These Celebrities Lived In Haunted Houses
It's every homeowner's nightmare — literally — to realize that their new abode is haunted by unwelcome guests. But according to Forbes, there are options if you are ever unlucky enough to find yourself in this predicament. First, you can simply ask the ghost to head on its way, although this isn't very likely to result in much meaningful action on behalf of the spirit. Then, if that fails, you can enlist the help of a medium to cleanse the home — which can take anywhere from minutes to days — to encourage the ghost to move onto the afterlife (or at least a new house to haunt.) Or, if nothing else works, you can learn to appreciate your new neighbor. Sometimes, friendly ghosts can even help or protect their home's new occupants.
Many celebrities have found themselves in this very situation, and they've all dealt with it differently, from moving out as soon as possible to getting to know their ghosts. Here are a few celebrities who had to endure living in haunted homes.
Octavia Spencer's Toluca Lake home is haunted by a Western movie actor
As the star of the 2019 film "Ma," Octavia Spencer is no stranger to horror. Her fearlessness seems to have the same effect on her real life. According to the New York Post, Spencer's home in Toluca Lake in Los Angeles, California, has another occupant — a fellow actor that starred in Western movies in the early days of Hollywood. Sometimes, the ghost turns off lights or closes doors. Spencer revealed the news on an episode of the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" in late 2021, but no need to fear. Her ghost is a friendly one and actually wards off ill-intentioned guests. He even gets upset when Spencer, who grew up watching Western movies, leaves for long vacations.
The ghost also hasn't deterred Spencer from living in the home. She's owned the century-old Mediterranean abode with 1,700 square feet for almost 10 years. Plus, it's a steal, as far as celebrity homes go. Spencer doled out only $841,500 for the charming three-bedroom pad. It maintains many of its nostalgic touches, but also has state-of-the-art appliances and tons of security to keep out nosy fans and paparazzi (via Trulia). It also includes a finished basement, a massive dining room ideal for entertaining, and a lush backyard with a tile patio.
Britney Spears' former Hollywood Hills home is where Brittany Murphy died
Anyone who was glued to HBO watching "What Happened, Brittany Murphy?" knows that there was some shady (and unexplained) business happening at Murphy's Hollywood Hills home. It possibly led to her death and the death of her husband, Simon Monjack, who died just months after Murphy. And according to Britney Spears, who owned the modern mansion on Rising Glen Road before Murphy did, that business goes far beyond mold (which some have speculated caused the deaths.)
People said that Spears believed a spirit portal existed in the house, and spirits who came through attempted to push her down the stairs. She was so convinced of the home's paranormal presence that she immediately moved into a hotel and put the place up for sale, which Murphy bought fully furnished in 2003 for $3.9 million. Although Murphy never claimed to see ghosts, she did tell Monjack that she despised the 10,000 square foot home and thought it was unlucky (via (Hollywood Reporter). She and Monjack planned to sell it right before she fell fatally ill. However, these days, the seemingly cursed place is no more. Murphy's mother sold it for $2.7 million — just a fraction of its worth — and it was later demolished and a new mansion stands in its place. That one sold for nearly $12 million at the end of 2020.
Claudia Schiffer's 500-year-old Tudor mansion with friendly ghosts
Take one look at Claudia Schiffer's Tudor estate with 14 bedrooms and a brick façade, and you'll likely already think it's haunted. You would be right. Per Architectural Digest, the supermodel's abode in England on more than 500 acres has its share of ghosts. But don't worry, they're very welcoming roommates. Although they sometimes perform odd tricks at the 500-year-old mansion — like turning the music on or making unexplained noises — a medium told Schiffer that the ghostly residents mean no harm.
We can't blame the ghosts for wanting to stay at the home, because it is stunning. It sits at the end of a half-mile driveway lined with green grass and rows of trees. Despite its history — Catholic priests hid here at times, as did the accomplices guilty of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 — the mansion is full of lots of eclectic, fun details, as well as vintage items. A family room, flanked by a dark brown fireplace, is full of red patterns, cozy throws, and stuffed animals. The kitchen has a massive center island topped with marble as well as an ultra-high-end gas range. Funky patterned wallpaper lines most bedrooms in patterns like swirling red vines and farm animals.
