15 Times Unexpected Celebrity Friendships Were Unveiled

The world of celebrities often appears to be a realm of glitz, glamour, and fierce competition. However, beneath the surface, surprising friendships can blossom between stars from different walks of life.

#1 Michelle Obama And George W. Bush

Despite being notable members of opposing political parties, Michelle and George have shocked America with their apparent friendship.

The former US president even addressed people’s reaction to his friendship with the former First Lady in an interview for CBS Sunday Morning, where he recalled a moment in 2016 at the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, when he and Michelle went viral over a photo of them hugging.

“It shocked me,” he said.

George continued: “We got in the car and I think Barbara or Jenna said, ‘Hey, you’re trending!’

“The American people were so surprised that Michelle Obama and I could be friends.

“I think it’s a problem that Americans are so polarized in their thinking that they can’t imagine a George W. Bush and Michelle Obama being friends.”

Former US president Barack Obama explained in 2018 that the unlikely pair were “forever seatmates” because of the seating protocols for ex-presidents and their spouses at official events.

Michelle told USA Today: “He is my partner in crime at every major thing where all the formers gather.

“I love him to death. He’s a wonderful man. He’s a funny man.”

#2 Pitbull And John Travolta

Mr Worldwide and Greaser John may have grown up in completely different generations, as well as coming from two separate worlds, but that didn’t stop the pair from becoming friends.

In fact, John Travolta appeared in Pitbull’s 3 to Tango music video in 2019, and even joined the musician onstage for a live performance of the song at the 2020 Premio Lo Nuestro Awards.

After shaving his head bald, the 69-year-old actor told Extra that none other than Pitbull had inspired him to try the daring hairstyle.

He said: “A good friend, Armando Perez, Pitbull, he lives his life like this.

“He would send pictures of me, I have all my hair, and he’d superimpose no hair and say, ‘I prefer this,’ so I thought … Maybe it’s time to do it.”

#3 Cardi B And Penn Badgley

Image source: @PennBadgley

Rapper Cardi B and Gossip Girl actor Penn Badgley started an online friendship in 2021, after Cardi B said she was a huge fan of YOU.

The unlikely duo’s friendship kicked off when a 2019 interview with Penn Badgley praising Cardi B’s relationship with her fans on social media resurfaced.

Speaking on Netflix’s In Conversation with YOU event in Manila, Philippines, the actor said: “She has such an authentic relationship.

“To me, it’s this incredibly nuanced place to be.

“Despite what many might judge as antics and all this, I feel like she has an incredibly authentic relationship to that, and that’s why people like her so much.”

Naturally, the I Like It rapper found the resurfaced clip, and reacted to it in excitement on X (formerly known as Twitter) as she tweeted: “Yo like I’m famous famous.”

Penn and Cardi went on to quoting each other’s tweets, exchanging PR packages, and more. A true 21st-century friendship!

#4 Elton John And Eminem

Elton and Eminem’s unlikely friendship started at the 2001 Grammy Awards, where they performed one of Eminem’s 2000 biggest hits, Stan, originally recorded with British singer Dido.

Taking the stand as an LGBTQ+ ally, Eminem had Elton duetting his hit single at the awards ceremony.

Speaking of their first meeting, Elton John said on The Graham Norton Show: “We became friends.

“We’ve been amazing friends ever since. He’s an amazing guy. […] I just adore him.”

In Elton’s 2019 memoir titled Me, the iconic musician revealed that he was Eminem’s sponsor.

The rap star opened up about reaching out to Elton for help. As The Guardian reported, Eminem said: “When I first wanted to get sober, I called him.

“He’s somebody who’s in the business and can identify and relate to the lifestyle and how hectic things can be.

“He understands… the pressure and any other reasons that you want to come up with for doing drugs.”

#5 Meghan Markle And Priyanka Chopra

Image source: hindustantimes.com, priyankachopra

Former Miss World Priyanka Chopra-Jonas has been a close friend of the Duchess of Sussex’s for many years. In fact, the 41-year-old actress has known Meghan since before she even married into the British royal family.

Priyanka and Meghan first met in 2016, during the ELLE Women in Television dinner, and reportedly struck up a bond instantly.

