Celebrities, despite their elevated status, are not immune to the mundane aspects of life, facing the same decisions about schooling their children, purchasing homes, and daily commutes as the rest of us. Their homes may be on a grander scale, but they’re not free from complications, including instances of the paranormal that bear a striking resemblance to the ghostly tales of ordinary neighborhoods.
The supernatural encounters of celebrities range from the benign to the downright harrowing, with some even impacting their well-being. These are a few of their most haunting experiences.
Miley Cyrus Experiences Hauntings in Her London Flat
Miley Cyrus, during her time touring, needed a place to stay in London and chose an apartment that proved anything but a sanctuary. She described the space as host to a malevolent entity in an Elle UK interview, detailing unnerving encounters including visions of a boy perched on her bathroom sink as she showered. The situation escalated when her sister was scalded by water that mysteriously turned hot during her shower. “I run in there and the water had somehow flipped to hot […….] the knob had turned but she hadn’t turned it and it was burning her,” Cyrus recounted.
Her family also sensed the presence, with an aunt discovering every window and door inexplicably wide open. Cyrus eventually abandoned the flat for the security of the Soho Hotel, vowing never to return.
Salma Hayek’s Spectral Visitors Lead to a Ghostbuster Call
Salma Hayek’s London residence wasn’t your typical home, plagued by ghostly activity that prompted her to summon a ghostbuster. She detailed this chilling episode in 2021 on the Ellen show after her staff witnessed unexplainable phenomena, like a self-playing piano.
Hayek initially doubted these claims but brought in a medium to ease her employees’ alarms. Rather than solving the problem, the medium detected about 20 spirits, including one persistent nun who refused to leave. The actor had her own share of strange incidents with lights switching on and off unassisted. Her daughter Valentina even contributed from the Ellen audience, sharing she had witnessed transparent figures within the walls of their home.
Peter Jackson Reports a Disturbing Spectral Encounter
Well-known for directing the epic “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Peter Jackson’s journey to fame included works like 1992’s “Brain Dead” and 1996’s “The Frighteners.” However, a peculiar incident in 2009 led Jackson to believe he had encountered an actual ghost.
Jackson recounted to Channel 4 (via Stuff) an incident from 20 years prior, in which he and screenwriter Fran Walsh, who is also his partner, shared an eerie experience. One morning, Jackson was startled awake by what appeared to be an older woman, silently screaming at him from the end of his bed. The figure proceeded to glide across the room and dematerialize through a wall. When discussing the unsettling event with Walsh, her query regarding whether Jackson had seen the screaming woman indicated she too had witnessed the apparition. The rumor mill suggests the specter belonged to a woman affiliated with the theater across from their residence, a tragic figure who met her end in the wake of a failed performance.
Diane Ladd’s Career Turns Under Spectral Influence
Acclaimed actress Diane Ladd believes a ghostly presence once swayed the direction of her career. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she detailed an incident during her stay at the Watergate Hotel, coinciding with her performance at the Kennedy Center in 1976.
Ladd recounted being jolted awake near 5:00 a.m by what felt like an intense shake of her arm. Upon rising, she discovered no one else present but noticed the faint outline of a woman dissipating in her room. Later, while at the Eisenhower Theater, whispers interrupted her performance not once, but twice. Initially dismissing them as idle ushers, she was surprised to find none present backstage. In a more striking occasion, a spectral voice confided in her, claiming to be Martha and pleading for Ladd’s help. Adding to the mystery, Ladd shared that Maury Povich—albeit with uncertain memory—suggested the voice might have been that of the late Martha Mitchell, known for her involvement in the Watergate scandal. Povich remembered Ladd and Mitchell appearing on his show but was vague on the details. Inspired by the encounter, Ladd advocated for a biopic about Mitchell’s life, though it has yet to be realized.
Courteney Cox decided to sell her Los Angeles home
Initially unconcerned about it being haunted. The property, once owned by Gypsy Rose Lee, came with stories of ghostly presences shared by former owner Carole King. Cox’s skepticism waned after guests reported seeing apparitions, and a revealing encounter with a UPS delivery person, who saw someone standing behind Cox, left her unsettled. “I couldn’t sleep there alone ever again,” Cox remarked, leading to her decision to sell.
Joan Rivers dealt with a ghost while renovating a New York City apartment
The spirit, believed to be Mrs. Spencer, a relative of J.P. Morgan, manifested displeasure with the changes. Rivers sought help, eventually making peace by honoring Spencer with a picture and flowers. Rivers lived there peacefully until her death in 2014, though the apartment’s ghost story and extravagant price tag have made it difficult to sell.
Patrick Stewart shared several paranormal experiences, dating back to his youth and extending into his professional life
Stewart recounted witnessing glowing portraits and hearing his mother’s voice posthumously. He also encountered a spectral figure during a theatre performance. Additionally, Stewart owned a Los Angeles home where he and tenants experienced numerous ghostly phenomena, affirming his belief in these encounters. “It happens to me and I’m not inventing it,” Stewart asserted, emphasizing the genuineness of his experiences.
Chloë Sevigny found unexpected inspiration in a historic haunting
While staying at the Lizzie Borden house, now a bed and breakfast in Massachusetts, Sevigny encountered mysterious groans in an otherwise unoccupied dwelling. Adding to her chilling stay, her companion felt an alarming pressure on his chest. Later, Sevigny and Bryce Kass, while working on a Borden-related film script, experienced ghostly phenomena including a sudden icy shift in the atmosphere after contacting what they believed was Andrew Borden’s spirit through a seance.
Actor Daniel Stern’s honeymoon trip turned into a ghostly encounter
After visiting London, Stern and his wife Laure Mattos found themselves in the quaint town of Widecombe, as shared on Celebrity Ghost Stories. Initially idyllic, their impressions quickly shifted as the town exuded a disconcerting silence and coldness. Stern observed the townspeople’s peculiar behavior, including a woman whose milky-white eyes were revealed when asked for directions. A host later suggested to the newlyweds that they might have witnessed restless spirits from a tragic church event centuries prior. Nevertheless, a local historian, A. E. Beard, proposed they might have stumbled upon a funeral, which would account for the mournful ambiance. Whether supernatural or simply untimely, Stern’s recounting of their Widecombe visit remains an unsettling anecdote.
Elvira’s Real-Life Encounter with the Unknown
Cassandra Peterson, also known as the iconic Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, had never personally encountered the supernatural until she stumbled upon an architecturally captivating craftsman home while strolling through the Hollywood Hills. Compelled by its charm, Peterson and her then-husband decided to purchase the property.
It wasn’t long before Peterson experienced unsettling phenomena. The mysterious incidents escalated when she and her husband witnessed an eerie shadow near the pool and disturbing attempts by an invisible entity to pull her under the water. Peterson recalled the chilling moment she saw the visage of a man at the fireplace, who locked eyes with her before disappearing. She suspected he might be the spirit of a man who died on the premises decades earlier, hinting at his continued presence by manifesting along with other spectral figures.