Pop superstar Rihanna’s close brush with death shocked her fans over the weekend. Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 35, shot up Rihanna’s Beverly Hills mansion with an assault-style rifle on Sunday, March 8.
After shooting up Rihanna’s house and fleeing in a white Tesla, police caught up with Ortiz in Sherman Oaks, and took her into custody. She is being held in jail on a $10.2 million bond.
The incident is a reminder of the dangers of the Internet era. Obsessed fans are able to search for celebrity homes in 2 easy clicks.
Rihanna escaped with her life, but other celebrities weren’t as lucky.
Below is a list of stars who were killed by their obsessed fans.
Rebecca Schaeffer
Rebecca Schaeffer was the breakout star of the CBS comedy “My Sister Sam.” The 21-year-old was destined for Hollywood stardom when death showed up at her front door. On July 18, 1989 Rebecca was fatally shot in the doorway of her Hollywood apartment building by obsessed fan Robert John Bardo, who had been stalking her for years.
Bardo was a schizophrenic who believed Rebecca was talking to him through his television. He wrote letters to her, and when she didn’t respond, he hired a private detective to find her address through the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Bardo was arrested on July 19, 1989 when motorists reported a man running through traffic on Interstate 10. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was the world’s most popular female Mexican-American singer before her life was cut short by a deranged fan. The “Queen of Tejano Music” was set for crossover superstardom when her fan club president and boutique manager, Yolanda Saldivar, fatally shot her at a motel in Corpus Cristi, Texas, where Selena planned to fire her for embezzling funds. Selena died on March 31, 1995 at age 23. Saldivar was convicted and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. She was denied parole in 2025.
Gianni Versace
Fashion icon Gianni Versace was gunned down while going on a coffee run on the morning of July 15, 1997. Versace, 50, was shot twice on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion by serial killer Andrew Cunanan. 27-year-old Cunanan was a clout chaser who often bragged that he and Versace were friends. In reality, the two men didn’t know each other. Cunanan took his own life on a houseboat where he was hiding not far from Versace’s mansion.
John Lennon
Beatles legend John Lennon was shot 5 times in the back as he signed autographs for fans outside his Manhattan apartment building on December 8, 1980. His killer, Mark David Chapman, was a former Beatles fan who had a hit list of celebrities he wanted to kill. He chose John Lennon out of “convenience”. Chapman was convicted and sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. He was denied parole for the 14th time in 2025.
Christina Grimmie
Christina Grimmie is best known for her third place finish on season 6 of “The Voice.” She gained fame through her cover songs on YouTube and she released 2 albums before she was gunned down by an obsessed fan at a meet and greet in Orlando, Florida on June 10, 2016. She was 22.
