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We Have Compiled a Super List of Famous People and Their Fears/Phobias, Some are Strange and Some are Common Fears we all have.

Everyone is afraid of something, however, there are some really strange and weird phobias that many of us cannot even imagine being afraid of at all. We have scoured the internet and publications for famous people with some of the most bizarre fears and listed them here.

Some of the phobias such as fear of flying or fear of snakes are shared among some very famous individuals, but then you will find a fear of pork or getting pregnant by an alien and you stop in your tracks and wonder where this fear originated. Do you happen to share a fear with someone famous? Check out the list below and see. Lets Go!

 

Adele-Famous Singer

• Seagulls
• Stage Fright

Alexander The Great

• Cats

Augustus Caesar

•The Dark – needed people around and awake during the night
• Storms (mainly thunder and lightning) – saw a slave struck and killed by lightning only a few feet in front of him

Alice Cooper-Singer

•Needles – becomes faint if he has to get a blood test

Aretha Franklin-The Queen of Soul

•Flying

Alfred Hitchcock

•Chicken eggs – The egg yolk he explained would breathe and spill yellow liquid
• Sex
Heights
• Authority
• Being arrested and placed in jail

Adolf Hitler

•Dentists – So fearful it took 8 trips to the dentist to finish a root canal treatment
• Cats
Blades – would not allow a barber to shave him – if a barber came close he would scream

Alex Pettyfer-Actor

• Flying
Ceiling fans

Andy Roddick-Tennis Pro

• Rabbits – had to run out of a Texas hotel due to the Easter display that had several bunny mascots

Bobby Brown-Pop Star

Dogs

Bela Lugosi-Actor Dracula

• Blood

Britney Spears-Singer

Snakes
• Large reptiles

Barbra Streisand

• Stage fright

Billy Bob Thornton-Actor

• Antique furniture – he is very anxious if he is in a room with furniture that is dated back before 1850
• Bright colors
Clowns
Live theater
• British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli’s hair – he knows there are mites and dust there
• Komodo dragons

Cheryl Cole-Singer Dancer

•Cotton – cannot touch it without having anxiety
•Wool

Chris Cornell-Musician

•Flying

Charles Darwin-Theory of Evolution

•Agoraphobia – only going outside with wife or others
Crowds
• Anxiety

Cameron Diaz-Actress

• Germs – she cleaned her doorknobs in her home so much that the paint was removed

Carmen Elektra-Actress

• Water

Chris Hemsworth-Actor

• Being boring – he is afraid the media and his fans will think he is boring

Christine McVie-Musician

•Flying

Christina Ricci-Actress

•Being alone in a pool
Sharks
• Indoor plants

Channing Tatum-Actor

• Porcelain dolls

David Beckham-Soccer Star

• Disorder – Items must be color-coded and his clothing must match his furniture
Frogs
Birds – afraid he will be in a public place and be attacked by birds mainly pigeons

David Bowie-Singer Performer

• Flying
• A wizard stealing his urine – during a time he suffered from emotional problems and drug addiction

Dave Davies-The Kinks

Clowns

Dave Grohl-Musician Foo Fighters

• Small spaces
•Private planes
• Getting stuck in an elevator – had a panic attack stuck on the 38th floor in an elevator

Danielle Jonas-Reality TV

Balloons – She feels like the movement of balloons is out of control

Donnie Osmond-Singer

• Shopping malls

Daniel Radcliffe-Actor

• Clowns
• Losing his movie career
• Yellowstone volcano – it could go off anytime
• Being mobbed by fans – will not use the London Underground

David Lee Roth-Singer

• Flying

Donald Trump

• Germs – shaking hands makes him anxious
Falling down stairs/slopes

Eminem-Rapper

• Giraffes – their long necks freak him out
Owls

Eva Mendes-Actress

• Water

Edvard Munch-Painter “The Scream”

• Agoraphobia – afraid to go outside alone

Elliot Page-Actor

Tennis balls – must leave the room if tennis comes on the television

Elvis Presley

• Flying

Eric Prydz-Record Producer

• Flying

Frederic Chopin-Composer

• Buried alive – wanted his heart removed at the time of death so he would not be buried alive

Freddie Mercury-Singer

Spiders

Gustave Eiffel

•Heights

Genghis Khan

•Dogs – during his attacks on villages, he would tell his men to kill all dogs and cats
• Cats

