Celebs truly are just like us—in the sense that some of them have incredibly unique names! Just like plenty of people around the world, the parents of many celebrities found some very rare and notable inspirations for naming their unborn babies who would go on to be rich and famous. And these are some of their stories!

In this list, we’ll take a look at the tales of ten celebrities who were named after notable things, people, or places. All ten of these stars were unborn, of course, and at the mercy of their parents’ whims and tastes. But their names were memorable from the get-go based on the inspiration these parents had. And now, after having risen to fame, we all know these stars’ tales of how they got their monikers. Get ready for a strange one!

Related: 10 Of The Most Unflattering Nicknames Given To Royals

10 Rachel Zegler

Rachel Zegler may only be in her early 20s, but she’s already made a major impression on Hollywood. The actress won a Golden Globe for her work in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, and in 2023, she starred in Shazam. Maybe it makes sense that she’s spending her life working successfully in front of the camera, though. Because the reason she was named “Rachel” in the first place all came down to her mother being a big fan of television! That’s right: Rachel Zegler is actually named after Rachel Green, the iconic character played by Jennifer Aniston on the long-running television sitcom Friends.

“That is a real fact, and nobody ever believes me,” Zegler told Jimmy Fallon during an appearance on The Tonight Show in November of 2023. “They think there’s no way I’m young enough to be named after Friends, but I am.”^[1]

9 Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift may be the biggest pop star on the planet right now, but she was actually named for an even bigger star who shone brightly long before her birth: James Taylor! Swift’s parents were big fans of James Taylor’s music, and so when they had their daughter in 1989, they decided to name her after the folk-singing sensation.

Years later, in 2015, James Taylor reminisced about how he came to learn that fact. And he was very honored by it! “It’s hugely flattering and was a delightful surprise when she told me that,” James said to the outlet Stereogum that year. “We did a benefit together… before Taylor really took off. But she was playing guitar and singing her songs, and I knew how remarkable she was. She told me that her mom and dad had been really, deeply into my music, and I got a real kick out of the fact that she’d been named after me. Obviously, it wasn’t her choice. It was her mom and dad, but nonetheless, a great connection, I think.”^[2]

8 Selena Gomez

Late in 2020, pop star Selena Gomez popped up on her Instagram account and confirmed to fans that she had been watching the then-popular Netflix series about the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla. The first Selena, as she was, took the American Southwest by storm and crossed cultural boundaries with both American and Mexican fans before she was tragically murdered by the director of her own fan club in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1995. But as it turns out, this second Selena was named in a way to honor the first!

“I wanted to check in and say ‘hi’ and that I have been binge-watching the Selena series on Netflix. It’s so good,” Gomez wrote about the late superstar Quintanilla in her Instagram Story in December of 2020. “She’s such an inspiration. I was named after her, and it’s unbelievable.” It’s pretty amazing to think that a future pop singer would be named after another Latina star, but that’s how it turned out. What are the chances?!^[3]

7 Dax Shepard

Dax Shepard rose to fame on the back of pal Ashton Kutcher when the two did the iconic MTV show Punk’d together in the 2000s. Since then, Dax has taken on a number of film roles in various projects, including a memorable turn in Idiocracy. More recently, his “Armchair Expert” podcast has become one of the more popular audio shows to be streamed, and he interviews all kinds of interesting celebrity guests about all sorts of quirky and fascinating things. But he was destined for fame even before birth—because his parents were already thinking uniquely!

According to Dax’s wife, Kristen Bell, who spoke to People Magazine about her beloved husband a few years back, he was named after the protagonist in author Harold Robbins’ 1966 novel The Adventurers. Kristen went so far as to track down an original copy of that book for one of Dax’s birthdays, too. And then she had family members and friends write messages of love for the star in the book! What a way to honor one’s namesake and recall the inspiration with which his parents picked out his name. Very sweet!^[4]

6 Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey may be a household name by now and one of the most famous women to ever see her star rise on television, but things didn’t start out that way. In fact, her actual name isn’t even Oprah; it’s actually Orpah! (Notice the alternate spelling—it’s easy to miss!) As the story goes, Oprah was named after Orpah, which is a character in the Bible in the 14th verse of the first chapter of Ruth. Basically, the future TV star-to-be’s aunt Ida named her like that. But then, nobody else in the family could pronounce “Orpah” the right way, and the name quickly reverted to what we know today!

“Originally, I was named from the Bible by Aunt Ida who named me from Ruth, the first chapter at the 14th verse: Orpah,” Winfrey explained in 1983 during the audition tape that would end up earning her a turn on her first-ever morning show in Chicago. “But no one knew how to spell in my home, and that’s why it ended up being Oprah.” It’s funny how fate can be changed on a dime like that, isn’t it? We almost had Orpah Winfrey, but instead, Oprah is one of the most recognized names in all of entertainment media!^[5]

5 Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio was still in the womb when his artistically inclined mother decided on what to name him. He’s got an Italian last name, of course, so that was a natural move to give him an Italian-inspired first name, too. But that’s not the exact impetus for calling the child Leonardo. What actually happened is that his mom was at a museum in Italy while she was pregnant with then-unborn Leo. She just so happened to be standing in front of a painting produced by the legendary Leonardo da Vinci when BAM! She felt her unborn son kicking in her belly for the very first time.

DiCaprio’s mom took it as a sign that she ought to name the baby after the iconic painter, and so she did. A few months later, Leonardo DiCaprio was born and entered the world with quite a high-end namesake. Of course, we’d say that the Titanic star did pretty well for himself in carrying on the name from there. But it’s definitely funny and unique to learn that he was named after the painter following such a memorable kicking experience in the hallowed halls of a museum that housed da Vinci’s works!^[6]

4 Ciara

In 2016, the R&B singer Ciara became the face of Revlon cosmetics and fragrances. She was officially named a global ambassador for the company that year, and she was extremely happy about it. But it wasn’t just because she’d inked a big deal with a world-famous brand; it was because she was actually named after a Revlon product by her astute parents when she was still in the womb!

“I’ve been a fan of the iconic Revlon brand my entire life,” football star Russell Wilson’s wife touted in a press release celebrating her move to become Revlon’s global brand ambassador. “In fact, my name comes from the Revlon Ciara fragrance. It was a gift given to my mother from my father, and she fell in love with the scent and the name. It’s incredible to think that after all those years, I would be joining the Revlon family as the newest Global Brand Ambassador.” Amazing to think about how that came full circle, isn’t it? From being named after a fragrance by her mother to several decades later becoming the celebrity that the world associates with the brand!^[7]

3 Lil Nas X

Lil Nas X completely took the entire world by storm when his song “Old Town Road” alongside Billy Ray Cyrus debuted and shot to viral fame. And while he hasn’t been quite able to repeat that success with subsequent music, he has made headlines for plenty of other things. For one, he came out as gay after the song got big, breaking down barriers in the worlds of both hip-hop and country music. But there are even more interesting stories beyond that, too—like how he’s named after a Mitsubishi!

Lil Nas X’s given name is Montero Lamar Hill. When he was born in 1999 in Georgia, his mother was apparently really impressed with the Mitsubishi Montero. She didn’t have one at the time, but she badly wanted the SUV for herself. So she willed it into existence by deciding to name her son after the car model! “It’s slightly embarrassing, but [I’m] not embarrassed,” Lil Nas X explained on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon back in 2021. “So my mom wanted the car, the Montero, and she never got one. It’s a Mitsubishi, so ya, I’m named after a car.”^[8]

2 Winona Ryder

Before Winona Ryder was born, her father and her pregnant mother were passing through rural Minnesota. At one point, they stopped in the tiny town of Winona—which today has a population of just 25,000 people and was even smaller back then. As they were there, Ryder’s mom bent down to pick up a pamphlet about the town that was inside a laundromat where they had been washing some clothes. All of a sudden, her water broke, and she went into labor! They rushed to the hospital, and Winona was born a happy and healthy girl. But they were so amazed at the sudden birth in the tiny town that they decided to honor the village in the only way they knew how: by naming their daughter after it!

“[My mom] bent over to pick up this pamphlet with a girl on the cover, which said The Legend of Winona, and she went into labor,” Winona told Vogue Magazine years later. “I was supposed to be named Laura!” Sure, while Laura Ryder may not have a bad ring to it, the name Winona is unique and beautiful. Seems to us like her parents inadvertently picked a winner with that one!^[9]

1 Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda was named after one of the most famous women to ever live: Jane Seymour, one of the wives of the long-dead King Henry VIII. In fact, Fonda is even distantly related to Jane Seymour, so the name makes some sense in that regard. Fonda revealed as much to late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel when she went on his show in 2015. Her full name is actually Jane Seymour Fonda, and the “Seymour” in her middle name is also a nod to the famous ancient wife who was murdered by her rampaging royal husband!

“She was one of the wives of Henry VIII, and we were related to her, which is how come the ‘Seymour’ appears,” Fonda explained to Kimmel during their interview. When she was a kid, it even went so far that everybody in her life called her “Lady Jane” as opposed to only knowing her by her first name. Now, that’s truly the royal treatment! But as it turned out, Jane flipped that script to become something of a modern-day royal herself—at least as far as Hollywood is concerned!^[10]

Being a celebrity is not necessarily a lucrative position. To make money you must either work away at your talent (difficult) or shamelessly trade on your fame to sell things to the little people (easy). Brands know how much a celebrity endorsement can be worth to them and so the money on offer can be almost too much to refuse.

Unfortunately there are cases where the celebrity should have said no. Here are ten of the worst adverts famous people have ever starred in.

See Also: 10 Bizarre Celebrity Conspiracy Theories

10 Bob Dylan’s Lingerie

Bob Dylan was the voice of a generation and a lyrical genius of the 1960s’ counterculture. The future Nobel Laureate had once said he would only sell out for “ladies’ garments.” In 2004 he did exactly that for Victoria’s Secret. ‘Angels in Venice’ sees the ageing singer peering enigmatically towards lingerie models dressed just in their underwear and angel wings as his craggy voice rumbles in the background.

Left to the viewer’s imagination is exactly what is going on in the advert. Is Dylan the model’s lover, father, or Peeping Tom neighbour? We will never know. Since Dylan sold out to Victoria’s Secret he has starred in ads for cars, Apple, and Pepsi. Some fans have claimed that his featuring in these ads for American companies is really part of an art project exploring what it means to be American. The money must have been nice too.

9 Jessie J’s Chocolate Songs

Jessie J is an English pop star who has found international success with catchy songs like “Price Tag” and “Domino.” Sometimes though musical success is just not enough. While acting as a judge on the talent show “The Voice” in Australia Jessie J was chosen to be the brand ambassador for Cadbury’s chocolate. In a series of adverts she sits at the piano and riffs on the different varieties of chocolate on offer. The singer comes up with lines like “When I’m feeling mellow, I want the caramello.” Perhaps the peak of lyrical achievement is “Snack! A little bit of this. A little bit of that.”

Jessie J has form in this department having dressed up in a bizarrely colourful advert to dance and sing about the joys of TUC biscuits in a UK advert. She also rode around on an open-top bus in London to promote McDonalds.

8 Jennifer Aniston’s Dancing Babies

How do you turn an advert into a viral hit? If advertisers knew this then they would all be unbelievably rich. So when Jennifer Aniston said in a Smartwater ad that she “Had to make a video that is also a virus,” she was hoping it was a joke that would push up the view counter. It sort of just made people sick with embarrassment – but in the end whether you go viral for the right or wrong reasons you still get the hits.

The advert sees Aniston talking to a cute lip-syncing child, cuddling puppies, and watching creepy animated babies dance. When the babies begin to do “dirty dancing” things go a little off track. She then kicks a man in the balls and dribbles fluid down her chin. Hey, times must be tough when you only have $20 million in royalties from Friends coming in every year.

