Adam Driver Scandals That Made Headlines

By: Riley Brown | Published: Dec 06, 2023

After starring in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Adam Driver became one of the most famous actors in the world—but he hasn’t used the limelight all that well.

In a recent interview, Driver actually cursed at a fan for asking an annoying question, and now, his many less-than-perfect responses to his fans and the media are making their way into the headlines.

Adam Driver Curses at Fan

The most recent incident occurred at a Q&A for his upcoming film Ferrari at the Camerimage Film Festival in Poland.

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Shailene Woodley, Penélope Cruz, Adam Driver, and Michael Mann speak during the "Ferrari" Q&A

Source: Dominik Bindl/Getty Images

An audience member asked Driver, “What do you think about [the] crash scenes? They looked pretty harsh, drastic, and, I must say, cheesy for me. What do you think?” To which Driver responded, “F**k you. I don’t know. Next question.”

The Comment Sparks a Much Bigger Conversation

After Driver’s blunt response, he chuckled, and the audience laughed audibly along with him.

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Adam Driver at HBO’s Official Emmy After Party 2015

Source: Getty Images

However, while his comment may have been glossed over at the event, it ignited a much bigger conversation online about the star’s distaste for his new-found fame.

Attendees of the Q&A Say Driver ‘Ghosted’ Them

According to an attendee at the same Q&A where Driver swore at a fan, he also apparently seemed “bored and rude” throughout.

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Adam Driver attends a red carpet for the movie Ferrari

Source: Kristy Sparow/FilmMagic/Getty Images

The attendee noted that his lackluster attitude was followed by an immediate disappearance from Driver, who “ghosted” fans waiting outside to see him.

Adam Driver Wasn’t Always a Superstar

It’s important to note that Adam Driver only recently became an international superstar. The actor got his start back in 2012 as Adam on the HBO show Girls, created by Lena Dunham.

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Lena Dunham and Adam Driver are seen filming a scene for Girls

Source: Alessio Botticelli/Getty Images

Although Driver was certainly beloved by fans of the show, he was essentially anonymous to the general public for several years while he acted in shows and movies.

Star Wars Changes Everything for Driver

When Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released in 2015, Driver’s world changed forever. Of course, the Star Wars franchise is one of, if not the most popular ever created. And as the villain Kylo Ren in the beloved film, Driver’s face became one of the most well-known on the planet.

Adam Driver as Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Source: Reddit

Driver said in an interview, “I was aware that more people would see [the movie] than see most things I do, but I don’t think I could have anticipated how often I’d get recognized.”

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Adam Driver Claims He Will Never Return to Comic-Con

Driver immediately struggled with the consequences of such fame. As many sci-fi or fantasy stars do, Adam headed to Comic-Con to meet his fans the following year, but it was disastrous.

A view of the crowd during New York Comic-Con 2022

Source: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

Fans entirely surrounded Driver’s hotel, making it impossible for him to leave. And he later told the press that he would never go back to the convention because the madness was “scary.”

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Driver’s Co-Star Calls Him ‘Rude’

His fans are not the only people disappointed with Driver’s attitude—in an interview, Lidia Franco, his co-star on the film, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, reported that Driver was “demanding,” “rude,” and even said, “He behaved very badly with me physically. He attacked me.”

The cast of "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival

Source: Marc Piasecki/WireImage/Getty Images

And while the production company claims that the whole thing was a “misunderstanding,” it’s a hard quote for people to forget.

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The Infamous Interview Walk-Out

Another infamous Driver moment happened on a talk radio show on NPR in 2019 when he went on-air to talk about his new film, The Marriage Story.

Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Azhy Robertson pose together in a promo photo for the film The Marriage Story

Source: Netflix

Host Terry Gross started playing a segment of the film for his audience, and Driver got up and walked out of the interview. He later explained it was because he simply could not handle watching or even listening to himself act, but many still say it was extremely rude.

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Driver’s Explanation for Why He Can’t Watch His Work

In a later interview, Driver spelled out exactly why he left the interview. He said, “I’ve watched myself or listened to myself before, then always hate it and wish I could change it, but you can’t.”

Adam Driver attends the red carpet for the movie "Ferrari" at the 80th Venice International Film Festival

Source: Dominique Charriau/WireImage/Getty Images

He went on to explain, “I came from a theater background, where you don’t get to see it … [Watching myself on screen], I’d want to make [my performance] better or perfect, and that’s a trap.”

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Believing Fame Makes it Hard for Him to ‘Do His Job’

In addition to not being able to watch his TV shows or films, Driver also claims that his immense fame makes it much more challenging to do his job, which is acting.

Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley arrive at Belfast International Airport and attempt to avoid paparazzi

Source: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

Driver said in a different interview, “[Fame is] not what I was after when I started to be an actor. I know people think that if you’re an actor, it’s your goal to be famous and wealthy,” but “[The attention] seems counterintuitive to my job.”

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Joanne Tucker and Driver Keep Their Family Life Very Private

Maybe it’s because he hates the spotlight or because he behaves poorly in front of crowds and during interviews, but either way, Driver works extremely hard to keep his life private.

Adam Driver and wife, Joanne Tucker, on the red carpet at the EE British Academy Film Awards

Source: Samir Hussein/Getty Images

He and his wife Joanne Tucker live in Brooklyn, New York, and have a son that they kept secret from the press for years. And while Driver may comment on the recent backlash, it seems far more likely he will continue to lay low instead.

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