8 celebrities who were kidnapped … and survived: Kim K was tied up in Paris, Jessica Alba got abducted at 15, Benedict Cumberbatch was held at gunpoint – and Carina Lau faced a media nightmare

Aug 18 , 2022

Jessica Alba, Justin Long, Kim Kardashian, Benedict Cumberbatch and Carina Lau have all suffered terrifying ordeals at the hands of kidnappers. Photos: @jessicaalba, @justinlong, @kimkardashian, @carinalau1208/Instagram; Reuters

Hong Kong icon Carina Lau was on her way to TVB’s Eric Tsang’s house when she was kidnapped, and her husband Tony Leung and friend Jacky Cheung began a frantic search

Duffy disappeared from the spotlight after a traumatic abduction, while Shin Sang-ok and Choi Eun-hee were taken by North Korea’s Kim Jong-il to make films for him

Being rich and famous obviously has its upsides, but the downsides can be notoriously dangerous. As many celebrities have experienced from being in the spotlight, fans – and haters – can become obsessive, and sometimes it can go too far. However, in most cases of celebrity kidnappings, it’s really about the money.

So, which A-listers have been kidnapped … and survived?

1. Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba was filming Flipper as a 14 year old when she went missing. Photo: @jessicaalba/Instagram

Alba was acting in Flipper at age 14 when she began getting strange phone calls on set. Soon after, she disappeared from filming and went missing for 14 hours. According to reports, she was found blindfolded, gagged and restrained in the boot of a car. The Fantastic Four star never spoke publicly about the horrific incident, and apparently, the case was closed as she was unable to provide further information. These days, understandably, she keeps her private life under wraps.

2. Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch was kidnapped in South Africa by thieves who wanted his bank cards and money. Photo: @wlcumberbatch/Instagram

The Doctor Strange actor told Marc Maron on his WTF Podcast about the time he was held at gunpoint in South Africa, in 2004. He recounted how he was with his two co-stars when their vehicle was ambushed: “I was then put into the boot of the car and at one point my shoelaces were bound to my wrists.” The thieves took their bank cards and money, and the ordeal lasted two and a half hours. Eventually, the hijackers left with the cash and Cumberbatch and his peers were able to call for help.

3. Justin Long

Justin Long was drugged and taken on a terrifying joyride by a gang of men in Michigan. Photo: @justinlong/Instagram

In 2019, Long revealed on Dax Shepard’s podcast Armchair Expert how he was drugged and kidnapped back in 2008 during the filming of Youth In Revolt in Michigan. People were starting to recognise him from films and he was also known for dating Drew Barrymore at the time.

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