Celebrities are loved by millions of people all over the world. We all have a favorite celebrity, someone we’ve never met but love. We watch their movies, or listen to their songs, and could spend hours talking about them. People set up blogs dedicated to them, write books about them, and they’re constantly in the news. But what happens when it feels like your favorite celebrity let you down? Or worse, actually hurt you?

Most of us would just be quietly disappointed, or complain on Twitter. “That sucks,” we’d say, and then move on with our day. Some people, however, feel that celebrities need to pay for disappointments and mistakes, and they resolve to use the court system to make it happen, whether the celebrity was actually in the wrong or not.

Without further ado, here are 10 celebrities who were sued, rightfully or wrongfully, by their own fans.

10 Skrillex

Concerts are a dangerous place to be sometimes. Between the packed, jostling crowds, the limited visibility, the strobing lights, and disorienting loud sounds, there’s numerous ways to find yourself injured. That’s exactly what happened to one fan in 2014, at a concert performed by famed DJ and dubstep artist, Skrillex.

Jennifer Fraissl was in the concert audience when Skrillex leapt off a DJ table up on the stage, allegedly landing directly on her and causing her to have a stroke! Though his attorney claims that the video of the incident clearly shows no contact between Skrillex and Fraissl, the jury tasked with the final decision in this lawsuit disagreed.

Fraissl was awarded a cool 4.5 Million in damages, divided up between Skrillex, his tour company, and the venue for payment.

Skrillex, to his credit, took it well, saying that his number one priority was making sure his fans were safe and having a good time.^[1]

9 Creed

Creed is a well known and well loved “dad rock” band, with tracks that have been featured in movies, played incessantly over the radio, and featured in at least one playlist we all had in our 20s. It’s reasonable to expect such an accomplished band to put on a fantastic show, right? The fans seemed to think so, which is why one 2003 concert was such a shock that it apparently required the response of a class action lawsuit!

In 2003, fans of Creed were shocked and a little horrified when frontman Scott Stapp stumbled out onstage, allegedly drunk and unsteady. He reportedly had severe trouble singing, and at one point actually passed out on stage, halting the concert. Needless to say, the 15,000 who showed up to watch creed play were incensed, some so much that they filed a lawsuit on behalf of everyone else at the venue!

They demanded a refund on the ticket costs (and hopefully an apology) for everyone who came to the show, as well as a refund on their parking, a total cost to the band of 2 Million dollars!

The judge, however, dismissed the case, saying that he was not “a rock critic” and that it would be a very bad idea for the arts to set a legal precedent for judging good art (or shows) from bad ones for the sake of lawsuits.^[2]

8 Lil’ Wayne

Even if you’re not into Rap, you probably know about Lil’ Wayne. From 2009-2014, he was a massive success in the rap world. Kids loved him, parents tolerated him, and fans were crazy about him. His explicit songs, whimsical lyrical twists and often hilarious rhymes shot him to the top of the charts.

In May of 2012, however, one fan wasn’t very happy with Wayne. Alfred Marino claims that, after getting into an argument with the famous rapper, one of Wayne’s ‘crew’ smashed him over the head with a skateboard! Marino had pulled out his phone with the intent of taking a picture of Lil’ Wayne after seeing him outside a shop in Los Angeles. After being told repeatedly to put his phone away (and being called a few nasty names) Marino alleges that Wayne’s bodyguard broke a skateboard over the back of his his head, knocking him out and leaving him with vertigo so severe he had to take medical leave from his job.

Marino was reportedly “disgusted” by Lil’ Wayne after the incident, and as a former fan, sued the rapper for the distressing and painful incident.^[3]

7 Justin Bieber

For a while, just about the most harmless celebrity you could imagine would have been Justin Bieber. The Canadian dreamboat was known for his sugar-pop love songs, big eyes, and irresistible charm. Girls of most any age swooned over him, spending tons of money on his merchandise, his albums, and most of all to see him live and in person at sold out concert venues.

At one such show in Oregon in 2010, Bieber set up an act for the concert that played off that very thing, climbing into a giant, heart-shaped metal gondola and being pulled over the crowd, leaning out to wave to the sea of fans below. In the crowd was Stacey Betts, a stay at home mother of five who had come to see the show with her daughter.

According to Betts, Bieber whipped the crowd of girls into such a frenzy with his waving that their screams reached “unsafe levels”, echoing off the metal heart and causing a “sound blast” that permanently damaged her hearing. She claims to have contracted tinnitus, a condition which causes constant, debilitating ringing in the ears. Betts also claims hearing loss and an overall lowered quality of life.

For her pain and suffering, Betts demanded a whopping 9 Million in damages.^[4] The case was ultimately dismissed.

