Personal Assistants Of Celebrities Share Juicy Stories And Secrets

What do you think it would be like working for your favorite celeb?

Kylin

• Published in Film & TV
• May 18, 2022

We live in a society obsessed with celebrities and superstardom. It’s easy to get swept away in daydreams of reaching A-List status - the money, the fame, accolade, and adoration, just being overall loved for existing.

Or, you could be like me, introvert-extraordinaire, where the idea of being famous feels more like a burden or punishment. Being behind the scenes would be more ideal.

And there are literally jobs doing just that - staying comfortably behind the scenes but within proximity of stardom. Because apparently when you’re famous, you can just hire people to help maintain your work-life.

Being a personal assistant ranges in duties from the basic tasks but is always work-related. They do things like help to ensure time management, set meetings, make phone calls, make travel arrangements, and do some simple errands like picking up lunch or a morning coffee.

There are always those extra eccentric folks who expect and demand things outside the scope of the job description. Or people who are so self-absorbed that they are just a nightmare to work for.

While I’m sure it’s a similar experience when working with celebrities, it feels like the experience would be on a whole ‘nother level. That’s why we collected stories from folks who have worked as personal assistants to celebrities.

Continue scrolling to read about their experiences!

1. Lead singer refused to speak to anyone, including the PA

"I once worked for a fairly well-known band, and the lead singer refused to speak to anyone working for them directly or even look them in the eye. I would speak to him and he'd lean over and whisper to his bandmates, who would then relay the message. We all thought it was absolutely wild and so rude. I’ve worked for tons of bands and celebrities, and this one has always been the worst!"

2. Their celeb-boss has provided the ideal job setup

"I currently work as a personal assistant to a very high-profile A-lister (who shall not be named). They gave me the job because I needed to work from home to support my kids and disabled husband. My work basically consists of making sure the schedule is up to date, giving fashion advice, and being a therapist when necessary."

"Sometimes, it can be very stressful. For example, any time they have to go overseas and adjust to a new time zone for a film, I also have to be somewhat in sync with it too (meaning, when it’s 7 a.m. in Europe, I have to do my work at midnight my time). But, it’s been a chance to provide for our family, especially when I was pregnant during the pandemic last year."

3. Their celeb boss decided to charge their PA with stripper poles and sex toys

"I worked as a celebrity assistant for six years. The most outrageous thing was probably that I had to have stripper poles put into the hotel rooms he visited. Also, I had to buy a lot of sex toys for him and his girlfriends."

4. Coffee. Enemas.

"I worked as a personal assistant for an A-list country artist who was super self-centered and unappreciative. When I first moved to Nashville, I guess coffee enemas were a big thing. Before they started the summer tour, my boss and his wife wanted to stock up on this new 'enema craze'. They proceeded to tell me to go to the local holistic grocery store and buy every coffee enema they had. I had to stand there, with about 20 people behind me in line as the cashier slowly scanned in 25 coffee enema kits. And, mind you, these were not small boxes. I legit turned around and had to tell everyone behind me they weren't for me because I was THAT mortified. I also had to have two store associates help me carry them out. Most mortifying moment of my life."

5. Working as a personal assistant to a producer gave this person lots of different celeb interactions

"I worked as an assistant for a high-profile producer. While they were very mellow, I also had to cater to whichever celebrities we were shooting that day. For example, one celebrity needed a specific $50 candle burning in her dressing room, and I wasn’t allowed to look at her when I passed her. Some other celebrities, like Gigi Hadid and Adriana Lima, were very easygoing. The majority of celebrities that I've met have been very down-to-earth and normal. The only other headache I had was the cast of a ghost hunting show, who required a very specific canned coconut water, and a specific brand of sugar-free candy, along with many other requirements."

6. Part of their job description was ego-inflation

"A friend of mine was an assistant to an A-list actor years ago. She said everyone around her told her the secret to getting the actor to like you was to just keep complimenting how pretty she was, that she fished for it herself all the time. She said she was very insecure, and it was super exhausting trying to come up with new ways to tell her she was beautiful without sounding forced. I think she lasted about 6 months as her assistant."

