Behind The Curtain: Brutal Stories From Assistants To The Stars

Lady Gaga Showered With Her Personal Assistant

Some personal assistants have to pick up after stars while others have to shower with them. Lady Gaga made her assistant, Jennifer O’Neill, sleep in her bed, shower with her, and spend 24 hours a day with her. She “had no privacy, no chance to talk to any of [her] family, no chance to talk to any friends…There was no chance to do anything.” Gaga also had a few things to say about O’Neill as well, claiming she was a “disgusting human being’ who should have been grateful for living a luxury lifestyle that included ‘sleeping in Egyptian cotton sheets every night, in five-star hotels, on private planes, eating caviar… and using my YSL discount without my permission.”

There are always two sides to the story. That sounds more like a prison than a job as a personal assistant. O’Neill ended up suing Gaga for this, plus the horrible pay. She’s in the process of writing a detailed book about her horrible experiences in the shower with Lady Gaga. That’ll be a juicy tale to tell (via Daily Mail).

This PA Was Required To Talk To Cats

It’s one thing to clean up after a celebrity and handle all of their meetings, but it’s another to talk to their cats. This person, who was the personal assistant for an anonymous executive producer on a news show, had to watch his boss’ cats. Even though pet sitting is completely normal, talking to them and having conversations with them is not.

And not only did they have to sit there and have conversations, but they had to record their responses and use a script with written conversations. Let’s hope the cats had some witty responses (via The Talko).

Jessica Simpson Skips Restaurant Tabs

Before Jessica Simpson met her BFF’s assistant, Cacee Cobb, she had a slew of personal assistants that struggled to work for her. One quit because she claimed she was too smart to work for Jessica, and another claimed Jessica skipped the tab at restaurants and bars. Simpson had a big enough ego to believe her appearance alone at the restaurant was enough to pay for the tab (via In Touch Weekly).

Taryn Manning Is Just As Mean In Person

On ‘Orange Is The New Black,’ Taryn Manning portrays a violent, cruel character. But it turns out she’s just as violent and cruel in person. Her former personal assistant filed a lawsuit against her for choking and punching her, strikes that included causing numerous bodily bruises.

And even though Manning was a long-time friend of the personal assistant’s family, it doesn’t mean she can physically abuse her, though she did end up forgiving her years later. Her lawyer even went so far as to say, “There are some personal issues… Disagreements that friends who spend every waking moment together have on occasion.” Still, that’s no excuse to punch your assistant (via Daily Mail).

Keri Hilson Screamed At Her Assistant

Stars want to look their best while on stage, but that doesn’t mean it always goes according to plan. People make honest mistakes, it’s a part of life. When Ker Hilson was on stage, she noticed a tag still on her clothes that her assistant forgot to take off. After the performance, she went after her assistant and screamed at her so much, that bodyguards had to tear the two apart.

Someone eavesdropping on the situation said, “She was screaming at her assistant for ‘not being able to do anything right.’ [She] railed that the assistant also forgot to ‘pack her eye drops and throat spray.'” Does she expect her assistant to never make mistakes? She’d be better off with another job elsewhere (via Hip Hop Wired).

This Personal Assistant Dealt With Drug-Influenced Emails

It comes as no surprise to learn that celebrities use drugs and have addiction problems. Personal assistants working with Hollywood celebrities means they see the ins and outs of their lives, no matter how brutal or secretive. This assistant, working for an anonymous, highly-rated manager in Hollywood, said he had to deal with cocaine-inspired emails with ridiculous demands.

These emails include changing lunch orders from 1:00 PM to 1:03 PM and buying socks, and even quotes like, “Are bagels different with LA water?” Trying to picture someone performing these tedious tasks is quite humorous. Check out Lilit Marcus’ novel Save the Assistants: A Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the Workplace for more insight into this ridiculous job (via Amazon).

Angelina Jolie Was Too Drunk To Handle Her Kids

We all know many celebrities have drinking problems. It’s one of the fastest ways to destress after a long work day, especially if that day is accompanied by paparazzi and excruciatingly long hours. According to Angelina Jolie’s assistant, she suffers from alcoholism so much that she has to lock her kids in the bedroom when she gets too drunk.

She and Brad Pitt went through a custody battle at one point, because Jolie claimed Pitt was verbally and physically abusive while drunk on a plane. Regardless, Jolie also makes her assistants watch her horrible moves. One of her former assistants, who goes by the name Ana Carlotiaux, is suing Jolie for getting fired for missing work due to an illness (via The Things).

One Celebrity Buys Their Family Second-Hand Gifts

A-list celebrities seem to have all the money in the world, especially when they land their page on Forbes. It seems impossible that celebrities can manage to spend all that money they make on themselves. One personal assistant dished the gossip to Forbes and said one anonymous celebrity employer buys their family second-hand, pre-loved, cheap gifts, and spends a ridiculous amount on their friends.