7 Mariah Carey “eats” a Crisp

Crisps, or chips to give them their American name, are big business in the United Kingdom. Flavours ranging from Salt and Vinegar to Prawn Cocktail sell in bags by the million. So when one of the big crisp brands, Walkers, wanted to make a splash with their Christmas ad campaign they turned to a singer who literally screams Christmas – Mariah Carey. Her ‘All I want for Christmas’ is a perennial festive jingle. The advert that resulted sees the star tussling with an elf to get control of the last bag of crisps.

Unfortunately Carey wins the battle and so has to eat her prize. From the way she nibbles tentatively at the edge of the crisp it seems as if Carey has never actually encountered a crisp before. Or perhaps by the 19th take she had already eaten her fill.

6Tom Hiddleston’s Pills

Many people must have dreamed of waking up to Tom Hiddleston. But in one advert designed to sell vitamin pills in the Chinese market this dream becomes a nightmare. From the point of view of a woman waking up and walking down the stairs we discover Hiddleston in the middle of our kitchen making a garishly coloured breakfast. Apparently too terrified to say anything to the intruding actor we are forced to take a seat as he explains why he is unexpectedly there. He positions pills in front of us with menacing firmness.

Before he abandons us he tells us he might not see us for a few weeks. Are locked in the house until then? Will Hiddleston ever free us from our mute internment? All we know is that he thinks we look good and we should keep taking the pills.

5 Kevin Bacon and Britney Spear’s Wardrobe Malfunction

It is not just to the far east that celebrities go to make embarrassing adverts. Sometimes they only have to go to Britain. There was a time that only the jet-set would see an actor in a bad commercial abroad but now with the internet there is no escape from them. In the EE phone network decided it needed the star power of Kevin Bacon to spread the good news about its services, including its offer of free music from Apple Music. To get the musical aspect in they dragged in Britney Spears to appear alongside him.

In an awkward meet up Bacon is revealed to be wearing a tight red plastic jump suit as he dances to one of Spears’ more popular numbers. To get her full value from the advert a somewhat bemused looking Britney encourages him to listen to a more recent “hit.” When it comes to marketing she’s not that innocent.

4 Nick Cage Serenades Us

Pachinko is a Japanese gaming obsession worth billions of dollars per year. Perchinko arcade machines allow users to gamble using ball bearings a bit like slot machines. Because gambling for money is illegal those who win ball bearings from Perchinko machines cannot trade them directly for money but must exchange them for a token that can be taken to another shop – that token can then be exchanged for cash.

Pachinko machines are usually bright and noisy things so who better to advertise Pachinko than the never-knowingly-subtle Nick Cage. In a series of ads for Pachinko Cage can be seen singing at a piano about a few of his favourite things such as “a cup of tea and a good book,” and “a dance with a reindeer.” Possibly he says “a dance in the rain, dear,” but frankly either interpretation or any other is not unlikely. Perhaps the most exciting advert sees a cowboy Cage facing aliens (?) in the middle of the road in a dance-off.

3 Brad Pitt’s Poetry

Chanel No. 5 is probably the most famous fragrance in the world. How better to advertise it then than to get one of the most famous actors in the world. Brad Pitt’s 2012 advert saw him shot in black and white looking somewhat shaggy while solemnly intoning… something. Is it poetry? A hostage film? A threatening message? “It’s not a journey. Every journey ends, but we go on. The world turns and we turn with it. Plans disappear, dreams take over. But wherever I go, there you are. My luck, my fate, my fortune. Chanel No5. Inevitable.” As Thanos found out, not everything that is inevitable lasts forever.

Johnny Depp’s adverts for Dior’s Sauvage were equally pretentious and annoying. In the UK the print posters for that campaign saw vandals subtly changing the name of the perfume to a more Brit-friendly ‘Sausage.’

2 Ashton Kutcher Browns Up for Popchips

As if to prove that not all publicity is good publicity Popchips once decided that the right way to market their products was to get Ashton Kutcher to pretend to be an Indian man – complete with brown make-up and hilarious accent. Somehow people thought that the character of Raj was an offensive stereotype in some way.

One of the keys to good advertising is to get your name in as often as possible so as to stick in viewers’ minds but luckily for Popchips Kutcher doesn’t mention them once in the ad. With mounting pressure from people who thought that idea of blackface (or perhaps brownface) was a little dated in 2012 Popchips quickly apologized and pulled the adverts featuring Raj, while the other characters in Kutcher’s repertoire remained available.

1 Kendall Jenner and Pepsi End Strife

How do you solve the social issues facing a world riven by poverty, racism, and unrest? With the refreshing taste of Pepsi, of course! In 2017 the United States was experiencing a sudden focus on allegations of inequality, brutality, and murder that racial minorities were suffering at the hands of police officers. The Black Lives Matter movement was provoking debate across the nation and the world. These were complex issues that needed care to navigate. Into the fray strode Kendall Jenner.

In a Pepsi ad that sees people an orderly protest of all races coming together to show their dissent about . . . something. The ad does not make it clear. But they soon come up against a quasi-police force. Seeing the protesters Jenner abandons a photoshoot to join them and diffuses the tension between police and protesters when she offers one man in uniform a Pepsi. Apparently pleased with the flavour all of America’s social issues are solved!

Some found the ad tone deaf while others found it downright offensive that Pepsi would seek to capitalise on the serious problems facing the nation. The advert was pulled from screens but not before being widely pilloried. The daughter of Martin Luther King tweeted a picture of her father being arrested with the tag “If only Daddy would have known about the power of #Pepsi.” Indeed.

Death comes to us all. No matter how rich, powerful, or well-loved you might be, no one lives forever. When it’s a celebrity that’s died, the news tends to travel fast—so fast in fact that it precedes the actual death. Sometimes news outlets jump the gun, sometimes rumours are spread online as clickbait, and sometimes people just remember something that never happened. Whatever the explanation, here are the most notable cases of people who were (literally) gone before their time.

Top 10 Horrifying Premature Burials

10 Tom Kenny

You may not recognise the name or even the face of Tom Kenny, but after five minutes you’d definitely recognise his voice. The voice actor is best known as the voice of Spongebob Squarepants, but has also done work for other children’s shows on Cartoon Network, including The Batman (The Penguin), Adventure Time (Ice King), and PowerPuff Girls (the Narrator).

It’s perhaps because of his far-reaching impact on many a millenial’s childhood that his death had such an impact when it was announced as part of a clickbait hoax in 2012. Rest assured, Kenny is alive and well, currently doing voice work for background characters in Rick and Morty, most notably Squanchy.^[1]

9 Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy has been killed off not once, but twice—once in a snowboarding accident in 2013, and then in a car crash in 2017—although some estimates have claimed that Murphy has been falsely declared dead as many as eight times.

Some believe that Murphy was conflated with his brother, Charlie, who passed away from leukaemia in April 2017. The 2013 rumours may have come from desperate fans hoping that Paul Walker’s accident—which happened around the same time—was also a hoax. One thing’s for sure—when Eddie Murphy does leave us, no one will believe a word of it.^[2]

8 Pope John Paul II

The undisputed king of falsely being declared dead, however, is Pope John Paul II, who was prematurely axed off not once, not twice, but three times before his actual death in 2005. The most recent example happened two days beforehand—FOX got their wires crossed and believed the terminally ill Pope was already dead.

The first time was the result of poor wording and even poorer timing. After a botched assassination attempt in 1981, a report from CNN for some reasons kept referring to the Pope in the past tense, leading some to believe the assassination had been a success. You’d think that CNN would have learned their lesson after that, but in 2002 a great number of their obituaries were prematurely leaked to their website, including one of His Holiness, claiming he had died in 2001. The Queen may have two birthdays, but only the Pope can die four times. Speaking of which…^[3]

7 Queen Elizabeth II

Just after Christmas 2016, rumours of a media blackout in the United Kingdom snowballed on Twitter, somehow getting twisted into reports that the Queen herself had died. A fake BBC News account tweeted a picture ‘confirming’ the rumour, which only added fuel to the fire.

To be fair, the Queen had been ill over the Christmas period, and this was back in 2016 when celebrities were dropping like flies, so it is possible that people believed the Grim Reaper was going for the final boss. While the Queen remains in good health, celebrating her 93rd birthday and her 72nd wedding anniversary this year, reports that George Michael and Carrie Fisher had passed away earlier that same week sadly turned out to be true.^[4]

6 Bill Bailey

Sometimes, a fake death is just a classic case of mistaken identity. Appearing on the Graham Norton show in 2018, British comedian Bill Bailey claims to have woken up one morning to discover that BBC had pronounced him dead overnight, even going so far at to claim that “tributes were pouring in” to celebrate his life and work.

It turns out that someone called Bill Bailey, a DJ from Kentucky, really had died the night before, but someone at the BBC obviously didn’t feel like doing a whole of research.

Top 10 Bizarre Celebrity Conspiracy Theories

5 Marilyn Manson

Another case of mistaken identity, albeit one Manson brought upon himself. In 2017, cult leader and mass murderer Charles Manson, from whom Manson (real name Brian Warner) takes his stage name, died in prison. Since Manson was imprisoned for life in 1971, its very possible that he has a little bit less name recognition than Warner, whose fans were too busy mourning him online to notice that we weren’t all talking about the same person. Or that Warner was still alive.^[5]

4 Mark Twain

Of course, faulty reports of celebrity deaths long predate the internet. Mark Twain, who is one such example, was widely reported to be on his deathbed just under thirteen years before he actually was. In reality, it was Twain’s cousin that was seriously ill, which newspapers then spun into a scoop that claimed Twain was dying.

Twain telegrammed a friend to let him know he was alright, signing off with one of his most famous (and often misquoted) quips: “The report of my illness grew out of his illness. The report of my death was an exaggeration.” This story even has a happy ending. According to Twain, his cousin made a full recovery.^[6]

3 Barbara Bush

When there’s an announcement that someone is dying however, sometimes they really are dying. That said, there is still such a thing as jumping the gun. When the Bush family released a press statement announcing that former first lady Barbara Bush was on her deathbed, CNN (of course) drafted an obituary titled “DO NOT PUBLISH” in very big letters. Naturally, someone published it, and Barbara Bush was reported dead a whole two days too early. Fortunately, the obituary had chosen to remember her as a “witty, gregarious matriarch… that propelled two [relatives] to the White House.” Not everyone’s obituary ends up being quite so warm…^[7]

2 Marcus Garvey

While Barbara Bush may have had the chance to read her own obituary, at least it wasn’t what killed her in the first place. In 1940, noted political activist Marcus Garvey suffered from a stroke which left him paralysed, causing some newspapers to report that he had died.

His obituary was not quite as flattering as Bush’s, claiming that he had died “alone and unpopular”, causing Garvey to have another stroke that finished him off for real.^[8]

1 Nelson Mandela

By far the strangest and most famous of deaths that never actually happened was that of Nelson Mandela. When the news broke that he had actually died in 2013, many were baffled, convinced he had already died in prison years prior, with some even going so far as to cite seeing his funeral on TV.

This has given rise to the so-called Mandela Effect, a testament to the frailty of human memory, where people remember things that have never happened. Or at least, not the way they think. Its perfectly possible that they are remembering the deaths of other black activists like Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X, or possibly conflated Mandela’s death with his release in 1990. But, as we all know, the only rational explanation is that we all died in 2012 and traveled to a parallel world where the Monopoly guy doesn’t have a monocle.^[9]

Top 10 Mandela Effects (Movie And TV Edition!)

Being a celebrity has proven to be more than just glitz and glam. In many cases, it can also come with struggles. Though many fans have simple interests in their favorite celebrities, some admirers take their obsessions to the extreme—even committing unspeakable acts at times.

For these 10 celebrities, the dedication of their fans went from mere interest to a completely bizarre and unhealthy obsession resulting in gifts that could never be purchased in stores.

10 Dead Rabbit

Being a celebrity comes with fame and fortune—and fans. For Avril Lavigne, her continued success has made her no stranger to interactions and gifts from her admirers. However, she hadn’t expected the weirdness that accompanies some gifts. During an interview, Avril was asked to name the strangest gift she’s ever received.

