⏱️ 7 min read
Hollywood's brightest stars may seem larger than life, but many of them harbor peculiar beliefs and rituals that they swear by. From avoiding certain numbers to performing elaborate pre-show routines, celebrities often rely on superstitions to navigate their high-pressure careers. These quirky habits offer a fascinating glimpse into the private lives of the rich and famous, revealing that even the most successful performers can be surprisingly superstitious. Here are twelve of the most unusual celebrity superstitions that might just surprise you.
Famous Faces and Their Unusual Beliefs
1. Jennifer Aniston's Airplane Ritual
Before every flight, Jennifer Aniston performs a specific ritual that she absolutely refuses to skip. The beloved actress always taps the outside of the plane before boarding, believing this gesture ensures a safe journey. This habit reportedly developed early in her career and has stuck with her through decades of international travel for film premieres and vacations. Aniston has been spotted numerous times performing this ritual, and she's openly discussed how she becomes genuinely anxious if circumstances prevent her from completing it.
2. Heidi Klum's Baby Teeth Collection
Supermodel and television personality Heidi Klum keeps all of her children's baby teeth in a special bag that she carries with her wherever she goes. She considers these teeth to be good luck charms and believes they protect both her and her children from harm. This unusual practice extends beyond simple sentimentality, as Klum has stated she feels genuinely uncomfortable when separated from this peculiar talisman. She's even traveled internationally with this collection, treating it as an essential item alongside her passport.
3. Serena Williams' Sock Superstition
Tennis champion Serena Williams has one of the most specific superstitions in professional sports. When she's on a winning streak, she refuses to change her socks for the entire tournament. This means she'll wear the same pair of socks, unwashed, through multiple matches if she keeps winning. Williams has also admitted to tying her shoelaces in a particular way, bouncing the ball exactly five times before her first serve, and always bringing her shower sandals to the court. These rituals are so ingrained in her routine that disrupting them can genuinely affect her mental game.
4. Benicio Del Toro's Lucky Ring
Oscar-winning actor Benicio Del Toro never removes a specific ring given to him by his mother. He wears it during every film shoot, interview, and public appearance, believing it brings him good fortune in his career. Del Toro has turned down roles that would have required him to remove the ring for extended periods, demonstrating just how seriously he takes this superstition. The ring has become so associated with the actor that fans and photographers have learned to look for it as his signature accessory.
5. Taylor Swift's Number Thirteen Obsession
While most people avoid the number thirteen, Taylor Swift has embraced it as her lucky number. She was born on the thirteenth, turned thirteen on Friday the thirteenth, and her first album went gold in thirteen weeks. Swift writes the number thirteen on her hand before every performance and has incorporated it into her merchandise, album releases, and social media posts. This reverse superstition has become so much a part of her brand that fans now associate the number with the pop superstar, often using it in their own tributes to her.
6. Megan Fox's Fear of Dry Paper
Actress Megan Fox has an unusual phobia that borders on superstition—she cannot stand the feeling or sound of dry paper. This aversion is so strong that she refuses to read scripts in their original form and requires them to be printed on specific types of glossy paper. In restaurants, she'll avoid touching paper menus and has her order taken verbally. Fox believes that touching dry paper brings bad luck and creates genuine distress, making this both a superstition and a phobia that significantly impacts her daily life.
7. Lucille Ball's Magic Broom Ritual
Legendary comedian Lucille Ball kept a broom near every entrance of her home and studio dressing rooms. She believed that brooms positioned this way would sweep away bad luck and negative energy before they could enter. Ball would also never allow anyone to hand her a broom; it had to be set down first and then picked up. This superstition was taken so seriously on the set of "I Love Lucy" that crew members were specifically instructed about the proper protocol for handling brooms around the star.
8. John Mayer's Pre-Performance Clock Watching
Musician John Mayer has a peculiar ritual involving clocks before every performance. He must look at a clock and note the exact time at three different moments leading up to showtime: two hours before, one hour before, and thirty minutes before. Mayer believes this practice grounds him and ensures a successful show. If he misses any of these check-ins, he reportedly becomes visibly anxious and believes the performance will suffer. His touring crew has learned to help facilitate this ritual by ensuring clocks are readily available.
9. Cameron Diaz's Doorknob Compulsion
Actress Cameron Diaz has a well-documented superstition about doorknobs, which she considers breeding grounds for bad luck and germs. She opens doors using her elbows whenever possible and has admitted to cleaning doorknobs in her home multiple times daily. Diaz believes that touching doorknobs with bare hands can transfer negative energy and has been spotted in public using tissues or her sleeves to open doors. This superstition intensifies during cold and flu season, when she becomes even more vigilant about avoiding direct contact.
10. Michael Jordan's College Shorts Tradition
Basketball legend Michael Jordan wore his University of North Carolina shorts underneath his Chicago Bulls uniform for every single game of his professional career. He believed these shorts were lucky and credited them with contributing to his success on the court. This superstition required the Bulls to design their uniforms with slightly longer shorts to accommodate the extra layer. Jordan's ritual became so famous that it influenced basketball fashion, contributing to the trend of longer shorts in the NBA during the 1990s.
11. Kate Hudson's Dream Interpretation Practice
Actress Kate Hudson takes dream interpretation to superstitious levels, refusing to make major career decisions without first analyzing her dreams from the previous night. She keeps a detailed dream journal and consults it before accepting roles, attending important meetings, or making significant life choices. Hudson believes that her dreams provide supernatural guidance and has reportedly turned down lucrative opportunities based on negative dream symbolism. She's even delayed signing contracts until she's received what she interprets as positive dream signs.
12. Rihanna's Psychic Consultation Habit
Pop superstar Rihanna regularly consults with psychics and spiritual advisors before making major business or personal decisions. She's known to travel with crystals and performs cleansing rituals in new hotel rooms and performance venues. Rihanna has stated that she won't release music or launch new products in her Fenty empire without receiving spiritual approval. This superstition has become integrated into her business operations, with her team building in time for these consultations when planning major launches or tours.
The Psychology Behind Celebrity Superstitions
These twelve examples demonstrate that superstitions transcend fame and fortune. Psychologists suggest that high-pressure careers like entertainment and sports often encourage superstitious behavior as a coping mechanism for anxiety and uncertainty. When individuals feel they have limited control over outcomes—such as audience reception or game results—they often create rituals that provide a sense of control. For celebrities, whose careers can be unpredictable despite their talent and hard work, these superstitions offer psychological comfort and routine in chaotic lives. Whether these beliefs actually influence success is debatable, but they undeniably provide mental reassurance to some of the world's most accomplished performers.
