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In 2025, we had a lot to celebrate, but there were certain pop culture occasions that had us cringing, And if there’s one thing we now know, it’s that even the smallest moment of secondhand embarrassment can live forever as soon as it becomes a meme. Whether it took place on one of the biggest stages in entertainment (the Oscars) or was a flash on a screen that went viral for all the wrong reasons, these moments still cause us to recoil months later.
From the Coldplay Couple to the Blue Origin backlash, look back on the awkward times the internet amplified.
Worst Landing: Blue Origin’s Female Space Flight
Cover Images via AP Images
Katy Perry joined an all-female crew (including Lauren Sánchez Bezos and Gayle King) on Blue Origin for an 11-minute voyage to space. Many questioned the point, including the Wendy’s X account, which responded to a post about Perry’s return to Earth: “Can we send her back?”
Oops: The Coldplay Couple
Kiss-cam chaos! The coworkers caught canoodling at a Boston concert dived out of sight—but not in time to prevent the clip from going massively viral (and costing them both their jobs).
Worst Couples’ Playbook: Jordon Hudson and Bill Belichick
Jordon Hudson/Instagram; Todd Rosenberg/Getty
Jordon Hudson may have shut down questions on CBS about how she met Bill Belichick (49 years her senior!), but the two were very loud about their love on social media and beyond, football sidelines included.
Oops: Everybody Fell for AI Animals
Bunnies jumping on a trampoline? A kangaroo boarding a plane? Unlikely furry friends spotted on doorbell cameras? These videos were too adorable to believe … because they weren’t real at all. Let’s all think twice before forwarding that cute clip in 2026.
Worst Legal Battle: The ‘It Ends with Us’ Saga
Ian West/PA Images via Getty; Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
It Ends With Us? Hardly. Star Blake Lively and director Justin Baldoni’s still-ongoing clash has generated thousands of pages of filings, though a judge tossed his countersuit.
Worst Social Media Moment: TikTok Goes Dark
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty
TikTok was banned—for less than 24 hours. But that was long enough for content creators to post thousands of tear-streaked selfie videos lamenting the loss.
Oops: Louvre Security
STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP via Getty
After thieves stole $102 million in jewels from the museum, it was reported that the password for its surveillance system was simply “Louvre.” Guess “Password” would’ve been too obvious.
Worst Late-Night Shocker: Jimmy Kimmel’s Near-Cancellation
Randy Holmes/ABC via Getty
Jimmy Kimmel’s show was suspended after threats from the FCC chairman over his political comments. President Trump cheered, free speech advocates protested, and Kimmel was back on-air a week later.
Oops: The ‘Hunting Wives’ Wigs
Kent Smith
The soapy Netflix drama gave us plenty to discuss—but we kept coming back to the comically obvious wigs on Malin Akerman’s character.
Worst ‘Word of the Year’: 6 7
Savannah Guthrie/Instagram
When Dictionary.com picked the nonsensical “6 7” meme as word of the year, confusion ensued. A clever Halloween costume (as seen on Savannah Guthrie)? Yes. A word? No.
Worst Oscar Sabotage: Karla Sofía Gascón’s Social Media Meltdown
Ernesto Ruscio/Getty
Karla Sofía Gascón was a best actress nominee for her role in Emilia Pérez. Then her old, extremely offensive X posts resurfaced—and the buzz turned to horrified backlash.
Oops: Carrie Bradshaw’s Hat
James Devaney/GC Images
And Just Like That … gave us many reasons to hate-watch—Carrie’s increasingly absurd attire among them. This hat was like her relationship with Aidan: simply too awkward to tolerate for long.