For some singers and actors, the presents are articles of clothing—bras, shirts, and sometimes underwear. But for this singer, it wasn’t a material item at all.

Instead, during one of her tours to promote an album, Avril was given the body of a dead rabbit. There was no note, so Avril didn’t understand the fan’s intention. However, it’s been said that a rabbit could be good luck.^[1]

Akin to her first album title, Avril decided to “let go” and move on from the event, though it’s doubtful that she’s accepted any more strange packages.

9 Preserved Baby Shark

The quick rise in fame of the Jonas Brothers—Kevin, Joe, and Nick—was mostly due to their musical talent and eventual Disney deals. Their fans, ranging from teenage girls to adult men and women, have been known to be dedicated and sometimes straddle the line between what is acceptable and what isn’t.

At times, the Jonas Brothers have had to deal with fans taking things a bit too far, including sneaking into their hotel rooms and giving them macabre gifts—such as a preserved baby shark.

The gift, which was provided to the brothers from an adoring fan while they were on tour, did not come with an explanation. But the preserved baby shark was inside a tube. The brothers were uncertain as to what the gift was supposed to mean or what they were expected to do with it.

The shark was accompanied by a simple note saying, “Here’s a dead shark.” The most pressing question was not the “why” but “how” the fan was able to obtain it in the first place.^[2]

8 Sperm

The option of having a family is one that depends on the people involved. However, it doesn’t entail sending one’s sperm in the mail to a favorite celebrity in the hopes of starting a family. For actress Tricia Helfer, a fan decided that his best option to win her favor was by doing exactly that.

The event happened when she was opening fan mail. She didn’t realize what had fallen out of the envelope until she looked at the other contents of the letter: a picture of a man, woman, and child as well as the syringe filled with white liquid and indications that the fan wanted her to start a family with him immediately.

Unsettled and a bit fearful, Tricia told someone at the studio where she was working about the incident. From there, the police were contacted. The detectives were able to track down the creepy fan, though Tricia did not reveal what happened to him.^[3]

Tricia Helfer is not the only celebrity to experience this. In early 2019, singer Iggy Azalea was sent a vial of semen, though it was intercepted by her assistant before she could see it.

7 Breast Implant

Body parts falling off is a strange, macabre aspect of zombies. Norman Reedus, who stars on The Walking Dead, knows about this firsthand. Although he’s dealt with fake body parts being thrown at him in a battle with zombies, he’s also grappled with body parts being mailed to him in real life.

In an interview, Reedus showed a breast implant that was being used as a phone cradle in his trailer. The implant was sent to him as a gift by a fan who thought that Reedus seemed depressed. Instead of getting rid of it, Reedus found the gift hilarious and decided to clean it and put it on display.^[4]

In 2015, the actor received another breast implant in the mail. He decided to throw this one at costar Steven Yeun instead of putting it on display. However, Reedus did joke that he wouldn’t be opposed to getting more implants from fans in the future.

Reedus has continued to receive breast implants, some wrapped in fat and delivered to him in jewelry boxes, as well as gifts such as squirrel meat.

6 Cake With Human Hair

“Let them eat cake” may not have been a real saying by Marie Antoinette, but for Ed Sheeran, eating cake has been a popular pastime. Sheeran’s love for the treat is well-known by his fans.

He has received multiple gifts, ranging from dolls to necklaces to baked goods. As Sheeran is not one to turn down food, he had accepted a cake from a fan thinking that it was just what it seemed to be—a delicious surprise and a thoughtful gift from a fan.

But there was an unexpected filling inside. Once Sheeran bit into the cake, he found that it had been filled with clumps of the woman’s own hair. There was no explanation for this, though Sheeran believes that it may have been the fan’s way of trying to be “inside of him.”^[5]

Despite his love for cake, Sheeran has become a bit less exuberant when accepting baked goods from fans to avoid another hairy situation.

5 Teeth

Known for being eccentric and wanting to stand out from the music crowd, Kesha has done things that could be considered a bit creepy—such as breaking into Prince’s house to have him listen to her music.

This is why it doesn’t seem too out of character for Kesha to request something equally strange from her fans. In this case, she had asked them to send her teeth—real teeth—in the hopes that she could make something out of them while she was in rehab recovering from an eating disorder.

As a result, Kesha received almost 1,000 teeth from her dedicated fans. True to her word, Kesha used the chompers to make items for her to wear, including a bra, a headdress, earrings, and a necklace. In fact, the headdress she wears to promote her album Warrior is made from her fans’ teeth.^[6]

Apparently, the focus started when a lone admirer sent her a tooth that Kesha turned into a necklace made with her own baby teeth. From there, she began to collect the teeth sent to her. Finally, she asked for her fans’ teeth and accumulated hundreds of them.

4 Letter With Menstrual Blood

Letters from devoted fans are not uncommon. In fact, it’s one of the ways that celebrities know that they’ve started to make it big. For Taecyeon, a member of South Korean boy band 2PM, it was not the meaning that went too far but what the letter was physically written in.

Rather than using ink, an admirer wrote her message in menstrual blood. The fan wrote that she had dedicated her menstrual blood to Taecyeon and stated that he could not live without her—even though he didn’t know who she was. She also enclosed her pubic hair inside the letter.^[7]

Many of Taecyeon’s fans had claimed that the letter was fake until the writer came forward to prove that it was true. She even claimed that she wasn’t a fan of the band and just wanted attention.

3 Human Skin

Though it sounds like the plot of a horror movie, Zac Efron did not audition for this part. Due to his starring role in Disney’s High School Musical movies and his continued time in the spotlight, Efron has had his fair share of fan experiences—from receiving their letters to even having them show up at his gated neighborhood to leave tokens of their love in his mailbox.

However, one fan took her obsession a bit too far by sending Efron a piece of her own skin. The actor, who opens his own fan mail, was greeted with the grotesque sight of a piece of skin sitting inside an envelope.

Stunned, Efron got rid of the skin. Now he laughs about the story—mostly because he claims he doesn’t know how else to react to someone sending him a piece of skin.^[8]

2 Human Ear

Jared Leto has not been one to shy away from the strange. Just recently, his date to the MET Gala 2019 was his own severed head, a take on the theme “Camp.” He has also provided strange and slightly unwanted gifts to his Suicide Squad castmates while trying to get into the character of The Joker. Due to his own eccentric personality, Leto seems to draw the same weird tendencies from his fans.

One admirer decided to send the actor and lead singer of 30 Seconds to Mars the fan’s own severed ear. In a 2013 interview, Leto explained that he opened up a package to find a severed human ear inside as well as a note that asked, “Are you listening?”^[9]

There was no further explanation for the ear or even any indication of the sender’s identity. Despite the strangeness of the situation, Leto embraced his fan’s macabre gift by tweeting a picture of it as well as poking a hole through the ear and choosing to wear it as a necklace.

Even though he found a use for the ear, Leto did ask his fans not to send him any more body parts.

1 A Baby

Dolly Parton’s fame has eclipsed genres and generations. She is known for her big hair and big attitude, and her music has left an indelible mark on country music and its fans. Due to her popularity, Parton has her share of admirers. However, Parton’s experience with one fan’s gift is unlike that of any other celebrity.

With her single “Jolene” at No. 1 on the country music charts in the early 1970s, Parton may have considered the possibility of a few women naming their newborns after her hit song. But she hadn’t expected a new mother to do so and then leave the baby on Parton’s doorstep.

Parton found the baby girl lying in a box at her front gate. The accompanying note stated that the infant was named Jolene and that her mother wanted Parton to have her. Freaked out and worried for the baby, Parton called the Department Of Health And Human Services and took care of the infant until they were able to come.^[10]

There was never any follow-up from the mother, and Parton doesn’t know what happened to the baby after the authorities took her.

Celebrity conspiracy theories are not unknown. Many popular ones still appear from time to time, such as Elvis being alive and spotted by fans, the CIA being behind the murders of various different celebrities, or even Stevie Wonder faking his blindness.

As odd as those may seem, they don’t measure up to other, far more bizarre claims about various celebrities that have garnered popular attention throughout the years. Some of these notions seemingly defy possibility yet are still touted as fact. Whether the following conspiracy theories are true or not is up to the reader to decide.

10 Popular Celebrities Are In The Illuminati

The Illuminati have been the butt of much blame throughout the years. Whether it’s assassinating presidents or the starting of both civil wars and revolutions, the Illuminati have been talked about for years. There is also speculation concerning them infiltrating Hollywood through actors.^[1]

A myriad of celebrities have been linked to this secret society, names such as Nicki Minaj, Billy Joel, Justin Bieber, Madonna, Katy Perry, Paul McCartney, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, Jay-Z, Angelina Jolie, LeBron James, and several presidents. In some cases, musicians have turned the conspiracy theories into jokes or referenced them in their music as a way to laugh it off. Madonna went as far as to claim that while she’s not in the Illuminati, she does know who they are. Even though there has never been confirmation of any celebrity being a member of the Illuminati, their influence is said to spread far and wide, such as replacing the real Slim Shady, Eminem, during the period he was in rehab with a lookalike after he upset the Illuminati.

Another theory claims that Jay-Z has been a member of the Illuminati for years, using his influence to slowly convert his fans into the thinking of the Illuminati, and this conversion also includes his wife, Beyonce. This is according to a former Republican Congressional candidate from Illinois named Bill Fawell.

9 Rod Stewart Had His Stomach Pumped Due To Semen Ingestion

Reasons why famous people are admitted to hospitals or checked into rehab are their own section of celebrity conspiracy theories. In the case of Rod Stewart, it wasn’t partying or mental illness that caused fans to speculate on a supposed hospital visit. Instead, the theory was spread that Stewart was admitted needing to have his stomach pumped . . . due to it being filled with semen.^[2]

In case you’re wondering if you read that wrong, you didn’t. Rumors spread that Stewart had ingested 3.8 liters (1 gal) of semen after spending a night with some sailors in a bar in San Diego. The supposed experience left him ill and necessitated a trip to the emergency room, where he was said to have had his stomach pumped. The rumor spread quickly and had been circulating for some time before Stewart was asked about it on a talk show in 2012. According to Stewart, the rumor was spread by a publicist he’d fired. In an act of revenge, the now ex-publicist used their contacts to spread the rumor about him.

Stewart isn’t the only celebrity to have such claim spread about him. While the number of gallons may change, the story is similar: A celebrity is checked into an emergency room after ingesting copious amounts of semen during a night out. Elton John, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Jon Bon Jovi, Lil’ Kim, and Britney Spears have all had similar rumors spread about them.

8 Lindsay Lohan Had A Twin

Lindsay Lohan has flittered in and out of the celebrity scene throughout the years. During her period of trying to separate herself from her Disney-focused fame, Lohan was the topic of many articles due to her slightly irrational words and actions. However, some claim that her behavior did not stem just from wanting to separate herself from Disney but also due to grief caused by Disney killing her twin sister.

According to the conspiracy theorists, Lindsay Lohan did not play the twins in The Parent Trap alone but was actually joined by her twin sister: Kelsey Morgan Lohan. However, after the success of The Parent Trap, Disney tried to push their agenda onto Kelsey, who didn’t fit the build. The conspiracy theories range from Disney killing her by staging an accident to Disney sending her away to live a “normal” life and even that Lohan herself has been staging a real-life Parent Trap-style twin switch, where both Lindsay and Kelsey have been sharing the limelight as Lindsay herself.^[3]

Lohan has never addressed these rumors. However, fans claim that the theory that Kelsey and Lindsay are playing one persona could explain her strange, almost hot-and-cold behavior, her appearances in different countries in seemingly a short period of time, and the differences in “looks.”

7 George W. Bush’s Administration Caused Britney Spears’s Breakdown

Celebrity conspiracy theories have ranged from famous people being members of secret societies to having hidden marriages to even faking pregnancies, but one of the strangest happens to be a celebrity being a cover for a president. Conspiracy theorists claim that pop star Britney Spears was being bankrolled by the Bush administration.

