It’s not always easy being a celebrity. Yes, you might enjoy the adulation — not to mention the perks — that come with being an A-list film star, a TV legend or a chart-topping musician, but there’s a downside to it too.
Because while Mr and Mrs General Public can just pop to the gym, the supermarket or out for dinner unbothered, normal life isn’t nearly as smooth when you’re a household name because you never know when someone might pop up unexpectedly to take your photo.
And that’s one thing if you’re swanning down a red carpet in your finery at a film premiere, but possibly not quite so welcome if you’re doing your Tesco run or you’re minding your own business trying to catch a flight.
Which in turn means that stars will sometimes go to great lengths to avoid the paparazzi — with mixed degrees of success.
Take Jacob Elordi and Kendall Jenner for example, who covered themselves from head to toe to avoid being snapped at Brisbane Airport this week, only to be instantly recognised and roasted online.
But they’re not the first celebrities to don a disguise to deter photographers, only to have their picture taken anyway, because those cover-ups were fooling nobody.
Let’s take a look at some other disguises celebs have adopted to try and pass by snappers incognito, only to fail miserably…
Katy Perry
If you want to glide by the paparazzi in an incognito fashion, you’ll naturally want to choose a low-key disguise, something neutral and unobtrusive which stops you being the centre of attention.
Someone should probably have told Katy Perry, who bypassed the standard ‘baseball cap and dark glasses’ camouflage at Miami International Airport in 2009 by covering herself in a giant plush donut pillow. As you do.
The Firework singer described the pillow as ‘the best paparazzi shield’. Which might be true but equally if you’re going to walk through an airport dressed as a donut you might just raise a few eyebrows — whether anyone recognises you or not.
Millie Bobby Brown
Millie Bobby Brown has been a household name ever since she starred as Eleven in Stranger Things, so it’s no surprise she regularly gets snapped out and about.
But she resorted to some fairly unusual methods while she and husband Jake Bongovi arrived at Malpensa Airport, Milan in 2023.
In a bid to conceal her identity, Brown resorted to the old ‘box over the head’ trick, but she didn’t just opt for any old bit of cardboard. Oh no.
Instead, she drew a face on the box. And not just that, but she even matched it to the lavender ensemble she was wearing.
Class. Still got papped, mind.
Justin Bieber
It’s not just Hollywood where the paps and fans can get camera happy. London has its fair share of snappers too. As Justin Bieber realised when his Believe tour reached the capital in 2013.
So in order to throw them off the scene he covered his face with a gas mask. Did it work? Not really. But as a source revealed to US Weekly, it had its uses.
‘Justin’s close friend, (songwriter) Julian Keyz also wears it to pretend he’s Justin and throw people off as they’re the same height,’ the source said.
‘All his friends take turns wearing it as a joke to throw off the paparazzi. It’s not a serious thing, they’re just having fun around London with it.’
Jennifer Lopez
Napkins are a super useful item when you’re a celebrity. Not only are they useful for keeping your designer outfit free of ketchup and other food stains, they can also serve as a useful disguise.
As Jennifer Lopez discovered in 2002 when she was dining out at the Ivy Beverly Hills with her then husband Cris Judd.
When the snappers descended they got nothing of J-Lo but one of her hands, holding a napkin over her face to ward off those camera lenses.
Meaning all they ended up with was Cris, giving them a poker-faced stare. Ouch.
Brad Pitt
Picking up a Starbucks on your way to work is a pretty normal part of the day for many people but not so much if you’re Brad Pitt.
Fortunately the Se7en actor found a way to try and beat the snappers when he stopped off at a Starbucks in New York in 1995 — and it was as simple as pulling his woolly hat down to cover his entire face as he left the cafe.
He still got photographed, mind. And on a purely practical level we hope he could still see where he was going.
Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock
Halloween is not only a great reason to dress up, but also an even better excuse to don a disguise and fool the paps, as Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy discovered to their benefit in 2013.
The pair — who starred together that year in the buddy cop movie The Heat — took to the streets for some trick of treating with their kids, dressed in matching yellow fishermen costumes complete with long grey beards.
Did they get photographed? You betcha. But on the flip side they probably got a decent haul of candy.
Dustin Hoffman
Acting legend Dustin Hoffman is no slouch when it comes to donning a disguise to deter the paps.
The 88-year-old Rain Man star has previously hidden behind tree branches, crouched behind newspaper kiosks and even tried to conceal himself (badly) behind telegraph poles.
And then of course there was this moment he decided to tease the paps and toy with waiting fans after leaving a handbag shop by putting a bag on his head in a bid to go unnoticed.
Still, to his credit, at least he remembered to cut eyeholes in it.
Lily Allen
We all love a duvet day, but Lily Allen took the concept quite literally in a bid to avoid the paps.
The West End Girl singer wrapped herself in a comforter while in New York in 2009, walking the streets of Manhattan with the duvet covering her face and much of her body.
Did she avoid having her photo taken? Well, no. But at least it would have kept any unseasonal weather at bay.
Tobey Maguire
This one’s a little more offbeat. While many celebrities resort to hats, bags or other items of clothing, Tobey Maguire turned to good old reliable sporting equipment to keep his face sealed from snappers.
The Spider-Man star attempted to keep the paps at bay at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005 by covering his face with a snowboard.
Our Spidey senses tell us it didn’t work.