Adele's English mansion used to be a convent
With 20,000 square feet, a helicopter pad, 85 acres, and two swimming pools, Adele's Sussex, England mansion seemed like the perfect escape when her fame was blossoming, and the paparazzi were swarming in 2012. But according to The Fader, that, unfortunately, didn't work out that way for Adele. The estate, which dated back to 1900 and used to be a convent, very quickly began to give her the creeps — she only lived there for a year before moving down the road. She heard strange noises and crashes so much that Adele enlisted a bodyguard to stay by her side at all times in the place.
Finally, in 2018, Adele decided to bid her haunted mansion goodbye, and she put it on the market for more than $8 million. It had no takers, and she was forced to drop the price two years later by more than $1 million, said The Sun. But if it weren't for ghosts, this mansion would be perfect for any history buff. It has 10 bedrooms, as well as a former ballroom that's now a sleek kitchen. The dining room, featuring a fireplace and a huge table that seats a dozen people, is lined with red walls and has a regal chandelier. There's even an indoor pool for those chilly English days, as well as a private gym and a home for visitors with three bedrooms.
Loretta Lynn's Southern mansion that has ghosts of soldiers, slaves, and more
Although Loretta Lynn is known for her six decades of music, she also has another talent — contacting ghosts with her psychic gifts. This makes her Hurricane Mills, Tennessee home, which dates back 200 years, the perfect fit for Lynn. Per Wide Open Country, the historic home has more than its fair share of ghosts. Lynn, as well as her entire family, can vouch for the many paranormal happenings here. Many of these happenings seem to include long-passed Confederate soldiers, which makes perfect sense. A Civil War battle took place where the home now stands, and nearly two dozen soldiers were laid to rest throughout the property.
However, the soldiers — who once tried to pull off Lynn's son's boot while he was in the ever-haunted Brown Room — aren't the only ghosts here. There's also a woman who died of a broken heart after her baby passed away, as well as one of the first owners of the home who doesn't seem too happy Lynn is there. During a séance, he shook a table so hard it fell to the ground and broke into pieces. There are also the ghosts of formerly enslaved people here, who may have been tortured in the home's basement, said Outsider. Cages and chains were found in a secret chamber of the basement, and they can sometimes be heard rattling after ghostly happenings.
Joan Rivers' Upper East Side penthouse that's haunted by a woman scorned
The late Joan Rivers could make anyone smile, and clearly, that even included a very angry ghost. According to Showbiz CheatSheet, Rivers picked up a New York City apartment in need of some serious TLC in 1988 when she needed some TLC herself. Her husband had recently died, she lost her job, and her investments flunked. However, she was horrified to quickly find that the apartment at the Spencer Condominiums at 1 East 62nd Street in Manhattan had its own set of problems that seemed to escape the real estate listing. It was haunted by Mrs. Spencer, the niece of J.P. Morgan.
Rivers' dog was petrified and wouldn't even enter the unit. Appliances and lights would go on and off on their own. Neighbors saw ghosts in the stairways. So, Rivers got to work making Mrs. Spencer feel a little more at home. She hung up her portrait, which she found in the basement. She set out fresh flowers in the ballroom. And soon, the hauntings were simply friendly. However, it's unsure how Mrs. Spencer is feeling now that Rivers is long gone and the four-bedroom apartment has a new owner who bought it for $28 million. The new owner, a Saudi prince, completely remodeled the apartment, said The Daily Mail.
