Racist or Nah?: Questionable Moments From Celebs

Stars who might have crossed the line.

Racist or Nah? - In the age of social media, celebs have an unprecedented platform to share their points of view. But some times, those opinions cross the line and Black Twitter is quick to put any indiscretion on blast. Here's our rundown of celebs who have gotten in trouble for racially-insensitive moves...you decide, racist or nah?  (Photos from left: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for GQ, Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

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Racist or Nah? - In the age of social media, celebs have an unprecedented platform to share their points of view. But some times, those opinions cross the line and Black Twitter is quick to put any indiscretion on blast. Here's our rundown of celebs who have gotten in trouble for racially-insensitive moves...you decide, racist or nah? (Photos from left: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for GQ, Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

Giuliana Rancic and Loc-Gate - The Fashion Police host angered a lot of people when she implied that Zendaya's Oscars look — which was crowned by waist-length locs — smelled of "patchouli...or weed." After stars rallied behind Zendaya's well-crafted response, including Rancic's co-host Kelly Osbourne, Fashion Police was forced to take an extended hiatus.  (Photos from left: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for the ASTRA Awards, Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Giuliana Rancic and Loc-Gate - The Fashion Police host angered a lot of people when she implied that Zendaya's Oscars look — which was crowned by waist-length locs — smelled of "patchouli...or weed." After stars rallied behind Zendaya's well-crafted response, including Rancic's co-host Kelly Osbourne, Fashion Police was forced to take an extended hiatus. (Photos from left: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for the ASTRA Awards, Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Neil Patrick Harris's Oscars Stunt - NPH suffered plenty of criticism for his hosting of the Academy Awards this year, but probably didn't expect to get called out by Nightly Show host Larry Wilmore for the racist tinge to his bit involving Octavia Spencer. Harris demanded Spencer keep an eye on his ballot lock-box for the duration of the show, even refusing to allow her bathroom breaks, coming a little too close for comfort to the way Spencer was treated in her Oscar-winning role for The Help. Spencer was shocked that anyone called the joke racist and was disappointed that we are "losing our sense of humor."  (Photos from left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Neil Patrick Harris's Oscars Stunt - NPH suffered plenty of criticism for his hosting of the Academy Awards this year, but probably didn't expect to get called out by Nightly Show host Larry Wilmore for the racist tinge to his bit involving Octavia Spencer. Harris demanded Spencer keep an eye on his ballot lock-box for the duration of the show, even refusing to allow her bathroom breaks, coming a little too close for comfort to the way Spencer was treated in her Oscar-winning role for The Help. Spencer was shocked that anyone called the joke racist and was disappointed that we are "losing our sense of humor." (Photos from left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Starbucks's #RaceTogether - We're sure the coffee chain's attempt to broker dialogue around race was well-intentioned, but is the company's thinking that it could absolve centuries of inequality and racism with a cup of joe yet another example of a white savior complex? Starbucks has now shelved their #RaceTogether conversation.  (Photo: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

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Starbucks's #RaceTogether - We're sure the coffee chain's attempt to broker dialogue around race was well-intentioned, but is the company's thinking that it could absolve centuries of inequality and racism with a cup of joe yet another example of a white savior complex? Starbucks has now shelved their #RaceTogether conversation. (Photo: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

Jay Leno's Lunch Order - During a visit to Late Night With Seth Meyers, the talk show host lamented about how politically correct today's youth has become. "We had interns at the show, college interns," Leno recounted. "Like, the last year of the show, one of the interns comes and says, ‘Mr. Leno, I’m getting lunch. what do you want?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, where are you going?’ He said, ‘We’re getting Mexican.’ I said, ‘I don’t really like Mexican.’ He goes, ‘Whoa, that’s kind of racist.’ That’s not racist.” (Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Baby Buggy)

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Jay Leno's Lunch Order - During a visit to Late Night With Seth Meyers, the talk show host lamented about how politically correct today's youth has become. "We had interns at the show, college interns," Leno recounted. "Like, the last year of the show, one of the interns comes and says, ‘Mr. Leno, I’m getting lunch. what do you want?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, where are you going?’ He said, ‘We’re getting Mexican.’ I said, ‘I don’t really like Mexican.’ He goes, ‘Whoa, that’s kind of racist.’ That’s not racist.” (Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Baby Buggy)