Subsequently, the 42-year-old Suit actress interviewed Priyanka for her blog, The Tig, which is now defunct.

The Indian actress has gone on to openly discuss her friendship with Meghan in an open letter before the 2018 royal wedding.

“More than anything else, Meghan is an important influencer in a world that needs strong public figures to respect and look up to,” Priyanka wrote.

#6 Sydney Sweeney And Anitta

Image source: @SSydneyBest

Speculations regarding Brazilian popstar Anitta and Euphoria actress Sydney Sweeney’s friendship arose earlier this month, following a surprising interaction.

Last week, Sydney celebrated her 26th birthday in an extravagant 1980s prom night-themed party.

Amongst the guests photographed at the birthday bash, Anitta was a prevalent presence.

Despite having not collaborated on any work together, both women did share an interesting connection, which may have sparked a friendship.

The unlikely duo reportedly shared the same hotel while they attended the Met Gala this year.

Anitta and Sydney went on to make a public appearance together at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event in July.

#7 Snoop Dogg And Martha Stewart

The rap icon and the retail businesswoman have been unlikely friends for over 15 years now.

The duo, who have now become a famous pairing, first met back in 2008, when Snoop Dogg joined Martha to make mashed potatoes on her cooking show, The Martha Stewart Show.

The Next Episode appeared again on the show, this time to bake “special brownies”.

Following their culinary collaborations, the duo went on to participate in other work together, such as roastmasters on Comedy Central’s 2015 Justin Bieber Roast, as well as co-hosting the 2021 and 2022 editions of the Puppy Bowl, and featuring together in several Skechers commercials.

Snoop and Martha have also co-hosted a VH1 celebrity cooking show, Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party, and judged a Halloween food competition, Snoop and Martha’s Very Tasty Halloween.

#8 Jennifer Lopez And Leah Remini

Pop star Jennifer Lopez and actress Leah Remini have been friends for more than a decade.

The starlets met in 2004, when the singer started dating Marc Anthony.

The King of Queens actress recalled the first time she crossed paths with Anthony’s then-girlfriend at a red carpet premiere.

She told Entertainment Tonight in 2018: “So, we went to the premiere hoping she was gonna be ugly in real life.

“And then, when I was approaching her, I was like, ‘I hope it’s the lighting.

“Maybe she just looks good in here,’ and as I got closer I was like, ‘Oh damn, there’s a lot of light right here and she looks really pretty.’

In turn, Jennifer said: “It was one of those instant chemistry things, where you just feel like, ‘I love this person. I love being around this person. This person makes me laugh.

“She’s cool and we also have very similar upbringings. That’s why we work well together.”

#9 Nicola Peltz And Selena Gomez

It has probably not been lost on Selena Gomez’s fans that the former Disney star has been consistently featured on Bates Motel actress Nicola Peltz’s Instagram page.

The circumstances around both women’s friendship are a little unclear, but it would appear that Nicola and Selena have grown to become somewhat of an iconic besties duo.

The 31-year-old musician and the 28-year-old actress first made their friendship public in November 2022, when they celebrated the release of Selena’s documentary, My Mind & Me, together at a viewing party.

From that point onward, Nicola and Selena have been nearly inseparable, sharing moments such as Thanksgiving gatherings, vacations in Mexico, and even the occasion when the Love You Like A Love Song singer and the Transformers actress decided to get matching tattoos.

Last May, Selena interviewed Nicola and her husband, Brooklyn Beckham, for her Wondermind mental health content hub.

During the interview, Selena confessed that she enjoyed being in a “throuple” with the married duo.

“Selena, we love you so much, you have no idea,” Nicola said.

The actress continued: “I think we speak the same love language. We never really go out in L.A.

“We’re always working or with the dogs.

“The best moments are just, like, when you don’t have to do anything.

“You can just be with the people you love, and it makes me so happy, but I’m also such a homebody.”

#10 50 Cent And Bette Midler

According to People, Bette, who moved back to New York City in 1994, opened a new community garden in Queens in 2008.

The Hocus Pocus actress had named the space “The Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson Community Garden” due to 50 Cent’s involvement.

