Hollywood is built on an illusion of perfection. We see the airbrushed skin, the designer gowns, and the gleaming teeth under the flashbulbs of the Red Carpet. But the reality is much more human. Sometimes, it’s even a bit pungent. For years, the internet has been obsessed with a specific, somewhat niche curiosity: celebrities who smell like fish. It sounds like a mean-spirited tabloid headline, but when you peel back the layers, it usually reveals one of two things—either a grueling work schedule or a legitimate, often misunderstood medical condition.
Let’s get the elephant out of the room. Most of the time, when a rumor starts about a star’s "fishy" odor, it isn’t because they skipped a shower. It’s often linked to Trimethylaminuria (TMAU), also known as Fish Odor Syndrome.
This isn't a joke. It’s a metabolic disorder where the body can't break down trimethylamine, a compound found in certain foods. The result? A strong, fishy smell that comes out through sweat, breath, and pores. It doesn't matter how much soap you use. The smell is internal.
The Reality of Trimethylaminuria in the Spotlight
Imagine being a public figure. You’re constantly surrounded by assistants, co-stars, and fans. If your body is producing a scent that mimics rotting fish, privacy becomes a luxury you can’t afford.
While many rumors are just that—rumors—some celebrities have been brave enough to talk about their struggles with body odor. Others have been "outed" by less-than-kind colleagues.
Take Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi. Back in the height of the Jersey Shore craze, she was often the subject of hygiene-related gossip. Some of it was just part of the show’s "party hard" brand, but the discourse around her scent became a recurring theme in mid-2010s tabloids. She eventually leaned into the humor of it, but it highlights how quickly a person's scent becomes public property once they’re famous.
Why does this happen to the rich and famous?
You’d think with all that money, they’d smell like roses 24/7. Not true.
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The human body is a chemical factory. When you’re under the high-octane stress of a movie set or a world tour, your cortisol levels spike. Stress sweat is chemically different from "heat sweat." It’s thicker. It carries more fats and proteins. When the bacteria on your skin get a hold of that, things get funky fast.
Then there’s the diet. Many A-listers follow strict, high-protein diets to maintain their physiques. Foods like eggs, liver, legumes, and certain fish are high in choline. For someone with even a mild version of TMAU, these foods are a disaster. The body can't process the choline, and suddenly, that healthy salmon dinner is seeping out of their skin for the next 48 hours.
Celebrities who smell like fish: Misconceptions and Mean Rumors
We have to talk about the "hygiene vs. health" debate.
There’s a long-standing rumor about Britney Spears and her supposed lack of enthusiasm for deodorant. High-profile bodyguards have occasionally leaked stories to the press—take these with a grain of salt, obviously—claiming she would go days without washing her hair or using antiperspirant. Is it fishy? Maybe not exactly. But in the vacuum of celebrity gossip, "smells bad" often gets translated to "smells like fish" because it’s the most evocative insult people can think of.
The Case of the Method Actor
Then you have the "stinky for the craft" crowd.
Matthew McConaughey famously doesn't use deodorant. He hasn't for decades. He claims he doesn't want to smell like someone else. He wants to smell like a man. While he might not smell like a wharf, the natural accumulation of oils and sweat over a long filming day in a hot climate (like his time filming Sahara) can lead to some pungent descriptions from co-stars. Kate Hudson reportedly tried to get him to use a salt rock—a natural deodorant—but he wasn't having it.
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The Science of the Scent
If you’re actually searching for why certain people have this specific odor, you need to look at the FMO3 gene.
In a healthy body, the FMO3 enzyme converts the stinky trimethylamine into trimethylamine N-oxide, which has no smell. If that gene is mutated, or if the enzyme is just sluggish, you're stuck with the smell.
There are two types:
- Primary TMAU: This is genetic. You’re born with it.
- Secondary TMAU: This can happen due to an overgrowth of certain bacteria in the gut or even certain hormonal shifts.
For a female celebrity, menstruation or pregnancy can actually make a fishy odor worse. The hormones interfere with the already struggling enzymes. It’s a biological minefield. Imagine trying to film a romantic scene while dealing with a flare-up of a condition that makes you smell like a tuna sandwich. It’s a nightmare.
How Hollywood Handles the "Smell" Issue
Behind the scenes, there are people whose entire job is to make sure stars smell like nothing. Or, at least, like expensive nothing.
- Wardrobe departments: They use vodka sprays on costumes that can’t be laundered to kill bacteria and neutralize odors.
- Aromatherapy: Many trailers are pumped full of essential oils to mask any "human" elements.
- High-end deodorants: We aren't talking about the $5 sticks from the drugstore. We’re talking about clinical-grade, aluminum-free, pH-balancing topicals that cost more than your grocery bill.
Does Katy Perry really have a "scent" issue?
Rumors have occasionally swirled about Katy Perry, mostly regarding her breath. She’s been known to brush her teeth up to six times a day. Some fans speculate this is a quirk, but others wonder if it's a way to manage a persistent odor. It’s a common tactic for those with TMAU or chronic halitosis—obsessive cleaning to stay ahead of a problem they can't fully control.
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Dealing with the Stigma
It's easy to laugh at the idea of a famous person smelling bad. It humanizes them, sure, but it’s also a bit cruel. For those actually living with TMAU, the "celebrity fish smell" jokes make an already isolating condition even harder to talk about.
When a celebrity like Julianne Moore or Robert Pattinson (who famously said he doesn't wash his hair often) gets tagged with "smelling bad," it’s usually just a lifestyle choice. They’re busy. They’re eccentric. But for others, it’s a daily battle with their own biology.
The actionable reality of managing body odor
If you—or someone you know—actually struggles with a persistent fishy odor, it’s not just about "showering more." In fact, over-showering with harsh soaps can make it worse by disrupting the skin’s acid mantle.
What actually works:
- Acidic soaps: Using soaps with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5 helps keep the trimethylamine in a less volatile state.
- Low-choline diet: Avoiding eggs, certain beans, and fatty fish. It’s a tough diet, but it’s the gold standard for management.
- Supplements: Some people find relief with activated charcoal or copper chlorophyllin, which help "trap" the odors in the gut before they get into the bloodstream.
- Medical consultation: You need a urine test. It’s the only way to confirm if it’s TMAU or something else, like a bacterial imbalance.
Beyond the Gossip
The fascination with celebrities who smell like fish says more about our culture than it does about the stars themselves. We want to find the "flaw" in the diamond. Whether it’s a star who refuses to wear deodorant as a lifestyle choice, or someone secretly struggling with a metabolic disorder, the "smell" of fame is rarely as sweet as the perfume ads suggest.
Next time you read a blind item about a stinky actor, remember the FMO3 gene. It might be a choice, or it might be a medical struggle played out under the harshest lights on earth.
Steps for managing persistent body odor:
- Track your triggers. Keep a food diary to see if the smell spikes after eating high-choline foods like broccoli or eggs.
- Switch your soap. Move away from alkaline "beauty bars" and toward pH-balanced body washes that support the skin's natural barrier.
- Consult a specialist. If the odor is "fishy" specifically, ask a doctor about a TMAU urine test rather than just a standard physical.
- Manage stress. Since stress sweat is a major carrier of odor-producing compounds, mindfulness and cortisol management aren't just for mental health—they're for physical scent management too.