Being famous, to all of us unfamous people, might seem like the dream. You have riches, a celebrity status and are always surrounded by gorgeous people. Of course, some celebrities love their fame and feel extremely fortunate to be where they are. Others, however, absolutely hate it.
The riches alone won’t make someone happy. The phrase, “money can’t buy happiness,” isn’t just something poor people say to make themselves feel better. It’s true. And even celebrities with all the money they could ever want sometimes want to trade it for some privacy.
It’s not unreasonable, either. How would you feel if every time you stepped outside your picture was being taken? It wouldn’t feel very good to have your relationship and personal life under a microscope for the world to criticize. These celebrities feel like their fame is actually a nuisance in their lives and they totally hate it.
21. Kristen Stewart
This Twilight star became ridiculously famous when she stepped into the shoes of Bella Swan. Since her days playing the vampire lover and then vampire herself, she’s taken on a number of other projects. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is her distaste for fame. In one interview, she discussed just how much fame can affect anything a person does. Directing something very small and seemingly insignificant suddenly was a huge deal just because she did it. There’s no privacy in fame and that’s particularly why Kristen Stewart dislikes it so much.
20. John Mayer
It’s surprising to think someone as successful as John Mayer would actually dislike being famous as much as he does. He can play any music he wants anywhere he wants, basically. But what’s the downside? John has expressed that he’s done with the fame game for the same reason most of these people do; there’s just no privacy when famous. He told Rolling Stone, “I didn’t have any fun when I was trying to keep [my fame] elevated. It’s almost impossible. It’s Sisyphean. Now, playing shows is all the fame I need.”
He’s also discussed at length his dislike of paparazzi and how fans have started to capitalize on the paparazzi agenda.
19. Katherine Heigl
When it comes to famous people who don’t have the best reputation in Hollywood, Katherine Heigl takes the cake as being one of the most “difficult” actresses to work with. Not only do people have an issue with her due to her bashing her own movies but she also has an issue with fame. She places the blame on her acting career “turning” on her and that backlash she’s received by taking on so many rom-coms has made her less than happy about her celebrity status. In an interview with Marie Claire, the Grey’s Anatomy star said, “I had a moment where I don’t know, I was thinking I’d maybe open a knitting store, get my money out of retirement accounts and live off that, live off the land… I had my moment where it all seemed so complicated and all I wanted to do was simplify.”
18. Robert Pattinson
Another Twilight star who just couldn’t handle the fame of the major blockbuster. Before he starred in the vampire sensation movie, many people barely even recognized his part in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. But they sure noticed him in Twilight. He told the Spanish GQ, “I feel fortunate because success didn’t reach me very young, at least, I had the opportunity to have a life before.” The actor referred to his fame as being limited and lonely, which was made worse by his bouts of depression. We feel you, Rob, we feel you.
17. Johnny Depp
It’s hard to believe one of the best and most known actors in Hollywood would actually hate their fame. In reality, Johnny Depp is a big fan of acting but not all that comes with it. He hates the games people play with him just to get him where they want him. He does what he does for his fans and actually considers them to be his boss. He even compared being famous to being a fugitive, and who wouldn’t hate being on the run all the time?
16. Avril Lavigne
You may not have heard too much about this artist as of late and that’s probably because she’s not a fan of the spotlight. She has expressed her distaste for the “famous” lifestyle and how she just wants to have a career. If only she wanted a career that didn’t plaster her face on billboards and all over the Internet.
15. Jennifer Aniston
We all know and love her from her time on Friends and other romantic comedies. However, Jennifer would be so much happier is she was just able to work and tune out the rest of the world. With her, it’s the lack of privacy that’s the worst, especially when it comes to her love life. I bet you know exactly what that means since her relationship (or lack thereof) with Brad Pitt has been the talk of every major magazines for basically ever, despite his marriage and recent divorce from Angelina Jolie.
