Despite the fact that we very often place celebrities on a pedestal, they are still prone to everyday trials and traumas just like everybody else. So, we will now take a look at some of the more bizarre celebrity phobias which they have openly discussed in years gone by.
Martin Freeman, fear of choking
The renowned UK actor Martin Freeman has discussed his phobia of choking on numerous occasions. For some reason, his phobia seems to revolve around avocados and every time he opens one he can imagine the stone being lodged in his windpipe. This may indicate issues from a previous incident but who knows!
Tyra Banks, fear of dolphins
While for many people dolphins are cute and cuddly, for some people they hold a real fear! It would appear that Tyra Banks has in the past had numerous nightmares about dolphins and touching them. This is one of many “bizarre” phobias which are a lot more common than many of us automatically assume.
Khloe Kardashian, a fear of belly buttons
One of the infamous Kardashian Klan, Khloe Kardashian apparently has a real fear of belly buttons to the point where she can’t touch her own and she certainly won’t touch anybody else’s. It is not clear how this unexpected phobia emerged but for the lady in question it is real and causes a very uncomfortable physical/mental reaction.
Liam Payne, a fear of spoons
Perhaps best known for being part of the successful One Direction boy band, Liam Payne has been very public with regards to his fear of spoons. His phobia has emerged to such an extent that he only feels comfortable eating with his own spoon. Apparently, when he was younger one of the forfeits for naughty children at school was to wash up the dishes, often consisting of “nasty spoons”.
Kendall Jenner, fear of tiny holes
This is a fairly common phobia, known as Trypophobia, which is a serious aversion to clusters of small holes or bumps. The problem for many sufferers is the fact that these clusters of small holes occur naturally in the environment and you are likely to come across some on a regular basis. We’ve even seen commercial products changed because they induced this specific phobia!
Scarlett Johnansson, fear of birds
Superstar actress Scarlett Johnansson openly discussed her phobia of birds when promoting her movie “We Bought a Zoo”. She also confirmed that this seems to be a phobia which runs in the family, although phobias are not passed between family members, with her uncle having a similar aversion. Apparently it is their wings, beaks and flapping which terrifies the actress.
Nicole Kidman, fear of butterflies
Again, a fear of butterflies is not necessarily uncommon and one which other sufferers share with award-winning actress Nicole Kidman. As we often see, it would appear that her phobia has foundations in her youth. Apparently, after returning from school the biggest butterfly/moth would be sitting on her front gate. She would crawl through fences, around the house and do anything to avoid contact with the front gate.
Sarah Paulson, fear of clowns, bees and tiny holes
What you tend to find is that that those who suffer from a major phobia will normally have other issues. So, it is perhaps no surprise to learn that Sarah Paulson has a fear of clowns, bees and tiny holes. It is the visual effect of the tiny holes as well as a genuine fear of bees and the age-old fear of clowns. Many people fail to realise that clowns were initially a sign of death many centuries ago.
Kristin Stewart, fear of horses
When doing the chat show rounds, it is amazing what celebrities will discuss in a less formal environment. Actress Kristin Stewart has expressed her real fear/phobia of horses which seems to stem from childhood. At the age of nine she fell off a horse and dislocated her elbow which has given her a real fear of horses.
Jennifer Aniston, fear of being underwater
The fear of being underwater is yet another common phobia which is perhaps not as openly discussed as it should be. Jennifer Aniston relates her phobia of being underwater to an accident as a child when she rode her tricycle into a swimming pool and “didn’t let go”. This irrational but extremely strong physical fear of water is not uncommon.
Billy Bob Thornton, fear of antique furniture
Apparently Billy Bob Thornton has a physical aversion to antique furniture such as dusty heavy drapes and big tables with lions heads carved into them. When you hear him talk about his aversion, it is fairly obvious it is real, physical and has had a mental impact. He describes antique furniture as too big to be functional and the fact it creeps him out.
Oprah Winfrey, fear of chewing gum
Oprah Winfrey, once described as one of the most powerful women in the world, has an irrational but real fear of chewing gum. Apparently it goes back to her childhood in Mississippi and the fact that her grandmother used to save gum by sticking it on bedpost, cabinets, etc. A young Oprah Winfrey hated “bumping into it” and such was the impact that she has actually banned it from her business offices.
Megan Fox, fear of the dark and dry paper
It does seem as though many of the high-profile celebrities we look up to have the same flaws as the general public. Superstar actress Megan Fox has been very vocal about her fear of dry paper and the fact that she has to keep “licking her fingers” when going through scripts, newspapers or anything that is not laminated. Apparently, she is also afraid of the dark!
Kylie Minogue, fear of clothes hangers
When you bear in mind the huge wardrobe that Kylie Minogue must have, many people will find it bizarre that she has a genuine phobia of clothes hangers. Apparently, she does not like the noise they make when you put them in the wardrobe. As a consequence has taken to laying out her clothes rather than hanging them up. How much floor space will she require for that!
Rita Ora, fear of toilets
We recently covered a phobia of toilets which is a real issue for many people. Apparently, Rita Ora has a fear that something is going to come out of the bottom of the toilet when she is there. This may sound bizarre to many people but to those who have this type of aversion, it can be extremely challenging to say the least!
Channing Tatum, fear of porcelain dolls
In a 2014 chat show appearance, Channing Tatum expressed a real fear/phobia of porcelain dolls. He described them as super freaky, having real eyes and they look real. In hindsight, he believes that his phobia may be linked with the award-winning film “Friday the 13th” which featured a possessed porcelain doll. Bizarre!
Adele, fear of seagulls
She may be rich, famous and able to pick and choose her celebrity friends but an incident as a child has left Adele with a phobia of seagulls. Apparently, as a youngster in Wales, she was eating an ice cream walking down the promenade when a seagull came down and swiped it off her. She still has the scar on her shoulder and the experience left her with a very strong phobia of seagulls. We can understand that one!
Conclusion
Whether you’re a superstar, member of the general public, royalty or a politician, when you scratch below the surface we are all the same. Perhaps this insight into the phobias of the rich and famous may put your mind at rest that you are not “different” but just one of a unique group who have specific phobias.
