10 Celebrities with Phobias

We always think of Celebrities as being untouchable and elite. Which they might be in some ways-BUT, not when it comes to fears and phobias. Stars have a number of phobias and several of them are, well strange to say the least. From seagulls to chewing gum, here are the top 10 phobias celebrities have.

1.       Oprah Winfrey- Chewing Gum & Balloons (Chiclephobia & ligyrophobia)
Billionaire and former talk show host Oprah Winfrey has a major fear of chewing gum and balloons. Although Oprah knows her fears are irrational, when surprised with balloons for her birthday she described her birthday as an “anxiety-filled day”. It seems the thing about balloons that fills her with dread is the unexpected popping. The noise as she stated, “remind me of gunfire”. Winfrey’s fear of gum goes back to her younger years when she would find gum stuck to furniture by her grandmother. This fear is so extreme she even banned it to avoid being in the same building as it.
2.       Khloe Kardashian-Belly Buttons (Omphalophobia)
The third Kardashian sister shared her feelings concerning belly buttons on her snapchat. The at the time pregnant Khloe shared her worries of her belly button turning into an “outie” during pregnancy. She told them, “I’m so grossed out by that. Ew” Khloe reportedly avoids touching her own belly button and wears gloves when she is washing it!
3.       Adele- Seagulls & Stage Fright (Ornithophobia & Glossophobia)
The insanely talented Adele fears that she “won’t deliver” when performing her songs live. While we can’t see how that would even be possible, it’s understandable that there is a huge amount of pressure and high expectations. When she wakes up on the morning of a show, Adele immediately attempts to distract herself however, this doesn’t always work. There have been times when the anxiety gets the best of her and she throws up before the show. The singer-songwriter revealed that at age 9 while having an ice cream a seagull swooped down and stole it. She confessed, “I thought it was going to take me with it”. A fear that clearly continued into her adulthood.
4.       Matthew McConaughey- Revolving doors
You may be surprised to know that revolving doors were invented to escape a social phobia. The inventor Theophilus Van Kennel hated opening doors for people as he felt awkward. While it was an escape for Kennel, it is the bane of McConaughey’s existence as he said, “I get anxious just being near them”. Maybe it’s the feeling of being trapped(similar to claustrophobia) mixed with it revolving so slowly that gets to the actor.
5.       David Beckham-Birds (Ornithophobia)
The now-retired footballer is believed to have a fear of birds- among several other phobias! It is likely that Beckham had a negative experience involving a bird, as Adele had when she was younger. The swooping action of the birds and their aggression can make many of us uneasy!
6.       Orlando Bloom- Pigs (Swinophobia)
It’s not clear where Bloom picked up his phobia of pigs but what is clear that is very extreme and irrational. While filming a movie, a pig escaped on set so of course, Bloom shot off the set in a frenzy.
7.       Nicole Kidman- Butterflies (Lepidopterophobia)
To most of us, butterflies are an example of how beautiful nature can be. The opposite of this is true for Kidman. For this reason, growing up in Australia must have been a living nightmare as the country holds approximately 400 species of butterflies! An attempt to cure the phobia by facing her fear in a butterfly enclosure, unfortunately, didn’t work.
8.       Justin Timberlake- Spiders (Arachnophobia)
Arachnophobia. It’s common these days as many people view it as a disgusting and creepy organism just waiting for the chance to bite people. Apparently, Timberlake had to call room service in a hotel to help him take a spider out of his room as he refused to go near it.
9.       Brad Pitt-Sharks (Galeophobia)
Brad Pitt doesn’t like it when his children go surfing in the ocean as he gets anxious due to his phobia of sharks. Shark phobias increased after the Jaws films as they had been villainized in the movies. Hearing about shark attacks that have happened also causes people to fear the animals however it is important to remember that it is extremely rare for a shark incident to occur and people shouldn’t let it stop them from enjoying the beach and ocean.
10.   Scarlett Johansson- Cockroaches (Katsaridaphobia)
This phobia is definitely understandable. No one likes cockroaches. We associate them with uncleanliness and infestations. Johansson’s phobia is likely is stronger than the majorities. Seeing a picture could bring up feelings of disgust and anxiety.

Find out if you have a phobia!