Celebrities That Served Jury Duty

But when these celebs show up at the courthouse to serve their time, their presence proves to be a little more of a hassle than it’s worth. Some celebrities cause such a commotion at the courthouse, they end up getting dismissed for unintentionally being a distraction. Other stars have actually had to sit in on trials, but at least they’ve got tea to spill when it’s all over!

Find out what happened when these stars showed up to court…

1. James Marsden

When James Marsden was once called in to serve jury duty in LA, he says he ended up having a pretty bizarre experience. It all started when he noticed the lobby of the courtroom was lined with photos of celebrities who had previously served jury duty. He said that he was worried he would be a distraction — and he ended up being totally right.

“One of the lawyers’ opening arguments — in the middle of an opening argument, he turned to me and he goes, ‘And I’ve loved everything you’ve done,'” James told People.

At that point, James thought he should ask the judge if he should go, but then remembered how “it was a courthouse with a wall full of headshots so, they’re gonna love that.”

2. Taylor Swift

Back in 2016, Taylor Swift was called in for jury duty and had to miss the MTV VMAs. When Taylor showed up, she snapped photos with fans before being questioned about serving as a juror on a case involving charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated rape and aggravated domestic assault. But because of her then-pending sexual assault case against a radio DJ, she was dismissed.

3. Gigi Hadid

In 2020, Gigi Hadid was summoned to jury duty amid the trial of disgraced Hollywood producer, Harvey Weinstein. During Gigi’s questioning to become a potential juror, she admitted that she had met both Harvey and potential witness Salma Hayek. While she said she believed she could keep an “open mind on the facts,” she was ultimately dismissed.

4. Anna Kendrick

Anna Kendrick’s jury duty experience was a rollercoaster ride! After calling in the first three nights, she thought she was “off the hook.” Unfortunately, she ended up being required to come in on the fourth day. After sitting in the waiting area all morning, she was called in after lunchtime and thought she’d have to serve. By the end of the day, things had changed once again and she was told she could officially go home.

“Holy s–t. Got called, but as we were walking to the courtroom they settled the case. Which I didn’t know was a thing. #WorkItOut #juryduty,” Anna tweeted.

5. Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey was required to serve jury duty in 2004 during a murder trial in Chicago. At the time, Oprah admitted that she didn’t think a lawyer should pick her because although she could have an “open mind,” she was “too opinionated.” In the end, she was selected and the 12-member jury ​​convicted a man of first-degree murder. After the trial’s conclusion, Oprah opened up about her experience.

“You’re not allowed to discuss anything to do with the trial until the whole thing is over, and so you get to know people really, really well because you’re trying to talk about everything else,” Oprah said during a taping of her show, adding that afterwards she “didn’t feel like, ‘Oh gee, I put somebody away’… In the end it just felt sad.”

6. Sarah Jessica Parker

When Sarah Jessica Parker was called in for jury duty in 2011, some media outlets reported that she was being a diva about it. Sarah later clarified the situation and said that was far from the case, especially considering she’d served many times in the past.

“I was so outraged by the character assassination!” she told Marie Claire. “I have served so many times, I was asked to come speak at Jury Appreciation Day! I expect I should be more calloused by now, but I am so sensitive about not ever living up to anybody’s worst idea about an actor who is well-known.”

7. Uma Thurman

Uma Thurman says she once came pretty close to serving on a jury for a misdemeanor case in New York City. While she didn’t say why she wasn’t selected, she admitted she would have been excited to fulfill her civic duty.

“I was on jury duty downtown. It was a misdemeanor case. I wasn’t selected, but I got quite excited by the thought of it. But I was nervous, because if it’s been a long case it would have caused problems. How do you tell that to the producers of a movie?” Uma said.

8. Madonna

In 2014, Madonna was called in to serve her jury duty requirements — but it didn’t take long for her to be turned away. After just two hours, Madonna was told that there were plenty of other jurors to choose from and would have just been a distraction.

“The greater good here is that her appearance really goes to show that everyone gets called. The intent here was not to create a distraction to other jurors or the business of the court,” a spokesman for the court system said.

9. Donald Trump

Back when Donald Trump was running for president, he fulfilled his jury duty requirement — after being summoned on five different occasions. He ended up having to pay a $250 fine for his delayed service but did eventually show up.

“I have jury duty, can you believe this? I look forward to it actually,” he said at the time. “I have no expectations. I just hope they’re innocent. Whoever it is, I hope they’re innocent.”

When he arrived on the day of his service, numerous media outlets and supporters were waiting outside the courthouse. In the end, he was not called to serve.