Singer Mariah Carey is the diva for whom all divas are named. She's one of the most incredibly gifted singers the world has ever seen, but the stories about her backstage demands are legendary, and they've been around for years. On top of that, she also has an unfortunate habit of taking big money to perform in dictatorships and for dictators. She played in Libya for Colonel Gaddafi, did the same in Angola, and even in 2019 played in Saudi Arabia during the Khashoggi controversy.
It wouldn't be unfair to say that Carey loves money. If she didn't, she wouldn't keep accepting bookings that were bound to get her bad press. That doesn't make her a bad person though - far from it. Carey has worked with the Make A Wish foundation many times to support sick children, and helped to set up the 'Fresh Air Fund' to connect inner-city children to career opportunities and education. In fact, her involvement with the project was so extensive that it's been nicknamed 'Camp Maria.'
Chefs made their way into celebrity land a while ago. But how many celebrities that weren’t trained as professional cooks are actually whizzes in the kitchen? Here are several that come to mind.
Actress Julia Roberts is confident about her cooking skills. “I’m quite a good cook,” she told E! News. “I’m like a closet home ec teacher…I can really cook anything.” Roberts has said she often cooks fish for herself and her kids. And speaking of her three children, “They think that I’m a good cook,” Roberts told People. “They actually told me that I should open a restaurant.” She also relishes cooking for the holidays, particularly shredded Brussel sprouts. Roberts hasn’t published a cookbook, but we did find recipes attributed to her for peach crisp and banana hemp muffins. Or you can make the same summer salad the actress supposedly eats.
Chrissy Teigen started off as a supermodel. Then her love of cooking filtered into her professional life too. At this point, she’s created recipes for a limited Blue Apron release and also just launched her own home and cooking line at Target named “Cravings,” after the two cookbooks she’s released. Teigen describes cooking as “a time of peace” for herself. So maybe peace out to her tuna melt sandwich or the fried chicken wings that are a favorite of her husband, John Legend.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, comes from a cooking Italian family. Her father started his own restaurant in New York and also published a cookbook. And apparently, Lady Gaga has inherited the family’s cooking genes. Her Instagram account occasionally features photos of her culinary activities. Sure, sometimes it’s topless cooking. But other times it’s more poignant like in the post she shared about her bringing food to the family of her dear friend who passed away. Want to try a Gaga/Germanotta family favorite? Check out her recipe for whole wheat pasta with a sweet fennel sauce.