Ten Celebrities Who Are Afraid of Flying

These stars are scared of the friendly skies.

R. Kelly - R. Kelly started expressing his love for music in the church. At the young age of 8 years old, Kelly followed in the footsteps of his mother and began singing at his local Baptist church. VaShawn Mitchell developed ties with his local Baptist church during his late teenage years, and honed his talents as an assistant music director. He then got hired by a different Baptist church and became their minister of music. In addition to their church relations, both singers are native to Chicago, Illinois.(Photo: Mark Davis/Getty Images for BET)

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R. Kelly - Just because some stars can afford private jets, we wouldn't exactly call them jet-setters. These celebs regularly forego planes for trains and automobiles to deal with their fears of flight. It took an un-missable opportunity for self-proclaimed "aerophobe" R. Kelly to overcome his mile-high jitters. The R&B legend, who was known to avoid trans-atlantic flights, took a chance when he was offered a chance to meet Nelson Mandela. "South Africa cured my fear of flying," he proclaimed.(Photo: Mark Davis/Getty Images for BET)

Fat Joe - This New Jersey-based rapper was able to conquer his fear of flying with a little liquid courage. "I was afraid of flying for, like, 10 years. I just got over that a year ago," he shared recently. "One day, I just felt like, 'Yo, I'm gonna drink a whole lot of liquor and get it over with once and for all.'" Joe probably saved himself a lot of time — before he conquered his fear, he maintained his busy tour schedule on wheels. "I just drove everywhere. Four days to Cali on the tour bus, man."(Photo: Cindy Ord/BET/Getty Images for BET)

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Fat Joe - This New Jersey-based rapper was able to conquer his fear of flying with a little liquid courage. "I was afraid of flying for, like, 10 years. I just got over that a year ago," he shared recently. "One day, I just felt like, 'Yo, I'm gonna drink a whole lot of liquor and get it over with once and for all.'" Joe probably saved himself a lot of time — before he conquered his fear, he maintained his busy tour schedule on wheels. "I just drove everywhere. Four days to Cali on the tour bus, man."(Photo: Cindy Ord/BET/Getty Images for BET)

DJ Khaled - DJ Khaled may always convey confidence in his lyrics, but, inside, he holds a deep-rooted fear. The recording artist confessed on 106 & Park last year that he has an intense fear of flying, and that he hasn't been on a plane in six years. (Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)

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DJ Khaled - DJ Khaled may always convey confidence in his lyrics, but, inside, he holds a deep-rooted fear. The recording artist confessed on 106 & Park last year that he has an intense fear of flying, and that he hasn't been on a plane in six years. (Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)

Royce White - This basketball player got the chance of a lifetime when he was drafted by the Houston Rockets, but nearly missed out on his dream thanks to his anxiety about flying. "It's a day-by-day struggle for me," said Royce, who reportedly missed his first month of training camp due to his phobia. "I wake up everyday and think, 'am I cut out for his?'" Thankfully, he seems to have found a way to control his fears and pursue his NBA goals.(Photo: Nick Laham/Getty Images)

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Royce White - This basketball player got the chance of a lifetime when he was drafted by the Houston Rockets, but nearly missed out on his dream thanks to his anxiety about flying. "It's a day-by-day struggle for me," said Royce, who reportedly missed his first month of training camp due to his phobia. "I wake up everyday and think, 'am I cut out for his?'" Thankfully, he seems to have found a way to control his fears and pursue his NBA goals.(Photo: Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Muhammad Ali - This boxing icon could "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee," but not fly like an eagle. Ali struggled with fear of flying throughout his career, but later in life had a change of heart. Ali reportedly said he was cured of his fears because "Allah would not allow him to die in a plane crash."(Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Fight Night)

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Muhammad Ali - This boxing icon could "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee," but not fly like an eagle. Ali struggled with fear of flying throughout his career, but later in life had a change of heart. Ali reportedly said he was cured of his fears because "Allah would not allow him to die in a plane crash."(Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Fight Night)

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Whoopi Goldberg - The comedian and host of The View is so afraid to fly, she's perfected her method of ground transportation. Hiring two drivers to work in shifts, Goldberg can get from New York to Los Angeles by bus in 23 hours. Though the funnywoman, whose fear of flying manifested when she was a young woman and witnessed a mid-air collision of two aircrafts, participates in Virgin Atlantic's course to rid herself of her fears, she still prefers her wheels on the ground. "Some people are meant to fly. I don't know if I am, but I do it now." (Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

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Whoopi Goldberg - The comedian and host of The View is so afraid to fly, she's perfected her method of ground transportation. Hiring two drivers to work in shifts, Goldberg can get from New York to Los Angeles by bus in 23 hours. Though the funnywoman, whose fear of flying manifested when she was a young woman and witnessed a mid-air collision of two aircrafts, participates in Virgin Atlantic's course to rid herself of her fears, she still prefers her wheels on the ground. "Some people are meant to fly. I don't know if I am, but I do it now." (Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Aretha Franklin - The Queen of Soul's phobia of the friendly skies may have cost her a gig on American Idol. The singer's well-known fear of flying reportedly ruled her out as a judge on the popular show (judges have to fly state-to-state for auditions). Franklin's phobia took hold in 1984, when she suddenly developed anxiety over getting on a plane and had to cancel her tour as a result. Now, the singing legend travels by custom bus.(Photo: Kris Connor/BET/Getty Images for BET)

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Aretha Franklin - The Queen of Soul's phobia of the friendly skies may have cost her a gig on American Idol. The singer's well-known fear of flying reportedly ruled her out as a judge on the popular show (judges have to fly state-to-state for auditions). Franklin's phobia took hold in 1984, when she suddenly developed anxiety over getting on a plane and had to cancel her tour as a result. Now, the singing legend travels by custom bus.(Photo: Kris Connor/BET/Getty Images for BET)

Travis Barker - While it's tempting to think of a fear of flying as irrational, this one may be legit. Blink-182's Travis Barker developed a phobia of flights after surviving a horrible 2008 plane crash that killed four and left him in critical condition. Barker dropped out of the band's Australia tour last year due to his anxiety over flying.(Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for KCA)

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Travis Barker - While it's tempting to think of a fear of flying as irrational, this one may be legit. Blink-182's Travis Barker developed a phobia of flights after surviving a horrible 2008 plane crash that killed four and left him in critical condition. Barker dropped out of the band's Australia tour last year due to his anxiety over flying.(Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for KCA)

Sandra Bullock - Like Barker, this A-list actress' fear of flying manifested after she survived a 2000 plane crash. The actress, who ironically starred in last year's most terrifying survival film Gravity, has been "deathly afraid of flying" ever since.(Photo: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

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Sandra Bullock - Like Barker, this A-list actress' fear of flying manifested after she survived a 2000 plane crash. The actress, who ironically starred in last year's most terrifying survival film Gravity, has been "deathly afraid of flying" ever since.(Photo: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

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KRS-One - This rap legend didn't let his mile-high jitters slow him down last year when he was presented the opportunity to tour Australia. He arrived Down Under via ship, a journey that took four weeks from Los Angeles, and then toured the outback via car. (Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

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KRS-One - This rap legend didn't let his mile-high jitters slow him down last year when he was presented the opportunity to tour Australia. He arrived Down Under via ship, a journey that took four weeks from Los Angeles, and then toured the outback via car. (Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images)