14. Harrison Ford
If there’s one celebrity known for hating their fame the most, it’s Harrison Ford. He’s definitely not a fan of being in the spotlight and a lack of privacy is his main reason. He told Live, “There’s nothing good about being famous. You always think, ‘If I’m successful, then I’ll have opportunities.’ You never figure the cost of fame will be a total loss of privacy. That’s incalculable. What a burden that is for anybody. It was unanticipated and I’ve never enjoyed it.” We can all understand how frustrating that could be, despite having all the opportunities you could ever want.
13. Evangeline Lilly
This famous actress is another among the many who hates fame because of the lack of privacy. She’s also not a huge fan of the paparazzi, either. Evangeline has referred to paparazzi as “the plague” on numerous occasions. If you felt like the plague was closing in on you every day, you’d hate it, too.
The Lost star actually doesn’t even think acting is her passion — making everything even worse. “There are so many reasons why, for me, writing is superior to acting,” she told Buzzfeed. “One of them is anonymity. Writers can live relatively normal lives. Most [working] actors can’t. Writers can work from home and be near their family most of the time. Actors usually can’t. Writers expend a lot of intellectual energy, but not so much emotional energy. And I have intellectual energy coming out of my ying-yang, but emotional energy — I am so lazy. I just don’t have a lot of emotional energy to give. I don’t like drama in my life, and I don’t like having to pretend.” If only I could accidentally fall into a career where I was making millions…
12. Lauren Conrad
Despite having a reality TV show that centered around her life, LC actually doesn’t like being famous. She hates when people watch her and, since fame is accompanied by many, many cameras, she definitely doesn’t like being famous.
The Hills star told Glamour, “It got to the point where I was afraid to go online. I lived without cable or Internet for an entire year… [Now] when [I’m] in a movie theater and [I] can hear the whispers, it’s like that really bad dream where you go to school naked. You feel so self-conscious.” No wonder the gal’s gone the book-writing and fashion route since her TV days.
11. Shailene Woodley
This Divergent star isn’t exactly fond of her celebrity status. In fact, she hates the s-word, the f-word and the c-word: star, famous, and celebrity.
She also isn’t a fan of the fact that the more money you make and the more fame you have, the more free stuff you seem to get. She told iVillage in 2012, “As far as the perks go, you know, it’s kind of one of the disgusting things about this industry. The more money you make, the more free stuff you get. I think that that’s weird, and I’m not a huge fan of it.” Shailene finds this to be backward and unfair — honestly, so do we!
10. Jennifer Lawrence
She first hit it big with her role of Katniss in one of the biggest movie franchises as of late. The Hunger Games star has since gone on to play other major roles with big name celebrities — even winning herself an Academy Award. Jennifer’s major dislike for fame comes from the paparazzi and not even being able to go to dinner without being interrupted for photos. “I am just not OK with [fame],” she said in 2013. “I am just a normal girl and a human being, and I haven’t been in this long enough to feel like this is my new normal. I’m not going to find peace with it.” Maybe her tune has changed in the past few years, but she def still likes living under the radar.
9. Megan Fox
If you haven’t seen Megan Fox out and about lately, it’s probably because she just wants to live her life in peace. Famous for her gorgeous looks and numerous roles in film and television, she’s actually been lying low since having her children. Her distaste for fame comes from the epic amount of bullying she’s received just because of who she is.
8. Chris Evans
How could Captain America ever hate fame? As it turns out, Chris Evans is actually very, very tired of all of it. Although he’s still playing our favorite superhero, he’s also taken many smaller acting roles and even tried his hand at directing, a means to both expand his horizons and shy away from the spotlight. He’s so sick of it that he’s even expressed that, after finishing work on Avengers, you won’t seem him in any other roles that he’s not a part of directing.
The hottie told Variety in 2013, “I like doing normal things. I like going to fairs, I like going to ball games, I like going to Disney World, or a big field on the Fourth of July and having picnics with friends. The problem is, you’re either worried you’re going to be recognized or you’re thankful you’re not. It’s always there. I miss that not being in my head.” TBH, even if he never acted again, we would remember his beautiful face forever.
