Patti Smith to James Corden: Celebrities accused of being rude to restaurant staff

Patti Smith, an A-list singer, has landed in a hot soup with New York-based restaurateur Keith McNally claiming she misbehaved with one of his staff members, and was “incredibly rude” to the person.

In his memoir, I Regret Almost Everything, McNally has written of an incident that happened when he worked as a general manager at One Fifth in the 1970s. According to McNally,

Smith left a waitress at the famous restaurant in tears “because she forgot to put bread on the table.”

According to The Independent, he wrote that Smith used to often dine at the eatery with her ex-boyfriend Robert Mapplethorpe and art curator Sam Wagstaff. He further recounted:

“On nights when Wagstaff wasn’t at the table, Smith and Mapplethorpe could be very difficult to wait on. Smith, unfortunately, was incredibly rude to the servers.”

He wrote that the incident shocked him, adding:

"It's impossible for me to listen to a Patti Smith song today without remembering her reducing a waitress to tears."

Well, Smith wasn’t the only one McNally has criticized for misbehaviour. He called out James Corden in 2022 for his alleged nasty behavior at one of his restaurants. Let us delve deeper to learn about other celebrities, including Corden who were allegedly rude to restaurant staff.

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Here are some celebs who have allegedly been rude to restaurant staff

Many celebs have been spotted dining out at expensive eateries to relax and enjoy themselves away from the spotlight. While most leave a positive impression once they step out of a restaurant, many are also known to have been boorish with the staff. In an era where social media and online forums give servers a platform to share their experiences, several stars have gained notoriety for their allegedly rude or demanding behavior. Check out these names.

James Corden

In 2022, James Corden was banned from a New York-based restaurant called Balthazar when the owner of the place, Keith McNally, called him out for his alleged abusive behavior with his staff on his Instagram.

He wrote:

“James Corden is a Hugely gifted comedian, but a tiny Cretin of a man. And the most abusive customer to my Balthazar servers since the restaurant opened 25 years ago. I don't often 86 a customer, to today I 86'd Corden. It did not make me laugh.”

McNally, who owns a number of famous food spots in the city, including Balthazar, Pastis, and Minetta Tavern, banned Corden from the restaurant.

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Meghan Markle

Another incident that caught the public’s eye was Meghan Markle’s visit to Michelin-starred restaurant Le Coucou in 2017, as per a report in The Independent. According to Mirror, former New York maitre d’ Michael Cecchi-Azzolina wrote about the incident in his memoir titled Your Table Is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maître D.

He claimed that Markle, who was then known for her role in the TV series Suits, arrived at the spot with her handler and demanded a private table, reportedly saying:

“It’s for someone who is dating a prince.”

Cecchi-Azzolina recalled in his memoir that when the staff failed to provide them the table, her handler got aggressive with the staff, while Markle stood silent and “aloof”. He said the aide told the staff:

“Are you aware my guest is dating Prince Harry and about to be a duchess? Don't you have a private area for us to wait?”

He said his first impulse was to laugh during the incident, adding:

"I couldn't give two s**ts about Prince Harry's date, and by the attention the escort was drawing from the crowd at the bar, nor did anyone else."

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Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods, who is known as one of the wealthiest sports personalities of all time, made it to the top spot in Miami New Times’ Top Ten Cheapest Celebrity Tippers list in 2011. The report in the outlet stated that Woods, while playing a US$10,000 hand of blackjack, allegedly retracted a $5 tip after realising he had already tipped the waitress earlier in the evening.

Another woman who used to date Woods claimed that she had to pay all the tips when they went out together. Mindy Lawton, a restaurant hostess who had a relationship with Woods, said her colleagues allegedly complained about his tipping habits, as per a report in Style.

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Paul McCartney

A report in Buzzfeed indicated that Paul McCartney once yelled at the server who worked at Starbucks in New York City and allegedly threatened to fire her over the unavailability of oat milk.

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Kendall Jenner

In 2024, Kendall Jenner came under fire for her allegedly ‘entitled’ and ‘rude’ behavior while dining out with her friend Hailey Bieber. A report in Mirror indicated that some waitresses claimed they "take the day off" to avoid her. The report mentioned that a Reddit user claimed:

Kylie and Kendall Jenner, “would never leave a tip, would make a mess, and would be laud and obnoxious” at restaurants.

She wrote:

“A girl on tik tok who was a waitress at a restaurant where Kendall and Kylie used to come with their friends said that the people who worked there would basically avoid shifts, or take the day off when they knew that they were coming.”

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Jennifer Lopez

A 2023 report in Mashed indicated Jennifer Lopez was allegedly rude to Ben Affleck’s waitstaff and a bad tipper, which came to the limelight after her casino trip with her former husband. Penny, a manager of a tavern in Las Vegas, claimed in a TikTok video that Affleck generously tipped a waitress at the casino for their services but Lopez immediately snatched the money, which was reportedly $10,000.

Embarrassed by her act, Affleck reportedly left the waitress a note apologizing profusely for the incident. He later sent her a bouquet of flowers and $25,000, a report in Your Tango stated.

Accounts of such alleged rude behaviours from well-known faces highlight the importance of kindness and respect, which lie much above one's status and wealth. Such incidents show how a slight action of disrespect can make or break their image.