According to People, the 77-year-old Hollywood star “called and nagged” the rapper about getting involved with the project as it was in his childhood neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens.

50 Cent said: “I wish I had this to come to when I was growing up around here.

“The opportunity to create this garden for the youth and the community is a great one.”

Moreover, the Candy Shop rapper added that if “Bette calls, you don’t say ‘no.’ Not if you want your reputation to stay the way it is.”

#11 Blake Lively And Florence Welch

Gossip Girl star Blake Lively has had a very public friendship with music star Taylor Swift. However, Blake’s lesser known bond with another musician is just as interesting.

The 36-year-old actress has been friends with Florence Welch, the lead singer of Florence and The Machine, for over a decade.

In fact, Blake was reportedly a regular in the front row when Florence and the Machine toured the US way back in 2011.

Moreover, the mom-of-four was reportedly responsible for giving the British musician a guest starring part on Gossip Girl.

As a result, Florence reportedly performed at Blake and Ryan Reynolds’ wedding in 2012.

#12 Rosalia And Kylie Jenner

Kylie Jenner and Rosalia’s close friendship began to flourish several years ago when the businesswoman attended one of the singer’s concerts.

They reportedly rapidly became friends and have been frequently sharing their various outings together on social media.

The 31-year-old Spanish singer has been spotted at nearly all of Kylie’s major celebrations shared on Instagram, especially her daughter’s extravagant birthday parties.

Likewise, the 26-year-old mom-of-two has not shied away from sharing her own excitement seeing her bestie perform at various concerts, filming herself having fun during Rosalia’s concerts.

Rosalia and Kylie most recently reunited at Milan Fashion Week, where they were spotted sharing a sweet moment together in the front row of Prada’s Spring/Summer 2024 fashion show.

#13 Ed Sheeran And Oli Sykes

Ed Sheeran befriending a fellow musician shouldn’t come as a shock, but perhaps what makes this particular friendship different is the type of musician the Shape of You singer has decided to be associated with.

Oli Sykes, a rock star notable for his impressive capability to scream, and fronting the metal band Bring Me The Horizon, seemed to have connected with Ed Sheeran rather recently.

Oli and Ed shared the stage together at the 2022 Brit Awards, putting a special rock spin to Ed’s chart-topping Bad Habits.

It is unclear on how long before this particular performance the unlikely duo have been friends, but since then, both artists have kept a friendship, even playing with the idea of getting matching tattoos, as revealed by Metro.co.uk.

#14 Kris Jenner And Jennifer Lawrence

Image source: krisjenner

Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence has made it a public manner to share her love for reality TV shows.

But what people might be surprised to learn is that the starlet has in fact built a friendship with one of the most famous reality TV stars of all time: momager Kris Jenner.

Kris and Jennifer first met in 2015, in the Hunger Games actress’ hotel room for her 25th birthday.

Two years later, Kris went on to share how the two became friends on Steve On Watch.

She said: “She was a big Keeping Up With the Kardashians fan.

“And somebody from her team called me up and said, ‘Would you surprise Jennifer on her birthday and give her a birthday cake, like you’ll be the surprise.’

“When I walked out with this cake, she was so excited… and we’ve had this little texting friendship from then on.”

#15 Macaulay Culkin And Lizzo

Image source: culkamania, lizzobeeating

Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin and popstar Lizzo’s friendship reportedly goes back to 2014 when Macaulay made a cameo in the video for Lizzo’s song Faded.

But more so, Macaulay has consistently put his deep admiration for the singer on display through social media, portraying himself as one of Lizzo’s biggest supporters.

The 43-year-old actor has often posted videos of himself attending Lizzo’s concert on Instagram, with the singer often reposting Macaulay’s content writing sweet messages such as “I love you”.

#16 Zach Braff And Harry Styles

Scrubs alumni Zach Braff and former One Direction member Harry Styles reportedly met through mutual friends.

On Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in 2014, the 48-year-old actor opened up about his friendship with Harry, saying their bromance went viral after the 29-year-old stopped by to see his movie Wish I Was Here, which had just been released at the time.