Gene Simmons-Musician

•Flying

Hans Christian Anderson-Composer

• Being buried alive – he created a bell that could be placed in a coffin to ring if the person was alive
Dogs
Pork – refused to eat due to being afraid of being poisoned
• Fire

Honore de Balzac- French Novelist

Sun
• Daylight

Hilary Duff-Actess Singer

Dirt – cleans her room every night to ensure there is no dirt

Heraclius

• Water

Howie Mandel-Actor Comedian

• Germs – will not shake hands
• Dirt

Harry Styles-Singer

• The dark – uses a night light
• Dentists

Isadora Duncan-Dancer

•Cats

Julius Caesar

•Cats
• Fire

Johnny Cash

• Fear of flying
• Fear of snakes

Johnny Depp-Actor

Spiders
• Clowns

Joe Elliot-Singer Def Leppard

• Thanking the wrong city on stage

James Hetfield-Musician

• Responsibility
Failure
• Turning 50

Jennifer Love Hewitt-Actress

• Lifts
Sharks
• Her health
Bones – will not eat chicken legs as her teeth might touch a bone
• The dark
Monsters – worried there are monsters hiding under her bed
• Elevators
Enclosed spaces
• Being trapped with no way to escape

John Lennon

• His legacy – how he would be remembered

John Madden

• Flying – more claustrophobic than actually the fear of flying

Jerry Seinfeld

• Germs

Jessica Simpson-Singer

Slippery teeth – she only brushes 3 times each week
Dolphins

Justin Timberlake-Actor Singer

• Spiders
Snakes
• Sharks
• Dying unloved
• His mother

Kim Basinger-Actress

• Public spaces – shopping malls bring on anxiety
• Open spaces

Kristen Bell-Actress

• Pruney fingers – wears gloves in the pool so she does not have to feel pruney fingers

King Henry VIII of England

• Germs – would not sleep in the same bed two nights in a row

Katie Holmes-Actress

•Raccoons – while sitting outdoors a raccoon came up to her and stared at her and did not move – she stood up and barked at it to scare it away

Kendall Jenner-Personality

• Holes – she is afraid of what might be in the small holes in a pancake

Kylie Jenner-Personality

• Dust in a cup
Butterflies

Kim Jong-II

• Flying – no matter the distance he would only travel by train or vehicles

Khloé Kardashian-TV Personality

Belly Buttons – She is even afraid of her own belly button and must use a mitten to wash it while screaming

Kelly Osbourne-Singer TV Personality

• Being touched
• Hearing others making sounds with their mouth like chewing and slurping

Katy Perry-Singer

• The dark – she believes evil lurks in the darkness

Kyra Sedgwick-Actress

• Talking food – food talking on commercials make her leave the room like the California Raisins

Kayne West-Rapper

• Spiders – Kim has to get rid of them

Lance Bass-Singer Backstreet Boys

• Items that buzz

LaToya Jackson-Singer

• Cats

Louis XIV

• Cats

Lyle Lovett-Country Singer

• Cows

Liam Payne-Singer

Spoons

Muhammad Ali- The “Greatest”

• Flying – brought his own parachute on flights

Matt Bellamy-Musician

• Getting impregnated by an alien and giving birth
World Apocalypse

Matt Damon-Actor

• Snakes – Scarlett Johansson said he cried when they brought out snakes during a scene of We Bought a Zoo

Megan Fox-Actress

• The dark – she is afraid of what she can’t see
• Dry paper – she cannot read a script without having a cup of water to dip her fingers in to turn pages
• Flying
• Germs

Martin Freeman-Actor

• Choking – when he cuts an avocado and sees the seed he envisions the seed getting lodged in his windpipe

Michael Jackson

• Germs – chose to wear a mask at all times when not at home
• Dogs
• Flying

Marilyn Manson-Musician

• Sleeping naked – has a dream will wake up in front of the police
Afraid the house will catch fire – during sex, lights must be on and underwear at his ankles

Marilyn Monroe

• Disappointing those she loved
• Losing her mind
• Stage fright

Marcel Proust-French Novialist

• Agoraphobia – had cork walls to keep out sounds and thick curtains that stayed shut

