15 Times People Ran Into a Celebrity and Things Got Super Awkward

Hiding from Drew Barrymore, having a class with Emma Watson, or running into Jon Bon Jovi in the park are unexpected events that very few of us can say we’ve experienced. However, a few Reddit users, who were more than lucky, did happen to run into some celebrities in situations that can only be described as fun or embarrassing. And their anecdotes were captured for posterity in this great thread that anyone can read and enjoy.

Bright Side selected and made a list of some of the most interesting events that Redditors shared about them meeting celebrities. And at the end of the article, we added a bonus with the times that things actually went fine! Enjoy!

• I saw Nicholas Cage at a restaurant when I was 7. I tried to take a picture of him discreetly and the flash went off. He and his posse immediately got up and left. ©whoops519

• I met Hulk Hogan when I was 4 (late-ish ’80s) at some wrestling thing in Dallas. All I remember is that my dad got his attention as he was walking toward the ring, and when he came around he stuck out this GIANT hand and said, “Put it there, darlin’!” I recognized him but he was scary, so I peed my pants and cried. I guess it’s obvious now that he wanted a handshake or a high 5 or.... something? No idea. Anyway, scared the piss out of me. Dude is huge. ©JoyceCarolOatmeal

• I’ve met Conan O’Brien twice. The first time was awesome. My wife and I were visiting NYC for our anniversary and went to see his show. (Back when he was still doing Late Night at NBC.) The guy that warmed the crowd up before Conan came out asked if it was anyone’s birthday or anniversary, and I spoke up and said we were visiting for ours. When Conan came out, he came right up to us to shake our hands and give us a little present. A few years later, we went to go see his show when he was touring in between the Tonight Show mess and his TBS show. We were taking a walk around the theater right when his bus happened to pull up, and he came to meet us and a few other fans that were there at the time. He was so visibly exhausted and gaunt looking, after everything that he’d gone through, I could totally understand. He still talked with everyone for a few minutes and went on to do a fun show with his band later that night though. ©Danielrh9

• A buddy of mine went to Brown University and had a big lecture class with Emma Watson. I guess she answered a question and someone shouted POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR, and she got embarrassed and just walked out. ©Novakat24

• I was vacationing up near Sundance, where he lives and owns land. I’m just hiking around trails with my dad on a wonderful day in the mountains and this guy with a huge beard walks out of a little outpost over to a dirt bike. He stops to say, “Oh hello there folks! How are you guys doing? You enjoying your time up here?” I look at him and he looks strangely familiar, as if I have seen him before. We say, “Yeah, it’s beautiful up here.” He responds with, “I’ve worked hard to make sure it stays that way for you guys...Well, you enjoy, ok?” He kicked started his old dirt bike, and took off down the trail. I recognized his face after he left and it dawns on me, it was Robert Redford. ©chubbsmgee

• I met Paul Walker at a gym I go to by my house. I went up to him after his workout and said hello, that I was a fan, and how I liked his Mercedes he drove that night. We talked a bit, he said he was moving back here for his daughter. Found out that he was originally from here. And that he was going to bring his other cars around. He passed away a week later. ©F4K3RS

• I was out for a run in the middle of the day on a Sunday. I see, coming in my direction, also out for a run, Jon Bon Jovi. I start wondering what it was going to be like to pass by him, should I ignore him, etc. And what does he do? In a nice, clear voice, he says, “Good morning.” End of story. ©Joyce_Hatto

• I saw Drew Barrymore in NYC in the mid ’90s. I recognized her right away, but I was so scared/starstruck to say hi to her that I ran into a lightbulb store. She also walked into the lightbulb store and I walked around trying to avoid her, but she kept walking everywhere I went. So finally I walked back out, because I just didn’t know what to say to her and I didn’t want to bother her. The end. ©DjCanicus

• I had an entirely eyeball/body language conversation with Chris Pontius in a Guitar Center. He was playing an acoustic. I saw him, he looked at me. I realized who he was, he saw that I recognized him, and he gave me a look that was so sad, like, “Please don’t announce to the world that I’m here.” I nodded, and he smiled and looked relieved. The end. ©****dirt

• My dad was in Mexico a few years ago and saw Sean Penn. He didn’t want to be rude, so he asked Sean Penn’s girlfriend if she thought it would be okay if he talked to him. She also put him off politely, but ended up talking to him for a bit. He was also talking to Charlize Theron, but had no idea. ©MagnusT

• One time, I came across Keanu Reeves sitting on a bench, staring dejectedly at a sandwich. I sat next to him and just let him vent. Sometimes strangers are the best confidantes. ©bokan

• Weirdly, I happened to go to college for one year with Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) who was incredibly talented, fun, and nice. ©DukeMaximum

• I was about 13 and I was out in NYC for lunch with my grandmother. About 5 minutes after we sat down, Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon both sit at the table right next to us. My grandma mouths to me that she’s Yoko Ono, and I said really loud, “WHO IS YOKO ONO?” I remember at that moment, every face in my surrounding radius turned and literally stared at me, but Yoko Ono broke the silence with a small laugh as she said hello to my grandmother and told her that I was very cute. They didn’t say anything else after that, but we exchanged a goodbye and my Grandma literally LOL’d at me. ©kekokek

• I ran into Miley Cyrus the day before she got her haircut, in a Doc Martin’s shoe store in Philly. I asked her, “Hey, are you Miley Cyrus?” She replied, “Yup.” And then proceeded to exit the store before I could ask for a photo. ©sporks49

• My mom found Paris Hilton incognito in an airport, came to find me, brought me to a tiny lady in a hoodie and big sunglasses in the middle of the airport, and goes, “Hi, are you Paris Hilton?” Then pushed me in front of her and said, “Here, say hi to my son!” Like I was a weird birthday gift or something. She said, “Sup.” I said, “Sup,” then she did this weird little laugh. Then my mom goes, “Okay bye!” ©Invader_Zirk

Bonus: Some of them actually went pretty fine!

Have you ever run into a celebrity just doing his or her thing somewhere? Did it go well or was it more of an awkward situation? Let us know in the comment section!