carla in NBC's iconic sitcom "Cheers" won her four Emmys for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series, but it also won her some real-life enemies. One of those people is comedian Jay Thomas, who was cast on "Cheers" in a guest-starring capacity as Eddie, Carla's romantic interest and eventual TV husband. However, sparks did not fly between Thomas and Perlman on set, as Thomas would later reveal.

On his radio show, Thomas was asked by a caller what the set of "Cheers" was like, to which the comedian replied (via Page Six), "It's brutal. I have to kiss Rhea Perlman." As director James Burrows revealed in his memoir chronicling his time on "Cheers," the insult was taken seriously by the show's producers, who subsequently fired the actor. Thomas ended up learning the hard way that, by insulting a beloved comedy actress, you'll receive the ire of comedy writers.

Rather than simply not have Eddie appear on-screen anymore, Jay Thomas' character was killed off of the show in a Zamboni accident. Years later, Thomas alleged that his comment was directed towards Perlman's character, Carla, who was notably unpleasant, while Perlman claimed Thomas was written off because she didn't want Carla to become excluded from the show's main cast. Either way, not having the two on-set together seemed to be preferable for everybody.

In a similar vein to the history-making kiss between Kirk and Uhura on "Star Trek," the ABC sitcom "Roseanne" also broke new ground for TV audiences. In the Season 6 episode "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which aired in 1994, Roseanne goes to a gay bar in order to prove her coolness, until she attracts the attention of Sharon (Mariel Hemingway). When Sharon unexpectedly kisses Roseanne, problems not only rose on screen for the characters, but behind the scenes for the showrunners as well. 

Upon learning of the kiss, ABC executives threatened to pull the episode from their schedule in an act of censorship. Nevertheless, thanks to Barr's threat to move "Roseanne" to another network, as well as producer Tom Arnold spilling the beans about the controversy prior to airing, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" aired in its original form, albeit with a warning label and the loss of a few sponsors. 

The episode was praised by many for tackling the issue of homophobia, but the mixed to negative reactions from conservatives actually made it harder for future shows, like "Friends," to portray same-sex relationships. Nevertheless, "Roseanne" poked fun at the controversy in later episodes, while Hemingway also made reference to it in her 1995 "Saturday Night Live" monologue, kissing several of the show's female cast members backstage. 

It's not often that actors are completely let go from a project due to the way they kiss. Leave it to Sarah Silverman to be the outlier. The comedian has had a successful career in show business since the early 2000s, but she had a rough start in the '90s. After a lackluster one-season stint on "Saturday Night Live," Silverman was cast on the NBC sitcom "Pride & Joy," which co-starred Jeremy Piven and Caroline Rhea. However, Silverman's tenure on the show didn't even make it to air.

As the actress revealed during a Q&A in 2021, she was cast in "Pride & Joy" to play the wife of Craig Bierko's character (via The Hollywood Reporter). Apparently, Silverman went a little overboard with a scripted kiss, confessing, "I just fully did an open-mouth tongue kiss every time. I didn't know better and nobody said anything!" Silverman said "Happy Days" was her only barometer for what TV kisses were supposed to look like, though clearly it was too much for the show's producers.

Rather than getting a note and retrying the scene, Silverman was unceremoniously fired, and her role was recast to be played by Julie Warner. Thankfully, Silverman's firing may have been a blessing in disguise, given that the '90s sitcom was cancelled after only six episodes.

Sometimes, the most troublesome on-screen kisses aren't just the ones that are unscripted, but the ones that happen to real people, not characters. The 75th Academy Awards, which aired on ABC in 2003, is a notable example of this, as it was the year Adrien Brody won best actor for "The Pianist." In one of the more memorable moments from the night, Brody forcibly kissed presenter Halle Berry, who had won best actress the previous year for "Monster's Ball," before accepting his award.

Given that it was one of the most jaw-dropping Oscars moments of all time, there have been mixed feelings about it in retrospect from all sides. In a series of reactions from the Chicago Tribune, one reader wrote, "When I watched the event, it made me extremely uncomfortable–the same way I'd feel if I saw any other total stranger force a kiss on someone else. What [Brody] did goes beyond the realm of polite or impolite. It was abusive."

To make matters worse, it seems Brody and Berry have different recollections of the moment itself. Brody cited the kiss as memorable enough to make it feel as if "time slowed down," while Berry expressed a much different reaction on "Watch What Happens Live": "I was like, 'What the f**k is happening right now?' That was what was going through my mind."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

There's been a lot of discourse lately surrounding the tragic side of Nickelodeon, from abusive producers on many of their iconic sitcoms to situations that endangered the lives of child actors. This poor work environment carried over to "The Naked Brothers Band," which starred Nat and Alex Wolff and was created by their mother, Polly Draper. To shape out the titular rock band, a line-up of child actor musicians was formed, including Thomas Batuello, David Levi, Qaasim Middleton, and Allie DiMeco. 

After watching the "Quiet on Set" documentary that exposed the behind-the-scenes behavior at Nickelodeon, DiMeco took to TikTok to share her experience as a teenager being forced to kiss a 30-year-old adult on the show. She was 14 or 15 years old at the time, she said. To make matters worse, said adult, Jake Hertzog, wasn't a professional actor — he was a backup guitarist for the band who, DiMeco alleged, constantly begged to be written into the show. On a set riddled with nepotism, it was tough for DiMeco to stand her ground as one of the few external hires. 

DiMeco alleged that she and her mother were against the kiss scene, but were threatened with being fired. As she explained (via The Hollywood Reporter), "There was a female producer who was very upset and looked at me and said, 'You haven't had your first kiss yet?' and grabbed me and kissed me. And then she said, 'There, your first kiss is over. You had your first kiss, now go film.'"