Meryl Streep-Actress

•Helicopters

Nikolai Gogol- Russian Novelist

• Being buried alive

Nick Jonas-Singer

Flying – he does take planes but feels like defying gravity is terrifying

Nicole Kidman-Actress

Butterflies – as a child, a butterfly or large moth was on the gate to her home, she would climb over the fence instead of going near the gate
• The sudden death of family or friends

Nicki Minaj-Pop Star

Escalators – In 2011, she refused to use a moving staircase that was part of the red carpet

Napoleon III

Cats – would get on furniture and stay until someone removed the feline

Nikki Sixx-Musician

• Snakes

Nikola Tesla-Inventor

• Germs – would not shake hands
• Jewelry

Natalie Wood-Actree

• Water

Orlando Bloom-Actor

• Pigs

Ozzy Osbourne-Singer

Rats

Oprah Winfrey

• Balloons
• Chewing gum – her grandmother would save chewed gum and stick it places which brought on the fear. No one is allowed to chew gum on her set.

Pamela Anderson-Actress

Mirrors
• Can’t watch herself on television – she turns the television or she leaves the room

Paul Cezanne-Painter

• Fear of being touched

P Diddy-Pop Star Producer

• Clowns – asked for a no clown clause to be placed in his contract for Fear Factor and since the producers would not add the clause, he chose to forget the gig
• Long second toes

Pablo Picasso

• Getting a haircut

Pythagoras

•Beans – even though he was a vegetarian he would not touch or eat beans and forbid his followers from doing so

Paul Stanley-Singer KISS

• Bullying
• Being ostracized

President George Washington

• Being buried alive – ordered that his body was to lay untouched for 2 days after his death to ensure he was dead

Robert De Niro-Actor

• Dentists – believes dental equipment carries disease

Ranbir Kapoor-Indian Actor

• Spiders

Roger Moore-Actor

• Heights
• Water
Guns

Richard Nixon

Hospitals – so afraid that if he were admitted he would never be released

Robert Pattinson-Actor

• The dark – must have a light on to go to sleep
• Driving
• Clowns
• Getting stabbed
• Fame
• Horses
• Getting shot
• Dating
• Death threats
• Buying a house
• HIV – people want him to bite them and he is afraid they might have a needle and stab him

Russian Tsar Peter the Great

•Insects – servants had to check rooms for bugs before he would enter
• Agoraphobia – preferred staying indoors
• Crossing bridges

Rihanna-Singer Actress

Fish – had a panic attack when in water and small fish were swimming around her feet

Ringo Starr

• Germs – would bump elbows instead of shaking hands
• Stage fright

Sheryl Crow-Musician

• Heights

Salvador Dali-Painter

•Grasshoppers – The fear came from childhood when bullies would throw these insects at him
• Ekbom’s Syndrome – a condition that caused him to feel and even see bugs crawling on his body

Snoop Dog-Rapper

• Water

Shannon Elizabeth-Actress

• Chickens

Sigmund Freud- Psychiatrist

• Guns
• Ferns
• Traveling by train

Sarah Michelle Gellar-Actress

•Cemeteries – when shooting Buffy the Vampire in a cemetery she would break down crying
• Being buried alive

Scarlett Johansson-Actress

• Cockroaches
• Birds

Sonam Kapoor-Indian Actress

• Elevators
• Heights

Stephen King

• Writer’s block
• Angry spirits
• Evil cars
• Larger than life rats

Sarah Paulson-Actress

• Clowns
• Heights
• Holes
Bees

Slash-Musician

• Hand injuries – will not put his hand outside of a car window while riding

Steven Spielberg-Director

• Furniture that has feet
• Cats
• Insects

Tyra Banks-Model

• Dolphins

Travis Barker-Drummer

• Flying – after a plane crash that killed his assistant and bodyguard

Tom Cruise

• Going bald

Tony Curtis-Actor

• Flying – tried hypnosis to cure his fear

Thomas Edison

• The dark

Tyrese Gibson-Actor

• Owls – will not even watch Harry Potter as there is an owl in the movie

Thomas Jefferson

• Social anxiety
• Public speaking – would say he was ill when invited to give a speech
• Talking about himself – even in his own autobiography, he was worried he was talking about himself too much