6 Miley Cyrus

Many of us have fond memories of Miley Cyrus as her lovable, blonde alter ego Hannah Montana, the spunky country pop-star plastered across the Disney Channel schedule (and our hearts). The daughter of famous country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley was introduced to the entertainment business young and has stayed there pretty solidly ever since then. Those perfect wholesome beginnings have not, however, kept her out of trouble with the media, and with her fans.

In 2009, a photo surfaced on the web of Miley making a “Chinese eyes” face. Sitting with a group of her friends, Miley was seen in the photo pulling her eyes out to the sides along with others in the group. In fact, the only person in the photo NOT doing this was a young asian man who, it is alleged, was being mocked by the eye pulling.

The photo was deemed so offensive that it triggered a lawsuit. Los Angeles area woman Lucie J. Kim, alleging to have been personally damaged by the “discriminatory” photo, reportedly sued the Disney teen for $4 BILLION dollars! Not just on her own of course, but on behalf of the over 1 million Asian Pacific Islander’s living in the Los Angeles area.

For frame of reference on how out of this world a sum of 4 billion is, Miley’s entire net worth currently stands at only 160 million: roughly 4% of the requested pay.^[5]

5 Usher

Whether you’re a fan of Usher’s music or not, you’ve probably heard his name. From his involvement with Justin Bieber to being parodied on Family Guy, Usher has been around for a while, and in that time has made a name for himself as a talented musician and agent for up-and-comers.

It’s my unfortunate duty to tell you that Usher is also known for a less pleasant bit of publicity: a lawsuit filed against him in 2017 by three people who say that he gave them all herpes! Way to really screw it all up, Usher!

Quantasia Sharpton, an anonymous man, and another anonymous woman have banded together to sue the R&B star for allegedly giving them herpes (and they’re not talking about cold sores, either). Although he refused to make a public statement, Usher is known to have settled a similar lawsuit about the same allegations out of court for 1.2 million dollars in 2012. The unnamed plaintiff in the 2012 case is supposedly a former lover and celebrity stylist.

Sharpton and the anonymous duo sought unspecified damages and to have Usher cover their court fees.^[6]

4 Jessica Simpson

Serious question: can a paparazzo be considered a fan? They’re obsessive like fans, and they love to take pictures like fans, so for the purpose of this list, they probably count. With that in mind, let us look at the lawsuit against Jessica Simpson in 2018.

Outside a hotel in New York, Jessica Simpson was, as is often the case, ambushed by a paparazzo. A few photos were snapped, the paparazzo ran off, such is life for a famous person. However, a few hours later when the photo was posted to a rag site, Simpson copied it and pasted it onto her instagram. You’d think, being that it was a picture of her, she’d have the right. I mean, it’s literally her face!

According to the paparazzo and the media company that employed him, however, since the photo was taken by their employee, they own it, and Simpson actually stole it when she pasted it on her instagram.^[7]

The company alleges damages upwards of 20 thousand dollars. They may not legally own her face, but they sure are determined to make her pay for taking it back!

3 Snoop Dogg

Imagine for a minute you’re at a concert for your favorite artist. Elated at being near them, you rush the stage and go in for a hug. From the wings, as if waiting for you, several security guards swoop in and tackle you, causing major injuries.

That was the situation for Richard Monroe Jr, a Snoop Dogg fan violently tackled by security when he rushed the stage and attempted to hug Snoop in the middle of a concert. Monroe was knocked out and dragged offstage. He later woke on the ground backstage, his face swollen, lying in a pool of blood.

Monroe originally sued for 22 Million in damages, but was awarded just under 500 thousand after the jury determined that Snoop was not entirely to blame for the incident. Monroe also says that, after spending several days hanging out with Snoop during negotiations for a settlement, he feels very close with Snoop. He even went so far as to say that he felt happy when he saw Snoop in the courtroom, despite the circumstances.^[8]

2 Bon Jovi

As we all know, Bon Jovi is a very successful man. An ’80s star that still enjoys relevance and success today, Bon Jovi is clearly a man who needs no helping hands, ethical or otherwise. In fact, he’s still performing and touring to this day, and still putting out new music! So why would he need to steal a song?

According to one Samuel Bartley Steele, Bon Jovi did just that. In 2007, after releasing his song “I Love This Town”, Bon Jovi was hit with a stunning 4 Billion dollar lawsuit by Steele, who claims that Bon Jovi had somehow gotten his hands on Steele’s “country rock tribute” song to the Boston Red Sox (“Man I Really Love This Team”) and had passed it off to his record label as his own. At the trial, Steele even brought a musicologist to testify that they were the same song, only to be surprised when the musicologist testified that the songs were, in fact, nothing alike save for the words “love” and “this” in their respective titles.