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

It's not surprising that a show like "Once Upon a Time," which takes place in a world where fairy tales are real, would inspire some fairy tale love stories of its own. At least, that's what seemed to be the cast between co-stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas, who played Snow White and Prince Charming on the show, respectively. The only thing that seemed to prove problematic for this romance was that, at the time they began filming the show, Dallas was married to Lara Pulver of "Sherlock" fame, and Goodwin was engaged to Joey Kern.

It seems like their characters' on-screen love affair may have inspired an off-screen one as well, considering Dallas told Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest on "Live with Kelly and Ryan" when asked if they had to resist falling in love on set, "We didn't fight it, we went straight for it." They eventually went public with their romance only a few months after Dallas' divorce, which suggests these co-stars must've really enjoyed kissing each other as Snow White and Prince Charming.

While there's no confirmation that Goodwin and Dallas' on-screen smooching may have started in bad faith, it's safe to say that the simultaneous end of Goodwin's engagement and Dallas' marriage may be connected. At the very least, it seems like the two have built a loving life together, as they got married in 2014 and have had two kids together. 

It's not unheard of for actors to spontaneously kiss their scene partner in the middle of a take (see: Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard's kiss scene that wasn't supposed to happen in "Jurassic World"). However, it opens up a whole world of problems when the actor also happens to be the creator and showrunner. That mistake was made by Mindy Kaling on her Fox show "The Mindy Project," in which her character's dating life often brought in handsome guest stars that caused Kaling to briefly lose her senses. 

One such guest star was Lee Pace, who appeared in the Season 3 episode "San Francisco Bae" as Alex, a former college fling whom Mindy's character regrets not staying with. Kaling herself admitted on "Conan" that, in one scene, she improvised a kiss with Pace, but not everyone on set thought it was a good idea, with Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen, both writer-producers, telling her, "'Hey, man, what are you doing? You could be sued for that!'" Kaling said, "I got very scared, and then I said, tell anyone and you're fired."

Amidst a cavalcade of online hate against Kaling for her "Velma" series on HBO, a resurfaced clip of this "Conan" interview circled the web, prompting many former fans to criticize her for openly admitting to and making light of what would by today's standards be deemed sexual harassment.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

It's always difficult to navigate when a TV show has kissing scenes taking place between minors. In the case of "Stranger Things," it's even more problematic if the kisses aren't planned. The second season finale, "The Gate," ends with the annual Snow Ball at the teens' school, where Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) dance and smooch together. However, the scene also features the first kiss for Max (Sadie Sink) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) — a kiss that wasn't supposed to happen when the actors showed up on set.

As Sink revealed in the "Beyond Stranger Things" after-show on Netflix, she was told by co-creator Ross Duffer that she was going to have to kiss McLaughlin, which caused her to freak out. As Duffer explained (via IndieWire), "I was just joking — and you were so freaked out that I was like, 'Well, I gotta make her do it now.' ... That's what happened, that's why I'm saying it's your fault."

The admission resulted in some vitriol from fans online, who suggested that the Duffer Brothers coaxing the two child actors into kissing on-camera when they weren't prepared for it, with the caveat of it being McLaughlin's first kiss, was highly inappropriate. At the very least, Sink has a good attitude looking back at the incredibly cringeworthy TV moment.

"Saturday Night Live" has had its fair share of headline-attracting kisses, but one caused a few eyebrow raises with not just at-home audiences, but the performers themselves. Kim Kardashian hosted "SNL" 2021 to mixed reviews, and a sketch based on "Aladdin" featured her locking lips with Pete Davidson. Based on the audience's reaction to the kiss, it's not surprising that Kardashian later admitted that her interest felt piqued from it enough to pursue Davidson romantically.

As Kardashian and Davidson's relationship blossomed, there was one person who wasn't too happy about it: Kanye West. Throughout the duration of Kardashian and Davidson's yearlong romance, West publicly criticized the two's relationship, accusing Kardashian of inviting him to the "SNL" performance to watch her kiss Davidson as a manipulation tactic, and threatened physical harm against Davidson via social media posts and song lyrics.

Many celebrities came to Davidson's defense against West's comments, including director James Gunn, comedian Jon Stewart, and "Meet Cute" co-star Kaley Cuoco. Kardashian even alleged that West actually walked out of the "SNL" show after she joked about him in her monologue, before the "Aladdin" sketch even aired. It's doubtful that Kardashian will go down in history as among the best first-time hosts of "Saturday Night Live," but at least she got some good drama for her Hulu show because of it.

"Riverdale" is no stranger to over-indulgent make-out scenes, but the final season really kicked things up a notch. In the episode "Sex Education," most the main cast experience a simultaneous dream sequence with quite a lot of kissing among the cast, though one cast member was especially uncomfortable on the day of filming. Not because of backlash from fans or celebrities or because of behind-the-scenes drama ... because of allergies.

Lili Reinhart, who plays Betty, has by her own admission kissed almost every character on "Riverdale," but for this dream sequence, she mostly locked lips with KJ Apa, who plays Archie. However, some of the precautions the set decorators took to make the scene more enchanting were inconvenient, as Reinhart told Entertainment Weekly: "We had these little things floating in the air to try to make it look romantic ... But I was fully allergic to it. So I had to keep stepping off of set in between takes because my whole body was itching."

It's always a helpful reminder that oftentimes, scenes with heavy kissing between co-stars are rarely as comfortable as they seem, especially when actors are risking their health for it. That being said, this kissing montage is far from the craziest things to happen in "Riverdale."