They said, “She once had me buy some luggage for her makeup artist, two bags for $5,000, and yet for her best friend’s birthday, she told me to find a used bike on Craigslist for under $100.” When the celebrity’s mom needed a new television, the star told their assistant to grab the used one out of their garage and drive it to their mother’s house. It sounds like they’re trying to buy their way to fame and disregarding those who matter most (via Blind Gossip).

Jennifer Aniston Uses Her Assistants As Fans

Everyone gets sweaty and hot, especially if we’re walking around on a particularly hot day. This includes movie sets, where it’s probably several degrees hotter than usual. Even though Jennifer Aniston was once considered to be “America’s Sweetheart” during her days on Friends, it turns out she’s quite the opposite.

On set, Aniston would make her assistants fan her or hold ice cubes near her to keep her body temperature cold. Even though no one likes sweat stains, it’s ridiculous to ask another human being to hold ice cubes near your body (via Alamy).

Justin Bieber Blamed His Assistant For Smuggling Drugs

The young Canadian pop star went through a series of wild experiences throughout the years. While he was touring Australia, he accidentally tried to carry marijuana through the airport. He only got a 12-month good behavior bond and a slap on the wrist.

But he still blamed his assistant for the majority of the situation since he was the one in charge of packing the bag. His assistant Terrence Reche Smalls pled guilty to importing marijuana, paying a $1,000 fine and a 12-month good behavior bond (via Daily Mail).

The ‘Ellen’ Show Had A Toxic Work Environment

When the truth about Ellen DeGeneres came out, it shocked the world. Her show was anything but the happy-go-lucky atmosphere we saw on screen. This happened when she made Taylor Swift cry during a taping of her show. Supposedly, she treated her employees poorly and didn’t properly pay them.

Personal assistants said there was a toxic work environment on set, and managers told employees “to not speak to DeGeneres if they saw her around the office.” If one of the staff needed medical leave, the show fired them. Some others faced racism, sexual harassment, and intimidation. Since then, the show was canceled and probably for good reason (via Buzzfeed News).

Mariah Carey Can’t Sleep Without Apple TV

There are diva stories, and then there are over-the-top diva stories. Mariah Carey is one of them. She makes ridiculous requests from her personal assistants that stress them out and even cause breakdowns. For starters, she demands her dog have its chauffeur. One of her assistants, named Molly, broke down crying because she couldn’t get the Apple TV to work, as requested by Mariah. She said, “The Apple TV is the most important thing for Ms. MC. If she can’t have the Apple TV playing while she’s sleeping, she can’t sleep. If she can’t sleep, she can’t perform.”

Molly took the blame, and it took many staff members to calm her down. Twitter was at least living for the gossip. But it doesn’t stop there, another PA suffered abuse from Carey and her former manager Stella Bulochnikov, who allegedly verbally abused her “about her breasts by putting iPhones, remote controls, and utensils under them.” Carey knew about the abuse and yet didn’t do anything to stop it (via Digital Spy).

Kourtney Kardashian Wants Assistants To Call Her Madam

We all know the Kardashians are high-maintenance. And even though Kourtney Kardashian seems to be one of the more level-headed sisters, it doesn’t mean she treats her employers well. She told her employers not to call her by her first name, and instead refer to her as “madam” at all times. But, just like any human, people make mistakes.

Her personal assistant admitted, “I once slipped up and called her Kourtney, and she threw a hissy fit. I never made that mistake again!” It sounds like this queen of trash TV has some high demands for her assistants. Kourtney isn’t the only one who does this either. The security team must avoid speaking to Kim, the staff isn’t allowed to touch Kylie’s straws, and you can’t use a microwave at Kourtney’s house (via The Talko).

Ben Stiller Needs Iced Tea A Certain Way

Even though we usually see Ben Stiller portray a nice guy onscreen, it doesn’t mean he’s like that off-screen. He’s much different in person. While filming Zoolander, his personal assistant learned about his bizarre requests the hard way. There were specific instructions, including how to make his iced tea.

Apparently, “It had to be unsweetened, and I was to sweeten it with 1.5 packets of Splenda inside 16 ounces of unsweetened [Nestea] iced tea.” The assistant made the mistake of bringing him his iced tea in a paper cup with too little ice instead of a glass with a lot of ice. After Stiller took a sip, he couldn’t help but express his disgust with it. His PA even had to wipe off the condensation from the glass. The PA didn’t last very long (via Nicki Swift).

Naomi Campbell Abused Her Assistant

Just because you’re a model doesn’t mean you’re automatically nice to people. Naomi Campbell is notorious for being a terror to people who know and help her. Her former assistant, Amie Castaldo, claimed she suffered a month-long reign of abuse by Campbell, and that the model head-butted her and attacked her, called her names, and bit her.

She said, “Naomi hundred percent needs to get help. She was incredibly mean to me and very cruel, and she would scream at me every day – in public places – in front of people I knew. It didn’t matter.” Naomi even claimed the PA as her “personal punching bag.” Naomi needs some serious help. Just because you’re working for someone, doesn’t mean you can abuse them (via iol).

