Stars at war: The old school celebrity feuds that will go down in history

From there, the feud really kicked off in 1962 on the set of hit movie Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

The more recent TV series portrayed the pair as warring rivals on set, constantly fighting behind the scenes. That then hit the point of no return when Davis was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film. While she didn’t address her reasoning at the time, Crawford ended up accepting the award that same year on behalf of Anne Bancroft, who beat Davis for the Oscar.

Sadly the row was never resolved between the pair before they both passed away.

Elton John and Madonna

They may be two of the most successful singers in years, but that doesn’t mean they have to like each other. Luckily, Elton and Madonna’s long-running feud finally came to an end in recent years.

Speaking on the UK’s Graham Norton Show in 2016, Elton revealed he finally ended the feud a few years before when he spotted his rival in the same restaurant and invited her to dine with him.

“I said something horrible about her that you should never say,” he said on the show. “I was in a restaurant in the south of France a couple of years ago and she walked in so I sent her a note saying, ‘You’ll probably never speak to me again but I am really sorry and ashamed of myself and can I buy you dinner’. She was very gracious and accepted and we talked. We are fine – it was just me and my big mouth.”

The feud itself lasted for more than a decade and consisted of a series of public statements against each other. At its worst, Elton even branded the Queen of Pop a “f****** fairground stripper”.

While neither have confirmed why exactly it started, it seemed to really kick off in 2002 when Elton called the singer’s hit ‘Die Another Day’ the “worst Bond tune ever”. He escalated it further in 2004 at the Q Awards when he took to the stage and said: “Madonna, best live act? F*** off. Since when has lip-syncing been live? Sorry about that, but I think everyone who lip-syncs on stage in public when you pay like 75 quid to see them should be shot. Thank you very much. That’s me off her Christmas card list, but do I give a toss? No.”

Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono

They’ve had one of the most publicly rocky relationships in the world of music after rumours escalated that Yoko Ono was, in part, responsible for the break-up of the Beatles amid her high profile romance with John Lennon.

However, McCartney and Ono have really made a go of repairing their friendship in recent years and have even appeared side by side at events to continue promoting the huge fame of the band.

The singer has previously openly said that Ono got between the four members of the band at the time, but in a more recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine, he insisted the bad times were behind them.

“It was a little hard at first,” he said in the chat. “Gradually, we did. Now it’s like we’re mates. I like Yoko.”

Carly Simon and Warren Beatty (and other mystery men)

Carly Simon’s hit song ‘You’re So Vain’ is known right across the globe and has long sparked a mystery over who exactly the ruthless lyrics are aimed at. They appear to take clear aim at several of her exes, but she vowed to remain tight-lipped on exactly who.

In May last year she even revealed the ‘lost’ fourth verse that never made it into the song to the BBC, which included the lyrics: “You called me once to ask me things / I couldn’t quite divine / Maybe that’s why I have tried to dismiss you, tried to dismiss you / And you’re so vain.”

Other than that, she’s only given one clue in a 2015 interview with People magazine, when she said the second verse was aimed at her experience with actor Warren Beatty.

The lyrics state: “Oh, you had me several years ago / When I was still naïve / Well, you said that we made such a pretty pair / And that you would never leave.”

She told the mag: “I have confirmed that the second verse is Warren,” but added: “Warren thinks the whole thing is about him!”

Prince Philip and Sarah Ferguson

It seems even the royal family aren’t immune to a difficult feud, as there have long been rumours Prince Philip has never forgiven Sarah Ferguson following her divorce from his son Prince Andrew.

Fergie was once favoured among the royals, particularly the Queen and Philip, however things started to turn sour amid reports her marriage with Andrew was breaking down. They then hit the point of no return in 1992, when the now-infamous photos were published of a topless Fergie on holiday having her toes sucked by American businessman John Bryan – the final nail in the coffin of her marriage.

While it’s never been confirmed, it’s widely reported that Philip confronted Fergie at the time, as she was staying at Balmoral when the photos were published, and has never forgiven her since.

She was immediately banned from attending royal Christmases following the divorce, and despite still living in the same residence as Andrew, is rarely seen anywhere close to the Queen and Philip.

All that changed last year however, as her daughter Princess Eugenie married and had her mother by her side. It was rumoured at the time that Philip wouldn’t attend, but he surprised crowds when he joined the Queen at the ceremony and sat almost directly behind Fergie throughout – appearing to signal they have moved on. The pair went on to pose in the official royal photos together for the wedding too.

Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner

Perhaps a lesser known feud existed between the late Aretha Franklin and fellow superstar singer Tina Turner. One of the first signs that things weren’t rosy was in 2008 at the Grammy Awards when Beyonce introduced Tina Turner to the stage by referring to her as “the Queen”.

Watching from home, Franklin later issued a public statement, saying: “I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writer and Beyonce.” She then added to reporters. “However, I dismissed it as a cheap shot for controversy.”

It started a war of words, as Turner reportedly responded: “Aretha has always been like that. We’ve always accepted that from her. She’s the queen of soul, and I’m the queen of rock ‘n’ roll. There were so many kings and queens there that night. Her ego must be so big to think she was the only one. That’s how queens are!”

Aretha hit back once again at the time to USA Today, according to She Knows, saying: “I have always appreciated what Tina Turner has to offer and had quietly cheered her on after Ike and her subsequent success. However, with respect to her statement concerning my ego clearly she was talking about herself as she described herself as the ‘Queen of Rock’ and saying ‘that’s what Queens do’, particularly since she does not have a clue as to who I am in view of the fact that we have never met.

“I never figured her to resort to tacky press just to sell a few tickets. I understand and I know that the concert market is down where ticket sales are concerned. I really had put her in a different class – higher than that. Finally, no one has been more gracious or complimentary to their peers than I have and I am confident and secure enough to do so, unlike some others. I wish Ms. Turner all the best, as I always have. Perhaps one day we will meet.”

Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor

From best friends to sworn enemies, the rift between Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor was one of the most surprising in Hollywood history.

Having met as teenagers, they became inseparable – so much so Reynolds was even Taylor’s Maid of Honour when she married Mike Todd. Tragically, when Todd died in a plane crash in 1958, Taylor was devastated and reportedly sought comfort from Reynolds’ husband Eddie Fisher.

Reynolds’ daughter Carrie Fisher later opened up on the affair between her father and her mother’s friend in her book Wishful Drinking, claiming he comforted her “with his penis”.

Taylor eventually left Fisher for Richard Burton, and she thankfully reconciled with Reynolds when they found themselves on holiday together on the same ship and decided to finally make amends some years later.

Do you remember these celebrity feuds?