Timothy Leary-60’s Icon

• Barbers

Tennessee Williams-Writter

• Serious illness

Thom Yorke-Musician

• Cars
• Loneliness – due to being bullied as a child
• Flying
Technology

Uma Thurman-Actress

• Confined spaces

Woody Allen-Actor Director

• Heights (acrophobia)
Sharp objects (aichmphobia)
• Aliens
• Fear of a place that was not Manhattan
• Peanut butter – that would stick to the roof of his mouth
• Spiders

Walt Disney

• Mice

William Shakespeare

• Burial and exhumation – inscribed on his gravestone “Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare, To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones
• Dogs

Will Smith-Actor Singer

• Water

Zach Galifianakis-Actor

• Heights

As you can see, there are all kinds of fears and phobias. Some phobias may be shared by others while others may only be found with one person. Fears and phobias both are often developed during childhood. Everyone has fears, however, if the fear is stopping a person from handling day to day activities, then the fear may have turned into a phobia. A fear of water, may not actually be a fear as the person may only be afraid because they do not know how to swim.

Did you find a fear that you have? Do you have a phobia? Many of the phobias can be conquered with the right therapies. This does not mean every person with a phobia will get completely over their fear, but they will learn how to manage the fear without running in terror.

Can you imagine, going out on stage when you have stage fright? Some of the famous people above are doing just that. They are conquering their fears and doing a great job. Look at Uma Thurman. She is terrified of confined spaces, however, she was placed in a coffin and dirt thrown on her for a scene in Kill Bill. Now, that took more than guts!

Notice:

“Famous People with Unique Fears and Phobias” is presented for illustrative purposes only. It is not intended to abase or demean any individual listed.
The material presented is sourced through public outlets and is public knowledge.
The information is offered in support of those suffering with similar fears and phobias.
The knowledge that one is not alone in their fear may help them overcome these struggles, and promote a happier, more productive life.

Your Fear Goes Up and Down

Are you someone who would rather climb the stairs than take the elevator? You call it squeezing in a workout after being sedentary the whole morning. Or perhaps you claim it's a faster route. These are both typical, normal, and acceptable reasons. But what if you need to be in the conference room on the eleventh floor in five minutes, and you're wearing your business suit and wingtips? Would you still prefer to take the stairs? If your answer is yes, then maybe it's time to take a closer look at your reasons for avoiding elevators. Elevators stir all sorts of emotions in passengers. From the discomfort of closeness to strangers to the sensations in our gut, elevators can be a source of the heebie-jeebies for many, but for some, they can also be a source of terror. Let's dig a little deeper into the latter, and see what this terror is all about and what can be done to manage it. To begin with, does being inside an elevator give you chills or the sweats? Or does it trigger an unpleasant memory? Perhaps you remember movies you've watched where something terrible happens inside an elevator. From Silence of the Lambs, The Shining, Final Destination 2, or the king of all elevator horror films, 2010’s Devil, the elevator becomes witness to something sinister and horrible. And you want nothing to do with any of it. You know that you're not claustrophobic. You can deal with heights just fine, too. And you know that you're not going to be trapped inside. All of these contribute to a fear of elevators—but they don't apply to you. Yet being inside one does something to you. It's hard to explain.

What is the Fear of Elevators Called?

What you have is a fear of elevators, which is called elevatophobia. It is most commonly triggered by an experience of getting stuck inside either due to a power outage or technical maintenance. Hearing about other people's experiences or watching a movie about similar circumstances can prompt a fear of elevators getting stuck with you inside. Usually, claustrophobics and agoraphobics may also develop elevatophobia because the triggers and objects of these fears are related. Claustrophobia is the fear of closed and cramped spaces, while agoraphobia is the fear of being trapped without any means of escape. Put the two together, and the elevator becomes the perfect combination of both phobias. The space is limited and closed, with only one means of entry and exit. You can add another point of access if you consider climbing the cables like they do in the movies, but that certainly isn't ideal.

Symptoms of Elevatophobia

If for some reason an elevator stops due to an outage or some technical difficulty, passengers with elevatophobia may go into full panic mode. Even if the maintenance team advises that it will just be a matter of minutes, by then, the person's mind has become irrational with the fear of the elevator falling, being stuck for hours, or other unpleasant thoughts. You would expect a person to exhibit the following physical symptoms: Additionally, you would be filled with that overwhelming anxiety where you feel that you have zero control over the situation. You start fearing the unknown and are filled with negative thoughts about death and imminent doom. You become irrational and unresponsive.