In fact, they have an entire timeline dedicated to detailing how Britney came to work for the White House and how each time the Bush administration would come under fire by the press, Britney would then do something to divert attention to herself and thus away from President Bush.^[4] Many believe this theory was “confirmed” when in a 2003 interview with CNN, Britney was asked if she trusted President Bush, and she claimed that she did. For many, this confirms she was “close” to the president or even working for him by drawing the attention of the public eye, going as far as staging her 2007 breakdown so that some heat would be drawn off the president.

While some of her memorable moments, including her 2007 breakdown, 55-hour Vegas marriage, the birth of her son, and the unforgettable Madonna kiss at the VMAs, do happen to align with some of George W. Bush’s more negative presidential moments, none of it confirms that Britney was being paid by his administration.

6 Melania Trump Is Being Held Hostage

The current first lady has come under fire from many different people throughout the Trump presidency, and while some of it is the regular drama that accompanies being in the public eye, one conspiracy theory is a bit strange. According to some, Melania Trump is being held against her will while her husband continues his presidency. In fact, many conspiracy theorists believe that due to her wanting out, she only makes a few allowed appearances, and the other times we see her, it’s not her but rather a body double in the Trump administration’s employ.

Conspiracy theorists first pointed out on Twitter that Melania looked as if she didn’t want to be there during President Trump’s inauguration. From there, the theory began to spread, with people comparing photos of Melania with those purported to show “Fake Melania,” aka her body double at events. Some have claimed that Fake Melania is being portrayed by a Secret Service agent who looks eerily like the first lady, with similar facial features, haircut, and height, and who notably hides the differences in appearance behind sunglasses and styled hair.

The theory itself is far-fetched and has been not only refuted by President Trump himself but also the office of the first lady and even the Secret Service.^[5] That has done nothing to change the minds of those who believe that the first lady has been replaced.

5 Lady Gaga Killed Someone

Lady Gaga is known for many things: for her vocals, for her eccentricity in both her music and fashion, and, most currently, for her acting ability. What she isn’t known for, however, is for being a murderer—which, according to some conspiracy theorists, is exactly what she is.^[6] According to this theory, Gaga killed a former up-and-coming pop star named Lina Morgana in order to steal her style.

Lina Morgana has been confirmed to be dead—not missing or held captive by the Illuminati. She committed suicide in 2008 by jumping from a hotel balcony. A wrongful death lawsuit was later brought against the hotel. Lady Gaga has never been mentioned in any of these cases, yet conspiracy theorists noted that apparently Morgana had been picked to be one of Gaga’s backup dancers for her performances and was represented by the same agent. The two even recorded a song together named “Wunderland.” They also noted from looking at videos and listening to Morgana’s own music that a similar tone is shared between her and Gaga, almost as if Gaga had adapted part of Morgana’s style.

Even if this were true, there’s a very large gap between stealing and murder—yet theorists don’t think so. Apparently, Morgana, after her death, ceased to exist. Gone were her Wikipedia page and her MySpace information, and little to nothing could be found about her on the Internet. This theory was only heightened when Morgana’s mother, Yana, gave an interview in 2010 in which she claimed that Gaga herself was holding Morgana’s soul captive in order to channel her music and look.

As far-fetched as this theory is, there is no evidence that Gaga was at the hotel where Morgana tragically died—Gaga was confirmed to be filming a music video and then photographed at a concert later that evening. Fans claim that Gaga falling off a building in her music video for “Paparazzi” is a homage to Morgana’s death and her hand in it. Most would say that’s just another bit of Hollywood theatrics. Still, if you share a brief look between the two, the similarities can’t be argued, though it doesn’t confirm that Gaga killed Morgana so that she could achieve fame instead.

4 Katy Perry Is JonBenet Ramsey

Katy Perry is known for many things, such as her singing, her stage performances, her style, and even her love life . . . and also for maybe being a child beauty queen who was reportedly murdered at the young age of six but was actually kidnapped. The theory, as most are, seems far-fetched. Not only were Katy Perry and JonBenet Ramsey born in different years, but the logistics of how JonBenet became Katy involve some stretching of the imagination. Despite their physical appearances being vaguely similar, there has been no physical link between Katy and JonBenet.

This has not stopped the theory from spreading. Conspiracy theorists and fans alike claim that the beauty queen was hidden from the public eye until 2008, when she broke out in the music industry. Why she was hidden isn’t exactly explained; nor is how the age difference—six years—would be necessary in the transformation of JonBenet into Katy.^[7] The theory is mostly based on looks alone, that the apparent similarities between JonBenet and Katy Perry, as well as between both sets of parents, indicate that Katy is, in fact, the dead child beauty queen. Some speculate that she was running from the person who was never caught in JonBenet’s actual unsolved murder.

Still, looks alone can’t make facts, even if they are the only basis for this theory. Eventually, the theory spread so wide that Katy Perry herself was asked about it in 2017 at the VMAs. She seemed startled by the question before denying it. While for some, that would be a definitive answer, others believe it’s part of the cover-up to ensure that her real identity stays safe.

3 Avril Lavigne Is Dead

Known for her grungy hits and teenage attitude, Avril Lavigne rose to fame quickly and enjoyed a fair amount of time in the spotlight before the weight of it all, paired with the sudden loss of her grandfather as well as her parents’ divorce, took their toll on the singer. After a period of riding the wave of her success, Lavigne admitted that she needed some time away from her music and the touring to focus on herself. It was during that time that conspiracy theorists and fans alike began to believe that the real Avril Lavigne was replaced by a lookalike—one who was actually Avril’s friend.

In what seems to be a bizarre series of events, Avril Lavigne went from popular singer, known for her massive hit “Sk8r Boi,” to being replaced by a doppelganger after her suicide in 2003. Conspiracy theorists claim that Avril had been hinting at her battle with depression in her debut album in songs such as “Slipped Away” and “My Happy Ending.” Eventually, her depression became too much, and she took her own life in 2003. Instead of mourning her, however, theorists claim that her record label did not want to lose the success the star was experiencing and replaced her with a doppelganger: her friend, an actress named Melissa Vandella.

Theorists claim that Avril had been using Vandella as a body double beforehand due to their similar looks, allowing Avril to avoid the paparazzi when she was out. After Avril’s death, the diversion only continued, with Vandella now assuming the identity of Avril full-time. Many claim this explains the genre shift from what was “edgy” and “punk” to her current style and her behavior over the years. While the “Fake Avril” has spoken out about her struggles with Lyme disease, fans claim that this, too, is a ruse to keep others from prying deeper into the fact that Avril is actually Vandella and has been since 2003. The similarities between the two are quite obvious, though theorists claim the differences that can be spotted are in the change in Avril’s voice from her pre- to her post-2003 outings, differences in height, missing birthmarks and moles, wardrobe changes, and behavioral differences.

Gawker did a video analyzing the “Fake Avril” and concluded that her behavior was a bit odd—though nerves can also cause someone to act fidgety and unlike themselves. Avril herself has even spoken out against the theory, claiming that she is, in fact, who she says she is.^[8]

2 Beyonce Is Dead

Even though there are no actual facts to support the theories that our favorite celebrities have been replaced by doppelgangers, that doesn’t mean conspiracy theorists are willing to listen. In 2016, a theory hit social media and began to spread about Beyonce that didn’t have to do with her supposed Illuminati ties. Instead, this one claimed that Beyonce was actually killed years ago, and the one we see now is a clone.

This one is as far-fetched as theories come. Apparently, Beyonce died years ago, but her producers and staff had previously stored away some stem cells in case of an emergency. Once she died, they used those stem cells to create a clone of her, or even multiple clones, in order to keep Beyonce’s fame alive.^[9]

Sasha Fierce, Beyonce’s alter ego that she sometimes references in her songs and albums, is said to be, in fact, yet another clone. Theorists claim that it’s obvious that Beyonce is not one clone but many, due to the fact that, at one point, she couldn’t remember her exact due date during her pregnancy. There was also a conspiracy theory that she faked the pregnancy to begin with. Others say it wasn’t a faked pregnancy; one clone was pregnant, but another did the interview.

Of course, some even claim that it wasn’t the producers who made the clone but, you probably guessed it, the Illuminati, who worked with their star member, Jay-Z, to create multiple Beyonce clones to capitalize on her success. They wouldn’t be the first clones by the Illuminati, either, as celebrity Tila Tequila has “admitted” that she is an actual clone that was activated in 2015, and singer B.o.B has made tweets discussing a possible “cloning center.” Perhaps clones truly run the world after all.

1 The Beatles Never Existed

Among all the ludicrously far-fetched and completely bizarre celebrity conspiracy theories, one stands out from the rest: the idea that the Beatles, one of the most recognizable bands of all time, never even existed. Conspiracy theorists claim that the Beatles were not, in fact, made up of four distinct band members but were a conglomeration of actors and models who were used to create a worldwide phenomenon.

The theory is based off the idea that the schedules were too much for one band to keep up with, and because of it, body doubles were used in order to make appearances while still recording music. Differences such as eye and pupil disparities, nose length, height, teeth gaps, missing scars, and chin curvature are cited. In fact, the theory gained enough popularity that a 2009 Italian edition of Wired ran a facial analysis using the Beatles’ appearances and noted that there were differences in the band members’ facial features, Paul McCartney especially. This theory does nothing but fuel the fire that John Lennon is not dead; one of his body doubles was killed.^[10]

It’s even said that McCartney’s ex-wife, Heather Mills, ended up getting divorced from the actual McCartney, or one of them, due to the constant struggles of keeping up the facade. The theory also feeds into another that some of the original Beatles members may have existed but passed away as the band rose to fame, so doppelgangers were put in their place.

The theory itself is so complex that there is a website for it, aptly titled The Beatles Never Existed. The website goes into various different reasons and even methods on how and why the Beatles, or the multiple men who made up the Beatles, were kept in line throughout the years so that the public never became aware of the charade.

As odd as it may seem, the theory still has some fans intrigued. In this case, all you need is proof, and this theory doesn’t have enough of it.

The coronavirus is impacting every person on the planet: wealthy or destitute, famous or unknown. Can mankind truly unite in its terror and suffering? While it’s nice to hope that a crisis as horrific as COVID-19 can bring the world together, it may make our differences all the more obvious.

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Doctors, first responders, all healthcare personnel are putting their lives at risk every day to help those sickened by this unforgiving virus. Grocery store and delivery workers are leaving the safety of their homes so others can continue to eat while self-quarantining. But in all of this coming together, we are becoming acutely aware of societal differences.

Celebrities, professional athletes, and politicians–even those who haven’t any symptoms–have been able to access the testing and treatment that regular folks have not. It begs the question: What is the role of a celebrity during a real-life crisis? Do their words and actions matter more at this time of life or death?

The nation’s top doctor, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, thinks they do. “We need to get Kylie Jenner and social media influencers out there in helping folks understand that, look, this is serious. This is absolutely serious. People are dying,” Dr. Adams told Good Morning America.

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He said the younger generation is more likely to ignore the quarantine despite the risks. Adams referenced his own teenagers: “The more I tell them not to do something, the more they want to do it.”

Perhaps it’s this calling that has led so many celebrities to speak out about the virus. Or maybe, they just want to align themselves with the top headlines to remain relevant. Whatever their motivation, the rich and famous are taking to social media to express their solidarity. They’re staying in, just like us. Sacrificing the jet-set lifestyle to hunker down in their mansions. But their efforts are falling really, really short. The Twitter and Instagram videos they post range from awkward to insulting to downright dangerous. Here’s a look at some of the most tone-deaf celebrity responses (so far).

10 Madonna

Picture Madonna, sporting a newly tightened face, soaking luxuriously in her beautiful marble bathtub. Naked, apart from loads of jewelry, she’s surrounded by lit candles and serenaded by creepy background music. The delicate rose petals floating in her milky bath provide just enough coverage to keep the video PG.

