Stars Out of Water
While many people took swimming lessons as kids, there are a few in the world who didn’t and grew into adults who still didn’t know how to navigate the water.
Celebrities are no exception. There are a handful of stars who not only can’t swim, but also have very-real fears of the water.
From action stars like Will Smith and Sandra Bullock to island natives Rihanna and Eva Mendes, and even rappers like 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg, here’s 24 stars you didn’t know can’t swim.
Will Smith
Hollywood icon, Will Smith told David Letterman in 2013, “I can’t swim. In inner City Philadelphia, there’s not a lot of swimming pools, and I never actually learned how to swim, and I’m embarrassed about it.”
Smith won’t avoid the water though. He’ll go in the water if his feet can touch the bottom.
Eva Mendes
Actress Eva Mendes was once asked to play a role of a woman who couldn’t swim. She later said in an interview, “It was so great because I actually don’t know how to swim. It’s ridiculous, I know. And I am Cuban, I come from an Island, and I don’t know how to swim at all. Not even doggy paddle.”
Mendes admits that she should know how to swim, and apparently still plans to learn.
Ryan Coogler
American film director, Ryan Coogler did not know how to swim until he had to direct Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
He later admitted, “A lot of us were raised to have fear of water. I had to figure out how to swim so I could direct this movie.”
Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Carmen Electra
You may remember Carmen Electra starred in Baywatch—a show about beach lifeguards. Well, apparently, she lied to the producers during the audition. She later admitted she relied on her dancing talents to fake her swimming skills, and she ultimately got the gig.
The truth is, Electra cannot swim—and is also afraid of water.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey grew up afraid of the water, and consequently didn’t learn how to swim. However, in her adult life she finally decided it was time to put the fear aside and learn to swim.
In an interview, Winfrey admitted she was taking professional swimming lessons, “I’m now moving beyond my amateur doggy paddle. I learned the breast stroke today."
John Legend
American singer-songwriter, John Legend is another star who didn’t learn how to swim until he was an adult.
In 2019, Legend tweeted about how he was beginning swim lessons. "I can't really swim. Today I took my first swim lesson since I was like 5. My dad learned in his 60s, so I feel like I'm ahead of schedule,” he wrote.
Greg Tarzan Davis
Actor Greg Tarzan Davis had to learn two new skills to be in Top Gun: Maverick—how to fly, and how to swim.
"In order to fly in the F-18, you have to pass a swim test requirement, and that was a traumatic experience because I didn’t know how to swim,” he said.
Paramount, Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Donna D’Errico
Donna D’Errico is another Baywatch OG who fibbed her way into the role. Not only can she not swim, she is also terrified of the water!
“To this day, I still can’t swim. I’m terrified of water. I can’t even tread water. You get to be part of the most-watched show in the world. And there I am, knowing full well that I cannot swim,” she said in 2021.
Rihanna
While Rihanna may be a Caribbean native, who literally grew up surrounded by water, she cannot swim.
Not only that, she apparently will not enter the ocean at any depth in fear of fish and other sea creatures.
Liam Gallagher
Oasis’ lead vocalist, Liam Gallagher isn’t necessarily afraid of water, but he does get nervous when it gets deeper.
In 2017, he said in an interview “I wish I could swim. I struggle when it goes deep and that. I start flapping around like some mad crazy salmon.”
Snoop Dogg
Famous rapper, Snoop Dogg is open about the fact that he cannot swim. So much so, that he wrote a song about it, called “I Can’t Swim,” back in 2000.
His lack of swimming skills has formed into a fear of water as well.
Jørund Føreland Pedersen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Chrissy Teigen
Earlier we mentioned that John Legend couldn’t swim—well, neither could his wife, Chrissy Teigen.
In 2020, she said the couple were ready to learn how to swim for their daughter. “We don’t want to be helpless in any way, so we’re going to try to learn for Luna. We’re going to have someone come to the house.”
Natalie Wood
American actress, Natalie Wood—who won a Golden Globe for Rebel Without a Cause—could not swim. And unfortunately, in 1981 her body was recovered off the coast of Catalina Island, where she succumbed to the deep waters.
She was 43-years-old.
Sandra Bullock
Popular Hollywood actress, Sandra Bullock has reportedly said that she cannot swim and doesn’t know why she never learned.
Aside from that, she hasn’t indulged in any further details, but one source claims it might have something to do with the fact that she cut her head on a rock after falling into a lake when she was a child.
Zayn Malik
English singer-songwriter, Zayn Malik cannot swim and as a result is “terrified” of open water. It has been said his fear goes as far as being labelled aquaphobia—an irrational fear of open water.
Interestingly, he owns property with a large indoor pool.
YES Market Media, Shutterstock
Chloë Grace Moretz
American actress, Chloë Grace Moretz admitted in a 2016 interview with Jimmy Kimmel that she can’t really swim. “I mean, I can but I'm not a strong swimmer,” she added.
Apparently, there was talk she was considered for the role of Ariel in the live action version of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. “Maybe that's the new story: a mermaid who learns to swim!” she joked.
50 Cent
Popular American rapper, 50 Cent poked fun of fellow rappers Jay-Z and Diddy in a 2020 Instagram post when he shared a few photos of them with the caption, “Rappers can’t dive or swim. I just haven’t been caught yet. LOL.”
Tenoch Huerta
Much like director Ryan Coogler, Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta also didn’t know how to swim when he signed on for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
In a 2022 interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Huerta admitted “One month later, I was taking classes. Very basic. With these little floaties. With kids.”
Marvel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Sig Hansen
Ironically, Captain Sig from Deadliest Catch told TMZ that he can't swim. Not only that, he's actually afraid of the ocean.
Fvnorthwestern, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Miranda Lambert
Country star, Miranda Lambert never learned to swim because she apparently doesn’t like water.
She does, however, love to watch the ocean’s waves—from the safety of land, of course.
Christina Ricci
American actress, Christina Ricci has galeophobia—a fear of sharks. So, while she will swim in a pool, she apparently refuses to step foot in the ocean.
To take it one step further, deep fresh bodies of water also scare her.
Justin Timberlake
Pop singer, Justin Timberlake has no problem swimming in a chlorinated pool with other people, but he won’t dip a toe in any body of water that might have something fishy swimming around.
So, while he technically can swim, he admits he has a fear of natural bodies of water.
Marilyn Monroe
Hollywood icon, Marilyn Monroe publicly loved the beach, but she was hiding a secret.
While filming the famous pool scene in 1962’s Something’s Got to Give, Monroe screamed, “I can’t swim, you know!”
Twentieth Century, Something's Got to Give (1962)
Taylor Swift
American pop sensation, Taylor Swift never learned to swim because she was afraid.
According to a close friend of hers, and competitive swimmer, Abigail Anderson, Swift even avoid swimming pools.
Anderson told Lawrence Journal World in 2009 “I've actually never seen her in a swimming pool, now that I think about it … I've never seen her swim, I don't think I ever will."
.jpg){kind=link}