Zach said: “He’s a super nice guy and was cool enough to come to Sundance and see our movie, and then he tweeted out that he cried during the movie.

“So I have to thank Harry for crying during our movie because it was the best press we’ve ever had.”

Several months prior to the interview, Zach created quite a stir among One Direction fans when he and Harry enjoyed a romantic candlelit dinner in New York.

Following their dinner outing, they engaged in some amusing social media interactions. After Harry followed him, the actor wrote: “Well, Harry Styles follows me!

“And once he followed me a zillion young girls followed me, like, whatever Harry chooses is the right way to go.

“So I’d like to thank Harry for following me because I got like a zillion 12 year olds who love me too.

“They think that me and Harry are hanging out together, going out on the town.”

#17 Drake And Adele

Image source: champagnepapi, adele

Two years ago, the British music star disclosed that rapper Drake was among the selected few who had listened to her 2021 album 30.

Despite producing completely different genres of music, Drake and Adele are in fact quite close, with the Hello singer reportedly saying that Drake’s friendship was “one of the biggest gifts of her entire career.”

Speaking on CBC, Adele said: “I can say something to him, and he won’t judge me for it, you know?

#18 Matthew Mcconaughey And Guy Fieri

Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey and Emmy Award-winning television presenter Guy Fieri have been friends for over 20 years.

Matthew gave a speech in 2019 at Fieri’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony for his star on the famed promenade, where he revealed he was an avid fan of Guy’s show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

The Texan star said: “15 or so years ago, I was living in an Airstream traveling across America.

“I lived on the road. And I came across this show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

“It was a show that when I pulled into trailer parks I would say ‘Listen, do you have an open Southern sky. I need a spot with an open Southern sky.’

“Because my satellite dish tunes in through the Southern sky… and that’s the only way I can tune into ‘Triple D.’

“It quickly became my favorite show.”

While traveling, Matthew obtained Guy’s contact information and commenced making regular calls to the Food Network star, seeking his top restaurant suggestions.

Upon their eventual dinner meeting, Matthew finally became acquainted with the man behind his favorite TV show.

“This is when a conscientious Guy Fieri,” the 53-year-old actor said.

He continued: “A Guy Fieri who cared about family, who cared about faith.

“This is when I met a guy who I could tell right away would out-hustle a lot of people, maybe with equal talent, outwork ’em. This is when I met a Guy who was not a food snob.

“This is a Guy I met who was curious, who was also dealing with some new-found fame and wanted to talk about how best to navigate it.

“We cooked a lot of food. We ate a lot of food. We drank a lot of spirits. We talked about life and we talked about being authentic to who you are.

“And that’s the night that I met you, Guy Fieri.”

#19 Angelina Jolie And Salma Hayek

Angie and Salma have worked together on Marvel’s 2021 movie The Eternals, as well as Without Blood, a movie Angelina directed.

Following the filming of Without Blood last year, Salma told Deadline that Angelina was the “best director I’ve ever worked with.”

But in a more recent interview with Entertainment Tonight from the Toronto International Film Festival, the Frida actress was asked what she loved about her friendship with the mom-of-six, to which she replied “Everything.”

She said: “She’s been very, very enriching in my life, in so many ways — as mothers, you know, most of all, as artists.”

The mom-of-one added that over the years, she and Angelina had gotten “closer and closer” whilst their friendship had become one that “that keeps growing.”

#20 Amy Schumer And Ronda Rousey

Image source: amyschumer

Being blondes might be the only similar trait shared between comedian Amy Schumer and MMA fighter Ronda Rousey. However, the pair are in fact quite close.

After stepping down in 2016 from fighting at UFC 200, Ronda Rousey appeared to hang with Amy, as the Trainwreck actress had posted a photo of herself with the 36-year-old former bantamweight champion.

Amy had captioned the snap with the word “Ladies”.

Amy and Ronda had first bonded over a joke the 42-year-old stand-up artist had tweeted about her doppelganger Holly Holm, who gave Rousey her first career loss in the UFC 193 fight.

Rumor had it Amy was Ronda’s comedy coach when she appeared on Saturday Night Live shortly afterwards.