The Material Girl’s somber demeanor is meant to emphasize the seriousness of her message, She says, “[COVID-19] doesn’t care about how rich you are, how famous you are, how funny you are, how smart you are, where you live, how old you are, what amazing stories you can tell. It’s the great equalizer, and what’s terrible about it is what’s great about it. What’s terrible about it is it’s made us all equal in many ways — and what’s wonderful about it is it’s made us all equal in many ways.”

She closed with, “…if the ship goes down, we’re all going down together.” Madonna followed the video with a still photo post of her naked self, roses strategically covering her nipples. The caption: “No discrimination — Covid-19! #quarantine #covid_19 #staysafe.”

The 61-year-old pop icon has been vocal about the pandemic, encouraging followers to stay at home, as she has. But her message of being in this together has fallen flat. Even her most die-hard fans have criticized her as privileged and out of touch:

“You’re glad we’re all equal now—do you think someone in the slums of India is sitting in a tub right now full of rose petals? Delete your account.” @RieMcAz

“I always bath in full makeup and jewelry surrounded by out of season flower petals.” @YourMajistiness

“Im a little sick of the wealthy right now..” @gizmorivera

“Meanwhile, some are out there with bare essentials and she’s posted petaled nipples. Stop it, Madonna. I love ya girl but stop.” @jacksonleylidia

“Sorry my queen, love u so much, but we’re not equal. We can die from the same diseases, but the poor will suffer the most. Do not romanticize anything [sic] of this tragedy.”

Madonna has since deleted the video, but as we all know, the internet never forgets.

9 Vanessa Hudgens

You can’t unring a bell. You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. Likewise, Vanessa Hudgens cannot take back her brutally insensitive comments about COVID-19. In an Instagram live video, she cast her doubts on the seriousness of the pandemic. “Um, yeah, ’til July sounds like a bunch of bullshit. I’m sorry, but like, it’s a virus, I get it, like, I respect it. But at the same time I’m like, even if everybody gets it, like yeah, people are going to die, which is terrible but like, inevitable? I don’t know. [laughs] Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this right now.”

Ouch. One day later, the High School Musical actress took to Twitter to apologize for what she says was taken out of context. “Hey guys. I’m so sorry for the way i have offended anyone and everyone who has seen the clip from my Instagram live yesterday,” she wrote. “I realize my words were insensitive and not at all appropriate for the situation our country and the world are in right now. This has been a huge wake up call about the significance my words have, now more than ever. I’m sending safe wishes to everyone to stay safe and healthy during this crazy time.”

Too little, too late, according to her Twitter followers:

“Am I the only one that thinks Vanessa Hudgens can say all this insensitive garbage about the coronavirus and still get a test kit before us?” @AngelaBelcamino

“As someone who has supported some of your work, it’s deeply disappointing. There are millions of people being impacted not just from the virus but also the collateral damage. Try seeing bey9ond your own robust privilege in the future, especially with such a large platform.” @FredTJoseph

“me, my head scarf, my adrenal system, and my suppressed immune system do not accept your apology. i wish you safety and good health and hope that your insensitivity did not bring you harmful karma. i hope you genuinely learned from this.” @washurhandsmans

“‘I am sorry I offended anyone’ is very different from ‘gosh was I wrong.’” @Grady_Booch

8 Gal Gadot

Gal Gadot may play a superhero on the big screen, but her coronavirus crusade is not about to save anyone in the real world. The homebound Wonder Woman star says she was inspired by an Italian trumpeter who entertained his quarantined neighbors with a heartfelt rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Gadot called upon other celebs to join her in singing the classic, and the result is not good. One wealthy celebrity after another–trying to look like average Joes with uncombed hair, sloppy clothes, no makeup–sing of peace, brotherhood, and the world with “no possessions.” With no real threat that they’ll actually lose their possessions, these famous folks (Sia, Zoe Kravitz, Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell, and others) have the luxury of “imagining” such things.

The song lyrics are simply not fitting for this crisis. Having no possessions is not idyllic: it’s a terrifying reality for every worker who has been ordered to stay home. Servers, Uber drivers, and millions of so-called non-essential workers are not able to relax in mansions while on hiatus. The economy is quickly tanking, and the road to recovery will be long and difficult.

“We are not in this together. You’re incredibly rich and have access to the best medical care. This is some Marie Antoinette level of tone-deafness.” @courneythebaker.”

“Wow, this is truly awful. While you’re all sitting around in your mansions bored while your staff tend to your every need, the rest of us are wondering how we’re going to pay the rent this month and how much debt we’re going to be at the end of it all and how we’re going to rebuild our lives again. *You are certainly not part of us that are all in it together that’s for sure.” @lorenpeta

“Glad u have time to feel philosophical while most of us are feeling anxious and afraid.” @thewoodlands

“Imagine there’s no hunger? Yeah, I don’t think you can cause you all will be fine while the rest of us suffer.” @nikkikittums

“Thank god the rich are singing for us I was worried for a second.” @juice_wagon

“You cant advocate for world togetherness from an ivory tower, I’m afraid.” @ellyleggatt

“Imagine front line health care workers not having enough safety equipment while a bunch of smug celebrities sang an awful song.” @susieherbertlight

“I’m sure the peasants appreciate being rejected for testing while celebs can get a test without any symptoms. You’re going to great keep it up we love being patronized.” @swagittarius001

7 Naomi Campbell

Last summer, Naomi Campbell made headlines with her germaphobic airplane routine. That was before the coronavirus pandemic, and the supermodel is now taking extreme measures to protect herself. For most of the world, that would involve staying home. But Campbell (being important and having important places to go) continued to travel. Instead of self-quarantining to help stop the spread of the disease, she opted for even more over-the-top air travel protection.

At the Los Angeles International Airport on March 10, Campbell donned latex gloves, safety goggles, facemask, and a full-body hazmat suit for her flight. She captioned the photo, “Safety First NEXT LEVEL.”

We’re not impressed. Or amused. She and like-minded celebrities (Bella Hadid, Brody Jenner, Kate Hudson) are doing harm. Everyone who continues to travel becomes a potential carrier. And all who are asymptomatic yet continue to wear masks negatively impact the availability of personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers and the infected. Masks are needed for those who have the virus (or symptoms of the virus) and for the brave souls who are treating them. Medical experts have repeatedly urged everyone else to stop using up the dwindling supply of PPE. And to STAY HOME.

“You’re ignorant and entitled.” @janeygirl56

“A mask is for infected people to prevent the virus from spreading not for healthy ones.” @sevillacabanis.peggy

“I am a nurse. And mother. And my 70 year old parents are watching my kids when I work. My hospital can’t get N95s [masks]. And yet patients keep coming. And I will keep working. Without a mask, because photos like this have eliminated them for healthcare workers. @spinnstar

6 Gwyneth Paltrow

No list about tone-deaf celebs would be complete without a mention of Gwyneth Paltrow. She, too, posted an airplane face mask selfie. The caption: “En route to Paris. Paranoid? Prudent? Panicked? Placid? Pandemic? Propaganda? Paltrow’s just going to go ahead and sleep with this thing on the plane. I’ve already been in this movie [Contagion]. Stay safe. Don’t shake hands. Wash hands frequently.” That was in February.

More than a month later, she’s still posting photos of herself wearing masks—the latest on a trip to the local farmer’s market. In her lecture-style post, she described how she followed protocol while shopping for fresh herbs and veggies, and she chided others who may not be following the rules so well. Her followers shot back, criticizing the actress for utilizing PPE on a leisurely food run while doctors and nurses face deadly shortages.

“Are you serious? The mask isn’t to protect you from people with corona. The masks are for people who have the disease and wish not to infect anyone. Wake up Sheeple.” @dankje_hd

“A great way to stay healthy is to not go to a highly populated area. Mask or not. That is real. Empathy would imply you had an understanding of others, it seems as though you may be lacking in that. Doctors and those who are legitimately sick need masks. Not people gathering (more) food for dinner.” @misskelg

“Would be great if you could invest into safety and equipment for the front line staff in healthcare and other emergency services.” @v_nik_a

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5 Selena Gomez

Washing your hands is one of the easiest ways to ward off illness, including the novel coronavirus. That’s why Dr. Tedros Adhan Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), kicked off the #SafeHands challenge to promote “regular, safe, and effective hand hygiene.”

If there’s one thing celebrities love, it’s a social media challenge. A personal calling to film themselves doing something with a viral hashtag. But watching enthusiastic celebs wash their hands as if they’d never done it before is, well, weird. It’s as if they’re genuinely surprised by the process. Take Selena Gomez, for example. With more than 170 million followers, she could take Dr. Tedros’ challenge to a whole new level. But oh, how she struggled! She even admitted in her caption that she “had to redo this video so many times.” Her followers still love her (she’s as cute as a button, after all), but they had to call her out on her incompetence.

“This is ALL WRONG?? Why would you turn the water off just to turn it back on with your CLEAN hands??Then you turn it off with the napkin just to proceed to re CONTAMINATE your hands Just stay home @selenagomez, it’s definitely you’re safest option.” @kaygoddess_

“You’re supposed to dry your hands and THEN shut the faucet off #FAIL.” @marisaluisaa

4 Arnold Schwarzenegger

Former bodybuilder, actor, and governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger is, in his own unique way, trying to help. As someone who’s admittedly obsessed with disaster prevention, he wants desperately to be “out there” making a difference. But, as a law-abiding citizen, he remains at home and is sharing his wisdom via Twitter instead.

And that’s where it just gets weird. We accept celebrity quirkiness. But Arnold takes it to another level. The 72-year old has tweeted videos from his kitchen, where he’s sharing his lunch with Whiskey and Lulu. Whiskey is a pony, Lulu is a donkey, and yes, they are IN THE KITCHEN eating spinach off his plate. It’s all oddly entertaining and, in its own peculiar way, softens the seriousness of Arnold’s message. Followers played along:

“He’ll be eating that donkey before the month is over.” @taradublinrocks

“Be careful. One of the first signs of Coronavirus is feeling a little horse.” @MatCostin

“For some reason, and I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but this was the most comforting coronavirus advice I’ve absorbed so far. Leave it to the damn Terminator to actually make me feel GOOD about a freaking global pandemic. @seanpcarragher

But other tweets have not been as well-received by fans and followers. “Here I am at home, taking a jacuzzi, smoking a little stogie,” he preached in a clip titled, “Stay. At. Home. That means you, too, spring breakers.” Not only is his presentation out of touch with the reality most are currently experiencing, but it’s not in good taste that he’s smoking while so many are fighting an evil respiratory disease.

“Arnold, I appreciate your messaging here, but not everyone lives in a mansion with unlimited resources. You’re right in the message itself, but less grandstanding would seem a bit more genuine. Thx!” @edwardebrowden

“Easy for you to say. Some people still have to earn their money and pay bills.” @ValeriRX

“I’m tired of these assholes sending this message from the comfort of their spa with millions in the bank when so many of us are wondering if tomorrow will be the last day of our employment and the possibility of losing everything we’ve worked for is on the line.” @lmarts1017

3 Jameela Jamil

English actress and activist Jamella Jamil is no stranger to controversy. She is vocal about everything from diet shakes to Oprah (whom she says “would never have made it in the UK”). So, it was no surprise that the entertainer tweeted an off-the-wall theory on the coronavirus.

“I can’t help but wonder if this virus is the clap back from Mother Nature we were waiting for. She wants us to stop moving and consuming and burning or she’s going to f*ck us all up. Wishing endurance, strength, and patience to those affected by Corona. It’s all really scary.”

So, the planet has created COVID-19 to punish humanity for global warming? Yeah, okay. Unsurprisingly, Jamil deleted the tweet. Her Twitter account is now full of legitimately helpful tips about helping others throughout the pandemic.

