Celebs Who Are Afraid Of Flying

For many celebrities, traveling the world is an essential part of the job, but stepping onto an airplane is a source of paralyzing fear for some. While they often portray fearless heroes on screen or perform in front of millions, the lack of control at 30,000 feet can reduce them to a bundle of nerves. Some of these stars have gone to extreme lengths to avoid flying, including taking cross-country buses or boats to reach international destinations. Others have developed eccentric rituals or rely on therapy to get through a flight. Here are the famous faces who struggle with aviophobia.

Jennifer Aniston

The ‘Friends’ star has been open about her intense fear of flying, which stems from a lack of understanding of how planes actually stay in the air. Her anxiety was exacerbated after a terrifying flight in 2019 when her private jet lost a wheel during takeoff while she was en route to Mexico for her birthday. Aniston previously admitted to a specific ritual where she would tap the outside of the plane and enter with her right foot first for good luck. She has recently turned to hypnotherapy to help manage the phobia and eliminate these superstitious behaviors.

Whoopi Goldberg

This Academy Award-winning actress spent decades avoiding airplanes entirely, choosing instead to travel across the United States on a private bus. Her fear was so severe that she would turn down work that required overseas travel or necessitated a flight. Goldberg finally decided to confront her phobia by enrolling in a “Flying Without Fear” program offered by Virgin Atlantic. The exposure therapy successfully allowed her to fly to London to produce the musical ‘Sister Act’, ending a 13-year period of staying grounded.

Travis Barker

The Blink-182 drummer developed a debilitating fear of flying after surviving a horrific Learjet crash in 2008 that killed four people, including his security guard and assistant. Barker suffered third-degree burns over 65 percent of his body and underwent numerous surgeries and skin grafts during his recovery. For more than a decade, he traveled exclusively by tour bus and ship, refusing to step foot on an aircraft. It was not until 2021, with the support of his partner Kourtney Kardashian, that he mustered the courage to fly again.

Sandra Bullock

Bullock’s fear is rooted in a traumatic real-life survival story that occurred in December 2000. During a holiday trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the corporate jet she was traveling in skidded off the runway and crashed into a snowbank due to confusing runway lights. Although she and the other passengers walked away uninjured, the aircraft sustained major damage, including a sheared-off nose gear. The incident left her with a lasting anxiety about air travel that she has had to manage throughout her career.

Megan Fox

The actress has a unique and somewhat humorous coping mechanism for her fear of turbulence and flying. Fox has stated in interviews that she listens to Britney Spears’ music during flights because she firmly believes it is not her destiny to die while listening to the pop icon. She views the music as a safety blanket, convinced that the plane will not crash as long as songs like ‘Oops!… I Did It Again’ are playing. This superstitious routine helps her manage panic attacks when she is required to travel for work.

Sean Bean

While filming ‘The Lord of the Rings’, Sean Bean’s refusal to fly in helicopters became legendary among the cast and crew. To reach remote filming locations in the mountains of New Zealand, he would wake up hours before everyone else and hike up the slopes in full costume as Boromir. His co-stars would often see him climbing the mountain from their helicopters as they flew comfortably to the set. This dedication ensured he could perform his role without the severe anxiety induced by the chopper rides.

Ben Affleck

The actor and director traces his aviophobia back to a traumatic event he experienced as a child. When he was nine years old, Affleck was flying alone to Washington, D.C., when one of the plane’s engines caught fire after being struck by lightning. He recalls gazing out the window to see the wing ablaze while the aircraft prepared for an emergency landing. This early brush with danger instilled a deep-seated nervousness about flying that has stayed with him into adulthood.

Dennis Bergkamp

Known famously in the sports world as the “Non-Flying Dutchman,” this legendary Arsenal footballer missed many important international matches due to his severe aviophobia. Bergkamp’s fear was so intense that he would negotiate his contracts to exclude flying, accepting pay cuts in exchange for the right to travel by car or train. He would often drive for days to reach away games in Europe, arriving exhausted while his teammates flew in quickly. He eventually retired from international football early partly because the travel logistics became too burdensome.

Jennifer Lawrence

The Oscar-winning actress faced a near-death experience in 2017 when a private plane she was on suffered a double engine failure. Lawrence described the silence that fell over the cabin as the plane dipped and the pilots prepared for an emergency landing in Buffalo. She later revealed that she had mentally prepared her goodbyes and felt an overwhelming sense of guilt during the descent. Although she survived physically unharmed, the incident left her with significant trauma and anxiety regarding air travel.

Lars von Trier

The acclaimed Danish filmmaker is notorious for his refusal to fly, which has significantly influenced where his movies are produced. Because he will not board a plane, almost all of his films are shot in Denmark or neighboring Sweden, regardless of where the story is actually set. This phobia means he rarely attends international film festivals like Cannes unless he can drive there in his camper van. He has even directed movies set in the United States, such as ‘Dogville’, without ever stepping foot on American soil.

Aretha Franklin

The “Queen of Soul” was another legendary figure who famously refused to fly for several decades of her career. After a turbulent flight in 1984, Franklin decided she would stick to her custom tour bus for all her travel needs. This decision limited her ability to perform overseas, but she remained steadfast in her refusal to get back on a plane. She maintained this ground-only travel rule for over thirty years until her passing.

Colin Farrell

The Irish actor has been candid about his hatred for flying, describing the entire process as completely unnatural. He has admitted to getting sweaty palms and an increased heart rate whenever he has to board a plane for a film shoot or press tour. Farrell tries to manage the stress by reasoning with himself, but the irrational fear often takes over during turbulence. He considers the act of being contained in a metal tube thousands of feet in the air to be inherently terrifying.

Tell us in the comments which celebrity phobia surprised you the most and if you have any travel rituals of your own!