7. George Clooney
Amal Clooney‘s husband might be one of the most famous men in Hollywood and yet, he’s very unhappy with his fame. Not only does he think fame is a bit excessive, he also just wants to be able to go out and enjoy his life without people following his every move. For this reason, he tries to stay off social media as much as possible.
6. Daniel Radcliffe
Who would’ve ever thought the man to play Harry Potter would hate his fame? Much like the character himself, D.Rad isn’t too fond of his celebrity status. Sure, he loves the acting opportunities he’s been given by playing such an iconic role but he hates the paparazzi and that he can’t even go outside without a photo being taken. He actually dislikes the paps so much that he actually wore the same outfit outdoors for months just so nobody could use the photos of him.
5. Shia LaBeouf
If you didn’t know him from his time on Disney Channel or his role in Transformers, you probably know who he is because of his wild antics as of late. This talented actor has been in the spotlight for many years and if definitely shows. He even hates fame so much he’s gone on to refer to celebrities as being “enslaved.”
In an interview with Variety, he slammed celebrity culture and all that comes along with it. “The craft of acting for film is terribly exclusive and comes with the baggage of celebrity, which robs you of your individuality and separates you… As a celebrity/star, I am not an individual — I am a spectacular representation of a living human being, the opposite of an individual. The enemy of the individual, in myself as well as in others. The celebrity/star is the object of identification, with the shallow seeming life that has to compensate for the fragmented productive specializations which are actually lived. The requirements to being a star/celebrity are namely, you must become an enslaved body. Just flesh — a commodity, and renounce all autonomous qualities in order to identify with the general law of obedience to the course of things. The star is a byproduct of the machine age, a relic of modernist ideals. It’s outmoded. I started acting as a child. It has been a long time since I’ve known another way.” TBH, he sounds like that drunk hipster at a dorm room party you meet during your freshman year, but I kind of get what he’s saying? Anyone who feels that way must really dislike their life.
4. Lauren Jauregui
This star has definitely earned her status by being in the all-girl band Fifth Harmony. Since she was only 16 years old when she was thrust into the world of fame, it’s been harder on her. In an interview with Billboard, she expressed that she didn’t know what she was getting into. Lauren believed in all the great things fame seemed to offer and didn’t realize that she would feel so alone because she was working so hard at such a young age. She once wrote on Twitter, “[I’m] frustrated by the fact that I have no control over my own life anymore, and it’s a side effect of not being made for this whole fame thing.” We totally get it, girl.
3. Demi Lovato
It’s no secret that Demi Lovato isn’t all that hyped to be famous. The once Disney star-turned-pop-sensation has been on a rollercoaster in her career and it’s the cause for her distaste in stardom. The pressure that accompanies a celebrity status and more specifically, the pressure to look the part is why this singer hates fame. The “Sorry Not Sorry” songstress said, “It’s difficult to be a celebrity and to have that many more people hating on your pictures … I would like to see a future where people are able to accept themselves for who they are and what they have.”
2. Kylie Jenner
If there was one person we all figured must be diggin’ fame, it would have to be the youngest of the Kardashian/Jenner family, who’s basically famous for social media and her makeup line. But in her premiere episode of Life of Kylie, she revealed that’s not actually the case at all. “I just want to run away [from the fame],” she told Jordyn Woods. “I don’t know who I’m doing it for.” In the same episode she said, “It’s hard to do normal things when every single person knows who you are.” That’s true — the makeup mogul can’t even go shopping without hordes watching her.
1. Justin Bieber
If you don’t know who Justin Bieber is then you’re clearly from another planet. He’s one of the biggest singers out there right now and his fame is almost unparalleled. Being in the spotlight and having your decisions and relationships criticized publicly is what Justin Bieber really hates about fame. He’s even said that he “doesn’t wish this upon anyone,” regarding being famous.
For those of you who think being famous would solve all your problems and make you as happy as can be, now you know there’s a lot of negatives to having your name known all over the world.