10 celebrities investigated by the FBI and that almost no one knew about

The American Federal Department of Investigation mainly investigates potential criminals involved in complex and national security actions, but not only. For example, the Department spent 40 years investigating the life of singer Aretha Franklin for alleged involvement in the black civil rights movement. In addition to her, other celebrities have already been investigated by the FBI.

In fact, a notorious example of this are the members of the band The Monkees, who were investigated by the FBI for many years. The case caused Micky Dolenz, the only living member left of the group, to sue the investigative agency to gain access to the records the FBI had on them.

And this is even common, given that several celebrities and influential people have also been targeted by the FBI. Anyway, below we’ll get to know some of them that you never imagined.

10 celebrities who have already been investigated by the FBI

Aretha Franklin and members of The Monkees weren’t the only ones. Check out the other celebrities investigated by the American agency:

1. Marilyn Monroe

Who would have thought that iconic Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe had already been the target of an investigation of this magnitude. But yes, she was investigated by the FBI because according to the Associated Press, the actress was adhering to communist positions. At the time of the Cold War, the American state had great distrust towards thoughts that were not in accordance with the capitalist vision.

Therefore, Marilyn was monitored by the agency not necessarily because she said anything about it, but rather because of her proximity to a writer and left-wing political activist called Frederick Vanderbilt Fiel.d. Ultimately, the investigation led nowhere, with no proof that the actress was in fact a communist.

2. Steve Jobs

The Apple co-founder was also one of the celebrities investigated by the FBI. In Jobs’ case, the investigation was requested shortly before he became official as one of the members of the Export Council in George Bush’s cabinet, who was president at the time. Ultimately, he was considered a person of “questionable character” by the investigation, but he still served on the board from 1991 to 1993.

3. John Lennon e Yoko Ono

The member of the rock band Beatles, and his wife, were investigated by the FBI because of their public demonstrations against the Vietnam War. In fact, John Lennon and Yoko were aware of the Nixon administration’s dissatisfaction with their subversive attitudes. So much so that in 1972, in an interview the couple revealed that they were “scared” and even considered leaving the country because of it.

4. Whitney Houston

One of the greatest singers of all time, Whitney Houston was investigated by the FBI more than once and for different reasons. The first case was in 1988, with a report that reported his problems with drugs, relationships and even his financial gains.

Furthermore, another investigation was opened regarding threatening letters that the artist received from fans, especially from a man named Vermont, who sent her 79 letters. As well as a case of extortion worth US$250,000 in which a friend allegedly threatened her to tell details of her personal life to the press.

5. John Denver

Another John for our list of celebrities investigated by the FBI. In this case, country singer John Denver was the target of an investigation that culminated in a 33-page report written between 1977 and 1990. In the end, no relevant type of crime was found. But in that report it was documented that the singer participated in an anti-war rally in 1971 and that he frequently used drugs.

6. Walt Disney

In Walt Disney’s case he was not necessarily investigated by the FBI, but he worked closely with the agency. The Disney founder was followed by the FBI from 1933 until his death in 1963. He acted as an FBI informant, informing on people in Hollywood who he said were linked in some way to communism. So, to do this, Walt got the agency to allow him to film the Mickey Mouse TV series at their headquarters in Washington.

7. Charlie Chaplin

In Chaplin’s case, the FBI was very interested in his life, so much so that a 2,000-page report was made about the actor. The report focused on detailing the agency’s theories that Charlie was a communist sympathizer who threatened the security of the United States..

In fact, the persecution was so great that in 1952, when Chaplin and his wife returned to the country after a trip to England, they were prevented from entering the country. So they moved to Switzerland, where he lived until he died.

8. Princess Diana

In the case of Diana, who was a British international personality, the FBI’s investigation was not focused on possible actions by royalty, but rather on her safety. Then, Diana’s report investigates an American woman who threatened to have a bomb sent to the royal wedding. But in the end, the threat turned out to be false.

9. Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson was a great American baseball player, being the first African-American athlete to participate in the league. In fact, he was also one of the celebrities investigated by the FBI. In this way, his report collected data about his work for civil rights and also a suspicion that the player had links to a communist organization.

10. Helen Keller

Helen Keller was a deaf and blind writer and activist, and was the first deafblind person to have a bachelor’s degree. She was also targeted by the investigating agency. Therefore, the reason would be because Helen was a socialist, which at the time was considered something dangerous for the capitalist state.

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Sources: Mega Curioso Adventures in History Unknown Facts