2 Joe Giudice

Joe Giudice (ex-husband of The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Teresa Giudice) has a history of ignoring the law and following his own rules. (He pleaded guilty to 41 counts of fraud and was deported to Italy.) Now, he’s pushing back against COVID-19 quarantine guidelines. In a March 10 Instagram post, he wrote, “More people die from Viagra (heart attacks and drug overdose) everyday than this Corona virus. People here are frantic because government is ridiculous with [lock] down !!!! Sorry Lock down not for me Never again !!!!! Stay safe [world] eat healthy, exercise, and no shaking hands. #coronavirus #staysafeoutthere #lockdownnotcool #awarenessiskey #washhands”

“Sorry Joe but you really need to treat this virus with respect… @sarahallison8046

“The reason it spreads is because people ignore quarantines and lockdowns. Maybe you’re not worried about YOU but think about others, Joe.” @nosillamp

“Therein lies the problem for you. You’re in a predicament in Italy because you refused to follow the rules/laws. Stop believing you’re exempt and take precautions for the sake of your children. Humble yourself.” @sharene.c

1 Evangeline Lilly

Canadian actress Evangeline Lilly (best known for her role on Lost) has really pissed off her followers. She has opted out of COVID-19 containment, saying that she values her freedom too much to be told she must self-quarantine. On March 16, she posted a pic of her teacup on Instagram and wrote, “#morningtea Just dropped my kids off at gymnastics camp. They all washed their hands before going in. They are playing and laughing. #businessasusual.” That is some hard-core tone-deafness right there. Among the comments, she added, “where we are right now feels a lot too close to Marshall [sic] Law.” Ironically, it’s actions like Lilly’s that are more likely to lead to *martial* law: if more people would comply with social distancing, that kind of drastic action would not be necessary. It didn’t take long for #unfollowevangelinelilly to begin circulating (until Instagram censored it on behalf of the actress), and her (former) followers let her have it:

“So incredibly selfish and irresponsible.” @lesleyannbrandt

“I plan on not seeing anything you’re in. I hope others do the same.” @theycallmeamy007

“Your choices can kill people. Beyond selfish.” @simplynaturalevents

“I had to lay off 150 people today in person, one by one. But glad your life is #businessasusual and you’re enjoying your cup of tea. Stay tone deaf and continue to be part of the problem Evangeline.” @hopesdaddy11

“We have lost more people than US in 9/11. Cheers from Italy. Enjoy your tea.” @thefakerael

“This isn’t about YOU or your kids need to go to gymnastics camp. This is about doing the responsible thing to NOT INFECT OTHERS with compromised immune systems from this rapidly changing virus. Give your head a shake and look outside your bubble. @happhealthfreak [Ironically, Lilly’s father, who has leukemia, lives with the family.]

“I am a front line healthcare worker who was exposed to covid19 by someone much like you. A person who lied about their travel history, who refused to self isolate and then went onto develop symptoms and presented for testing. I am now on day 7 of isolation. That person has put my children at risk as well as myself. This is not a joke. My colleagues are stretched to the limit because people like you refuse to take this seriously. We are exhausted, short of beds, PPE, ventilators. For you to deny the reality of what we as Nurses, Doctors, Microbiologists and Virologists are dealing with each and every day is insulting and dangerous.” @ema_seren

Top 10 Celebrities And The (Mostly) Hilariously Bad Songs They Released

With the coronavirus shutdown pushing us toward The Greatest Depression and leaving many of us wondering how we will manage our finances, the days when people paid huge amounts of money for celebrity memorabilia seem like something from the forgotten past.

10 Spectacular Meltdowns That Cost Celebrities Credibility

However, we can still cast our minds back to those distant times when people went on to eBay to place bids for a half eaten sandwich that Miley Cyrus might have gotten her teeth into, or one of Harry Styles’ old sweaty shirts.

So to remind us all that a world existed before the virus, here are the 10 maddest celebrity items people have paid for.

10 John Lennon’s toilet

John Lennon was a pathological liar, wife beater, and genuine music legend, both for The Beatles era and his solo career, with the celebrity sing-a-long to his song Imagine already giving us one of the cringiest moments of the coronavirus era. When Lennon sang “Imagine no possessions” from his luxury mansion it might have been because he had seen into the future and learned that one day someone would pay $11,773 for one of his old toilets. This very expensive toilet had been at the Tittenhurst Park home that Lennon and Yoko Ono lived in from 1969 until 1972 and was one that Lennon had given to his builder to use “as a plant pot” when he got a new one installed.

The auction where this bizarre 2010 sale took place was held at the Paul McCartney Auditorium in Liverpool and the person who paid almost ten times the expected price for a used . . . ahem . . . ’john’ kept his identity a secret. We cannot really blame him for that.^[1]

9 Kiss coffins

The only thing that Kiss lead singer Gene Simmons loves more than rock ‘n’ roll is money and that lust for lucre has helped to make his band the Krusty the Clown of rock music – willing to put their name to the tackiest merchandise in the world if it keeps the cash rolling in.

They took things to a whole new low – literally – back in 2001 though, when they launched the Kiss Kasket. This was a make of coffin that was covered in pictures of the group members as well as the band logo and cost $3,300. As if selling band branded coffins was not scraping the barrel enough they also offered urns that Kiss fanatics could have their ashes stored in.

At the launch, Simmons said that although he loved life, the Kiss Kasket “makes the alternative look pretty damn good” and the ads suggested people who had bought one and then failed to die could use it as a drinks cooler while they waited. Among those who have gone to the next world in a Kiss Kasket are Pantera guitarist ‘Dimebag’ Darrell.^[2]

8 Elvis Presley’s hair

The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll Elvis Presley had an iconic haircut. The ducktail and quiff that he rocked much defined the 1950s, but even that does not explain why anyone would want to pay money to own some of his old, dead hair. Back in November 2002, a man who used to cut the hair of The King – Homer Gilleland – put a collection of clippings he had kept for decades on sale at an auction in Illinois.

You might think that keeping someone else’s hair for that long is a bit weird and you would be right. It would be creepy if it was the hair of an ex girlfriend or boyfriend and you wanted it so you could stroke it and cry every night, but holding on to it to sell is not really any better. Then again, BUYING another person’s hair is weird too, so the anonymous buyer does not look great here either. The clippings came complete with letters from Gilleland, expert in Presley memorabilia John W Heath and someone called John Reznikoff who is apparently a respected authority when it comes to collecting hair (!) The final sale price of $115,120 made it the most expensive hair ever sold at auction.^[3]

7 Russell Crowe’s jockstrap

Back when he starred in Gladiator in 1999, Australian Russell Crowe was a sex symbol and lots of women might have been willing to bid for his used jockstrap, but by 2018 you would expect there to have been fewer takers. That was when the piece of sweaty protection was put up for sale as part of a ‘divorce auction’ of his belongings that the actor organized. The jockstrap for sale was one Crowe wore during the filming of Cinderella Man in 2004, although we have to hope that it had been washed during the 14-year gap.

Crowe was expecting to get offers of between $500 and $600 for it – which might seem a bit egotistical, but it actually went for $7,000 so if anything he was selling himself short. The buyer was an English television personality, who later claimed that he bought it for donation to a Blockbuster video store that was struggling for money (ya think?!) so that they could use it as memorabilia to attract customers. Whether they want the sort of customers who would be attracted by it is another matter.^[4]

6 Justin Timberlake’s French toast

Justin Timberlake has lots of fans, both from his days with NSYNC and his solo music and movie career and one of them was passionate enough about the man nicknamed ‘trouser snake’ to pay over $1000 for a couple of slices of French toast that he had come into contact with.

The toast was made for the star during an early morning interview he gave to the radio station Z-100 back in 2000, but the chef managed to burn it and Timberlake decided not to bother. After the interview, the DJ took the leftover toast and put it straight onto eBay, showing the true US spirit of enterprise.

A bidding war then took place over the stale toast, and given that Timberlake was still deep in his boy-band period at the time it is not surprising that the person who most badly wanted his uneaten breakfast was a 19-year-old fan of NSYNC called Kathy Summers. Speaking to the media after claiming her ‘prize’, Summer said: “I’ll probably freeze dry it, then seal it . . . then put it on my dresser.” NSYNC were also toast not long after this heartwarming story, splitting in 2002 as Timberlake went solo.^[5]

Top 10 Tone-Deaf Celebrity Coronavirus Messages That Are Cringey AF

5 Jennifer Lawrence’s sports bra

Jennifer Lawrence rose to fame by playing Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games movie trilogy, but it seems many of her fans are not so much hungry as thirsty – particularly the ones who bid for one of her used sports bras at an auction in 2013. The sports bra was one of several pieces that went on sale at an auction house in Los Angeles, with all of the clothes being ones she had worn during the filming of the movie Silver Linings Playbook.

The auction took place not long after she had won the first of her Oscars so that might explain the frenzied bidding or it could just be that a lot of dudes around the world had money to burn and were a bit too keen to own one of her bras. The total sum that was raised by the sale of the clothes was $12,000 and the sports bra accounted for a cool $3,175 of it. The owner of the auction house said afterwards that global bidding had been “furious” and the people who lost out on the bra were probably furious too. Surely finding a girlfriend would be a cheaper option for these guys.^[6]

4 William Shatner’s kidney stone

We know that Star Trek fans are pretty obsessive about everything connected with the show, so when Captain Kirk sold his kidney stone on eBay the most amazing thing about it was not the money it made but the fact that the buyer was no sci-fi geek. Shatner chose to put the stone onto the site in 2006 to help raise cash for the homelessness charity Habitat for Humanity, after falling ill with it the previous fall while he was filming Boston Legal.

When he put the huge stone up for sale he also included other pieces of surgical equipment like the string and stint that helped him pass it – just for those who did not find the stone itself gross enough. Plenty of people were willing to bid for a – literal – piece of Shatner though, with the whole lot eventually selling for $25,000. Lots of dedicated trekkers must have been mad as hell that night though, as none of them ended up with the precious stone. The buyer who boldly went where no man has gone before was an online casino called Golden Palace, who added it to other collectables that can be viewed on their website, such as a toasted cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary’s image on it.^[7]

3 Scarlett Johansson’s used tissue

Just in case you thought it could not get any more disgusting than buying a kidney stone, someone actually paid thousands of dollars for a tissue that Marvel star Scarlett Johansson once sneezed into. This moment of snotty behavior came long before Scarlett was cast as Black Widow in the MCU, as it followed an appearance on the Tonight show when she was promoting terrible 2008 superhero movie The Spirit. During the show she complained about having a cold and Jay Leno gave her a tissue that she blew into a couple of times.

This left it covered in both lipstick and nasal fluid, which would make most people want to get it in the nearest bin. Instead the star signed it and put it up for sale on eBay to try and raise money for a charity called Harvest. It worked too, possibly because there were lots of fans who were hoping to use it to clone her, Sheldon Cooper style. The eventual winner had to cough up $5,300 to get his hands on it (yes we are assuming it was a man). He may be having the last laugh though, as he sits at home with his Hollywood star clone wife.^[8]

2 Truman Capote’s ashes

The writer of Breakfast at Tiffany’s was someone who enjoyed being famous and the center of attention so he might not have minded people bidding huge amounts of money to own his ashes. They went up for sale at auction two years ago and the buyer paid $43,750 for his or her ghoulish prize. Capote actually died all the way back in 1984 and his ashes had been kept by one of his best friends – the wife of Johnny Carson, the Tonight Show legend. She claimed that having them near to her was a comfort, but after she died in 2017, the decision was made to put them up for sale.

The president of Julien’s Auctions Darren Julien said afterwards that “with some celebrities this wouldn’t be tasteful” (no kidding), but added that he was completely certain that it was what Capote would have wanted. The starting price for the ashes was $2,000 and it does seem likely that the flamboyant author would have been delighted to have brought in more than twenty times that much money.^[9]

1 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s breath

“Every breath you take”, The Police sang, but the next line was not “I will bottle and sell on eBay.” That is what happened to political activists and part-time actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie during 2005, in the first . . . um . . . breath of their romance. At the premiere of the movie Mr and Mrs Smith on June 7th that year, Joe Wilson and his partner in crime Pam DuMond, who call themselves the Celebrity Air Collection Squad lay in wait for passing stars. As Jolie and Pitt walked by on the red carpet they scooped up some of the air into a jar and sealed it shut.