Nicolas Cage's cursed New Orleans mansion that's haunted by tortured slaves
Not many people look at one of the most infamously haunted mansions in the world and say, "I've got to have that," but that's exactly what Nicolas Cage did. In 2009, he added the LaLaurie Mansion to his real estate portfolio, and soon enough, disaster struck. Per Ghost City Tours, Cage went bankrupt and stopped being cast in blockbuster movies, which some attribute to the curse of the LaLaurie Mansion. But hauntings and a curse should be expected when an unknown number of tortured enslaved people died on site.
Delphine LaLaurie owned the LaLaurie Mansion until a fateful fire in 1834. When a fire broke out at the home, LaLaurie fled — supposedly back to her home nation of France — and what was revealed shocked everyone in New Orleans. Half a dozen enslaved people were found hidden in the home, and they underwent unspeakable torture and starvation. Actually, the fire started in the first place when an enslaved person, chained to a stove, started it to try and enlist rescue. Since then, countless ghostly happenings have been reported here, including when the mansion served as a Black girls' school in the late 1800s. Many girls reported their arms becoming scratched and bruised, and when asked who did it, their answers were always the same: "That woman."
Ingrid Michaelson's upstate New York home known as the 'Ghost House'
The fact that the historic blue mansion at 1 LaVeta Place, Nyack, is haunted wasn't just gossip. The Journal News reported the home was formally labeled as haunted by a court in the 1990s after potential buyers filed a lawsuit to retrieve their $35,200 deposit. They wanted to make the contract they signed void since they didn't know they would be sharing their house with ghosts. The defendant and former owner had previously said that many strange things occurred while she lived at the house for two decades, including missing presents and beds shaking throughout the night.
But since then, everyone — including possible buyers — has known the place has ghosts. It's even called the Ghost House. That didn't deter Ingrid Michaelson from buying the 4,600 square foot Victorian home with five bedrooms. However, it wasn't the ghosts that led Michaelson to list the house for $1.7 million in 2015. She said that since her career kept her in Brooklyn and Nashville most of the time, she didn't get enough use out of the Nyack estate to rationalize keeping it. It was then purchased by Matisyahu, who again listed it for sale in 2019 for $1.9 million.
Cate Blanchett's English home that was named one of the creepiest places in the country
A lot has changed for what's known as Highwell House since Cate Blanchett picked it up in 2016 for $6.25 million. Per The Daily Mail, the 130-year-old home used to be a haven for squatters, drug dealers, and pagan rituals — demonic symbolism even adorned on the walls. Now it's a modern, chic home adorned with herringbone wood floors, white walls, a grand staircase, and pops of color. It's come a long way since it was named one of the creepiest abandoned properties in all of England.
In the years that it sat empty after the death of one of the owners, neighbors who have ventured inside have said that their cameras captured ghostly images and odd things have happened in the space, which had walls, ceilings, personal items, and furniture literally collapsing into pieces. Finally, after 15 years, a new owner came in and restored the estate to its former glory before Blanchett bought the seven-bedroom home. However, its creepy history is forever immortalized thanks to social media. There's even a Facebook page where locals shared the home's strange happenings before it was completely renovated. But it still features lots of details from its original days, like sparkling chandeliers, fireplaces, and arched doors.
Liam Payne and Halsey's Spanish-style Los Angeles haunted mansion
It's scary enough to hear a bump in the night at a new home. But what if a stranger walked up to you on the street and told you that your new abode was haunted? The Sun said that's exactly what happened to former One Direction member Liam Payne after picking up a mansion in Calabasas in 2015 with then-girlfriend Cheryl Cole. The odd encounter was no laughing matter to the couple, either. Cole decided they would no longer sleep upstairs, where many of the spooky happenings were occurring, such as lights and sinks turning on and off on their own. So the couple moved into the home's private theater instead.
Just three years later, Payne listed the home for sale for $14 million — which, unfortunately, was the same year that he and Cole parted ways. Perhaps ghosts kept potential buyers at bay since the home sat on the market for three more years. Finally, in early 2021, Halsey decided that the estate would be the ideal home for her and her then soon-to-arrive baby, and she shelled out more than $10 million for the Mediterranean-style mansion, said Insider. There have been no reports that Halsey has seen the ghost in question, who reportedly wears an Army top and cargo pants and was one of the original "Jurassic Park" videographers.
