Justin Bieber, Amy Schumer, Russell Crowe: The celebrities who have bemoaned fan selfies

Amy Schumer will only take photos with 'nice' fans and Jennifer Lawrence won't take any while she's eating

(Getty Images)

In an age of social media and the selfie, celebrities are finding it increasingly difficult to go incognito when out and about and maintain some form of privacy.

This is something Justin Bieber recently voiced. The “Sorry” singer has caused distress to his loyal fanbase the “beliebers” by announcing on Instagram that he will no longer be taking photos with fans as he is concerned about his sanity.

“If you happen to see me out somewhere know that I’m not gonna take a picture, I’m done taking pictures,” he wrote. “It has gotten to the point that people won’t even say hi to me or recognise me as a human. I feel like a zoo animal, and I want to be able to keep my sanity.”

He stressed that just because fans might have bought his album it still doesn’t mean he owes them a selfie. “Know that when you got my album, you got what you paid for AN ALBUM!” the 22-year-old affirmed.

Although the declaration has prompted much reaction both from those who think Bieber is entitled to his privacy and those left heartbroken by their dreams of a profile picture alongside their favourite singer being dashed, Bieber is not the first (and probably not the last) to refuse photos with fans.

Amy Schumer

The comedian recently backtracked after declaring that due to an unfortunate incident with one fan she will no longer take photos with any fans.

Schumer posted a photo of a man who she claimed “ran up next to me scared the sh*t out of me […] I asked him to stop and he said ‘no it’s America and we paid for you’.

“I will not take pictures with people anymore and it’s because of this dude in Greenville,” she affirmed.

However after some fans expressed disappointment she posted a note clarifying her stance, saying: “I’ll still take pictures with nice people when I choose to if it’s a good time for that. But I don’t owe you anything. So don’t take if I say no.”

The fan later claimed he’d been subject to death threats and racist abuse following Schumer’s post of him.

Russell Crowe

Crowe has not banned photos all together but says he won’t take them when he is with his children.

Discussing the decision with Larry King, the Gladiator actor said his son told him to start taking photos with fans as otherwise they get “sad”. However, after doing so for two days, his children asked him to stop due to the incessant photo taking.

Explaining how he lets fans down gently, Crowe told King: “I try to say very simply to somebody: ‘I’m with my kids, have a great day’. So at least they know I’m concerned about their wellbeing and hope that they have an enjoyable day but I don’t want to steal time from my children.”

Jennifer Lawrence

Lawrence has said she doesn’t mind having photos taken apart from when she’s either in a bad mood or eating. Similarly to Bieber, she also claimed she has to look after her mental wellness.

“Sometimes it’s nice, sometimes I’m in a bad mood,” she told CNN. “Like if I’m at dinner and I’m eating and somebody wants me to stand up and take a picture - that’s actually helped with my anxiety, knowing that I don’t have to say yes and can say no. It is hard because you don’t want to feel rude, but at the same time, I have to defend my life and my mental wellness.”

Maisie Williams

The Game of Thrones actress is another who says taking photos with fans depends on how she is feeling - and if she’s not feeling it she has no qualms with saying no.

“If I don’t want a picture one day, I don’t have a problem saying no,” she told Nylon recently. “I know some people get really weird about that, like, ‘You’re so mean’. But if I was really in love with someone, I wouldn’t just want a picture. I would want to hang out with them,” she says.

Kirsten Dunst

Dunst poked fun at the trend of selfies in a short film in 2004 when two “fans” stop and have a photo. “Do you want to talk or anything,” Dunst asked them. “Did you want to ask me anything?”

“Can you tag me?” replied the fan, aptly.