The south has gifted the world with many stars. Sure, there are the L.A kids who are so close to Hollywood that they are practically part of showbiz from birth, but when it comes to star power, those from further down the country have proved there is much more to them than just a full head of hairspray.
According to Southern Living magazine, you know you're from the south when: 1) You’ve got sense enough to know that “yes, ma’am” and “no, ma’am” are required. 2) You believe it’s important to be raised right. 3) You believe it’s just as important to bake with White Lily, fry with Crisco, and make your chicken salad with Hellman’s.
These following celebs might be inclined to hide their redneck roots, but if they spent their childhood growing up in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina, then there are some habits they just can't shake off. It just takes the odd slip in an interview, or their family members to out them, for us all to find out they are most at home on a porch swing and likely spent their younger days riding in a pickup truck.
15 Britney Spears Drives With Baby On Her Lap
You really don't get more redneck than Britney Spears driving without a seatbelt with her 4-month-old son sat on her lap. The shocking pictures were captured by the paparazzi who were documenting every moment of her eventual breakdown. The Baby One More Time singer was not charged as the police confirmed, "Unless a deputy saw the violation, there’s nothing we can do. We don’t even know if this took place in our jurisdiction."
Defending her action, the Kentwood, Louisana, singer said, "I was terrified that this time the physically aggressive paparazzi would put both me and my baby in danger. I instinctively took measures to get my baby and me out of harm’s way, but the paparazzi continued to stalk us." Adding, "I love my child and would do anything to protect him." Except use a car seat or wear a seatbelt as you're driving, right?
14 Kelly Clarkson Can't Keep Off The Stuffed Pork Chops
Kelly Clarkson was delighted to appear on Food Network's Trisha's Southern Kitchen while she was passing through on tour. The Forth Worth, Texas, singer rustled up southern-style Stuffed Pork Chops and finished off with Chocolate Pretzel Peanut Butter Squares. Clarkson first found fame on American Idol in 2002, then by 2007, she had gained 30lbs, which she dropped by 2012 but then gained it back again during her first pregnancy.
The Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) singer told Ellen DeGeneres, "We are who we are - whatever size. And it doesn't mean that we're gonna be that forever. I'm such a creative person that I yo-yo. So sometimes I'm more fit and I get into kickboxing hardcore. And then sometimes I don't and I'm like ... I'd rather have wine." Well pour us a glass too, Kelly!
13 Dakota Fanning Hates When People Don't Have 'Southern Manners'
Dakota Fanning keeps her private life to herself and reveals very little about herself to the media. She thanks her traditional Southern upbringing in Conyers, Georgia, for remaining tight-lipped throughout her career. She told Town & Country magazine, "I was raised by very traditional Southern parents with Southern manners. You don't air your dirty laundry to people that aren't your family or your friends. Why would I ever want to portray myself as anything other than together?"
Although she will never discuss who she's romantically linked to, she did add that she finds blind dates too "stiff" for her liking, revealing, "The way I prefer to meet someone is through a friend (because that means the person) is most likely not a freak. I find dates, in general, horrific. We have to sit there and ask these questions and pretend to eat a meal, and it just feels so stiff."
12 Hulk Hogan Recorded Being Racist As Hell
Hulk Hogan's profile page was removed from the WWE's official website following a string of redneck racist remarks. The 64-year-old retired wrestler from Augusta, Georgia, now has a page that just reads: "You are not authorized to access this page." When his not-so-PG tape was released to the public by Gawker (a scandal which cost the online publisher $31 million in damages) the audio displayed a racist rant where he continuously used the "N-word."
Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, could be heard telling the woman he was entertaining at the time: "Don't give a f*** if she (inaudible) an eight-foot-tall basketball player. If we're gonna f*** with n*****s, let's get a rich one! I'm a racist to a point, y'know, f***ing n*****s." Hogan later claimed people who knew him would say he isn't a racist and he tweeted, "In the storm I release control, God and his Universe will sail me where he wants me to be. One love." Still, we doubt his career will fully recover from this.
