Wealth and fame have many advantages, but important downsides too. Famous people, like Hollywood actors and sports personalities, occasionally attract intensely devoted fans and potentially lethal threats. Kidnappers often target them for ransom, rather than out of personal animosity. These superstars, who appear to live a life that is a dream for many, have survived terrifying crimes against them throughout the years. Many famous people have experienced frightening kidnappings, frequently targeted for ransom or intimidation.
Here are eight stars who survived these harrowing experiences:
Jessica Alba: In 1996, when she was just 15 years old and rising to fame, Jessica Alba was kidnapped while filming Flipper, and she was later found blindfolded and restrained in a car boot after fourteen hours. She kept the ordeal a secret. This was a shocking kidnapping that remains unsolved to this day.
Benedict Cumberbatch: In 2004, Cumberbatch was taken hostage at gunpoint in South Africa. The robbers ambushed him and his co-stars, tied them up, and made off with the loot before driving away.
Justin Long: In 2008, the actor was drugged and driven around Michigan on a terrifying joyride. He managed to escape by jumping out of the car but never went to the police about it.
Kim Kardashian: In 2016, armed robbers disguised as police tied her up in a Paris hotel, stealing $10 million in jewellery. She later spoke about the traumatic event.
Duffy: The British singer was drugged, kidnapped, and raped for weeks before escaping. She revealed her story in 2020 but did not disclose her abductor.
Shin Sang-ok And Choi Eun-hee: The South Korean filmmaker and actress were kidnapped in 1978 by North Korea's Kim Jong-il and forced to make films before escaping years later.
Carina Lau: The Hong Kong actress was kidnapped in 1990. Years later, her trauma resurfaced when a magazine published photos from her ordeal.
Victoria Beckham (attempted): In 2002, police foiled a gang's plot to kidnap Beckham and her children for ransom, thanks to a newspaper tip-off.
