Phobias can stem from something that happened in childhood, or just be something that is so unpleasant to that person, it frightens them to think about it. These 6 stars all say they have a phobia, some of which are quite unusual! Chewing gum disgusts one of these stars, while another fears vomiting and one star can’t handle the thought of rats being in their home, so won’t buy a property until they are sure it is completely rat-free. See what stars have strange phobias below!
Brad Pitt
Brad has a phobia of going backwards: “If I’m walking out the door and I’ve forgotten something, I can’t go back and get it. It is something in my nature. If I’m driving down the road and I miss a turn, I have to keep going forward. I can’t reverse. It’s some kind of psychological defect. I don’t know the reason why… But it’s just that, for better or worse, I want to keep moving on. I don’t like to go backwards. It’s not what I’m good at.”
Tinie Tempah
Tinie finds it hard to house hunt because he doesn’t want to buy a property that might have rats: “I can’t stand rats, I’m looking to buy a new house and want something with old floorboards. But the problem is that rats come in through all the holes in an old house. I’m making sure I get it fumigated before I move in and any patched up. I can’t have any rats in my house, I’d have to move out.”
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah’s fear of chewing gum came from a childhood experience: “My grandmother used to save it in little rows in the cabinet. I’d be scared to touch it because it was so gross, so I have a thing about gum. One guest in my home sat at the dinner table, took out some gum from her mouth and put it on her plate – after she left, I threw the plate out.”
Nicki Minaj
Nicki’s father may be to blame for her fear of unlocked doors: “My mother left him [Nicki’s father] many different times and came back. He would beg, cry, stalk us… One time, he pulled my mother out of a car and dragged her for two blocks. After that I had a phobia about unlocked doors. Anywhere my mother and I were, I made sure the door was locked, because that was my only way to protect her.”
Emmy Rossum
Emmy really doesn’t like having her hair cut: “I’m really afraid of scissors. I get that panic moment – I think every girl does – when they’re snipping and you can’t quite tell how much they’re snipping. My hair was super, super short when I was five years old and other every girl looked like Serena van der Woodsen. I had short, inch-long curly hair so it was pretty scarring. I haven’t cut my hair since.”
Denise Richards
Denise can’t handle throwing up, and can’t be around anyone who might vomit: “I have a throw-up phobia. I’m terrified of throwing up. I don’t know why. It’s beyond not enjoying it, (I have) a fear of it. Terrified, ever since I was little. If someone’s around me throwing up or sick, I find out if it’s the stomach flu or food poisoning. Like, at work a girl was sick and I asked her… Food poisoning, I’m okay, because I won’t catch it. Isn’t that terrible? I asked my parents (what caused my phobia). I think something happened in my childhood. I don’t know. I’m terrified of it.”