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First Lady Diss - Univision host Rodner Figueroa was sacked by the network earlier this month after he made an on-air comparison between a makeup artist's version of Michelle Obama and an ape from Planet of the Apes. Figueroa said his comment wasn't about Mrs. Obama's race, but rather the makeup, but most people saw it differently. The host has lawyered up with claims that the network lied that Michelle O's office called to complain and demands to be reinstated. (Photo: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images For Univision)

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First Lady Diss - Univision host Rodner Figueroa was sacked by the network earlier this month after he made an on-air comparison between a makeup artist's version of Michelle Obama and an ape from Planet of the Apes. Figueroa said his comment wasn't about Mrs. Obama's race, but rather the makeup, but most people saw it differently. The host has lawyered up with claims that the network lied that Michelle O's office called to complain and demands to be reinstated. (Photo: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images For Univision)

Prison Humor - Kevin Hart's latest comedy, in which he plays an entrepreneur hired by Will Ferrell to teach him how to survive prison, explores everything from society's perception of Black men to using the N-word. The director, Etan Cohen, explained the film is using humor as a way to address racial tension and biases. Early critics have already blasted the movie as racist  —  and it doesn't even hit theaters 'til Friday!  (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)

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Prison Humor - Kevin Hart's latest comedy, in which he plays an entrepreneur hired by Will Ferrell to teach him how to survive prison, explores everything from society's perception of Black men to using the N-word. The director, Etan Cohen, explained the film is using humor as a way to address racial tension and biases. Early critics have already blasted the movie as racist  —  and it doesn't even hit theaters 'til Friday! (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Bad Words - Using the n-word has landed plenty of celebs in hot water, from the tapes of Justin Bieber's racist jokes that resurfaced years later to Madonna and Lindsay Lohan using the derogatory phrase on Instagram. Racist or nah, when will stars learn to stay away from this controversial word?   (Photos from left: Christopher Polk/Getty Images, Jason Merritt/Getty Images, Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

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Bad Words - Using the n-word has landed plenty of celebs in hot water, from the tapes of Justin Bieber's racist jokes that resurfaced years later to Madonna and Lindsay Lohan using the derogatory phrase on Instagram. Racist or nah, when will stars learn to stay away from this controversial word?  (Photos from left: Christopher Polk/Getty Images, Jason Merritt/Getty Images, Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

Birth of an A-Hole - Donald Trump did his damnedest to make Barack Obama's historic win in the 2008 presidential elections all about him by being the highest-profile member of the so-called "Birther" movement — a small faction of right wing zealots who believed that Obama was born in Kenya and demanded to see his birth certificate. The American people quickly said to Donald, "You're fired." (Photo: Rodrigo Varela/Getty Images)

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Birth of an A-Hole - Donald Trump did his damnedest to make Barack Obama's historic win in the 2008 presidential elections all about him by being the highest-profile member of the so-called "Birther" movement — a small faction of right wing zealots who believed that Obama was born in Kenya and demanded to see his birth certificate. The American people quickly said to Donald, "You're fired." (Photo: Rodrigo Varela/Getty Images)

Costumes Gone Wrong - Gotta wonder what Julianne Hough was thinking when she smeared dark brown foundation all over her face as part of her Halloween costume as Crazy Eyes from Orange Is the New Black. The real nightmare came for Hough the next day when Black Twitter attacked. (Photo: Devone Byrd/PacificCoastNews)

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Costumes Gone Wrong - Gotta wonder what Julianne Hough was thinking when she smeared dark brown foundation all over her face as part of her Halloween costume as Crazy Eyes from Orange Is the New Black. The real nightmare came for Hough the next day when Black Twitter attacked. (Photo: Devone Byrd/PacificCoastNews)

Photo By Photo: Devone Byrd/PacificCoastNews

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Casting Controversies - Newsflash: racism is still alive in Hollywood. Two films caused a stir last year for their seemingly racist casting choices — Ridley Scott's Biblical epic Exodus, which relegated all the people of color to play "thieves" and "low-class citizens," and the NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton, which put out a casting call for dark-skinned girls to play, essentially, "lower-class" citizens of the hood.   (Photos from left: Todd MacMillan/Universal Pictures, 20th Century FOX)

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Casting Controversies - Newsflash: racism is still alive in Hollywood. Two films caused a stir last year for their seemingly racist casting choices — Ridley Scott's Biblical epic Exodus, which relegated all the people of color to play "thieves" and "low-class citizens," and the NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton, which put out a casting call for dark-skinned girls to play, essentially, "lower-class" citizens of the hood.  (Photos from left: Todd MacMillan/Universal Pictures, 20th Century FOX)