Possible Complications of Elevatophobia

When the panic sets in, the possibility of emergencies related to pre-existing conditions may make themselves known. This might include serious health crises like heart attacks or asthma attacks. When this happens, fear becomes a medical emergency. Elevator rides do not last long; it's just a matter of minutes or even less. But the fact that a person can escalate from panic to a near fatal medical situation classifies the fear of elevators as a 'hard phobia.'

Trying Some Self-Help Methods

Your fear of elevators can likely interfere with your social and work life and relationships. Not everyone understands that elevatophobia, like most phobias, can be crippling. But don't be disheartened. Depending on the level of your fear and level of control, you can gradually face and manage your phobia. Here are some recommendations you can try:
  1. Make a List of Everything that Entails Riding in an Elevator This is a systematic approach to getting over your anxiety. By following a step-by-step process, you can identify where the fear kicks in at its strongest. You can write a list of steps like pressing the topmost button and waiting to arrive on that floor, watching as the door closes and opens, being alone inside the elevator, or having delays with the doors opening. Now try doing the opposite. For example, face away from the door or occupy yourself with your phone so that you are distracted.
  2. Create Your Fear Ladder Although the name says fear of elevators, it is not the whole process that scares you. There are just phases and parts of the elevator riding experience that cause you to panic. So go back to the list you initially created and label the fear level you feel. You can do it numerically, too, like ten being 'really scary,' six, 'manageable scary,' and one, 'not scary at all.' You can put the corresponding fear levels so you can focus more time and effort into activities that are more scary to you.
  3. Face Your Fear By now, you have identified what scares you the most. You can try repetitive action to minimize your fear and increase your sense of ‘normalcy’. Remember that the longer you expose yourself to your fear, the better you get at handling your emotions. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stop. Pushing yourself too fast and too soon can backfire. Modify your pace and go slower instead.
  4. Talk About Your Fear People by nature, unfortunately, are not quick to offer understanding and support. You need to tell them what's wrong before they can empathize. Talk to someone who you trust and ask for their support, especially in the initial phase of overcoming your fear. If you are too afraid to ride the elevator alone, you can ask them to go with you, and before you realize it, you are on your floor, and there was no indication of panic.
  5. Learn To Be Patient Be patient with yourself and your predicament. This is, after all, your fight against fear. It might take hundreds of elevator ride practices before the fear gets under control. Even then, there might be some hesitations and episodes of nervousness. These are acceptable and expected, so cut yourself some slack and congratulate yourself for every progress.

Seeking Professional Help

Along with self-help, you can always enlist a medical professional's aid to support you with your elevatophobia. Talking to someone who has experience with similar cases can be comforting, because you know that you are not alone, and this situation can get better. Talk to your doctor about the severity of your fears and the symptoms that you experience. Explain how you deal with it in an attempt to control it. An exam and a health history are made to ensure that there are no unrelated or underlying problems that your symptoms might mask. Usually, phobias like this are approached with a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Your doctor will talk about these options with you, and it's entirely up to you, with your doctor's recommendation, what you want to pursue. For psychotherapy, the most common type is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which aims to help you find different ways of behaving, thinking, and reacting when about to step inside an elevator or when already inside it. With medications, there are beta blockers and benzodiazepines, but note that these can have side effects. Whatever these side effects are, you should promptly share it with your doctor.

Simple Tips to Overcome Elevatophobia

Elevators are not perfect, but their likelihood to malfunction, fall, or get stuck is very low. If you are not fully confident with this information, you can help overcome your elevatophobia by learning common elevator safety tips and basic elevator operations. These should help curb your mild fear until you become more self-assured. In addition to that, here are some of the things that you can do to gradually overcome your fear of elevators—both in getting on and riding one.

Conclusion

Yes, elevatophobia can be a challenge in today's world, but don't allow the elevator to win. Don't let it stop you from taking a job on the top floor or attending a social gathering on the rooftop. Sure, you can take the stairs if you insist and arrive winded and sweaty, with the party about to wrap up. But is this the quality of life you seek? Elevators are designed to make life easier. There are guaranteed ways to help you overcome elevatophobia. Take the first step and seek help. Soon, you’ll see yourself breezing through the floors with those arduous stair climbs little more than a memory.
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