His lawsuit was of course dismissed, but that didn’t stop him. Steele appealed the decision, hoping to take another run at the famous singer.^[9]

1 Taylor Swift

When you’re a pretty girl and your face is plastered across magazines, billboards, and social media almost constantly, you tend to attract a lot of strange people. Most are harmless, simply adoring fans who vie for your attention with gifts, stunts, and social media campaigns. What do you do, however, when you manage to attract a stalker?

In 2015, Taylor Swift had to answer this exact question as a fan went rogue and attempted to drag her into court to get her attention. Russell Greer, a long time Swift fan, wrote a song over the course of two years titled “I Get You, Taylor Swift” and send it to her agents, attempting to have it passed on to Swift herself. The agents were not allowed to pass the song on because of copyright concerns, and sent back polite but firm rejection letters.

Instead of taking it on the chin, Greer began sending mail and gifts directly to Swift’s family, begging them to give her the song. When that failed, he tried a new tactic: suing her to the tune of 7 thousand dollars for both neglect of duty and emotional distress. At first, it was couched simply as an attempt to get her attention, but when the lawsuit was dismissed and Greer, through statements made in the motion, found that Swift’s family considered his efforts “troubling” and “invasive”, Greer became openly hostile, and sued her a second time, this time for 50 Million, in another attempt to force her to acknowledge him.^[10]

Yikes! Let’s hope no other girls ever catch his eye quite like poor Taylor!

Celebrities are like royalty to us. We see them in the movies, on TV, and on the Internet, and they never fail to captivate us. Fans often feel they know their favorite celebrities, and we are amazed by them, awed by them, and even cry with happiness when we are near them. Some of us even want to be them.

Fans want and need to express their gratitude and admiration to the celebrities they idolize for how they’ve impacted their lives. They want to be near them in hopes some of their fairy dust rubs off on them. Many celebrities adore their fans right back. And sometimes, a celebrity unexpectedly turns the tables on a fan by doing something to surprise their adoring fans. Here are ten moments celebrities surprised their fans.

Related: Top 10 Ridiculous Celebrity Items People Have Paid Money For

10 Singer Billy Eilish

Mega music star and Grammy winner Billy Eilish decided to surprise some fans. First, several fans were asked to describe Billy on camera.

One said, “She’s very carefree and funny.” Another said, “She doesn’t cover up the truth.” “A cure to any bad moment is to listen to a Billy Eilish song,” said a third fan.

While these fans were auditioning for a “supposed” dance show, Billy slipped onto a couch at the back of the stage to watch them. Eventually, the auditioning fans noticed Billy and were so awed by her presence they each clamped a hand over their mouths, rendering them speechless. As Billy Eilish hugged and hugged one girl, the nonstop tears flowed down her face.

9 The Cast of Stranger Things

The Netflix series Stranger ThingsM/em> is about a young boy who vanishes in a small town. Eventually, secret experiments are uncovered, along with frightful supernatural forces, and then there’s that strange girl who likes Eggos. This series has developed quite a fanatical following.

Comedian Jimmy Fallon of The Tonight Show decided to bring on the Stranger Things cast. With the help of special lighting, the cast posed in the background as wax figures while die-hard fans took their seats in front of them to have their pictures taken with the supposed life-sized wax figures.

Right before the shutter was clicked, the cast members stealthily moved closer behind the unsuspecting fans to photobomb them. When the fans realized that the real-life Stranger Things actors were right next to them in the studio, they went wild with astonishment. The fans shocked expressions were caught on camera, leaving them with a cherished memento of one amazing experience they’ll never forget.

8 Singer Harry Styles

Come summer, the Today Show out of New York City erects an outdoor stage for singers and musicians to stop by and perform on. Fans come from all over the country to see these iconic performances. Singer Harry Styles was live, on stage, waiting to perform. His immense popularity drew quite a crowd of adoring fans.

Suddenly, it was announced that one lucky fan would receive VIP tickets to one of Harry’s upcoming concerts. Harry noticed one particular young fan screaming with tears flowing down her face. He handpicked her to receive the tickets. She was so overwhelmed to be singled out that her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground.

People surrounding this amazed young woman lifted her to her feet, and Styles sent a personal “Hello” out just to her. No doubt, when she calmed down enough to process the gift that Styles bestowed, she had to pinch herself to believe it really did happen.

7 Reality Star and Influencer Kylie Jenner

The famous reality star and Internet influencer Kylie Jenner of Keeping Up with the Kardashians surprised one of her fans by giving the young woman a personal tour of her cosmetic headquarters.

Afterward, the young fan and her mother sat in front of two lidded boxes with Jenner. When they each lifted the lid on their individual box, they found $100,000 in cash. They were stunned. Once they thawed out, there were expressions of gratitude and hugs all around.

6 Superstar Tom Cruise

In The Mummy, Tom Cruise stars as a United States Army sergeant. He’s responsible for accidentally unleashing an ancient Egyptian princess into our modern-day world. To promote the film, he surprised some of his most exuberant fans.