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7. PA found themselves in the crosshairs of a hangry pop singer

"I was an assistant to a member of an iconic girl group for a national TV show. One day, I was asked to get her an In-N-Out burger, protein style with no pickles, because I heard she absolutely hated pickles. I was told not to get the sauce if there was relish in it. When ordering, I asked that exact question and they said relish was indeed in the sauce. So, I confidently said, 'no sauce then' thinking that was the right move. I handed the food to my boss, who handed it to her security, who eventually gave it to the pop icon, and I went back to my work area. She then stormed into my work area, pointed directly at me and said, 'You! Come here!' She then explained that the food was garbage without the sauce and how hungry she was. I ran out to get her a new one while bawling my eyes out. OVER PICKLES."

8. This assistant had an incredible experience working with a famous family

"I worked as an assistant-to-an-assistant for a famous family matriarch for roughly 7 months. The family is exactly how they are on their hit show. The head of the family was very professional and meant business, but never made anyone feel less than. The days were quite long and not many holidays off, but the perks were the best part. For example, traveling a few times with the family and being part of big celebrations. The way they run their business and careers is really inspiring when watching from the inside. I no longer work as an assistant, but the connections I made were life-changing."

9. Imagine the thickness of skin you'd have to have to deal with such fragile egos

"During the Grammys, my boss once lost it on me because his car that picked him up at the airport (which was the highest level car in the fleet) wasn't shiny enough, and made him look like he was lower level than all the other executives that were arriving for the weekend."

10. They were sent to pick up meds for hair growth

"I once picked up the meds for my A-list recording artist boss that were for hair growth. They have the same intense insecurities as we all do. Which, in a way, is a breath of fresh air."

11. "Body positive" actor was very much not behind the scenes

 "I worked for a well-known, 'body positive' actor for exactly two weeks a couple of years ago, and it was the worst job I've ever had. She's just not a nice person, and would consistently belittle me and even slut-shame me — I can't help it if I have a larger chest — when I was 19 years old. I quit after two weeks because I just couldn't take it anymore."

12. Apparently Joe McHale was a decent actor to work for

"I worked for a couple of B-list actors about a decade ago, and the biggest was probably Joel McHale, aka Jeff Winger from Community. My experience with him was nothing but positive, and he always treated me like a valued friend and not a subordinate, like some others did."

13. That's a lot of weed

 "My boss would have me drive and pick up about $3,000 worth of weed every week. I would legit drive 20 minutes, pick it up, and drive 20 minutes back to them with this package feeling completely terrified. I always wondered what would happen if I actually got pulled over, whether or not they'd bail me out."

14. They worked indirectly for Harry Styles

"I worked for Jeffrey Azoff for a year, who's Harry Styles' manager. Although I didn't directly work for Harry, I had to answer some fan mail and calls for him. I was working for him the year his first album came out, so I had to help with all of the interviews and talk shows he went on. I was lucky enough to go backstage for his episode of the Late Late Show, and he got a basket in his dressing room with a bottle of champagne, cookies, muffins, and chocolate. He gave me HALF OF THE DAMN BASKET. All I can say, is that Harry is the sweetest person ever."

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15. Working for a classic rock band opened their eyes to necessities of aging rockstars

"I once worked for a famous classic rock band at a music festival, and was in charge of their green room and all of their needs during the event. One of their mandatory items was a white patent leather couch, which I always thought was such a rockstar request. Another funny moment from the event was going out to buy all of their booze, condoms, food, Metamucil, and a variety of men’s aging vitamins."

16. They were made to do work outside the job description

"My celebrity boss made me spend months organizing and planning her 8-year-old child's $15,000, 3-hour birthday party at a local amusement park, only to cancel a week beforehand. That was out of my job description."

17. YA author they worked for was a terror

"I worked for a while with a famous YA author. She was HORRIBLE. Stuck up, privileged beyond measure, obsessed with her looks, and she bullied less famous authors. Her book had been accused of plagiarism, and she ordered people around her to NEVER mention the name of the author whose book she was accused of plagiarizing. Worse yet, she started acting like her friends were her servants and they all jumped ship. In the industry, it's well-known that she's a pretty unpleasant and spoiled person to work with."

Have you worked for a celebrity or close enough to one that you have an entertaining story to share? If not you, do you know someone who has?

Drop your story in the comment section below, we love knowing what famous people are really like! And share this article with your friends and family, maybe they'll surprise you with a never-before-heard celeb story!

Kylin