What would you request if you were a celebrity A-lister with millions in the bank? How demanding would you be? There are certain famous faces that are well-known for being more than a little high-maintenance:
Justin Bieber apparently bans people from speaking to him unless spoken to, Cher reportedly demands a second room just for her head pieces and
Kanye West once even ordered that his dressing room carpet be ironed because it was too bumpy.
But topping the list of the "notoriously difficult" has got to be
Mariah Carey.
From last year's furious on-stage meltdown after being caught lip-syncing, to this year’s public hissy-fit over a lack of hot tea, it’s fair to say she's proven herself to be more than a little bit of a diva. But asking for a cup of tea actually seems pretty reasonable, right? Well, her requests are usually a whole lot more outrageous. Brace yourself, some of these are worse than you could imagine...
10. That time she tried to change the concept of Carpool Karaoke
You'd think the clue was kind of in the name really, but when appearing on Carpool Karaoke she initially tried to refuse to sing, deciding instead that she just wanted to go for a little drive and a quick chat. Eventually, she gave in when she realised that, with her now trapped in the car, Corden was just going to sing at her anyway: "To her credit, she got involved and it was wonderful," he later recounted.
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9. When she decided walking was too much of a pain
Carey may be famous for her love of heels - apparently her feet "repel" flats - but that doesn't mean she's immune to the odd blister or two. However, while the rest of us have to shut up and put up, on the set of the video for her 2005 single Shake It Off she was reportedly carried around at all times because of her torn up feet. Never heard of a band-aid, Mariah?
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8. When she demanded help just to sit down
Following a 2009 interview with British daytime TV show GMTV, one of the programme's hosts revealed that Carey had demanded that two people help her to sit down on their famous sofa, just in case - heaven forbid - her dress should crease. A member of her entourage was also on hand behind the camera, checking that only her very best angles were being filmed.
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7. When she couldn't enter a restaurant without a soundtrack
And not just any music, but her very own tunes. Diners at a restaurant in Capri, Italy, were left shocked when the music accompanying their perfectly pleasant meal changed so that the songstress and her then-fiancee, James Packer, could enter to one of her hits. Her 10-strong entourage also bought a playlist with them, featuring - you guessed it - more of her music.
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6. When she requested an "Inconvenience Fee" from her ex
Most of us are a bit peeved off after a breakup, but after splitting from James Packer, Mariah decided that she was so annoyed about having moved halfway across the country for her multi-billionaire beau that she was entitled to $50 million in compensation. With an estimated net worth of over $500 million herself, she probably didn't need the money anyway, but the sheer cheek of even asking is kind of brilliant.
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5. When she needed a red carpet just to get out of the car
And no, we're not talking about some big show or glitzy movie premiere here; when arriving for a stay at London's Baglioni Hotel in 2005, Mariah refused to step foot outside of the car unless a red carpet was rolled out especially for her. If that wasn't enough, she also demanded that it was adorned with soft, white candles. We've all done it, right?
4. That time she threw a party, then demanded people dress as her
Yep, she threw a Carey-themed costume party in her own honour, which she attended as her alter-ego, Bianca. According to US Weekly: "40 - 50 people — people from her touring crew, friends — dressed up in their favourite Mariah looks; looks inspired by her songs or videos, with Mariah hair, poses, and her signature style." An idea for your next birthday party, perhaps?
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3. When she required her pets to match her nap schedule
Given that this is a woman rumoured to spend $80,000 per month on fresh flowers, Mariah's appearance on MTV's Cribs was always going to be interesting. But she took it to whole new depths of ridiculousness by revealing, quite casually, that she had decided "change all fish" for new ones because they weren't on the same time schedule as her. Her pooches fare much better though, and are even blessed with their own entourage.
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2. When she wanted a pet army to help her switch on some Christmas lights
For most celebs, even the
really famous ones, you'd think that a pair of fancy gloves, a nice warm jacket and maybe even a cheeky glass of wine would be all they'd really need to switch on some Christmas lights. But not Mariah, oh no. Ahead of her appearance at London's Westfield shopping centre in 2009, Carey demanded that 20 white kittens surround her, 100 doves to be released, butterfly-shaped confetti to rain down on her and a pink Rolls Royce to arrive. Needless to say, Westfield refused.
1. That time she demanded to be on the presidential table at Obama's inauguration
Yes, that's right, she reportedly walked out of Obama's 2009 inauguration party because she couldn't understand why she wasn't invited to sit on the presidential table with Barack and Michelle. She was there to perform her hit Hero and was already sat in the VIP area with other big names from the world of entertainment including Bon Jovi and Alicia Keys. You might be the queen of the charts, love, but you're not quite First Family material yet.
Hopefully, behind the scenes, her kids are putting her in her place and giving her all the sass she deserves. Admittedly, as one of the world's best-selling female artists, and one who has lived half of her life in the public eye, she's probably earned her right to be a little high-maintenance. But seriously Mariah, there's nothing wrong with keeping it cool. But then again, if you were making over half a million dollars just from royalties
every single Christmas, it might go to your head too.
