Madonna Nearly Lost Her Life: 10 Celebrities Who Came Inches from Death

In 1996, Madonna had multiple encounters with an obsessed fan, Robert Dewey Hoskins, who threatened to either marry her or slit her throat. When he broke into her home, a bodyguard shot him and he was arrested. He remains in a psychiatric facility to this day.

While filming a documentary on illegal shark fin trade in Costa Rica, Gordon Ramsay and his crew were attacked by armed men. They were doused with gasoline, forced against a wall, and told to stop filming. Luckily, local police rescued Ramsay by boat, allowing him to leave the country immediately.

Ricardo Lopez was deeply obsessed with the Icelandic singer, writing over 800 pages of notes that included disturbing thoughts of violence. In 1996, he sent a letter bomb to Björk, which was thankfully intercepted by police. Shortly after, Lopez took his own life on camera while Björk’s music played in the background.

In 2000, an unknown assailant shot the then-unknown rapper nine times as he left his grandmother’s house. Miraculously, 50 Cent survived. The attacker’s identity remains a mystery, though police suspect drug-related motives.

Founder of Hustler magazine and rival to Playboy, Larry Flynt was shot by a sniper in 1978. The attack left him paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair for life. His attacker was later identified as a serial killer and was executed in 2013.

In 1976, unknown gunmen attacked reggae legend Bob Marley and his wife. Remarkably, Marley escaped with minor injuries and performed days later at the political event believed to have sparked the attack.

Tupac was fatally shot in a 1996 drive-by shooting, but he had already survived an earlier attack in 1994 at a recording studio lobby. Police initially thought it was a robbery, but Tupac knew it was an assassination attempt since his Rolex wasn’t taken. His killer remains unknown.

In 2011, two men tried to break into English singer Joss Stone’s home with plans to rob and harm her. Neighbors noticed their worn car in the upscale neighborhood and alerted police. Weapons including swords, hammers, masks, knives, gloves, and rope were found in the trunk. The men were sentenced to ten years in prison.

Hong Kong’s notorious triad gangs infiltrated the film industry, threatening producers for money. When Jackie Chan visited the U.S., a sniper tried to shoot him at the airport, and later the gang threatened him fatally in a restaurant. Eventually, Chan had to pay them off to stay safe.

The Rolling Stones hired the Hells Angels motorcycle club for concert security, but one member stabbed a fan. After the band cut ties, the gang sought revenge by planning to attack Jagger’s home by boat. Luckily, their boat sank en route, preventing the attack.