11 Reese Witherspoon Named Her Son Tennesse
In 2012, New Orleans-born actress Reese Witherspoon was keeping quiet about her third pregnancy but chat show host Chelsea Handler was not willing to let her off the hook that easy. During an episode of Chelsea Lately on E!, Handler asked the Legally Blonde star, "How did you get pregnant?" Wetherspoon giggled, "How do you think I got pregnant? Do you want to talk about this later? We don't have to talk about it right now." Handler replied, "We don't have to talk about it now -- but I would prefer to!"
Handler then added, "You (had a) baby and you named it Tennessee and I still couldn't figure out if it was a boy or a girl." Witherspoon joked back, "Or just a redneck!" Well, she was just saying what we were all thinking anyway.
10 Jennifer Garner Plays The Spoons (Yes, Really)
Jennifer Garner is so hillbilly she even plays the spoons. Yes, really. When asked on the red carpet if she had any hidden talents, she replied, "Besides saxophone? Besides playing spoons? Besides clogging? My cup runneth over with hidden talents. Anything hillbilly I can do."
The Houston, Texas-born actress shared a very touching message with her fans following the damage Hurricane Harvey left of her hometown. The mother-of-three wrote on her Instagram, "You know what’s beautiful? Children look for light. Terrifying things have happened to these kids in the past couple of weeks, but they don’t want to dwell on those stories. They want to tell you that their neighbor’s puppy was found. That they all celebrated when power came back on." Garner helped with the distribution of materials through the charity Save The Children.
9 Ryan Seacrest Only Shows His Roots When He's Donezo
Presenter Ryan Seacrest had a lot of tongues wagging when he appeared somewhat inebriated when he was hosting American Idol. During a live show in 2010, singer Tim Urban was serenading the judges with his rendition of I Can't Help Falling In Love and he became distracted when Seacrest decided to slow-dance throughout the performance. Urban later commented, "It was a little weird. I could kind of catch it in the corner of my eye that he was dancing. I just tried not to think about it."
After his split from professional dancer Julianna Hough in 2013, Seacrest went off the rails again and was seen looking worse for wear in a nightclub draped over blonde beauties. Well, even having one too many before the show has not harmed the Dunwoody, Georgia-born presenter's career as this year he signed a $10-15 million deal to host American Idol once again. Plenty of spare cash for a round of Southern Comfort.
8 Lance Bass Makes The Perfect Truffle Chicken Sandwich
Former N*Sync band member Lance Bass has made it into the food industry as he partnered with online service Chef’d so his fans could get a taste of his Mississippi cooking. He told People magazine, "I think there’s a big void in southern food right now. Since that is my specialty, I thought it’d be great to bring out some of my favorite meals that I learned from my grandmother."
Bass grew up in Ellisville and when he's away from home the one thing he misses is homecooked food. He added, "My grandmother is just one of the best cooks ever. I didn’t realize how special I had it until I moved away and started tasting everyone else’s Southern cooking and it just did not taste as good as my family’s." We're wondering if there's space at his grandmother's kitchen table for us too.
7 Jennifer Lawrence Is Attracted To Her Own Brother
Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, actress Jennifer Lawrence is a self-described 'redneck.' During an interview with Rolling Stone, she was asked if the move to Los Angeles was a big shock and the Hunger Games star confessed, "Little redneck things still come out. I'm attracted to my brother. Stuff like that." Wait... what?
Lawrence has always struggled with her brothers and she revealed on The Graham Norton Show that she was tormented throughout her younger years. The youngest of three said she was made to feel it "was actually an offence in the house to be considered a female" and "they were terrible and would say things like, 'You are such a girl' or 'Don't do that, that's what a girl would do.' I'm only now getting used to being called a female."
6 Matthew McConaughey Knows TMI About His Parents In The Bedroom
Southerners are well-known for their red-blooded, wild love lives and Matthew McConaughey's parents were no exception - something we're guessing he would have preferred not to have found out. During an interview with US Weekly, Mama McConaughey she spoke - um, intimately, about her husband's passing who died of a heart attack in 1992.
She revealed, "On Monday mornings, he and I often said goodbye by making love. But one day, all of a sudden, it just happened. I knew that something was wrong because I didn’t hear anything from him. Just nothing. But it was just the best way to go!" She also demanded her husband was carried from their Uvalde, Texas, home wearing nothing, adding, "I was just so proud to show off my big old Jim McConaughey - and his gift."
