They say fame comes at a price – but for some of the most iconic names in entertainment, that price included federal surveillance. The FBI kept a surprisingly close eye on these celebrities, whether due to Cold War fears or their ties to Civil Rights activism. These are some of the celebrities who found themselves in the public spotlight – and also under the Bureau’s microscope.
Jackie Robinson
Baseball’s barrier breaker, Jackie Robinson, is best remembered for his struggle against segregation laws, but that’s something the FBI didn’t precisely appreciate in the 60s. The Bureau suspected communist influences behind his NAACP involvement, fearing his fame would amplify “subversive” elements.
Orson Welles
The Citizen Kane director faced heat in the 40s due to his alleged ties to communist circles in Hollywood. The FBI never found evidence that Welles belonged to the Communist Party, and the filmmaker vehemently denied those claims, despite being a self-identified “leftist progressive”.
Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay)
When boxing legend Cassius Clay converted to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali, the FBI immediately investigated his ties to the Nation of Islam organization. Undisclosed records from the 1960s spotlight the efforts the FBI went through to label him an “agitator” amid his involvement with the Civil Rights movement.
Aretha Franklin
The Bureau closely tracked Franklin’s performances, believing them to be potential “communist infiltrations”. Franklin’s involvement in activism and her ties to Civil Rights figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Angela Davis led the FBI to take a particular interest in her life beyond the stages.
Lucille Ball
The star of I Love Lucy was forced to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1953 after registering to vote as a communist in 1936. She did so to honor her grandfather’s memory. Even though the committee couldn’t find evidence of “real” communist sentiment in Ball, the FBI kept a close eye on the actress, probing her relationships for any possible semblance of communist sympathies. It was peak McCarthyism.
John Lennon
Lennon’s anti-war messaging and rejection of the US’s involvement in Vietnam were just the tip of the iceberg for the FBI. The ex-Beatle was put under scrutiny due to his ties to radical groups, including $75,000 to anti-establishment causes. President Nixon himself spearheaded a campaign to deport Lennon, viewing him as a threat to American youth.
Marilyn Monroe
Monroe’s marriage to Arthur Miller, a suspected communist, raised the alarms over at the Bureau. Agents taped Monroe’s phones and surveilled her communications, fearing that her bombshell popularity could help spread communism around Hollywood. Despite the surveillance, the FBI never found any proof that Monroe was ever a communist.
Charlie Chaplin
Investigated by the FBI for decades, the silent film legend was labeled a communist for nearly the entirety of his acting career. The FBI has a 2,000-page file on Chaplin, including all the “evidence” of his communist ties, and every time he potentially violated the Mann Act. The persecution eventually led to his exile from America in 1952, and he wouldn’t return until 1972.
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