At this point you might be thinking: “what if they were both holding their breath at that moment?” or “what if one of them farted before the jar was sealed?” It is possible that a Hollywood star fart in a jar would be worth more than basic breath though, so Wilson and DuMond may have missed a trick by not labeling it as that. As it was, they made sure to call it ‘Celebrity Air’ and point out that it might not be that of Pitt or Jolie at all so that they were within eBay rules about not selling something when its existence cannot be proved.^[10]

Top 10 Nutty Conspiracy Theories Involving Celebrities

Some people read something in everything. Whether it be a strange cloud formation or a weird sound coming through the pipes of an old house. They attach a sinister meaning to all of it. It is even worse when it comes to celebrities. When their dresses fold a certain way, it could be that they’re faking a pregnancy. When they have a creepy-looking symbol on their album cover, it might just mean that they are in cahoots with Satan.

10 Crazy Conspiracy Theories About Celebrity Deaths

Over the years many conspiracy theories have been formed around the idea that annual award shows are just Illuminati rituals in disguise. Weird celeb behavior and shocking deaths form part of these rituals. On this list are eight examples of such conspiracies. (Spoiler alert: the Illuminati is blamed for a lot of stuff.)

8 Heath Ledger

Even before Heath Ledger died on 22 January 2008 at the age of 28, strange rumors chased him. After he took the role of the Joker in The Dark Knight Rises, it was said that darkness entered his soul and he became insane. Sound melodramatic? That’s not even nearly the craziest thing that’s been theorized about this young actor lost in the prime of his life and career.

Conspiracy theorists latched on to the fact that Ledger died on Oscar nomination day in 2008 with the ceremony following a month later. They claimed that the Illuminati killed the actor to ensure higher viewer ratings for the awards show. They also came up with a bunch of other conspiracies, as they did not believe he died of an accidental drug overdose. They insisted that Ledger had to sacrifice his life to gain short-lived fame. They also said that since he died on the 22nd, his death was ritualistic as the number 22 is in sync with the Joker tarot card. They also pointed out that in his two last movies: The Dark Knight Rises and the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, there are two scenes in which Ledger’s character is hanged. One scene shows him hanging from his foot, which looks like the Hanged Man tarot card. The other scene shows him being hanged by the neck with the ‘all-seeing eye’ symbol drawn on his forehead. According to theorists, the neck hanging scene depicts the real-life hanging of Roberto Calvi whose death was also rumored to be symbolic and ritualistic.

Some even believe that the Illuminati recruited Mary Kate Olsen to kill Ledger in a way that would resemble a drug overdose.^[1]

7 Prince & Michael Jackson

Prince and Michael Jackson were both huge music stars. And they both died within days of the BET Awards in 2009 and 2016 respectively. After Prince was found dead in 2016, conspiracy theorists were quick to point this out. They compared it to the Grammy’s curse (think Whitney Houston’s death and Rihanna being assaulted by her then-boyfriend Chris Brown), saying that all awards shows were cursed and had to have a ritual death before airing. Hence, according to this bizarre theory, Prince and Michael Jackson were both murdered to fulfil this need.

And if that isn’t weird enough, there have also been rumors of Queen Elizabeth ordering the death of Prince to satisfy her blood lust on her 90th birthday (or out of anger for the singer stealing her thunder on her birthday). Even Aretha Franklin spoke of her suspicion that Prince may have died of the Zika virus fuelling even more conspiracy fires.^[2]

6 Cory Monteith

When Glee first hit the television, it was praised for being unique and celebrating people who don’t just follow the norm. And while the show’s latter seasons were said to be dull and uninspiring, most fans remember what is widely referred to as the ‘Glee curse.’ Not only did main actor, Cory Monteith, die of an overdose on 13 July 2013 (a month before the Teen Choice Awards), but supporting actor Mark Salling was found guilty of possession of child pornography and committed suicide on 30 January 2018.

As with the above-mentioned celebrity deaths, conspiracy theorists quickly jumped on the “celeb must die to hike viewer ratings” bandwagon, accusing the elusive Illuminati of murdering Monteith. At the Teen Choice Awards, Glee won the Choice TV Show for comedy award and Lea Michele the Choice TV Actress award. She made a tearful speech about Monteith, who had been her boyfriend at the time of his death. Some very heartless viewers commented that Michele was in on the Illuminati conspiracy and allowed them to murder Monteith in order to further her career somehow. They also said that the only reason she kept talking about Cory Monteith was to keep the media spotlight on herself, starting with her speech at the award show. Further “proof” was given that Michele was not really devastated about Monteith’s death, when she started dating Matthew Paetz “only a year” after Monteith died.^[3]

5Philip Seymour Hoffman

In 2012 Harvey Weinstein claimed that the movie, The Master, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman annoyed some scientologists at the time and that they tried to derail its filming. The Church of Scientology denied these claims after the film’s director confirmed that the movie was based loosely on L Ron Hubbard and tells the story of a cult leader and a World War II veteran drawn into his cult.

Conspiracy theorists however seem to think that the Church’s denial just means that they had something else up their sleeve. And when Philip Seymour Hoffman died, they triumphantly stated that the Church of Scientology murdered him as payback for the movie being released. The theory has it that since Hoffman had been clean of drugs for 23 years, it was very suspicious that he would die of a heroin overdose shortly after the film was completed. Some even compared the scene of Hoffman’s death to that of something a hitman would leave behind, seeing as how 49 bags of heroin were found at the scene as well.

Hoffman died on 2 February 2014 and the Academy Awards for that year took place exactly a month later on 2 March. Some believe this was planned on purpose to rub in the fact that Hoffman would never attend another awards show. Others suggested that the death of Hoffman was a ritualistic murder organized by both the Illuminati (who is said to be behind most celebrity deaths) as well as the Church of Scientology as a comeback for the ‘insult’ to their religion.^[4]

4 XXXtentacion & Billie Eilish

American rapper XXXtentacion was only 20 years old when he was murdered on 18 June 2018. Billie Eilish made strides in her music career in 2019 and had hardly recorded her hit album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go, when the conspiracies started flying. It was the song, Bury a Friend, that caught conspiracy theorists’ attention.

Not only was she almost immediately accused of having ‘joined the Illuminati’, some even accused her of having had XXXtentacion murdered in order to be the next big thing in the music industry. Theory has it that in order for Eilish to be initiated and accepted as a member of the Illuminati at the 2019 American Music Awards, she would have had to offer a blood sacrifice, which in this case was deemed to be XXXtentacion. Bury a Friend is believed to have been inspired by this sacrifice.

When Eilish performed at the 2019 AMA’s, conspiracy theorists claimed that her initiation had been completed. Some went even further and said they believed Eilish had been possessed by the devil himself after her initiation.^[5]

3Dolores O’Riordan

There are only a few songs that can ignite strong memories of an entire decade. Thriller is one of them and Zombie another. The Cranberries were much-loved in the 90s because of their unique sound and Zombie quickly became a fan favourite. Lead singer Dolores O’Riordan confirmed that the song was inspired by the tragic deaths of 3-year-old Johnathan Ball and 12-year-old Tim Parry when Cheshire was bombed in 1993.

O’Riordan was found dead in a bathtub in a hotel on 15 January 2018. She was dressed in pyjamas. The cause of death was only released in September of that year and officials stated that she had drowned after becoming intoxicated. However, conspiracy theorists were not about to leave things at that. Because Whitney Houston and her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown both died in bathtubs and Whitney died on the day the Grammy awards were held in 2012, many believed that just as Whitney and Bobbi were ‘murdered by the elite’, O’Riordan too met her fate at the hands of the illuminati. Once again, if conspiracy was to be believed, another celebrity had been murdered just a few weeks before the annual Grammy awards event. It is claimed that she was a Masonic blood sacrifice for the Grammy’s. This theory follows on the back of a very long-standing claim that the Grammy’s is an Illuminati-organized Satanic ritual disguised as an award ceremony and that those who don’t stick to the rules are offed as a sacrifice to the organizers. What O’Riordan might have done to displease the Illuminati overlords remains a mystery.^[6]

2 Whitney Houston & Jennifer Hudson

Whitney Houston arguably has more conspiracy theories surrounding her life and death than any other music star. Not only was it rumored that she had been a fertility sacrifice so that Beyonce’s daughter, Blue Ivy, may live but it was also claimed that Rihanna had predicted the star’s death.

Further conspiracy theories have it that after Houston was found dead just before the Grammy Awards in 2012, the event was turned into a mega-ritual to initiate her replacement, Jennifer Hudson, into the Illuminati. (It was also claimed that Lady Gaga was aware that a death would take place as she was dressed in what resembled a funeral outfit.) Theorists even accused Clive Davis of knowing that Houston would die, as he told Piers Morgan the day before her death that Jennifer Hudson was the ‘new Whitney’. They went on to claim that since Hudson sang “I Will Always Love You” in tribute to Houston while illuminated by a single spotlight with a picture of the late singer above her, her initiation had begun. When Nicky Minaj ended the show with a performance that included levitation and a bright red robe, it was claimed that she was actually referencing the sacrifice that had taken place in the form of Whitney Houston’s death.^[7]

1 Kobe Bryant

From the moment that the news broke of Kobe Bryant’s death on 26 January 2020, controversy reigned. Many people chose to bring up the rape allegation that dogged the famous basketball player years ago, with an educator even saying that karma caught up with a rapist. This did not go down well and Liza Sejkora, principal of Camas High School, was forced to resign after heavy backlash following the comment.

Conspiracy theories exploded. Not only did rumors fly that white supremacists murdered Bryant (as alleged by Dr Uman Johnson), it was also widely debated whether the Illuminati murdered him for elite occult ritual purposes.

It is claimed that Bryant was a Grammy award show sacrifice because he died mere hours before the show started. The show was held at the Staples Center and the helicopter crash happened not far from there. When the news broke during the show, several celebrities paid tribute to Bryant in what some theorists called yet another mega-ritual to usher in his replacement: LeBron James. This theory was fuelled online by those who chose to circulate clips of Bryant’s Black Mamba Nike ad in 2011 which ended with a helicopter crashing onto a basketball court. Another clip making the rounds on social media shows part of an episode of Chamberlain Heights featuring Kobe Bryant dying in a helicopter crash. Furthermore, what was clearly just a mistake on the BBC’s part, when they used footage of LeBron James instead of Kobe Bryant when reporting on Bryant’s death, is now being used as further ‘proof’ of an evil, murderous conspiracy.^[8]

Being a chef is nothing less than being a business tycoon these days. Many chefs, around the globe, today are among the richest persons in the world. They combine their skills and knowledge towards making some of the greatest dishes that we crave for. Let’s take a look into the 10 best celebrity chefs around the globe.

10 Best Celebrity Chefs in the World Today:

10. Bobby Flay

59 year old American celebrity chef, restaurateur and reality television personality Bobby Flay a Culinary Hall of Fame inductee, and among his many awards are French Culinary Institute Outstanding Graduate Award, James Beard Foundation’s Rising Star Chef of the Year and New York Magazine Gael Greene’s Restaurant of the Year – Mesa Grill.

As of November 2023, Flay has an estimated net worth of $30 million. His famous restaurants include Bar Americain, Bobby’s Burger Palace, Bobby Flay Steak, etc.

9. Nobu Matsuhisa

Known for blending traditional Japanese dishes with South American (Peruvian) ingredients, 74 year old chef Nobu Matsuhisa is the owner of some of the top class restaurants in the world including Nobu Los Angeles, Nobu Next Door, Nobu Fifty-Seven, Masuhisa Athens, Nobu Perth, Nobu Mexico City ,etc. His signature dish is black cod in miso.