One Anonymous Celebrity Made Her PA Carry Drugs

It’s one thing to carry tea for the person you’re working for, and another to become a drug mule. One personal assistant told a story about the anonymous celebrity they once worked for. She would make her PA go and pick up “herbs” for tea. It turns out these herbs were drugs, and the celebrity secretly packed them in her PA’s suitcase when they flew to a festival so the celebrity wouldn’t get in trouble if she were caught. When they landed, the celebrity asked if the “stuff” was there.

When the PA realized what “stuff” meant, she flipped out and said, “Oh my God, I went on a f***ing plane carrying drugs for you? I could have gotten arrested! You could have at least told me so I knew what I was doing, and put it in the bag that’s not checked!” Needless to say, this celebrity has her PA do all the dirty drug work (via The Talko).

Christian Bale Made His PA Take Care Of Stray Possums

We heard of one PA having scripted conversations with a celebrity’s cats, but what about taking care of stray possums? That’s exactly what Christian Bale made his PA do while he was away working. Harrison Cheung said, “If Christian was away filming on location, I would take care of his five pets, along with stray possums in the backyard.

I would do anything from sniffing Christian’s armpits for B.O. right before he hit the red carpet to making emergency sock runs if Christian was all out of clean ones.” Even though an emergency sock run sounds fun, taking care of possums is a new one for personal assistants (via Now to Love).

Charlize Theron Doesn’t Allow Eye Contact From Her PA

We understand leaving your boss alone while they’re working. But not allowing eye contact? That’s a completely different ball game. Even though Charlize Theron is an award-winning actor, known for roles in films like Monster and Snow White and the Huntsman, it doesn’t mean she treats her staff well.

She did not allow her assistant to look at her employer or speak to her. She was only there to take care of her young children. The PA couldn’t even speak to her about her kids except in the case of an emergency and had to write questions down in a diary (via Baller Cap).

An Anonymous Actor Called His PA For Toilet Paper

It’s one thing to need a roll of toilet paper ASAP, but it’s another to expect your PA, who’s actually on another continent, to get it for you. Does this unnamed actor believe in teleportation? Even though we’re all human and need toilet paper once and a while, we don’t ask people from across the world to get it for us.

He called his PA and told him to contact the hotel he was staying at and request more toilet paper ASAP. Not only that, but the actor phoned his PA while it was four in the morning, their time. The actor could have saved more time by calling the hotel himself (via Nicki Swift).

Sarah Jessica Parker Practices Witchcraft

While Sarah Jessica Parker might treat her staff members well and takes good care of her PAs, it doesn’t mean she’s deemed “normal.” She has high requirements for her PAs, including education, especially from an Ivy League.

But one of her PAs admitted she practices witchcraft behind closed doors in her spare time. Maybe that’s the reason for her success (via Hollywood Ancestry).

Beyonce’s Nanny Had To Learn Her Dance Moves

Beyonce is one of the most incredible dancers in the world. ‘Queen B’ is successful for a reason. But that doesn’t mean the average person can keep up with her dance moves. A former PA of Beyonce claims that Beyonce told her to learn her choreography for the “Single Ladies” music video.

Even though it sounds like she did her a huge favor by teaching her some amazing moves, it sounds nearly impossible. She didn’t do this for the PA’s benefit, though, she did it for Blue Ivy, Beyonce’s child (via Animated Times).

Madonna Is A Perfectionist

Celebrities tend to be perfectionists. They need to make sure everything is perfect while they’re performing or starring in a role. But there’s a fine line between perfectionism and being over the top with perfectionism. Madonna is an extreme perfectionist, including what she eats. She had a “food intake” assistant who monitored everything she ate. Food police, anyone?

She’s known for her choreography and strict diets, and even jokes about her behavior. Madonna calls her PA the food police, and said she says, “Are you eating? Did you drink enough water?” I’m like: ‘B***h, get off my pole!'” She needs a lot of help from her team to keep her on the right track (via Mirror).

One PA Had To Shoot A Birth Video

The PA of an award-winning cinematographer revealed he had to film his boss’ wife giving birth. Even though the miracle of life is a beautiful thing to witness, it’s not something everyone feels comfortable watching, let alone filming. He said, “It was requested that I watch several hours of birthing videos so I would know what to expect during the birth. Each day, I watched hour-long videos. … I watched as these women were screaming and cursing and looking as if they were being tortured.”

The PA had to shift the light and ended up getting a perfect shot of the baby crowning. He went on to say, “They said I was the only person they trusted enough to handle this task. While I was terrified at the thought…I was honored to have been asked.” Luckily, the boss was happy with the footage (via Business Insider).

Meghan Markle Is Rude And Inconsiderate

Meghan Markle lives two separate lives. On one hand, she bashes the royal family and their traditions and stands up against racism. But on the other hand, she berates staff and is inconsiderate of their feelings and hard work. At a wedding in the UK, she got very upset when she thought there was an egg in a dish.

When she was told there wasn’t, she insisted there was. The Queen had to intervene and said, “Meghan, in this family we don’t speak to people like that.” Talk about awkwardness. Furthermore, she flew into a rage at a PA when she got her blankets the wrong shade of red (via Kidspot).