Superstardom is all rainbows and sunshine, but that is until the curtain lifts. With fame comes a hefty price tag, and the biggest is kissing your privacy goodbye. Some paparazzi chases have fed on the fear of others, but artists have perfected the art of dodging those relentless lenses to avoid becoming an example. The latest to get caught in the whirlwind was Hollywood’s darling ‘It’ girl, Sydney Sweeney, who was chased till her home, with paparazzi yelling for bikini pictures. But plenty of A-listers have faced this wild nightmare at one point or another. 

Besides the Euphoria star, check out these 7 big-name celebrities whose confrontation with the lens chasers shines a spotlight on Tinseltown’s darker corners.

Like many celebrities, Selena Gomez was thrust into the spotlight way too early, and the relentless paparazzi were hot on her heels from day one. The Disney darling had her share of run-ins with the camera crew, but a haunting memory from when she was just 15 stands out. In a candid Vogue interview in 2021, she opened up about the darker side of fame by sharing a chilling experience where she was stalked by “grown men with cameras” while at the beach with family during her Wizards of Waverly Place days.

While Sydney Sweeney’s encounter with lens chasers has sparked conversations, this violation of privacy seems just part of the paparazzi playbook. Gomez was not the only one getting a crash course in the sketchy side of fame because, simultaneously, her former lover, Justin Bieber, also had his share of the paparazzi spotlight.

Justin Bieber did not just skyrocket to fame with his super hit track, ‘Baby’; he also faced the not-so-glamorous side of celebrity life right from then. In 2012, he was in a wild car chase down the 101 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley, with paparazzi on his tail. Los Angeles city councilman and LAPD veteran Dennis Zine told CNN in July that year that it was a recipe for disaster, especially when Bieber was reportedly hitting speeds of around 100 mph with a pack of cars behind him.

When he finally got pulled over, the officer let the paparazzi snap away while Bieber, who reportedly called 911, revealed that he got hit with a ticket. While resuming his drive downtown, he was chased down again by the same cars. While that is quite spine-chilling, another artist from the same industry who had to undergo similar showdowns repeatedly is Ye (formerly Kanye West).

As a frequent name in the GOAT debates, the ‘Vultures’ rapper Ye has experienced the darker side of fame more than once. His love-hate saga with the paparazzi is legendary, and it is hard to pinpoint just one incident. However, one recent headline-making moment involved a TMZ reporter getting on his nerves this January as reported by Hot New Hip-Hop. The reporter approached him outside Charlie Wilson’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in Los Angeles, trying to dig into his marriage and relationship with Bianca Censori.

Things took a turn when Ye let loose a long-winded rant before tossing in a cheeky work offer to pay double the salary, right after swatting the camera away when she asked for her phone back. This was not his first rodeo with TMZ; back in 2008, his bodyguard ended up smashing a photographer's camera and faced charges for it, which were dropped later.

Ye on ‘Family Guy’: Every Hilarious Reference to the Controversial Rapper That Made Us Gag

While Mr. West has been pretty loud about his privacy being trampled, Britney Spears joined the club early on too.

Like Ye, Britney Spears has had countless wild paparazzi chases, and picking just one is no easy feat. Back in February 2006, she told PEOPLE about a scary moment when she was snapped with her little one on her lap while her bodyguard popped into Starbucks, prompting her to drive off in a panic. Worried for her and her child's safety, she fled the scene. But things got even crazier in 2007 when she was chased by two paparazzi on a motorcycle and another in a Range Rover, resulting in a collision! And in 2008, reports again surfaced of four reckless driving arrests for getting way too close to her car.

Sydney Sweeney as Britney Spears? The Internet Bustles in Favor as Rumors Take Wind for a Biopic

While the record labels were trying to crack the safety code in the face of rising fame, Tinseltown stars like Sydney Sweeney and others were getting their own crash course in celebrity chaos.

Scarlett Johansson is not afraid to call out the realm beyond the glitz in Hollywood. In April 2019, she opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about a wild encounter with paparazzi after her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. While she was in the car with two others, things took a dangerous turn as some overzealous photographers stalked her, leading her to visit the LAPD to ensure her safety.

Although no formal action was taken, her representative shared a powerful statement highlighting the extreme lengths these paparazzi will go to like chasing her in five blacked-out cars, running red lights, and putting everyone on the road at risk, all in a bid to track her down and find out where she was staying with her young daughter.

Scarlett Johansson vs OpenAI: The Actress’ Anger and the Matter Explained

Johansson even drew a heartbreaking parallel to the tragic car chase that claimed Princess Diana’s life, pointing out that some lessons never seem to be learned. While Johansson’s fear is totally valid, it brings to mind the tragic saga of Princess Diana.

This year was the 27th anniversary of Princess Diana’s tragic passing, which is a stark reminder of the nightmare that can come with being a star. That infamous paparazzi chase in 1997 also claimed the lives of Dodi Fayed and their driver, Henri Paul. In the BBC documentary Diana, 7 Days, Prince William shared how his mother often broke down in tears from the relentless hounding, which the paparazzi dubbed a “loon attack.”

The fatal night in Paris, where aggressive paps chased her through the Pont de l’Alma tunnel, ended in a devastating crash. Now, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still fighting for a bit of privacy from the same aggressive tactics which they inherited as part and parcel of the royal baggage. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have found themselves in many security scrambles over time, but it was somewhat a déjà vu in May 2023 when they were caught in a high-speed paparazzi chase through the streets of New York City. Chris Sanchez, one of their security team members, told CNN that the situation could have been “fatal,” with the photographers leaping over curbs and blowing through red lights like they were in an action flick.

The NYPD later chimed in their statement, assuring everyone that there were no accidents. Meanwhile, a taxi driver who played chauffeur to the Sussexes during their chaotic car swaps described it as less of a chase and more like a scene straight out of a rogue Hollywood blockbuster. So, fame might roll out the red carpet with all sorts of perks, but the most essential one, privacy, has been a total no-show most of the time.

Prince Harry’s Security Entourage Follows Him Everywhere, Even on Dog Walks, Says Montecito Neighbor

Were you familiar with these celebrity run-ins with the paparazzi other than Sydney Sweeney's? Let us know in the comments below!