Actress Christina Ricci recently shared how she struggled with privacy and safety as a young star in Hollywood.

Speaking on the "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend" podcast, the "Yellowjackets" actress opened up about the fear and discomfort she faced when paparazzi followed her home and strangers invaded her personal space.

"I did not enjoy that," Ricci said. "People, they'll follow you all the way home. And I lived by myself, and that felt very threatening."

According to EntertainmentWeekly, Ricci became famous at age 11 after playing Wednesday Addams in "The Addams Family" movie in 1991. While many saw the fame as exciting, Ricci explained that it often came with frightening moments.

One such moment involved a man who would wait outside her home and leave notes on her car. "Sometimes we'd be ready to go to dinner, but he'd be out there waiting. So we'd just turn off all the lights and wait until he left," she said.

Christina Ricci Shares How She Stayed Safe from Paparazzi

To protect herself, Ricci found comfort in a local liquor store near her home. She remembered Rick, a kind man who worked there and often helped her feel safe.

She remembered Rick, a familiar figure who always worked at the liquor store, cigarette in hand. He was the only person she allowed to call her Chris—a rare familiarity, JustJared said.

Whenever she felt someone was following her, she would head straight to the store. Rick never hesitated to step outside and send them away, always looking out for her.

Ricci also shared a mental trick she used to handle the unwanted attention. She pretended she wasn't famous but was simply the daughter of a well-loved doctor.

"I played this mental game where I pretended that my dad was just this doctor that everybody loved in town... and that's why everybody was being nice to me," she explained.

Although it brought her some comfort initially, Ricci acknowledged that the feeling was short-lived. She grew too comfortable—so much so that she let her guard down. Eventually, she realized it was time to put an end to that situation.

Looking back, Ricci said that fame brought some perks, like getting into restaurants and clubs easily.

But she made it clear that those moments didn't make up for the fear she often felt. "There were logistical and security issues that, to me, loomed larger in my mind than the actual fun of being famous," she said.

Tags
Christina Ricci, Paparazzi