Forget luxury penthouses and sprawling estates, some of the world's most famous faces have found themselves sharing their homes with unwelcome, supernatural residents. From unexplained noises to full-blown apparitions, these celebrities have experienced paranormal activity that ranges from unsettling to downright terrifying, with some even forced to take drastic action.
Hollywood's Haunted History: From Serial Killers to Friendly Ghosts
Oscar-winner Nicolas Cage once owned one of America's most infamous haunted properties. In April 2007, he purchased a home in New Orleans' French Quarter with a dark past. Centuries earlier, the mansion was owned by Delphine LaLaurie, a socialite who secretly tortured and murdered enslaved people. Her crimes were exposed in April 1834 after a fire. Although Cage told Vanity Fair he bought the house as inspiration for a horror novel and never personally witnessed anything paranormal, the property's grim history solidifies its reputation as eternally haunted by LaLaurie's victims.
In a more modern haunting, cosmetics billionaire Kylie Jenner claimed her $12 million mansion in Hidden Hills, California, was plagued by ghosts. The 28-year-old, who bought the property in 2016, detailed the disturbances on *The Kardashians*, describing loud bangs and objects falling in the night. Her sister Kendall corroborated the claims, saying she felt chills in the bedroom. Jenner is now moving to a new, custom-built home on land purchased from Miley Cyrus for $15 million.
When Ghosts Force a Move: Unwelcome Roommates
Sometimes, the paranormal presence becomes too much to bear. Friends star Courteney Cox sold her Laurel Canyon home after a series of eerie encounters. Initially warned by previous owner Carole King about a ghost, Cox became a believer after friends claimed to see a woman sitting on the bed. The final straw was a delivery man who asked if she knew her house was haunted, stating, "Because there is someone standing behind you." Cox sold the property soon after, admitting she could never sleep there alone again.
Meanwhile, Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer has taken a more pragmatic approach to her spectral housemate. After buying her Toluca Lake bungalow for $841,500 in 2013, she told Ellen DeGeneres in 2021 that a friendly ghost, believed to be a former Hollywood Western star, resides there. Spencer has set "boundaries" with the protective spirit, which she says scares away malicious people but acts up—slamming doors and switching off lights—when she's been away from home for too long.
Eternal Tenants: Ghosts Who Never Left
The late comedian Joan Rivers famously cohabitated with a ghost in her luxurious triplex Manhattan penthouse on 1 East 62nd. She claimed the spirit was Mrs Spencer, the niece of banker J.P. Morgan and a former occupant. Rivers told Howard Stern in 2010 that she felt the presence regularly and was "very comfortable with her." Neighbours also reported apparitions on the grand staircase. Rivers allegedly placated the spirit by displaying her portrait and leaving flowers. The apartment sold for $28 million in 2014, the year of Rivers' death.
These stories reveal that fame and fortune are no shield from the supernatural. Whether facing the residual horror of a historical atrocity or a merely mischievous spirit, these celebrities have all had their domestic lives profoundly interrupted by paranormal activity, proving that some haunted house stories are more than just Hollywood fiction.
