We all love a flawless costume moment—the kind that makes you want to pause the screen just to admire the tailoring. But what we don’t see often enough are the moments when the clothes absolutely betrayed the actors wearing them. Whether it’s a split, a tear, or a humiliating pee-related situation, wardrobe malfunctions remind us that sometimes, the real drama isn’t in the script—it’s stitched into the seams. These 12 stories are proof that fabric failure waits for no one.
1. Jonathan Bailey’s Bridgerton Breeches Gave Up in the Duel
Regency-era elegance is all fun and games until your trousers turn against you. Jonathan Bailey, a.k.a. Anthony Bridgerton himself, found that out the hard way while filming a fencing scene on a wet, grassy morning. He lunged forward with all the romantic bravado one expects from a period drama—and his pants lunged in the opposite direction. “It’s all captured on camera,” he later told Grazia UK, recalling how he suddenly realized that four separate cameras were filming his mid-lunge wardrobe betrayal. One dramatic scream later, the whole crew got a lot more than they bargained for. Imagine trying to act like a dignified viscount while your breeches scream, “Oops, all crotch.”
2. Alison Brie’s Girdle Disaster on Mad Men
Playing a woman in the 1960s comes with a lot of tight-fitting historical context, especially when it comes to lingerie. For over a season on Mad Men, Alison Brie remained unaware that her vintage girdle, akin to old-school Spanx, was intended to be worn without modern underwear. The result? There was a tragic bathroom incident that involved a public stall, a hover-pee gone wrong, and the slow horror of realizing that nothing had made it out of the way in time. “I peed all in it. It’s everywhere,” she admitted to Seth Meyers. And because it was one of those chaotic production days, there was no time to change. She simply dried herself with toilet paper, pulled herself together (literally), and filmed the scene. Emmy-worthy? Definitely. Hygienic? Not so much.
3. Olivia Newton-John Had to Be Sewn Into Her Grease Pants
You’d think the most iconic pants in movie history would at least zip up. But nope. When Olivia Newton-John first tried on Sandy’s skin-tight black leather pants for the final Grease scene, the zipper was already busted. The costume team, not wanting to risk damaging the vintage fabric, took the most hardcore route possible—they just sewed her into them. No zippers, no buttons, just commitment. Remember the scene where she confidently enters the carnival? Now imagine doing that while knowing there’s no quick escape route for snacks, drinks, or, you know, bodily functions. Fashion is pain, and Sandy lived it.
4. Eddie Redmayne’s Magical Pants-Ripping Moment
There are few things more surreal than watching Eddie Redmayne mime an “Erumpent mating dance” in Fantastic Beasts, but just when you think it can’t get weirder—his pants split. Mid-gyration. During a cold night shoot. “My arse was on show for everyone to see,” he told British Vogue with all the grace of a man trying to seduce a CGI rhino while flashing his crew. Honestly, it might have been the most realistic magical creature moment in the whole film: the spontaneous appearance of a full moon. But it seems the suit being too tight was on purpose, or so he said in this interview.
5. Emily Blunt Versus Her Skirt in The Wolfman
Emily Blunt’s costume for The Wolfman was apparently less “elegant period drama” and more “trip hazard with a side of spinal injury.” Between the heavy skirts, floor-length hems, and constrictive corsets, she spent most of her scenes dodging tears, falls, and broken bones. “I broke two corsets,” she told Glamour, adding that she fell so hard walking backward that she nearly cracked her tailbone. Her long dress was difficult to manage, and her outfit was constantly being stepped on. A real horror story, and not the kind with werewolves.
6. Billy Bob Thornton’s Jeans Needed Constant Repositioning
When your co-star becomes your personal pants wrangler, you know it’s a wardrobe malfunction. Billy Bob Thornton was having a little trouble keeping his baggy jeans up while filming Landman, so his scene partner Ali Larter took it upon herself to help. Right before each take, she would adjust his pants to ensure they were properly positioned—just in time for the cue of “Action!” “I had to make sure I wasn’t having all crack in my face,” she told The Kelly Clarkson Show. It’s what we call intimacy coordination, Texas-style.
7. Aidy Bryant’s Wardrobe Assistant Accidentally Made Her SNL Debut
Live TV is not for the faint of heart—or slow dressers. In one especially chaotic SNL sketch from 2019, Aidy Bryant was in the middle of a lightning-fast costume change when her dresser, Audrey, accidentally walked onstage. Like, into the actual sketch. The timing was so tight and frantic that Audrey just kind of… arrived. And honestly? She played it cool. The costume may not have made it on time, but Audrey did.
8. Andy Samberg Nearly Had a Shorts Catastrophe with Charli XCX
The phrase “too short” took on new meaning when Andy Samberg tried to match Charli XCX’s fashion energy in a Saturday Night Live music video. He kept hiking up his shorts to keep things symmetrical, but eventually, physics fought back. “I really almost flopped out,” he confessed on The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast, laughing about how close he came to turning a comedy sketch into a full-blown FCC violation. Let this be a lesson to all men: there’s a limit, and Andy Samberg found it.
9. Sherri Shepherd’s Wig Went Rogue on Set
Sherri Shepherd had one job: to flounce dramatically offscreen during a scene for The Soul Man. And she nailed it—so hard, in fact, that her wig couldn’t keep up. It flew right off her head and landed on the floor. Naturally, everyone erupted in laughter, leading Sherri to believe they were merely appreciating her comic genius, until she realized her hair was missing. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I am so funny,’” she said. Indeed, she was hilarious—but she also had a bald head. Temporarily.
10. Henry Cavill’s Muscles Literally Destroyed The Witcher Costumes
It turns out leather armor wasn’t designed to survive Henry Cavill’s gym routine. On the set of The Witcher, costume designer Tim Aslam revealed that Cavill’s broad shoulders and sword-swinging ways wore through the custom outfits so fast, they had to be replaced constantly. “They were being remade all the time,” he said. When your arms are outlifting your clothes, maybe it’s time for chainmail with a little more stretch.
11. Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow Suits Got “Shredded”
Despite her sleek and deadly appearance as Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson’s costumes were literally falling apart. She told Nightline that the stunts shredded the suits constantly, comparing them to tires that wore out after just a few days. “Every time you get a new costume, you just feel real nice,” she said. “And then three days later, it’s like the discount Widow.” RIP to every zipper that died for Marvel.
12. Nick Jonas Split His Pants in Front of Everyone
Nick Jonas was mid-rehearsal for The Last Five Years, singing and leaping onto a platform, when he heard the unmistakable sound of disaster: a big ol’ rip down the back of his pants. With the entire creative team watching, including the composer, director, and co-star, he discovered a nice breeze where no breeze should be. Duct tape didn’t help. Safety pins failed. Eventually, someone had to sprint to Target to buy him new black shorts. If you’ve ever felt embarrassed in gym class, just know that Nick Jonas has been there—and he was singing show tunes while it happened.