The fans were outfitted with virtual reality goggles through which they could view some footage of the soon-to-be-released movie. As they were engaged in this metaverse, Tom Cruise quietly steps off an elevator. When the fans were asked to take off the goggles, they found themselves face to face with the smiling megastar.

First, there was astonishment written across their faces, followed by warm hugs proving that Tom Cruise understands something very crucial. That connection with his fans has kept him at the top of stardom in Hollywood for decades.

5 Actor Will Smith x2

Two boys decided to do something for a classmate at school who other kids were bullying because of his clothes. The two boys brought their classmate new clothes and shoes and gave them to him at school. This sensitive, kind gesture was videotaped and put up on YouTube.

Subsequently, Ellen DeGeneres invited the boys to be guests on her talk show. To their utter amazement, the boys were surprised on set by the appearance of movie star Will Smith. Smith came to acknowledge their heartwarming expression of kindness and humanity and treat them each to a duffel bag stuffed with special gear handpicked by Will Smith himself.

Will Smith surprised more fans when he promoted his role as the Genie in the movie Aladdin. A giant genie lamp was set up in an outside public venue. Fans were invited to come up and rub the lamp. When they did, they heard the voice of Will Smith speaking directly to them.

They didn’t initially realize that Will Smith was actually there but hidden from sight. When Smith emerged from behind the curtain, the crowd went wild when they saw this celebrity up close and personal. Scores of smartphones were thrust high overhead, and fans snapped hundreds of pictures to record the moment.

4 Superstar Performer Hugh Jackman

Australian actor, singer, and all-around performer Hugh Jackman likes to give his fans a moment when the opportunity arises. Picture this—Jackman was live onstage. At the stage stood a devoted fan faithfully videotaping Jackman with his smartphone. Jackman noticed the fan, marched right up to him, and gave him multiple high fives. The fan didn’t miss a beat and kept filming the experience.

Jackman played to the phone camera, emoting like he was his famous character, Wolverine. Next, Jackman grabbed the smartphone and turned the camera on the fan, recording him as well. The fan jumped up and down, excited to be singled out by this amazing celebrity. Finally, Jackman dropped to his knees and scooped the fan into a big bear hug giving a devoted fan a memory that’ll last his entire lifetime.

3 Actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Actor Dwayne Johnson, famously known as The Rock from his professional wrestling days, made a behind-the-scenes stop at Jimmy Fallon’s late-night talk show. He was there to surprise a show employee by the name of Karina. She was totally flummoxed when The Rock appeared and was specifically looking for her. As she started hyperventilating from the sheer excitement of being face to face with this celebrity, he explained that he was there to do something nice for her.

As she listened, The Rock thanked Karina and her husband for their service in the military, and as a surprise, he was able to bring her husband home to her. When Karina turned around, there stood her husband in full dress uniform. The Rock reunited husband and wife for the holidays after a long deployment, and there was not a dry eye in the room.

2 Bollywood Actor Shah Rukh Kahn

East Indian Bollywood mega movie star Shah Rukh Kahn is also a film producer and television personality. Think of him as the Tom Cruise of India. Fans regularly gather by the thousands in the street outside his home, waiting to catch a glimpse of him. He does indulge his fans by stepping out onto the balcony to wave to the multitudes as Queen Elizabeth does on her balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Shah Rukh Kahn likes to catch his fans off guard in various ways. Once, he got into the cockpit of a private jet that was flying a group of his fans to go skydiving. Once the jet was in the air, Shah Rukh Kahn emerged from the cockpit, sending his fans into squeals of excitement merely at the sight of him.

On another occasion, he dressed up as a waiter in a tuxedo in a high-end restaurant and served a table of fans their meals. When they realized who their waiter was, they were in shock.

On another occasion, while out jogging, he ran up even with a woman who was also jogging; when she glanced to her left and saw Shah Rukh Kahn, she was so shocked she nearly collapsed.

1 Actor Taylor Lautner

During a recurring segment of The Ellen DeGeneres Show where she scrolls through various audience members’ Facebook pictures, she comes upon a picture of a young woman who had herself photoshopped being carried aloft in the arms of actor Taylor Lautner of the Twilight series.

After Ellen chatted with the young woman a bit, the curtains on stage suddenly opened like the Red Sea, and there stood Taylor Lautner in the flesh. His ardent fan rushed up to him on stage and couldn’t resist touching his chest.

Finally, Lautner suggested they reenact the photograph, at which point he lifted the young woman into his arms like a knight in shining armor. As the joyful fan waved and waved to the cheering audience, Lautner carried this princess-for-a-moment off stage, where no doubt the real Tayler Lautner posed for selfies with her so she could post the real deal on her Facebook page.