26 Unexpected Celebrity Friendships You Probably Didn't Know About

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Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg Roast of Justin Bieber
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With so many big-time events filling their calendars and so many opportunities to rub shoulders with each other, it shouldn't be a surprise when celebrities form friendships. But sometimes, there's a head-scratching situation where two seemingly disparate celebs forge a friendship that seems to come out of nowhere. Of course, there are situations where two co-stars get to be more than just coworkers, but there are also some very unexpected pals that met on a talk show or, gasp, linked up via DM.

From iconic duos like domestic doyenne Martha Stewart and rapper Snoop Dogg — who've parlayed their friendship into too many business ventures to count — to Jennifer Aniston and Selena Gomez, who met through their manager, here are some of Hollywood's most unexpected BFFs.

01 of 26

Helen Mirren and Vin Diesel

Vin Disel and Helen Mirren

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Dame Helen Mirren and Dominic Toretto himself met on the set of 2018's Fate of the Furious — and she'd go on to star in the franchise's ninth installment, F9, as well as Hobbs & Shaw and Fast X.

"The most random people just have chemistry," she told People. "And I adored Vin from the moment I met him."

02 of 26

Courteney Cox and Ed Sheeran

Courteney Cox and Ed Sheeran

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This unlikely duo met when they both appeared on The Late Late Show With James Corden. Ever since, Ed has been crashing with the Friends alum every time he's in L.A. The two have even chronicled their jam sessions on Instagram.

03 of 26

Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart

Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart

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When Long Beach stalwart Snoop Dogg appeared on Martha Stewart's show to make mashed potatoes, nobody knew they'd embark on a friendship that's spanned shows, the Roast of Justin Bieber on Comedy Central, and more collabs than we can count.

"When you work with someone like Snoop, it's like having a sidekick. How great it is," Stewart told People. "That's why all the comedians have sidekicks and bands because it loosens them up and lets them be freer. Snoop is my freedom."

04 of 26

Pitbull and John Travolta

John Travolta and Pitbull

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John Travolta may be the only person to call Mr. 305 by his Christian name: Armando Christian Pérez.

“I once told Armando I wanted to be friends with him for the rest of my life and forever," Travolta said during Pitbull's handprint ceremony in Hollywood. Little did I know we would be immortalized together at the Chinese Theatre."

05 of 26

Drake and Millie Bobby Brown

Drake and Millie Bobby Brown

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After critics came after actress Millie Bobby Brown for her friendship with Drake, calling it "weird," she clapped back. Before the hate, she told Access Hollywood that Drake gave her dating advice.

"Why u gotta make a lovey friendship ur headline?" she wrote on Instagram. "U guys are weird ... for real. I'm lucky to have people in the business extend their time to help me further my career and offer their wisdom and guidance. I'm very blessed to have amazing people in my life. U don't get to choose that for me."

06 of 26

Jennifer Aniston and Selena Gomez

Jennifer Aniston and Selena Gomez

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"She's just like a little cherub that I feel like I wanna take care of," Aniston said of Gomez before sharing that they have the same manager. "We've just met through our manager. She's been extremely supportive and wonderful."

The two made headlines after the 2015 Golden Globes when they were seen dancing together at an after-party.

07 of 26

50 Cent and Bette Midler

50 Cent and Bette Midler

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Bette reached out to 50 Cent (real name Curtis James Jackson III) back in 2008 for some fundraising advice.

"I called and nagged him," the songstress told People about the cold call. "His G-Unity Foundation gives a million dollars away every year in grants to nonprofits all over the city. They're just brilliant."

"He's really made my life worth living," she told the New York Daily News a year later, adding that Jackson had "been with me through thick and thin."

08 of 26

Britney Spears and Mel Gibson

Britney Spears

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Lethal Weapon star Mel Gibson explained that he initially reached out to Britney Spears in 2007.

"I just felt like this poor kid, she's lining up to be stoned," Gibson told Jimmy Kimmel in 2009. "The press was going at her and everything. I just thought, 'I wonder if anyone is actually reaching out to her,' so I just called her, and she's doing great now."

The actor even took Spears on a vacation to Costa Rica in 2008 to get her away from the paparazzi and the headlines.

09 of 26

Kris Jenner and Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence Kris Jenner

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It's no secret that Jennifer Lawrence is reality TV's no. 1 fan. So, it makes sense that she'd be BFFs with the matriarch of ... everything. Lawrence managed to get a sweet message from Kris Jenner for her birthday, where the Kardashian momager called her out as being her "favorite daughter."

10 of 26

Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer

Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer

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The two have been pals for more than two decades and starred in 2021's Thunder Force together.

"I got her to myself for three months," McCarthy said of working with her friend. "That was almost more exciting than even getting to work with her!"

Spencer agreed, saying, "It was a dream come true."

