Celebrities Then And Now

—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.
The costs of bodyguards and house security can be very high. “Rapper 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, admitted that he spends $20,000 a week on security at his Farmington, Connecticut, mansion.” CNN reports that "...Jackson's expenditures are in the lower end of what most high-profile individuals pay to protect themselves, their families and their property." According to a security expert, the cost of security for a celebrity is as follows: "For one day, if you need one truck (e.g. a Suburban) with a driver and three security agents, you are looking at $4,000 a day, and use that four days a week, then you can easily see spending $20,000 a week." "Britney Spears...spends nearly half a million dollars a year for security." Security costs for families of celebrities run even higher: "If you are looking to protect a celebrity family like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie..., the price tag for job like that is going to be around $1 million to $1.4 million a year..."