As of November 2023, Nobu Matsuhisa has an estimated net worth of $200 million. He is one of the richest chefs in the world.

See also: 10 Amazing Alive Foods in the World.

8. Tom Colicchio

61 year old American celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, who gained worldwide recognition when he became the recipient of five James Beard Foundation Medals. He came to be known by the public through the TV series ‘Top Chef’. He has been the head judge for all its seasons.

Tom has so far released four cookery books – Think Like a Chef, Craft of Cooking: Notes and Recipes from a Restaurant Kitchen, Wichcraft: Craft a sandwich into a meal—and a meal into a sandwich and Top Chef: The Cookbook. He also is the proud owner of restaurants like Craft, Craftbar, Craftsteak, Riverpark, Topping Rose House, etc..

As of November 2023, Tom Colicchio has an estimated net worth of $20 million.

See also: 10 Amazingly Beautiful Meals.

7. Alain Ducasse

67 year old Monégasque chef Alain Ducasse is the first chef to own restaurants carrying three Michelin Stars in three cities. This feat has been achieved by his restaurant, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester. Besides, he is only one of two chefs in the world to hold 21 Michelin stars throughout his career.

As of November 2023, Alain Ducasse has an estimated net worth of $10 million. Some of his famous restaurants are La Cour Jardin, Le Grill, Le Jules Verne, 59 Poincaré, La Trattoria, Tamaris, Rivea, Spoon and Trattoria Toscana L’Andana, among many others. He has been featured as a special guest in the US and Italian versions of ‘MasterChef’.

See also: 10 Most Disgusting Delicacies.

6. Todd English

63 year old American celebrity chef Todd English is the owner of the famous restaurant Olives, which was opened in 1989. He is also a restaurateur, author, and television personality. He is the host of the TV show ‘Food Trip with Todd English’.

Some of his other restaurants are Figs, Da Campo Osteria, Todd English Food Hall, BlueZoo, Plaza Food Hall, Ember Room, Bonfire, Beso, Kingfire, etc. The net worth of Todd English is $20 million, and he is the 9th highest-earning chef in the world as of 2023.

5. Rachael Ray

55 year old American television personality, businesswoman, celebrity chef and author Rachael Ray was the highest earning chef in the year 2023. She was placed second in Forbes list if richest chefs, with an earning of 25 million dollars.

Ray expertise in making dishes that require 30 minutes or less. She has penned many cookbooks throughout her life such as 30 Minute Meals, Comfort Foods, Rachael Ray’s Open House Cookbook, $40 a Day: Best Eats in Town, The Book of Burger My Year in Meals, Yum-O! The Family Cookbook, Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats: A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners, etc.

In 2012, she won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite TV Chef. As of November 2023, Rachael Ray has an estimated net worth of $100 million.

4. Wolfgang Puck

74 year old Austrian born American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and occasional actor Wolfgang Puck is one of the busiest and most sought after chefs in the business. In 2013, Puck was inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame. His restaurants including Spago Beverly Hills and CUT Beverly Hills have won Michelin stars.

His books include Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen, Wolfgang Puck Makes it Easy, Adventures in the Kitchen with Wolfgang Puck, etc. Puck’s famous restaurants include Postrio, Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill Summerlin, Springs Preserve Café, The Source Trattoria del Lupo, WP24 by Wolfgang Puck, etc..

The net worth of Wolfgang Puck is $120 million, and he is one of the highest-earning chef in the world as of 2023.

3. Gordon Ramsay

If there is one chef who is looks and only looks for perfection in his work, it is none other than Gordon Ramsay. The 57 year old Scottish born British chef and restaurateur, who became the third person in the world to win three Catey Awards, has sp far written 21 books including Gordon Ramsay’s Passion For Flavour, Gordon Ramsay’s Healthy Appetite, Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape: 100 of my favourite Indian recipes, Gordon Ramsay’s Sunday Lunch and other recipes from the F word, etc.

He also has been part of various reality TV shows including Hell’s Kitchen, The F Word, and Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, MasterChef, MasterChef Junior and Hotel Hell, where is known to evoke fear in contestants. The net worth of Ramsay is $220 million, and he is one of the highest-earning chef in the world as of 2023.

2. Paula Deen

76 year old American celebrity chef and cooking show television host. Paula Deen is one of the top players in the culinary world. She has penned many coking books including The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cooking and The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cooking 2, both of which specialises in traditional southern American dishes.

Her famous restaurants include The Lady & Sons restaurant, Uncle Bubba’s Oyster House and Owen Shephard’s Finest. As of November 2023, Paula Deen has an estimated net worth of $12 million.

See also: 10 Bizarre Foods That People Usually Eat.

1. Mario Batali

63 year old American chef, writer, restaurateur and media personality. Mario Batali, who specialises in Italian cuisines, is one of the world class chefs that we have today. He is a Culinary Hall of Fame inductee, Michelin Guide Star winner, winner of “Best Chef: New York City” from the James Beard Foundation, among others.

His famous restaurants include Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, Lupa Osteria Romana, Italian Wine Merchant, Esca, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, Casa Mono, Bar Jamon, Del Posto, etc. As of November 2023, Mario Batali has an estimated net worth of $25 million.

Celebrities are known for their expensive and unique taste in things, which is why items related to them usually sell for pretty large sums of money. Sometimes, however, these items include downright bizarre stuff you had no idea there was a market for, ranging from used tissues to broken nails, to even kidney stones belonging to famous actors.

10. Lady Gaga’s Fingernail

Lady Gaga’s famous black nail, also sometimes called the ‘monster claw’ by her fans, was sold at a 2013 auction for around $12,000. The fashion accessory, made with gold glitter and beads, first surfaced at the launch of Gaga’s fragrance line called Fame, and is said to have been hand-painted by her personal manicurist and nail artist, Aya Fukuda. 

According to the listing, the acrylic nail had gone missing during one of her concerts, which was eventually recovered by a crew member during one of her later concerts. Apart from that, the unknown recipient also received a photograph of the singer with the missing nail at the same concert. 

9. Justin Bieber’s Boa Constrictor

In 2011, Justin Bieber showed up at the MTV Video Music Awards with an unusual accessory – a live baby albino boa constrictor apparently named Johnson. Unfortunately, Bieber’s affection for Johnson didn’t last a long time, as he was put up for a charity auction within a few months. According to the catalogue listing, ‘the snake will grow to nearly four feet long. Keeping a pet snake is a long-term responsibility’.

Johnson was eventually bought by one Michael Kronick, who got so disgusted by Bieber’s decision to use him as an accessory that he made a public statement against it. The python was then donated to the Reptile & Amphibian Discovery Zoo in Owatonna, Minnesota.

8. Justin Timberlake’s Unfinished Toast

In March 2000, Justin Timberlake, then a member of the popular boy band NSYNC, had breakfast at a New York-area radio station. After his meal, the DJ noticed that Timberlake had failed to finish his sandwich, and proceeded to do what any normal person would do with a half eaten sandwich – put it up on eBay for sale. 

It turned out to be a wise decision, as the sale went through for the expected sum of money. The sandwich was bought by a 19-year-old from Wisconsin named Kathy Summers, who paid a surprising $1,025 for it. She also expressed her plans to preserve the toast by freeze-drying and sealing it, and then displaying it on her dresser. When the chef at the radio station asked why Timberlake didn’t finish his sandwich, he chose to stay silent on the subject, at least according to some first hand reports.

7. Britney Spears’s Pregnancy Test

In 2005, a pregnancy test kit purportedly used by Britney Spears was sold at an auction for $5,001. The radio station behind the sale claimed that the test had been retrieved from the hotel room where she stayed with her husband, Kevin Federline, though we haven’t been able to independently verify that.  

The acquisition was first announced by the internet casino, GoldenPalace.com, claiming themselves to be the buyer. As with many of their previous purchases, the proceeds from the sale were designated for charity, namely towards two organizations called the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation and the Easter Seal Society, which supports children with physical disabilities.

6. William Shatner’s Kidney Stone

William Shatner, famous for his role as Captain Kirk in Star Trek, successfully sold his kidney stone in 2006. Like Spears’ pregnancy test, it was also purchased by the online casino, GoldenPalace.com, for $25,000, which was later donated to the housing charity, Habitat for Humanity. The casino initially offered $15,000 for the stone, but Shatner was successfully able to negotiate a higher price.

The kidney stone became a part of GoldenPalace.com’s collection of curiosities, which includes items like a potato shaped like Pete Townsend, and a toasted sandwich that looks like the Virgin Mary, or what we assume Virgin Mary looked like, anyway. In an interview, Shatner added that the stone might turn out to be a diamond if it was subjected to extreme heat, though there’s no reason to believe that he made this claim seriously. 

5. iPhone Broken By Rihanna

During a Los Angeles Clippers NBA playoff game back in 2014, Rihanna accidentally dropped and cracked the phone belonging to Steve Soboroff – then the President of the Los Angeles Police Commission. According to reports from the ground, the incident happened while she was attempting to take a selfie with him. 

Rihanna later tweeted an apology and donated $25,000 to a charity fund for police officers and their families. Soboroff decided to auction the cracked iPhone on eBay to further support the Los Angeles Police Foundation. The phone, which Rihanna had signed with a message expressing her support for the LAPD, quickly garnered popular attention, raising its price on eBay to about $56,000.

4. John Lennon’s Tooth

John Lennon’s tooth was sold for £19,000 – or about $31,200 at that time – at an auction in England in 2011. It had been in the family of one of his previous housekeepers, Dot Jarlett. While he had originally given it to her to destroy it, he later changed his mind and advised her to give it to her daughter, who happened to be a big fan of the Beatles. 

While the tooth itself is now too weak to be DNA tested, the owner of the Omega Auction House expressed confidence in its authenticity. They had originally hoped to sell it for about $16,000, though it went for almost double the amount by the end of it. A Canadian dentist, Michael Zuk, claimed to be the buyer, though the auction house didn’t confirm that. According to Jarlett’s son, the tooth had been in his family’s possession for several decades.

3. Russell Crowe’s Jockstrap

In April 2018, it was revealed that the jockstrap worn by Russell Crowe in the film Cinderella Man was purchased by John Oliver’s HBO show, Last Week Tonight, for $7,000. Along with the jockstrap, the show also acquired other items worn by Crowe in various films, including a pair of shorts and robe from Cinderella Man, a hood from Robin Hood, and a vest from Les Miserables. He also announced that these items would be sent to the last remaining Blockbuster store in Alaska.

This decision was a part of one of the segments of the show that focussed on the decline of video rental stores and Blockbuster locations across the USA. Due to slower streaming services and higher costs in Alaska, video stores there are still able to remain open and sustain themselves. 

2. Elvis Presley’s Hair

In October 2009, a lock of hair believed to have belonged to Elvis Presley was sold at an auction in Chicago for $18,300. It was claimed to be from the time he joined the U.S. Army in 1958, and was only one of the many Elvis belongings put on sale by Gary Pepper – the late president of the Tankers Fan Club. 

The sale was confirmed by the Chicago-based firm called Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, when they posted the results of the auction on their website. According to them, the item far exceeded the range of $8,000 to $12,000 they were expecting. While they didn’t conduct any DNA testing to confirm its legitimacy, it was authenticated with other methods by one John Reznikoff – an expert in celebrity hair authentication. While we know that the sale was made, we’re still not sure about the true identity of the winning bidder.

1. Scarlett Johansson’s Used Tissue

In 2008, a tissue used by actress Scarlett Johansson was auctioned off on eBay for about $5,300. It was put up for sale by the TV network NBC after her appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, where she had presumably used it.

The proceeds from the sale went to the food-gathering charity called USA Harvest. While the bidding started at a low $0.99, it quickly reached $4,050 just before the sale was made. The final price was determined after a total of 83 bids, and the buyer eventually chose to remain anonymous.