Celebrities Then And Now

Access to celebrities is strictly controlled by their entourage of staff which includes publicists, agents, personal assistants, and bodyguards. Even journalists find it difficult to access celebrities for interviews:
You have to go through many hoops just to talk to a major celebrity. You have to get past three different sets of publicists: the publicist for the event, the publicist for the movie, and then the celebrity's personal publicist. They all have to approve you.
—Michael Musto,
Celebrities often hire one or more bodyguards (or close protection officer) to protect themselves and their families from threats ranging from the mundane (intrusive paparazzi photographers or autograph-seeking fans) to serious (assault, kidnapping, assassination, or stalking). The bodyguard travels with the celebrity during professional activities (movie shoots or concerts) and personal activities such as recreation and errands. Celebrities also typically have security staff at their home, to protect them from similar threats. The risk to celebrities' safety can be seen in some of the well-known attacks, such as the killing of John Lennon by an obsessed stalker.