With their paparazzi, bodyguards, mansions and private jets, celebrities live unconventional lives. And you can add one more thing to the list: absurd insurance policies with megabuck payout plans. These are not like typical insurance plans covering your house, car or other valuables. For insurance companies guaranteeing celebrity body parts for sky-high sums of money, the risk is high.
But insurance giant Lloyd’s of London is famous for taking on big-digit celebrity policies over the years, including insurance on the legs of dancer Fred Astaire and a finger of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.
Gene Simmons, the bassist for the iconic late-’70s band Kiss, added his own signature move — sticking out his extra-long tongue — to the band’s widely recognizable stage presence of black-and-white face paint and distinctive jumpsuits. His tongue, which is rumored to have been surgically enhanced, was reportedly insured for $1 million when Kiss was at its peak.
In this day and age, a lot of appearance-conscious men are looking to wax or trim their wayward hair. But pop singer Tom Jones must think a little fuzz is critical to his status as a sex symbol. In 2008, the New York Daily News and several other media outlets reported that Jones had his chest hair insured for $7 million. Other sources, however, have alleged that this information is false.
Country music legend Dolly Parton, who is almost as well known for her curvy figure as for her singing and acting, has insured her 42-inch bust for $600,000, reports ABC News. That’s $300,000 per breast — pretty good money for a woman who grew up poor in an isolated corner of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Several media sources have reported that Keith Richards, the legendarily hard-living guitarist for the Rolling Stones, has insured the middle finger on his left hand for $1.6 million.
Going a step beyond the idea of insuring body parts, David Lee Roth, the former lead singer of the group Van Halen, decided to pay a premium on his sperm with an insurance policy of more than $1 million, according to the British newspaper The Independent. Some say this was a forward-thinking move, guarding against possible paternity suits.
It’s not always the celebrity who foots the bill. Instead, the insurance policy is often covered by an entertainment company or endorser. For example, Proctor & Gamble has an insurance policy on the long, wavy tresses of Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu because the NFL great is the face of the company’s Head & Shoulders shampoo. Likewise, Aquafresh toothpaste has insured the teeth of “Ugly Betty” star America Ferrera for $10 million, making her a poster child for the pearly white smile. Insiders speculate that insuring body parts is a way for a company to get media attention for a celebrity or ignite attention for a brand — and to increase the overall dollar value of a highly profitable star.
OK, so it’s not a body part, but it’s too wacky not to mention. Storied actress Shirley MacLaine is the owner of one of the most bizarre insurance policies in Hollywood, reports Parade Magazine. According to that publication, MacLaine, who has been outspoken about believing in reincarnation and extraterrestrial life, owns a $25 million policy protecting her acting fortune against an alien abduction. In fact, more than 20,000 people in the United States have forked over insurance money to cover themselves in the event of an alien abduction.