5 "Hillbilly Smack" Almost Killed Owen Wilson
Ten years ago, Owen Wilson was in a bad place. His ex-girlfriend, Kate Hudson had been pictured in the arms of Dax Shepherd and it was all a bit too much for him to take. In a bid to take his own life, he slashed his wrists and was rushed to a local hospital following late night parties at Hugh Hefner's Playboy mansion.
According to several sources, his attempt came after he spent three-days abusing crystal meth and Oxycontin, which is more commonly known as 'Hillbilly Heroin.' The Dallas, Texas-born actor was found in a 'semi-conscious' state by his brother. When doctors treated him at the hospital he was injected with Narcan - a drug used to reverse the effects of narcotics. Wilson told the media, "I respectfully ask that the media allow me to receive care and heal in private during this difficult time." Thankfully he has made a full recovery and will stay away from "Hillbilly Heroin" from now on.
4 Leighton Meester Never Forgets She Was Born In Jail
Talk about getting a tough start in life, Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester was born behind bars in a Texas jail. Her mother was serving a federal prison sentence when she gave birth to the actress and when she was three-months-old was turned over to a close relative. Her mother apparently had been involved with a drug ring, alongside her father, grandfather, and aunt who also served time.
Now she's relocated to L.A but will not forget her crazy Southern upbringing, as she explained to Marie Claire, "My family has a crazy history. Probably the craziest I’ve ever heard of." In 2012, the actress-turned-singer was sued for $3 million by her own mother who claimed she "sacrificed her own happiness" to help her daughter's career - the charges were later dropped.
3 Johnny Depp Struggles To Control His "Hillbilly Rage"
Born in Owensboro, Kentucky, Johnny Depp was the face of bad boy attitude throughout the 90s and early 00's. In 2005, he hit a bad spot when he found himself in a destructive relationship with model Kate Moss. The Pirates of the Caribbean star told Rolling Stone, "I spent years poisoning myself. I was very, very good at it. But finally I was faced with a critical decision: Do I want to continue to be a dumba** or do I want to not be a dumba**? It was best to stop. Now I look back and say, ‘Why? Why did I do that?’" The pair eventually split and he settled down with French singer Vanessa Paradis for 14 years.
When he landed the role of gangster Whitey Bulger in Black Mass he tapped into his "hillbilly rage" to get through the violent scenes. He told GQ magazine that his own "hillbilly rage" is "not necessarily that far from the surface at times."
2 Miley Is A Self-Confessed "Hillbilly" And Sold Billy-Bob Teeth
Nobody can deny Miley Cyrus is not proud of her redneck roots. Although she comes from a wealthy family - thanks to her father Billy Ray Cyrus' success - she still pokes fun at her heritage. Born in Franklin, Tennessee, she decided to release her very own set of "Billy-Bob teeth" for her fans. According to the retailer, "Each set of officially licensed Miley-Bob Teeth is pulled from an assortment of Miley's favorite designs." The Wrecking Ball singer also posted the above snap to her Instagram with the caption, "I got it from my mama."
Cyrus has spoken before of how tiresome living in L.A. is and that she would like to return to her Texas roots. She told People, "(I've) become a little tired of the L.A. lifestyle. What I like about Texas is primarily the people. They’re genuine for one and… real. They’ll tell you what they think and I honestly find that refreshing." Wonder what the people of Texas thought of her teeth.
1 Jessica Simpson Loves Being A Big Southern Mama
Jessica Simpson has suffered from yo-yo weight since the Texan fell pregnant with her first child in 2012 - but she really doesn't care. She had previously joked that she finds it easy to design clothes for women as she's been "every size" and blamed her weight gain on her husband, Eric Johnson. She told In Style magazine, "My husband and I were looking at old pictures recently, and I asked him, 'Babe, why didn't you tell me to put the brownie down?' He said, 'You looked great.' He's always loved every curve on my body and we've always had a healthy sex life."
Despite loving motherhood, there will be no more kids on the horizon for her family, as she told Ellen DeGeneres, "We got an IUD, nothing’s gonna get in that uterus. I have two beautiful children, and I’m not having a third. They’re too cute. You can’t top that."
Sources: usweekly.com, people.com, dailymail.co.uk
