10 Times Celebrities Were Attacked by Fans

10 Times Celebrities Were Attacked by Fans

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the 10 Times Celebrities Were Attacked by Fans.

For this list, we’ll be looking at incidents when fans have slipped through security and gone to grab their hero for some reason. We won’t be looking at times the attack was fatal to the celebrity or when someone was making a political statement.

Are there any other memorable times fans attacked celebs? Let us know in the comments!

#10: Justin Bieber

2013

2013 was a busy year for Justin Bieber when it comes to fans getting too close and personal. For starters, while in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the singer was in the middle of a topless dancing routine. An also shirtless fan decided to run onto the stage and hug the startled Bieber. With security M.I.A, the backing dancers were the first to react and drag the over-enthusiastic fella away. With security eventually turning up, the fan was soon yanked from the stage. Next, Bieber was in Dubai and serenading the crowd on the piano until a fan appeared to hug him. But the heavy tackle by security on the fan knocked the piano and caused it to tip over and break. Whoops.

#9: Beyoncé

2013

Oh, wow, 2013 was a big year for stage crashers. This time, Queen B was performing in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Singing close to the crowd, one massively eager fan thought it was a good idea to grab Beyoncé as she sat on the stage. No idea what their plan was, but regardless, it was stopped by the rushing security who pulled the singer away. She immediately carried on with her set as though nothing had happened. In the year prior, Beyoncé was watching her husband Jay-Z perform at “Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend.” She jumped into a mosh pit to have fun. But it soon soured when a drunk fan began yelling abuse at her. Security soon descended and separated the two.

#8: Morrissey

2014

Morrissey gigs seem to regularly have stage invaders coming in and sensually hugging the former Smiths singer, who continues as though nothing’s happening. And San Jose, California, in 2014 was no exception. But it did get pretty intense during the encore. One fan after another appeared on stage to wrap their arms around Morrissey as he continued bellowing his song. The poor security team had a tough evening as fans kept pouring onto the stage. It eventually got so bad that Morrissey couldn’t keep performing,as he was forced to the ground by the melee. The band soon rushed to help extract the dimwit devotee. This incident even forced the gig to finish suddenly.

#7: Gigi Hadid

2016

A Fashion Week show is meant to be calm and nice as you look at pretty clothes. But some people like to ruin all the fun. In 2016, supermodel Gigi Hadid was leaving the Max Mara event in Milan, Italy, with her sister, Bella. The street was filled with fans trying to see the fashion sisters. However, one attendee decided to sneak up behind Gigi and pick her up. Immediately, the model swung her elbow into his face. He then ran off as Gigi chased after him with some deserved profanity. As security persuades her to get into the car, she tells them to find that man. This guy turned out to be Vitalii Sediuk, who tends to harass celebs whenever he can.

#6: Britney Spears

2017

The Queen of Pop seems to attract a lot of very devoted fans. During a 2017 performance in Las Vegas, Nevada, Spears just finished performing “(You Drive Me) Crazy.” As she turns around, Britney sees her security has pinned a guy to the ground on stage. After she asks what’s happening, security takes her off-stage while other guards and backing dancers deal with the guy. She later returned to finish her set. Another incident involving Spears happened in Connecticut in 2009. As she performs “Womanizer,” a fan suddenly appears in front of her and begins dancing. The startled Spears moves back as the backing dancers pounce on him. She soon finds her bearings and amazingly continues the song.

#5: Seth Rollins

2021

People like to assume that because wrestling is predetermined, wrestlers can’t actually fight and would lose a “real” battle. Well, in 2021, WWE star Seth Rollins provided them wrong. After a match on “Monday Night Raw,” Rollins was leaving the ring to go backstage. Like an R.K.O out of nowhere, one fan climbs over the barrier, sprints onto the ramp and spears the wrestler. However, Rollins already has the guy in a chokehold momentarily as security and officials descend on the impromptu fight and restrain the assailant. At this point, The Architect gets up and begins yelling at the guy and mocking him as the shocked audience watches on. Not surprisingly, the assaulter was arrested right after his moronic appearance.

#4: Slash

2010

Slash is an icon of the rock scene. And he further increased his legend in 2010 during a gig in Milan, Italy. Performing the beloved “Sweet Child O' Mine,” the Guns N' Roses guitarist was in the middle of his epic solo. However, a topless fan appeared out of nowhere from behind and began sprinting towards the unsuspecting Slash. Just as the guy touches him, a security guard rugby tackles the fan off the stage in a hilarious fashion. Slash, barely inconvenienced, continues playing. However, the guitar was damaged from the fan incident and was replaced by a technician. According to Slash’s then-wife, Perla Ferrar, the fan climbed down from the rafters for his brief appearance.

#3: Dave Chappelle

2022

Controversial comedian Dave Chappelle took to the stage in Los Angeles, California, for the Netflix Is A Joke festival in 2022. As he was doing his routine, a guy slipped onto the stage and tackled Chappelle to the ground. After a brief scuffle, the guy got to his feet and ran past multiple security guards towards the backstage area. Unlucky for him, he was eventually caught by the many, many people after him. Meanwhile, Chappelle joked with the crowd about the incident. The invader actually had weapons on him and has been charged by the police. Thankfully, no one was hurt badly. Chris Rock then came on stage and jokingly asked Chappelle if the guy was Will Smith.

#2: Miley Cyrus

2019

Performing at the Primavera festival in Barcelona, Spain, in 2019, Miley Cyrus was attempting to get to her car with Liam Hemsworth. While the crowd of fans were rowdy, things were contained. Until one fan found a gap in security and grabbed Cyrus around her neck. He then tried to kiss her as she fought to get away. Security soon sorted that inappropriate fan out. Miley’s fans have a habit of getting way too close to the singer. In 2011, she sang “The Climb” during a gig in Melbourne, Australia. A fan snuck onto the stage, slipped next to Cyrus, and placed their arm around her. Security took the startled Cyrus off-stage as another guard dealt with the fan.

#1: Monica Seles

1993

In 1993, Monica Seles was the women’s World Number One in tennis at only 20-years-old. That year, she was in the quarterfinal of the Citizen Cup in Germany against Magdalena Maleeva. At one of the breaks in play, Seles was leading the game. As she rested, a fan snuck up behind the tennis icon and stabbed her in the back with a knife. Before the attacker could lunge again, security tackled and restrained him. The assailant was reportedly an obsessive fan of Steffi Graf, a rival of Seles. After the incident, even though she was physically healed, Seles didn’t play tennis competitively for two years. Even after she came back, that horrible day in 1993 continued haunting her throughout her career.