11 of 26

Blake Lively and Florence Welch

Blake Lively and Florence Welch

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In 2018, Lively posted a photo to commemorate their decade-long friendship.

"10 years of celebrations together, and last night was one of the best yet. Hearing you perform your new album HIGH AS HOPE was nothing short of breathtaking," she wrote.

12 of 26

Diane Keaton and Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber Diane Keaton

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Keaton starred in Bieber's music video for "Ghost" and subsequently became one of his closest confidantes.

"I couldn't believe it. This was like one of those things that happens [and] you're going, 'I'm what?'" she said.

13 of 26

Zach Braff and Harry Styles

Zach Braff and Harry Styles

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Braff calls his friendship with the One Direction alum a "bromance" and told Andy Cohen that they met through mutual friends.

14 of 26

Kelly Osbourne and Mandy Moore

Mandy Moore and Kelly Osbourne

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Two pop princesses with no bad blood? Believe it. The two appeared on the cover of Elle Girl in 2003 and have been friends ever since.

15 of 26

Cardi B and Penn Badgley

Cardi B Penn Badgley

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In 2021, Cardi B and You star Penn Badgley had an exchange on Twitter — and the rapper even changed her avatar to be a photo of the Gossip Girl actor.

16 of 26

Katy Perry and Allison Williams

Katy Perry and Allison Williams

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In 2013, Alison Williams was Katy Perry's date to the Grammy Awards. The move came after the pop star had broken up with John Mayer.

"She's the hottest date," Williams told Anderson Cooper before the show. "She's a friend of mine and she's nominated as she should be. I can't wait to go. Obviously she's awesome. She's the best."

17 of 26

Matthew McConaughey and Guy Fieri

Matthew McConaughey and Guy Fieri

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Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey spoke at Guy Fieri's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.

"Fifteen or so years ago, I was living in an Airstream, traveling across America ... I lived on the road, and I came across this show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Drives, and it quickly became my favorite show," McConaughey said. "One day on the road, I get the number of the host, Guy Fieri, and I call him up, and I say, 'Listen, hey man, it's Matthew McConaughey."

18 of 26

Tyra Banks and Clay Aiken

Tyra Banks and Clay Aiken

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According to the Today show, Banks and American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken have been friends since he appeared on her now-defunct talk show in 2006. He also had a cameo on an episode of America's Next Top Model.

"It was interesting to be on the other side of the table and think of all these things that I went through in 2003," he said.

19 of 26

Jay-Z and Chris Martin

Jay-Z and Chris Martin

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Jay-Z told Metro he and Chris "are good friends." On top of that, he called Martin a "modern-day Shakespeare" and a "genius."

20 of 26

Jay-Z and Gwyneth Paltrow

Beyonce Jay-Z Gwyneth Paltrow

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Jay is also BFFs with Gwyneth Paltrow. "We just kind of hooked up and became close," she told Ellen DeGeneres of their friendship, which came through Beyoncé.

Jay even dropped Paltrow's name in his 2006 song, "Hollywood."

“When your friends is Chris and Gwyneth, then it’s / Time to get all your windows tinted / Keep your eyes squinted, it’s gon’ flash any minute,” the lyrics read.

21 of 26

Kourtney Kardashian and Addison Rae

Kourtney Kardashian Addison Rae

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Kourtney Kardashian and Addison Rae became close during the pandemic lockdown. Kardashian even appeared in Rae's 2021 She's All That reboot, He's All That.

22 of 26

Rihanna and Natalie Portman

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When Bad Gal Ri Ri ran into Oscar-winning Natalie Portman at Dior's Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2024 show in Paris, she declared the actress "one of the hottest bitches in Hollywood."

23 of 26

Betty White and Jennifer Love Hewitt

Betty White and Jennifer Love Hewitt

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Betty White and Jennifer Love Hewitt starred in The Lost Valentine, a Hallmark movie, in 2011. After they grew close, Hewitt explained that they'd hang out and eat gummy bears together.

24 of 26

Kim Kardashian and Serena Williams

Kim Kardashian and Serena Williams

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Before Kim Kardashian became Paris Hilton's assistant, she organized closets for A-listers like Serena Williams. They've been friends ever since.

25 of 26

Elliot Page and Ruby Rose

Ruby rose Elliot Page

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Actress Ruby Rose shared an endearing message for Elliot's birthday in 2016, writing, "I never knew how crucial it would be to have loyal and real friends around me in Hollywood until push came to shove and there you were every time, the most honest, the most fearless and the most loyal person I know."

26 of 26

Kate Hudson and Lea Michele

Lea Michelle Kate Hudson
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In the wake of Cory Monteith's death in 2013, Leah Michelle had to hide from the paparazzi — and Kate Hudson came to her rescue.

"She let my family stay there and any of my friends. She made sure that in the refrigerator were my favorite juices," Michele told the Daily Mail. "I'll never really be able to thank her, truly, for what she did for me."

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