Salma Hayek's London estate with nearly two dozen ghosts
With 17 bedrooms, a pool, a private gym, and a personal theater, Salma Hayek's home in London sounds seriously amazing. However, it's not exactly as it seems. BuzzFeed said that the mansion, which Hayek shares with husband François-Henri Pinault and daughter Valentina, is haunted by more than 20 ghosts, including an elderly woman, a young child, and a nun. Although Hayek hadn't seen paranormal activity much here personally, some of her staff members did, including one who saw a piano mysteriously playing on its own as well as lights flickering without anyone in the room. It scared them so much that the staff members threatened to seek other work unless Hayek called in a medium. So, she did, and luckily, the medium warded off many of the bad-intentioned ghosts.
However, at least one ghost still seems to be on the premises — the nun, who the medium said has anything but ill will. But we're guessing that the ghosts haven't deterred Hayek and her family too much. They have been living at the three-story abode since 2017, which includes dark wood details, wood herringbone floors, cream walls, and pops of color (via Hello!). Hayek also wasn't the only celebrity to reside here — Justin Bieber once lived here, too.
Jennifer Aniston's Los Angeles apartment that she lived in when she first got to California
Long before Jennifer Aniston was the A-list celebrity she is today, she was just another young actor trying to make it in Hollywood after moving from New York City. But one "person" wasn't exactly helpful in Aniston's time of need. On "The Late Late Show with James Corden," Aniston said that a ghost was her uninvited third roommate while she was living with another woman in Laurel Canyon, which is in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles.
Some of the hauntings that Aniston and her roommate endured included appliances that would turn on and off on their own, which eventually pushed Aniston to enlist a ghost whisperer to learn more about the ghost. When the ghost whisperer couldn't ward off the unwelcome spirit, Aniston promptly moved out. Hopefully, the roommate made it out okay, too — Aniston said that the ghost had a particular dislike for the roommate.
The Kardashian family home in Calabasas, California
We're used to seeing the glitzy and glamorous homes on "Keeping up with the Kardashians," but Kendall Jenner saw a whole other side to the abode formerly owned by mom Kris Jenner. The Associated Press said that while she and sister Kylie Jenner lived there with the famous momager, there were often strange happenings, like the sound of footsteps above or the shower turning on by itself. The sisters tried to speak with the supposed ghosts through an Ouija board to get to know them, which resulted in even spookier conclusions. The ghosts would often answer personal Jenner family questions correctly.
But despite its possible haunted status, it's still a mansion fit for one of the most famous celebrity families of all time. The Spanish-style home measures nearly 9,000 square feet and includes six bedrooms for all of the members of the Kardashian and Jenner clan. They lived there during the early years of filming the show, said Velvet Ropes. It had a standout black-and-white checkerboard floor at the entranceway, flanked by two twin staircases which were surrounded by tropical greenery. The nearly all-white kitchen had a colossal breakfast bar as well as an island. And the bedrooms had lots of lush Kardashian-esque touches, like fur pillows, plush carpets, and gleaming black furniture.
Miley Cyrus's London apartment haunted by a family of bakers
Miley Cyrus thought she was doing herself a favor when she rented an apartment in London for the duration of a European tour prior to 2013. Unfortunately, her stay was cut short as ghosts forced her and her family to relocate to the nearby Soho Hotel. Elle reported that before Cyrus's apartment was a residential building across from famed department store Harrod's, it was a bakery owned by a family where both the mother and father passed away, leaving their young son behind. Unfortunately, it seems Cyrus and her family met the whole ghostly clan.
Once, the shower temperature mysteriously flipped to scalding hot, burning Cyrus' sister. Another time, her aunt returned to the formerly locked apartment to find that all the doors and windows had opened by themselves. And, perhaps scariest of all, Cyrus once saw a young boy sitting on the bathroom sink.