List of celebrities who have testified in criminal trials. Many famous people have given testimonies against criminals, such as Alec Baldwin and Tyra Banks against their own stalkers. Other celebrities were the ones on the stands, like supermodel Naomi Campbell and celebrity chef Guy Fieri. What famous people have given testimonies in criminal trials? While many famous actors and musicians have been in and out of court for personal and civil reasons, this is includes only those who have been involved in actual criminal trials. One of the most famous criminal trials in recent history involves a list of young Hollywood stars who were targeted in a teenage burglarizing gang, known as the "Bling Ring" due to their sparkly hauls. This case brought many celebs to testify against a grand jury, including those with squeaky clean records such as Rachel Bilson and Audrina Patridge to other celebs who have seen their fair share of the legal system (Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan).
There are many celebrity cases that end up being settled before a testimony can be given; likewise, many celebs have been called on to stand witness in various other cases that end up being resolved before the celebrity can testify. This list, however, only includes celebrities who have taken the oath to testify accurately in front of a judge and jury of peers.
23 Celebrities Who Have Testified in Criminal Trials,
Alec Baldwin
In 2013, Alec Baldwin gave an emotional testimony against an accused stalker who alleged to have had an affair with Baldwin. The suspect, Canadian actress Genevieve Sabourin, was arrested in 2012 and charged with 23 counts of harassment and one count of stalking. On the stand, Baldwin denied any relationship with the actress in a heated courtroom and teared up while testifying, telling the court how terrified and threatened he and his wife felt with the actress showed up at his Hamptons home. Sabourin was found guilty of stalking and sentenced to six months in jail.
George Clooney
Though George Clooney was called to testify in the highly publicized sex trial of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in 2012, the star actually did appear in Italian court just a few years prior to the huge sex scandal. In 2010, the actor testified against three defendants for criminal fraud involving the unauthorized use of his name and image in launching a fashion line. Clooney testified that he had never seen the defendant in attendance in his life and that his signature was forged along with doctored photos. The three men were convicted and sentenced to jail.
Gwyneth Paltrow
In 2016, Gwyneth Paltrow testified against Dante Soiu, the man she claimed had been stalking her for 17 years. Paltrow was so afraid of Soiu's constant presence that she bought a guard dog to protect her family and trained it to attack perceived threats. Over the years of harassment, Soiu sent more than 60 letters to the actress (including ones that said he wanted to use a scapel to “cut out sin” from her body), as well as gifts and "sexually graphic material."
Jude Law
Actor Jude Law testified in 2014 against the British tabloid, News of the World, in the world-famous phone hacking trial. Law testified that he thought the media had an unhealthy amount of information about his private life and whereabouts, and that he never knowingly gave information to the press for stories. During his testimony, it was also revealed that a family member had been paid for exchanging information about the actor to the press.
Lindsay Lohan
While actress Lindsay Lohan (Parent Trap, Mean Girls) is no stranger to the criminal courts herself, the tables were turned when Lohan gave testimony for the highly publicized "Bling Ring" case. The 2009 case involved a group of teenagers who broke into the homes of Hollywood celebrities over the course of a year, stealing personal items such as photos, clothing and jewelry. In 2010, Lohan testified to a grand jury, stating that she didn't feel safe in her home after the burglaries and hadn't been back to her house because she was so shaken. The offenders ultimately received jail time, probation, and/or community service following their respective trials.
Macaulay Culkin
In 2005, child actor Macaulay Culkin testified in the Michael Jackson molestation case that rocked the world. A close friend of the pop star, the Home Alone star adamantly defended the pop star by saying that he had never been inappropriately touched by Jackson when he was young. Culkin also testified that he couldn't believe the charges against Jackson and that he had never known him to be improper with anybody. Jackson was indicted in 2004 for molesting a 13-year-old boy and giving him alcohol while conspiring to hold his family captive in 2003. Jackson pleaded not guilty and was ultimately found not guilty on all charges brought against him.
Paris Hilton
Pop culture fixture Paris Hilton has been no stranger to the courts, having testified in the infamous "Bling Ring" trial against the teenage burglary ring. In 2011, however, Paris testified in court against another burglar who was suspected of breaking into her home wielding a knife while the reality star was sleeping with her then-boyfriend, Cy Waits. The suspect, Nathan Parada, was sentenced to two years in state prison.
Rachel Bilson
Rachel Bilson (star of "The O.C." and "Hart of Dixie") is among the celebrities who testified against the "Bling Ring" after her home was burglarized by pop culture obsessed teenagers. Bilson testified to a grand jury that she was out of town when the burglary occurred, but that she was horrified to see her house in a state of disarray when she returned. Among the stolen items include irreplaceable family heirlooms, like her grandmother's jewelry and her mother's engagement ring.
Sienna Miller
The British phone-hacking scandal that rocked tabloids and international news brought out Hollywood star Sienna Miller to take the stand in a cross-examination aimed at a supposed relationship between Miller and actor Daniel Craig. Miller testified that her voicemail was harmless, and that she had never had a relationship with Craig. While the trial is still underway, the defendants (former tabloid newspaper editors) can face charges for conspiracy and prison time.
Tyra Banks
Supermodel and TV host Tyra Banks appeared in court in 2009 to testify against an admirer threatened to kill a producer in a TV studio where she was filming. The suspect, Brady Green, reportedly brought Banks more than a dozen roses, but when he was refused entry to her set, he threatened to kill the producer. When Banks and her stalker were finally face-to-face in court, she said she feared for the safety of her crew and family and hid in her dressing room that day. Green was sentenced to one year of probation for stalking.