8 Celebrities Who Hated Being Portrayed on ‘South Park’

"That show is just not a show that I would want to be on in the first place."

South Park may be one of the most iconic and longest-running animated shows on television but it hasn’t been without plenty of controversy. Since premiering in 1997, the series has taken the chance to parody and poke fun at all sorts of public figures, celebrities included. And while some feel it’s a huge honor to be famous enough to be featured on South Park, others don’t want anything to do with the show. Through the years, a handful of stars have spoken out about their distaste for the series -- and how much they disliked their portrayal. 

Find out what these stars had to say about South Park…

Nick Jonas

In 2009, Nick Jonas and his brothers were featured on the episode “The Ring” which poked fun at the purity rings they wore at the time. While Joe recently revealed that he has always loved the parody, he admitted that his brothers were not the biggest fans at first. In fact, just a few years after the episode aired, Nick shared his mixed feelings about the show. 

“When it first came out I didn’t think it was funny to be honest, but probably because I was actually living all of that in real time and so it just made it harder to come and live your life as a young person and have all that going on,” Nick wrote during a Reddit AMA. “But years later and once the purity rings were no longer around, it was very funny to me and I’ve actually watched the episode a few times.”

Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker was parodied on a season 14 episode of South Park, where her appearance was repeatedly mocked and she was referred to as a “transvestite donkey witch.” During the episode the characters even planned to kill her. The comments didn’t sit well with the actress who said that she found the whole thing “distasteful.”

“Proper film or theatre criticism is part of what I do; I don’t read them, but I don’t begrudge a critic for an opinion,” she told Stylist. “But personal criticism I find distasteful. We think it’s funny to be mean, and women say awful things about other women and use terrible language and call each other awful names. It’s so uncivilised and vulgar; it’s not good for our souls.”

Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand has had longstanding beef with South Park after she was featured on an episode during season one. After the show aired, Barbra condemned the series, starting a back and forth with the creators which went on for years.

“I wasn’t even aware of this show until I read in Time magazine that they had used me in a very negative way. Let me say that I enjoy satire and parody…But I wonder if shows like South Park and Beavis and Butt-Head don’t add to the cynicism and negativity in our culture, especially in children. These youngsters are formulating their attitudes and maybe they come away feeling that any woman who dares to accomplish something is the incarnation of self-centeredness and greed. And that would be very unfortunate, especially for young girls,” Barbra shared with Mirabella back in 1998. 

Kanye West

Kanye West seemed to have mixed opinions on South Park when he was parodied on the show in 2009. The season 13 episode poked fun at Kanye’s massive ego and his sexual identity -- and ended in his death. In an extended blog post, Kanye wrote that it had all hurt his feelings. 

“SOUTH PARK MURDERED ME LAST NIGHT AND IT’S PRETTY FUNNY. IT HURTS MY FEELINGS BUT WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM SOUTH PARK! I ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON MY EGO THOUGH,” Kanye wrote. 

He continued, “AS LONG AS PEOPLE THINK I ACT LIKE A B--CH THIS TYPE OF SHIT WILL HAPPEN TO ME. I GOT A LONG ROAD AHEAD OF ME TO MAKE PEOPLE BELIEVE I’M NOT ACTUALLY A HUGE DOUCHE BUT I’M UP FOR THE CHALLENGE. I’M SURE THE WRITERS AT ‘SOUTH PARK’ ARE REALLY NICE PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE.” 

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise was once parodied on South Park -- and is rumored to have hated it so much that he got the episode pulled from the air. Back in 2005, the actor was featured on the episode “Trapped in the Closet,” which insinuated that Tom was gay and poked fun at Scientology. A year after the episode aired, it was set to be rebroadcast but was suddenly pulled from the air. 

While Tom has never publicly admitted it, it’s been rumored that he told Paramount, a sister company of Comedy Central, that he would not promote Mission: Impossible 3 if the show aired again. The situation was dubbed “Closetgate” and when Tom was later asked about the episode, he said he wasn’t interested in any of it.  

“Here’s the thing: I’m really not even going to dignify this. I honestly didn’t really even know about it. I’m working, making my movie, I’ve got my family. I’m busy. I don’t spend my days going, ‘What are people saying about me?’” he said on ABC’s Primetime.

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez appeared on an episode of South Park in 2003 where she learned she was being replaced by a singing puppet created by Cartman. Not only that, but the puppet also stole her then-boyfriend Ben Affleck. While Jennifer never spoke out about the episode, series creator Trey Parker alleged that he heard rumors she wasn’t pleased -- especially with the “Taco-Flavored Kisses” song from the episode. 

“I heard from some friends that were on a set of a Jennifer Lopez movie she was doing and they said that when she would walk by, some of the lower people like the PAs would say, ‘Oooh tacos, I love tacos…’ She got so mad and had to fire people,” Trey said in commentary on the South Park season seven DVD.  

Terri Irwin

Terri Irwin didn’t appreciate it when her late husband Steve Irwin was mocked on a 2006 episode of South Park just a few months after the conservationist’s untimely death. In the episode, Steve could be seen at a party in hell with a stingray’s barb sticking out of his chest. 

“Terri is devastated Steve is being mocked in such a cruel way,” a family friend said in a statement. “Her worry is that Bindi and Bob will see it and break down. Steve had as big a sense of humor as anyone, but this goes too far too soon.” 

Mama June Shannon

In 2006, Mama June Shannon and her daughter Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson appeared on an episode of South Park. During the show, Alana ended up having to receive a heart transplant from a pig because her unhealthy diet had sent her into heart failure. June later said that the portrayal was “kind of trashy” and it was not a show she wanted to be on.  

“Me being a big person, I didn’t take offense,” she told TMZ. “That show is just not a show that I would want to be on in the first place.”