Living life in the spotlight as a celebrity certainly comes with a fair amount of perks, but sometimes that fame can turn dangerous.
Numerous actors, musicians and directors have encounter obsessed stalkers that will do anything to get in contact with them. These stalkers often plan to do major physical harm to the celebrities.
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Furthermore, some celebrities’ actions have just angered groups, who often turn to treacherous actions to get even. Others have been targeted for their immense wealth.
Scroll through to see some of celebrities who’ve been in these perilous situations.
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian feared for her life during a traumatic robbery that caused her to go underground for months in October 2016.
Shortly after posting photos of her expensive accessories at Paris Fashion Week, she was bound and held at gunpoint during a robbery during which the criminals stole more than $11 million worth of jewelry, including her $4.9 million engagement ring from husband Kanye West.
After that, she largely held off on sharing so much on social media, even reportedly refusing to house her bling in her remodeled Hidden Hills mansion.
“I don’t care to show off the way that I used to. Even though there’s nothing wrong, truly—it’s OK if you’re proud of that and you work so hard and you get something—it’s just not who I am anymore,” she told Ellen DeGeneres in April.
So far, 10 people total have been charged in the robbery, and 17 arrested in connection with the crime.
Pauley Perrette
Former NCIS star Pauley Perrette was scared for her life after being attacked in 2015 by a homeless man, David Merck.
During the alleged attack, he repeatedly punched the actress, telling her he was going to kill her. The actress said the incident left her “shaken and traumatized.”
Merck was charged with false imprisonment by violence, felony assault and making a criminal threat against the actress. He pleaded not guilty, but was deemed incompetent to stand trial. A judge ruled in October 2016 that Merck be committed to a psychiatric hospital. In February 2018, Merck was released from the institution.
“It changed my life forever,” Perrette, 48, told Los Angeles’ Fox 11 in a statement after his release. “I don’t walk outside my house. I think it’s entirely possible that the next word I hear about this guy is that he’ll kill a female.”
Madonna
Madonna had multiple frightening encounters with her with stalker, Robert Dewey Hoskins, over the years, but she almost lost her life in 1996 during an altercation with the man.
After jumping the fence of her Hollywood Hills compound, Hoskins declared that he would either marry the singer or slash her throat. One of her bodyguards shot him, and he was taken into custody.
Madonna may not have been home at the time of the attempted attack, but testified against him in court. After serving time in prison, he served time in prison, but escaped. He was eventually recaptured.
50 Cent
Shortly before entering the spotlight, rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson was shot nine times outside his grandmother’s house in Queens, New York.
He suffered bullet wounds to the hand, arm, hip, both legs, chest, and left cheek, requiring him to spend 13 days in a hospital and the next five months recovering.
The shooter was never identified by police, but many people have hypothesized that he was a former bodyguard of Mike Tyson hired to take Jackson out as part of a beef with a local drug lord.
Steven Speilberg
Legendary film director Steven Spielberg had a frightening incident with a stalker back in the late ’90s.
Johnathan Norman was arrested in 1997 after attempting to enter Spielberg’s property twice. At the time of his arrest, authorities found handcuffs, duct tape, a razor knife and lists of Spielberg’s family and friends with him.
Upon further investigation, police found that Norman had planned to kill the E.T. director and his family and possibly commit sexual acts against them.
Norman was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his plot.
“Had Jonathan Norman actually confronted me, I genuinely, in my heart of hearts, believe that I would have been raped or maimed or killed,” Spielberg said in court. “If he’s out on the street, I will live in fear. I place myself in your hands. The prospect that Jonathan Norman might have another opportunity to carry out his threats is beyond frightening to me.”
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock once came face to face with a deranged stalker.
As she left the bathroom on June 8, 2015, she saw James Corbett in her home. She was luckily able to hide in the closet and call 911.
Authorities discovered that Corbett was obsessed with the Academy Award winner and had a journal chronicling his love for her, his desire to have sex with her and details of her home security. He apparently also had a stash of illegal assault weapons.
Among Corbett’s obsessive actions, he wrote the actress a love letter about how he wanted to be in her life.
“You could of had me today however you choose other people over me,” Corbett wrote. “I’ll be around as you know. I love you. I love you and Louie and only want to be part of your lifes (sic). I saw you come home after the AFI gala and only wished I was at the entrance to your heart when you came home.”
Justin Bieber
A group of men plotted to kill Justin Bieber back in 2012 before being thwarted by authorities.
New Mexico inmate Dana Martin orchestrated the plan to kill the “Sorry” singer from behind bars for 978 years worth of murders and sexual assaults. He was apparently obsessed with Bieber and was upset when the star didn’t respond to his correspondents.
“This perceived slight made Mr. Martin upset and that, coupled with Mr. Martin’s perception of being a ‘nobody’ in prison, led him to begin plotting the kidnap and murder of (Bieber),” authorties said at the time.
The outside parties Martin had contacted to pull off the hit had instructions to kill two men in Vermont before heading to New York City to kill Bieber and his bodyguard. Luckily, the two men, who were Martin’s relatives, were arrested when they accidentally crossed the border into Canada.
Mick Jagger
Another musician that was the target of a strange assassination attempt was Mick Jagger.
The Rolling Stones’ frontman became public enemy number one for a group of Hell’s Angels back in 1969.
The bikers were angry that Jagger and his bandmates placed the blame for the murder of Meredith Hunter on the group. The Hell’s Angels were hired as security at the bands’ Altamont Speedway Free Concert, where the murder occurred.
Apparently the group planned to storm Jagger’s Hampton home from the shore, which had minimal security, and kill him. However, a storm capsized their boat as they approached the home, and they scrapped their plans.
Gordon Ramsey
Chef Gordon Ramsey faced a scary situation in 2011 as he was filming the investigative documentary series Big Fish Fight.
The Hell’s Kitchen host was looking into the illegal practice of selling shark fins, which involves cutting of the creature’s fin and leaving it to die. While filming, he encountered a group of Taiwanese smugglers stationed in Costa Rica.
Ramsey came across thousands of fins on a rooftop, and the smugglers were not pleased. They doused Ramsey with gasoline and held him at gunpoint. Luckily, police intervened before any further harm was done.