Not Very Pun-y - The same day her sister Kim Kardashian was trying to break the Internet, Khloe Kardashian nearly did the same when she angered fans by posting a meme of herself and her sisters with the caption, “The only KKK to ever let Black men in” on Instagram. Khloe took the post down, but not before outraged fans began commenting. Some, however, stood up for the reality star, claiming the joke was funny, not racist.  (Photo: Khloe Kardashian via Instagram)

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Not Very Pun-y - The same day her sister Kim Kardashian was trying to break the Internet, Khloe Kardashian nearly did the same when she angered fans by posting a meme of herself and her sisters with the caption, “The only KKK to ever let Black men in” on Instagram. Khloe took the post down, but not before outraged fans began commenting. Some, however, stood up for the reality star, claiming the joke was funny, not racist. (Photo: Khloe Kardashian via Instagram)

With Boyfriends Like These... - In 1993, Ted Danson paid tribute to his lover, Whoopi Goldberg, in blackface and with a string of bawdy racist jokes. While journalists and pretty much the rest of the world were in shock, Goldberg stood up for her man, saying she herself wrote the jokes and encouraged him to push the envelope — to put it mildly — with his humor. "We were not trying to be politically correct," Goldberg said. "We were trying to be funny for ourselves." Danson added, "There was too much love behind my words to ever be misconstrued as racist." Sadly, nobody else was laughing.  (Photo: Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

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With Boyfriends Like These... - In 1993, Ted Danson paid tribute to his lover, Whoopi Goldberg, in blackface and with a string of bawdy racist jokes. While journalists and pretty much the rest of the world were in shock, Goldberg stood up for her man, saying she herself wrote the jokes and encouraged him to push the envelope — to put it mildly — with his humor. "We were not trying to be politically correct," Goldberg said. "We were trying to be funny for ourselves." Danson added, "There was too much love behind my words to ever be misconstrued as racist." Sadly, nobody else was laughing. (Photo: Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

Is That You, Kerry? - When Kerry Washington unveiled her InStyle cover of the mag's March issue last month, many believe the fashion rag went a little crazy on the Photoshop. Not only did InStyle appear to change Washington's perfectly-lovely nose and lips, it most notably seemed to lighten her skin color. The magazine quickly issued a statement in response to the social media backlash, attributing the snafu to lighting: "While we did not digitally lighten Kerry’s skin tone, our cover lighting has likely contributed to this concern. We understand that this has resulted in disappointment and hurt. We are listening, and the feedback has been valuable."  (Photo: InStyle Magazine, March 2015)

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Is That You, Kerry? - When Kerry Washington unveiled her InStyle cover of the mag's March issue last month, many believe the fashion rag went a little crazy on the Photoshop. Not only did InStyle appear to change Washington's perfectly-lovely nose and lips, it most notably seemed to lighten her skin color. The magazine quickly issued a statement in response to the social media backlash, attributing the snafu to lighting: "While we did not digitally lighten Kerry’s skin tone, our cover lighting has likely contributed to this concern. We understand that this has resulted in disappointment and hurt. We are listening, and the feedback has been valuable." (Photo: InStyle Magazine, March 2015)

Kenya Believe It? - Chelsea Handler is not known for playing it safe, but the talk show host crossed the line for some when she used Lupita Nyong'o's Oscar moment to plug her Africa travelogue Uganda Be Kidding Me. Following Nyong'o's win of Best Supporting Actress, the comedian (using the Huffington Post account) tweeted, “Congratulations #lupita To pre order #ugandabekiddingme #Oscars.” Outraged Twitter users weren’t sure what the connection was to Nyong’o, who is Kenyan and Mexican. “Are you trying to connect this book to @Lupita_Nyongo because she’s black and from Africa? Wow,” wrote one Twitter user.  (Photos from left: Jason Merritt/Getty Images, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

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Kenya Believe It? - Chelsea Handler is not known for playing it safe, but the talk show host crossed the line for some when she used Lupita Nyong'o's Oscar moment to plug her Africa travelogue Uganda Be Kidding Me. Following Nyong'o's win of Best Supporting Actress, the comedian (using the Huffington Post account) tweeted, “Congratulations #lupita To pre order #ugandabekiddingme #Oscars.” Outraged Twitter users weren’t sure what the connection was to Nyong’o, who is Kenyan and Mexican. “Are you trying to connect this book to @Lupita_Nyongo because she’s black and from Africa? Wow,” wrote one Twitter user. (Photos from left: Jason Merritt/Getty Images, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)