Celebrity Parties That Got Out Of Hand
The party doesn't start till they walk in. Hollywood starlets blowing off steam with a lavish party is nothing new — staying out until daylight is part of the old Hollywood lifestyle that we've seen glimpses of in the tabloids for years. Parties are a chance for A-listers to rub shoulders with other A-listers. And after-parties like Beyoncé and Jay-Z's Oscar soirée bring Hollywood's elite together for a night of champagne glasses and high fashion. Those extravagant private parties usually go off without a hitch and have few details reported in the press.
The big celebrity parties that do make the news are typically reckless blowouts that include drunk guests and end with police officers banging on the front door. Sometimes things get too out of hand, and the controversy doesn't always go away by sunrise. Here's a list of the wildest celebrity parties that make us glad we didn't get an invite.
Johnny Manziel's party was too wild for Kathy Griffin
Johnny Manziel's career as an NFL quarterback didn't go as planned, and neither did the party he threw in 2016. According to Page Six, Manziel rented a Los Angeles home from real estate broker Nicholas Goodwin. Goodwin deeply regretted that decision.
The owner claimed that Manziel rented the home under an alias, reportedly due to his negative reputation among other homeowners, per HuffPost. After Manziel lied about his identity, he also lied about how many visitors were joining him. After reporting to Goodwin that only three people were staying over, he threw a two-night house party for 40 to 70 guests.
The massive 48-hour rager caused such a ruckus that neighbors began phoning the police, including Kathy Griffin (yes, that Kathy Griffin), who complained about the noise. Following the party, Goodwin returned to his home and found it littered with garbage, broken glass, and possibly cocaine. "They were supposed to check out at noon. Manziel was passed out ... There was cocaine all over the kitchen table, and mushrooms were still out on the table in front of him," he told Page Six. Due to the damage, Goodwin demanded Manziel cough up $31,580. Per TMZ, he ended up suing Manziel for over $40,000. This wasn't the first time the party boy made headlines. Sources in his circle previously expressed concerns to TMZ about his behavior.
Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran had to hide from the police
In the music industry, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran don't have reputations as wild partygoers, so it was surprising in 2015 when the besties said cops showed up at a party they were at. After greeting fans in London, the pop stars told BBC Radio 1 their story of a wild night at Mark Ronson's Grammy Awards after-party. Ronson's event reportedly took place in his hotel room, and his guest list might've been too loud... It wasn't long before the police came knocking on the door.
"That made us feel so cool," Swift said of the police presence. She recollected, "We had to hide in a bathroom. ... I grabbed Ed and I was like, 'Cops are here. Come with me.'" Among the other stars ducking the law was singer Hozier. "He's 6"4', he's a tall dude, so to see him standing behind a door, it's an odd sight. A lot of weird things happened that night," she joked. Sheeran aptly noted that the "po-po shut us down, like Kesha."
After avoiding being spotted by the police, Sheeran and Swift dropped by Sam Smith's hangout and had a weird encounter with The Weeknd. "I woke up with an email from The Weeknd and he was like, 'You told me how beautiful I was for like 15 minutes straight and started to pet my hair,' Swift revealed.
Billy Idol was kicked out of a country
For rockstars, trashing hotel rooms is a right of passage. However, we're not sure many stars have experienced getting kicked out of a country by the military after a wild night. Singer Billy Idol's time in Bangkok takes the cake. In 1989, the rockstar took a trip to Thailand that didn't involve much sightseeing. He allegedly went on a three-week bender that involved drugs and sex while staying at various hotels.
"We went there to have a whale of a time — a sex holiday, really. But it got out of hand. Bad things started to happen," the singer told Louder Sound. Though he said he didn't intend to use drugs, the singer described later taking heroin, tranquilizers, and Valiums. It wasn't long before that mixture of the heavy drugs caused him to have violent outbursts and smash things around him and wreak havoc in hotel rooms.
"I think we went through a few hotels like that before the Thai army escorted me out of the country on a gurney," he revealed. Upon the rockstar's removal from the country, the hotels he stayed at demanded he pay for the damages done to their suites. According to the Chicago Tribune, Idol was forced to pay a total of $20,000 in damages for the mess he made, which included a smashed television, broken windows, and destroyed furniture.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Dave Navarro was forced to leave the Playboy Mansion
According to former Playboy Mansion butler Stefan Tetenbaum, Hugh Hefner had strict rules for employees to follow. His commands emphasized decorum and entertaining his friends (as Tetenbaum outlined in "Dark Secrets of Playboy," per the Daily Star). However, musician Dave Navarro didn't realize that Hefner also expected his party guests to not get too out of line. In Navarro's biography, "Don't Try This at Home," he detailed his wild party nights, including one memorable stay at the Playboy Mansion.
Navarro recalled being at a party and shooting up heroin during an orgy. While high, Navarro attempted to write on the walls of the iconic mansion with his blood. Of course, Hefner wasn't too pleased with his blood art and not only kicked him out but banned him from ever returning to the Playboy mansion. Navarro has also explained that the traumatic death of his mother drew him to both music and drugs.
Actor Luke Wilson was another one of the few on the Playboy ban list, but his actions were far less reckless, so he was supposedly readmitted. The actor revealed in a 2006 interview that he was actually banned for lying. "I got DNA-ed from the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. That means 'do not admit' — that's their special word," he told Wenn (Via DigitalSpy). Wilson lied to security and claimed to be with his famous brother, Owen Wilson.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Javon Walker was left unconscious in a parking lot
As a professional athlete, partying after scoring a big contract is expected, especially if it's worth $55 million. In 2008, after Javon Walker finalized his massive deal with the Oakland Raiders, Walker was ready to celebrate. According to TMZ, shortly after inking the deal, the wide receiver hit a Las Vegas nightclub and partied hard. The athlete even racked up a tab of $15,000 while spraying the crowd with champagne. In spite of the celebration, his night didn't end on a good note. He was later found unconscious and beaten in a Las Vegas parking lot.
