11 red carpet wardrobe malfunctions that celebrities handled like pros

David BenjaminMarch 4, 2026

They might look immaculate on the red carpet in outfits and jewellery most of us can only dream of affording but even the most perfectly dressed of celebrities suffer from wardrobe malfunctions. They are, after all, only human. The only problem for them is that, more often than not, those ripped dresses, busted zippers and falling trousers will strike at a time when they are under the glare of cameras broadcasting the moment around the world. (Picture: Getty Images)

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock (16719795ei) Gwyneth Paltrow wearing custom Givenchy arrives at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA (formerly Screen Actors Guild Awards) held at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on March 1, 2026 in Los Angeles, California, United States. 32nd Annual Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA - Arrivals, Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, Los Angeles, California, Usa, United States - 01 Mar 2026 — Take the case of Gwyneth Paltrow, who raised eyebrows this week when she appeared at the Actor awards sporting a stunning pair of vintage 1930 Belperron earrings — only for one to be missing when she took to the stage with her Marty Supreme co-stars to introduce the movie. She might have found the precious accessory in the end but she’s in good company when it comes to those little red carpet mishaps. Read on for more famous faces who have been let down by their finery… (Picture: Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)

1. Margot Robbie at The Legend Of Tarzan premiere (2016)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 05: Alexander Skarsgard and Margot Robbie attend the european premiere of "The Legend Of Tarzan" at Odeon Leicester Square on July 5, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images) — Margot Robbie has been a regular on red carpets in recent years, thanks to such movies as I, Tonya, Bombshell, The Wolf Of Wall Street and, of course, Barbie. But even the Australian actress is not immune to a dress disaster, as proven at the 2016 European premiere for The Legend Of Tarzan. Margot showed up in a gorgeous Miu Miu dress, only for the zip to break as she and co-star Alexander Skarsgard posed for photos outside. Which meant the snappers caught the moment Skarsgard stepped in to help her mend it, sparing her blushes. It’s not the only wardrobe malfunction the actress has had, with People reporting that when a strap snapped off her Chanel Haute Couture gown at the 2018 Oscars, she simply located a needle and thread, and fixed it herself. (Picture Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

2. Hayden Panettiere at the Met Gala (2014)

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 05: Actress Hayden Panettiere slips on the stairs at the "Charles James: Beyond Fashion" Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/GC Images) — Huge dresses and skyscraper heels can often be a dangerous combination — as actress Hayden Panettiere discovered at the 2014 Met Gala. The Nashville actress was certainly dressed for the occasion in a pale pink and blue ballgown by designer Dennis Basso, only to take a tumble as she walked up the red carpeted stairs to the Met. Despite the incident being captured by the paparazzi, the actress owned it as she scrambled to her feet, with US Weekly reporting that she shouted ‘Hallelujah! I made it up the stairs!’ as she reached the topstep. (Picture: Ray Tamarra/GC Images)

3. Mark Hamill at the Baftas (2025)

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 16: Mark Hamill presents the Best Film Award on stage during the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2025 at The Royal Festival Hall on February 16, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart Wilson/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA) — Getting a movie legend to present the top prize at your awards ceremony is always a big deal and in 2025 the Baftas certainly got that when Star Wars’ very own Mark Hamill took to the stage to present the prize for best film. What nobody was expecting was for the actor’s tuxedo trousers to slip down while he was onstage. The actor looked alarmed but handled it like a pro, reaching down to hoist them back up – and spare the blushes of the folks at home, not to mention the A-listers in the front row – before he introduced the nominees. It didn’t stop the clip from making it on to YouTube, mind. We bet Luke Skywalker never had this problem. (Picture Stuart Wilson/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA)

4. Emma Stone at the Oscars (2024)

Hollywood, CA - March 10: Emma Stone during the live telecast of the 96th Annual Academy Awards in Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, CA, Sunday, March 10, 2024. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) — Emma Stone has established herself as a force to be reckoned with over the past decade, winning two best actress Oscars and being nominated in acting categories a further three times (including this year for Bugonia). But that didn’t stop her Louis Vuitton gown from malfunctioning at the 2024 ceremony as she accepted the best actress prize for Poor Things. ’Oh boy. My dress is broken,’ she told the star-packed audience — later telling the Hollywood Reporter the mishap occurred during the performance of a certain Barbie song. ‘I made a big deal about busting the zipper, but it really was my fault. I would have busted the most industrial zipper on the planet during I’m Just Ken,’ she joked. (Picture: Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

5. Salma Hayek at the Baftas (2022)

13 March 2022...British Academy Film Awards 2022 held at the Royal Albert Hall, London....Here, Salma Hayek. (Photo by Justin Goff Photos/Getty Images) — Actress Salma Hayek looked pretty incredible at the 2022 Baftas, showing up to the event in a long-sleeved purple velvet gown by Gucci. Given the event normally takes place in a freezing February, this seems like a pretty weather-friendly choice at first — until the skirt got caught in a gust of wind, leaving Salma to cover her dignity as it went flying. ‘Sometimes in an effort to cover something other things show up more,’ she later said on Instagram. (Picture: Justin Goff Photos/Getty Images)

