4 Celebrity Paranormal Encounters: These Stories Will Definitely Give You Chills

By Rachel Zalucki · 950 words

According to a Harris poll, nearly half of Americans (42 percent) believe in ghosts. Surprisingly, some well-known celebrities have shared their own eerie encounters, calling into question the notion that actors, who make a living from fiction, would be quick to dismiss the existence of ghosts. Despite their profession as storytellers, a number of actors and public figures, including a former Ghostbuster, have described chilling encounters with the supernatural. Their stories are so interesting that they could easily be mistaken for a plot from a captivating film.

Celebrity Ghost Stories

Dan Aykroyd

In a 2013 interview with Esquire magazine, Dan Aykroyd, one of the original Ghostbusters, revealed an unsettling encounter from his past. He recounted residing in a Hollywood residence that he believed to be haunted by none other than Mama Cass of The Mamas and the Papas fame. Aykroyd expressed certainty about sensing the presence of Mama Cass herself, along with another spirit—a man who had passed away near the house and was supposedly buried in close proximity.

Dan Aykroyd described several eerie encounters with ghosts, including objects moving on their own and doors mysteriously opening and closing in his house. He even claimed to have felt someone crawl into his bed once, though he doubted it was Mama Cass' spirit. Alone in his house, he decided to take a nap, only to wake up to the sight of the bedroom door swinging open. Upon turning over, he observed a depression on the mattress as if someone had just settled in beside him. Despite the uncertainty of the ghost's preferences, Aykroyd humorously remarked, "I’d be surprised if I was his type, but when you’re dead, you’ll take what you can get."

Surprisingly, Aykroyd's interest in the paranormal runs in the family, as his father wrote a book called "A History of Ghosts: The True Story of Séances, Mediums, Ghosts, and Ghostbusters." This work investigates the real-life events that inspired Aykroyd to create the iconic film "Ghostbusters."

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus recently revealed a strange experience that prompted her to leave her London apartment and move into a hotel. The eerie incident began with her younger sister's piercing scream from the bathroom.

According to Cyrus, "One night, my little sister was in the shower, and out of nowhere, I hear her scream." Rushing to her aid, Cyrus discovered that the water temperature had inexplicably turned scalding hot, causing her sister's skin to turn red. Despite her sister's claim that she hadn't touched the controls, the water had dangerously heated up on its own.

Cyrus recounted an incident where she believed she caught sight of a young boy's apparition. "I distinctly remember seeing this child perched on the sink, swinging his legs," she recalled. Following this unsettling experience, Cyrus and her family decided to relocate from their apartment in a converted bakery to the Soho Hotel. It wasn't long before they realized Cyrus' sighting might have some basis in reality.

Further investigation revealed that the bakery's previous owner, an elderly gentleman, lived there with his son after his wife died. When the father passed away, the son took over the bakery. Cyrus now believes her vision was of the son, lingering in the place where he once lived.

Carrie Fisher

In 2005, the renowned actress recognized for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the Star Wars series disclosed a deeply personal encounter with the supernatural. During the incident, her close friend, R. Gregory Stevens, a 42-year-old Republican strategist, was staying with her. After a late-night gathering for an awards show, he joined Fisher in bed for a chat before they both fell asleep. The next morning, Fisher was shocked to discover Stevens had died from an overdose.

Following the unsettling events, Fisher began to notice strange occurrences in her home, with both she and her friends hearing strange noises. Fisher couldn't shake the feeling that Stevens was still present after that pivotal night. Recounting her experiences to Vanity Fair in 2006, she described lights flickering on and off and a talking toy activating in her closet, seemingly on its own, where Stevens' clothes remained.

A psychic later conveyed to Fisher that due to Stevens' sudden and premature departure, his spirit was hesitant to let go, hence his lingering presence in her surroundings.

While Fisher acknowledged the unsettling impact of Stevens' ghost on her life, she also empathized with his reluctance to move on. Speaking on her encounter on the show Celebrity Ghost Stories, Fisher stated that it seemed natural for a spirit to stay close to loved ones until they were ready to accept their fate and move on.

Ariana Grande

The pop singer claims she has been haunted by spirits since going to Stull Cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri, with friends in August 2013. They had barely entered the graveyard, which is known as one of the seven gates to hell on Earth, before encountering strange occurrences.

“I felt this sick, overwhelming feeling of negativity over the whole car and we smelled sulfur, which is the sign of a demon…” Grande told Complex. “I was like, ‘This is scary, let’s leave.'”

Afterward, an even more unsettling event unfolded. “I took a picture and there are three super distinct faces in the picture — they’re faces of textbook demons,” the singer said.

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