ESPN reported that the star was hospitalized due to a concussion and injuries to his face. The robbery included $3,000 in cash and $100,000 worth of jewelry. In 2010, the man accused of committing the robbery was found guilty of first-degree kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, battery, robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery. During the trial, prosecutors argued that Deshawn Thomas saw Walker was inebriated and targeted him for the robbery, per Las Vegas Sun. While testifying, Walker admitted that the attack forced him to change his lifestyle. According to ESPN, he described no longer wearing flashy jewelry and spending money in nightclubs.
Things got rocky on the love boat
In 2005, the Minnesota Vikings made headlines for things other than football. 17 members of the team boarded two party boats for a wild night to remember. According to USA Today, the team was joined by countless naked women and free-flowing alcohol. It quickly unraveled and became a wild sex party with over 100 women. Crew members witnessed players publicly engaging in oral sex, lap dances, with women stripping. The party was allegedly organized by Lance Johnstone and Fred Smoot, in a tradition of rookies throwing parties for the veterans on the team. The scandalous orgy soon made headlines and was nicknamed "The Love Boat."
If the players thought that the details of this party were going to stay within their locker room, they were severely wrong. CBS station WCCO shared details from a transcript of a 911 call in which a woman told police several men had hopped out of their limousine to urinate in her yard.
Following the investigation, Duante Culpepper (quarterback), Bryant McKinnie, Fred Smoot, and Moe Williams were all charged with disorderly conduct. If the discipline by the police wasn't enough, the Vikings were later berated by team owner Zygi Wilf for the public embarrassment. According to Sports Illustrated (via ESPN), he threatened to cut players who orchestrated the party. The NFL fined two players for the incident.
Christina Aguilera allegedly snuck into Jeremy Renner's bed
Having Christina Aguilera at your birthday party is a total dream...until it's not. In 2011, actor Jeremy Renner hosted a massive house party for his 40th birthday that included Aguilera, Scarlett Johansson, Colin Farrell, and Leonardo DiCaprio. According to Us Weekly, as the party was unfolding, Renner found his famous guest where she wasn't supposed to be — in his bed. The birthday boy was so annoyed by her weird trespassing, he reportedly ranted about it at a Golden Globe party.
"Someone comes and tells me she's in my room," the actor said, according to Us Weekly. "I run up and open the door and I'm like, 'Um, hi. What are you doing?' She just starts slurring. Her boyfriend [Matthew Rutler] was rubbing her back. Who comes to someone's birthday party that they don't know and gets in their bed?! My parents were there!" Other sources at the party told the outlet they witnessed Aguilera's drunken behavior.
Renner's reps later attempted damage control by telling HuffPost that Aguilera was having a good time at the party, but she stayed out of Renner's bed. In 2015, Aguilera's behavior at Seth MacFarlane's Christmas party made headlines. According to a Page Six source, the star was so drunk "she nearly fell into a Christmas tree." If you invite the pop star to your next party, make sure to keep the bedroom doors locked and any plants out of sight.
Police had to visit Justin Bieber's party twice
Justin Bieber's partying ways are infamous. In 2014, TMZ reported on his behavior in Atlanta, specifically mentioning studio sessions where the singer was hardly ever sober. In October of that year, while partying at his Beverly Hills home, the crowd and the sound became too much for his neighbors to bare. Many phoned the police with noise complaints.
TMZ reported that police first arrived at Bieber's residence after 11 p.m. After noting that the sound levels were fine, they left. About 12:40 a.m., officers again arrived at his house and directly spoke with the "Sorry" singer this time. The police warned him that if he didn't control the noise levels of his party, his neighbors could conduct a citizen's arrest, so he reportedly pledged to send his 30 or 40 guests home.
Bieber seems to be in a different place now. He's settled down, married, and recommitted to his faith. However, one after-party made headlines years after his troublesome phase. In February 2022, following Bieber's gathering in a Los Angeles restaurant, TMZ reported that rapper Kodak Black and three other people were shot. All victims reportedly sustained treatable injuries. Black was released from the hospital and was seen using a walker.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Dennis Rodman's neighbors called the police
NBA champion Dennis Rodman loves to party so much, even Michael Jordan had to hunt him down and drag him to practice. Rodman's dedication to having fun and his over-the-top personality have made him endearing to many in the world. However, if you're his neighbor, you might not love his rowdy ways. In 2001, while the basketball player was celebrating his 40th birthday, his Newport Beach neighbors desperately wanted him to call it a night. The Los Angeles Times reported that his birthday festivities included a dramatic entrance — with a helicopter illegally landing on the beach — and a rock concert.
This wasn't the first Rodman party that neighbors weren't too keen on. The outlet noted that over time, he'd received over 70 visits from the police and was fined over $3,000 as neighbors complained endlessly about the volume of his excessive parties. The loud rock concert in 2001 drew over 50 complaints and a visit by the police. Around 30 officers showed up in riot gear to shut the party down. Despite Rodman arguing with the police, he eventually moved his birthday bash to his nearby restaurant.
Rodman is aware of the troubles his past parties have caused. During an appearance on Kevin Hart's "Cold as Balls" series, the baller recounted how many times he's been arrested. "I'd say over 100," he answered. "I was having too many parties at my house, and for seven years straight, it was like seven days a week."