6. Jenna Ortega at the Scream VI premiere (2023)

As we’ve seen it’s not just awards ceremonies which can lead to wardrobe malfunctions — film premieres can too. Take the case of Jenna Ortega, who showed up to the 2023 premiere of Scream VI in a dazzling black and white Jean Paul Gaultier couture ensemble, only to end up with a vivid blue Sharpie mark on it after signing autographs for fans. Nothing a dab of Persil won’t solve, we reckon. The Wednesday actress owned the incident, later taking to Instagram with a post of her in the dress, captioned: ‘SCREAM VI premiere @screammovies #tiffanyandco #sharpiestainwhogivesas*** #imsosorryolivier @olivier_rousteing.’ Which only makes us love her even more. (Picture: Getty Images)

7. Renee Zellweger at the Oscars (2005)

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Picture Perfect/Shutterstock (514515aw) Renee Zellweger THE 77TH ACADEMY AWARDS, LOS ANGELES, AMERICA - 27 FEB 2005 — Renee Zellweger has made a name for herself with her Oscar looks, blending in with the carpet here in this gorgeous Carolina Herrera gown at the 2005 ceremony (where she presented the best supporting actor award to Morgan Freeman). However the Bridget Jones actress later admitted she’d had to change before the aftershow parties after the dress got ripped. ‘I remember that, as we were leaving that night, a gentleman had stepped on the train, and I kept walking in the other direction, and it ripped it right off my dress from right beneath my booty. So, I walked in with that pose, and I left with that pose.’ (Picture: Picture Perfect/Shutterstock)

7. Renee Zellweger at the Oscars (2005)

Mandatory Credit: Photo by E Goodenough/Shutterstock (514518ag) Renee Zellweger THE 77TH ACADEMY AWARDS, LOS ANGELES, AMERICA - 27 FEB 2005 — However, Renee’s wardrobe malfunction woes got even worse when she popped home to change before the aftershow parties. She explained: ‘I needed to go home and do a little bit of a costume change. And I realized that I didn’t bring my house key, so I had to climb up the balcony to the second floor and climb in through a little bathroom window in that dress with the hole under my booty.’ Sounds like something Bridget would do. (Picture: E Goodenough/Shutterstock)

8. Kylie Jenner at the Golden Globes (2025)

Timoth??e Chalamet, Kylie Jenner during the 82nd Annual Golden Globes held at The Beverly Hilton on January 05, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/GG2025/Penske Media via Getty Images) — Kylie Jenner’s had a busy couple of years on the awards circuit, accompanying boyfriend Timothee Chalamet on a whole lot of red carpets in a whole lot of beautiful frocks. But one, the silver vintage Versace dress she wore to the 2025 Golden Globes, attracted attention for all the wrong reasons after it ripped, leaving a gaping hole just below her hip. Not that it seemed to bother the model, who was seen partying with the likes of Elle Fanning as she cheered on her famous other half, who was nominated for his performance as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. And of course the dress – a pink version of which was originally worn on the red carpet by Liz Hurley 25 years earlier – looked great in spite of the mishap. (Picture: Christopher Polk/GG2025/Penske Media via Getty Images)

9. Anne Hathaway at the Met Gala (2014)

Anne Hathaway wore an incredible Calvin Klein dress to the Met Gala in 2014. But while it may look perfect here, the Devil Wears Prada actress admitted she nearly didn’t make the event at all after she sneezed on the way to the Met, causing the frock to split open. Speaking on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert she admitted: ‘Francisco [Costa, the designer] was so proud of this dress. And I put the window down, and he’s like, “Baby, you look amazing.” I’m like, “Thank you so much! My dress just broke.” And I’ve never actually seen someone turn green before, and he did.’ The actress eventually made it after rushing to a nearby hotel and being sewn up by a seamstress. What would Miranda Priestley say? (Picture: Getty Images)

10. Jamie Lee Curtis and Cate Blanchett at a Borderlands fan event (2024)

Sometimes you don’t need a needle and thread, all you need is a supportive co-star. Which is exactly what Cate Blanchett got when she suffered an unspecified wardrobe malfunction at a fan event for 2024’s Borderlands. Jamie Lee Curtis stepped in and stood behind her as they spoke to reporters, telling Entertainment Tonight: ‘Nothing is going on! You know what is going on? I got her back.’ Cate responded in kind by saying: ‘On every single movie that Jamie makes, she is the den mother.’ Awwwww. (Picture: Getty Images)

11. Seth Rogen at the Golden Globes (2018)

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 07: In this handout photo provided by NBCUniversal, Actor Seth Rogen speaks onstage during the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal via Getty Images) — Finally, spare a thought for Seth Rogen when he popped on a tux to host the Golden Globe awards in 2018. You may not have seen it on TV but The Studio star suffered the worst possible wardrobe malfunction when his trousers ripped from front to back just minutes before going onstage. Seth later told Late Night with Seth Meyers that actress Felicity Jones’ stylist came to his rescue with a ‘rack of safety pins’. (Picture: Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

11. Seth Rogen at the Golden Globes (2018)

Mandatory Credit: Photo by HFPA Photographer/Plux/Shutterstock (13958729dm) Seth Rogen arrives at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA on Sunday, January 7, 2018. 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards - 2018 Arrivals, Beverly Hills, California, USA - 07 Jan 2018 — Seth revealed: ‘I just literally grabbed just, like, a rack of safety pins, went into the bathroom, took my pants off, turned them inside out, pinned them with 15 safety pins all up, making, like, a metallic stitching thing from the base of my butt to the top of my crotch. And then, the second I fastened the last one, they were like, “We’re ready for you onstage.” And I went out with, essentially, like, a diaper made of safety pins holding my pants together.’ (Picture: Photographer/Plux/Shutterstock)

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