Most Revealing Celebrity Interviews Ever by Jeffrey Totey l Celebrities l Celebrity Scandals l Celebrity Interviews

1987: Jim and Tammy Bakker with Ted Koppel

After the power couple of PTL network were "dethroned," they met with ABC Nightline host, Ted Koppel, to share their side of the story. The live interview began with Koppel asking, "Is it going to be possible for you to get through an interview without wrapping yourselves in the Bible?" and then the charges of sexual misconduct with secretary Jessica Hahn and even homosexual charges.

"I've looked into the homosexual charges and I would again say that if anyone had these charges against me, I want them to come forward publicly with this proof," said Jim. Tammy added, "I have been married to this man for 26 years and I can tell you one thing, he's not homosexual or is he a bi-sexual. He's a wonderful loving husband." And the she said, "I want to go home to our puppies and the people we love."

1988: Mike Tyson and Robin Givens with Barbara Walters

One messy interview with boxer Mike Tyson and his then-wife, Robin Givens has the distinction of being one of seven interviews that Barbara Walters will never forget. The three met for ABC's 20/20 and Tyson tried to play it cool. “I do have many a millions. My wife just has to ask for it, and she has every penny I have. She has the right to do that. She's still here, she tolerates my s*** and I love my wife.” Then Walters asked Robin about domestic abuse and she let Mike have it. “He shakes. He pushes, he swings. Sometimes I think he's trying to scare me,” When asked how the marriage was going, Givens said, "It's been torture. It's been pure hell. It's been worse than anything I could possibly imagine." Givens filed for divorce one week later.

1994: Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley with Diane Sawyer

Sawyer interviewed the "King of Pop" and his new bride, daughter of "The King," to discuss their surprise marriage on ABC's Prime Time Live. Presley had married Jackson just 20 days after her divorce from musician Danny Keough was final. The entire dialogue was extremely uncomfortable to watch as Jackson and Presley had a hard time recalling on who proposed to who...and how. Sawyer asked, "As you know, the reaction to this marriage - and I know you feel strongly about it - but the reaction to this marriage has been across the spectrum. Everything from astonishment, to delight, to suspicion. That it was somehow too convenient." She was referring to allegations that Jackson had molested a young boy. There was also doubt that Presley wedded Jackson to get a boost in her singing career. The two divorced in 1996.

1999: Monica Lewinsky with Barbara Walters

A year later after then President Clinton stated that he "did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky" the former intern was interviewed by Barbara Walters for ABC's 20/20. The show was seen by 70 million Americans, a record for the news show. When Walters asked Lewinsky if she could go back in time, would she have a relationship with Clinton, she said, "There are some days that I regret that the relationship ever started and there are some days that I just regret that I ever confided in Linda Tripp." Tripp was a friend who secretly taped conversations with Lewinsky about the affair. When asked if she still had feelings for the president she said, "Sometimes I have warm feelings, sometimes I'm proud of him still, and sometimes I hate his guts. And, um, he makes me sick."

2005: Tom Cruise with Matt Lauer

Supposedly interviewing Cruise about his role in the "War of the Worlds" movie on the Today Show, the topic turned to psychiatry vs. Scientology. Lauer has since stated that it was his most awkward interview ever. At one point, the star criticized actress Brooke Shields for taking antidepressants. "It's very impressive to listen to you," Lauer said, "because clearly, you've done the homework. And you know the subject." Cruise countered: "And you should. You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do. You just communicate about it. If I want to know something, I go and find out. Because I don't talk about things that I don't understand." This event happened shortly following his couch-hopping appearance on Oprah. Apparently, Cruise has apologized for his actions and has gone out of his way to be nice to Lauer since the ordeal.

2006: James Frey with Oprah Winfrey

James Frey, author of "A Million Little Pieces," won a coveted spot on the Oprah Book Club in 2006 but was quickly kicked out when it was discovered that he made up a lot of the content. He was later invited to explain himself on her show and received a public spanking. "I have to say it is difficult for me to talk to you because I feel really duped," Oprah started, "But more importantly, I feel that you betrayed millions of readers... I don't know what is true and I don't know what isn't." Winfrey asked how many days Frey spend in jail and he replied that he only spent a few hours instead of 87 days mentioned in the book. She later said, "I feel that you conned us all. Do you?" Frey said, "I don't feel like I conned everyone."

2011: Charlie Sheen with Jeff Rossen and Andrea Canning

Due to erratic behavior and acting out, Charlie Sheen, star of the hit comedy Two And A Half Men was fired. In one interview with Jeff Rossen of NBC he said, "I'm tired of pretending like I'm not special. I'm tired of pretending like I'm not bitching, a total fricking rock star from Mars, and people can't figure me out, they can't process me. I don't expect them to. You can't process me with a normal brain." Sheen told NBC's Jeff Rossen. In an interview with Andrea Canning for ABC he admitted to using drugs: "I am on a drug, it's called 'Charlie Sheen'. It's not available because if you try it once, you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body...Too much?" Shortly thereafter, Sheen's PR manager resigned.

2013: Lance Armstrong with Oprah Winfrey

Was it a publicity stunt or was he truly sorry? The world may never know for sure. After years of denying that he used performance enhancing drugs to help with his cycling career, Armstrong finally came clean in 2013. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey on her new OWN network, the athlete stated that his "mythic, perfect story" was "one big lie." He also stated that he used banned drugs and/or blood transfusions while winning seven Tour de France events. "I will spend the rest of my life trying to earn back trust and apologize to people," said Armstrong. But Oprah was not in the mood to coddle the superstar. So was he sorry? Oprah has been quoted saying, "I would rather people make their own decisions about whether he was contrite or not."

2004 and 2015: Mary Kay Letourneau with Barbara Walters

Mary Kay Letourneau was Vili Fualaau's 6th grade school teacher when she had an affair with the boy and later bore his two children. She went to prison for seven years for her crime. In 2004, she spoke to Barbara Walters about her plans to wed the boy saying "We've always planned that and it hasn't changed." It didn't change and on April 10, 2015, Mary Kay and her now husband of almost ten years again spoke to Walters to discuss marriage life, raising two teenage daughters, her husbands's depression, her plans to some day return to teaching and her plans to reverse her status as a registered sex offender. They also introduced to America their two daughters, Audrey and Georgia.