Celebrity body parts insurance: The strangest policies ever taken out

Football player in a blue-and-white striped kit kicking a black-and-white football on a floodlit grass pitch.

What do Mariah Carey’s voice, Miley Cyrus’ tongue and David Beckham’s legs have in common? They’ve all been insured for jaw-dropping amounts.

While most of us insure our homes, cars, pets, businesses and holidays, celebrities have been known to insure everything from their voice, eyes, legs and hair to their private parts.

We’ve pulled together 30 of the strangest celebrity body parts that are rumoured to be insured.

But where do we begin? Let’s start at the top and work our way down.

Hair

We all know the power of a good hair day, but none more so than former NFL player Troy Polamulu. Head & Shoulders, parent company Procter & Gamble, insured Polamalu’s hair for $1 million while he was a brand spokesperson.¹ To this day, Polamalu still holds the Guinness World Record title for “highest insured hair”.²

Speaking of hair, it’s impossible not to mention Welsh singer Tom Jones. Back in 2008, rumours circulated that Tom Jones insured his chest hair for £3.5 million.³ While Jones strongly denies these allegations, that hasn’t stopped the story from becoming one of the most talked about celebrity insurance stories of all time.⁴

Eyes

Perhaps the earliest example of celebrities insuring body parts was in the 1920s when silent film actor and comedian Ben Turpin insured his eyes. Turpin was known for having a cross-eyed appearance that became his trademark and served him well in his comedy career. If his eyes ever became uncrossed, Lloyd’s of London agreed to pay $25,000.⁵

Smile

It’s not called a “million-dollar smile” for nothing, but in America Ferrera’s case make it $10 million. While starring in Ugly Betty, Ferrera partnered with the US charity Smiles for Success, and this policy was bought as part of the promotion. It covered her smile, teeth and gums.⁶

Another dazzling star rumoured to have her smile insured is Hollywood A-lister Julia Roberts. Roberts has reportedly taken out a $30 million insurance policy on her teeth and lips.⁷

Tongue

There are a few celebrities who are rumoured to have taken out insurance on their tongue.

Gene Simmons, bassist and singer in the rock band KISS, is said to have his insured for £725,000 after it became one of the band’s most recognisable features.⁸ He’s joined by singer Miley Cyrus, who is reported to have hers insured for $1 million.

Both celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and legendary food critic Egon Roney have insured their tongues for $10 million⁹ and £250,000¹⁰ respectively, as their livelihoods depend on their sense of taste. Similarly, ready meals founder Charlie Bigham has insured his sense of taste, touch, smell or sight for £12 million. Under the terms of his policy, he isn’t allowed to eat extra hot chillies, lick food from a knife, or eat the potentially fatal Japanese blowfish fugu.¹¹

Voice

For musicians, their voice is their livelihood. Rock legend Bruce Springsteen is reported to have insured his voice for $6 million back in the 80s. Today that’s over $22 million to protect those distinctive husky tones.¹²

And six-time Grammy Award winner, Mariah Carey revealed in 2016 that she had taken out a $35 million insurance policy to protect the voice that’s known around the world.¹³

Hands

The Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is said to have taken out insurance with Lloyd’s of London on his hands. Reports vary between whether the policy covered both hands or just the middle finger on his left hand, but it was said to cost £1.3 million.¹⁴

Formula One champion Fernando Alonso is also said to have had his thumbs insured for €10 million in 2010 by his team sponsor, Banco Santander.¹⁵

Breasts

Former Playboy model and television personality Holly Madison reportedly insured her breasts for $1 million, explaining that they were an important part of her career and earning potential.¹⁶

For a long time, there was speculation that country music icon Dolly Parton had insured her famous assets. However, Dolly herself put those rumours to bed when she appeared on NBC’s Today, saying, “It was just a joke. I didn’t do that…And by the way, you can get new boobs, but you can’t get new legs.”¹⁷

Bum

After the “Spinning Around” music video in 2000, Kylie Minogue’s bum was one of the most famous derrières on the planet. It quickly sparked rumours that the Australian pop singer insured her rear for $5 million.¹⁸ And she’s not alone – Kim Kardashian reportedly insured her bum for $21 million in 2014.¹⁹

Private parts

Perhaps the most unusual example of body part insurance is television presenter and entertainer Nick Cannon’s $10 million insurance policy on his testicles.²⁰ It was part of a publicity campaign that the father of 12 did with the men’s grooming brand Dr. Squatch.

Legs

Legs seem to be the most common body part to insure.

Football heroes David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo have both reportedly insured the assets that helped make them sporting legends – Beckham for $195 million in 2006 and Ronaldo for $145 million in 2009.²¹

Off the football pitch, a host of celebrities have followed suit, including supermodel Heidi Klum ($2.2 million). Rihanna ($1 million), Mariah Carey ($1 billion²²), Jamie Lee Curtis ($1 million) and Betty Grable ($1 million).²³

Klum herself admitted to Ellen DeGeneres in 2022 that she had a small scar on her left leg which meant it was worth $200,000 less than her right leg.²⁴

Rumour has it that Taylor Swift was also part of the leg insurance club, with sources claiming a $40 million policy was taken out ahead of her 1989 tour.²⁵ While it hasn’t been confirmed, Swift did poke fun at the rumour when she tweeted a photo of a scratch on her leg from one of her cats with the playful caption, “Great work Meredith. I was just trying to love you and now you owe me 40 million dollars.”²⁶

Feet

Just like Klum’s legs, it seems some feet are worth more than others. Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, reportedly insured his left foot for a jaw-dropping $900 million.²⁷

“Lord of the Dance” Michael Flatley is another star known for his fancy footwork. He once held the Guinness World Record for 35 taps per second.²⁸ The “feet of flames” reportedly required a $50 million insurance policy.²⁹

Another famous face rumoured to have insured his feet is Charlie Chaplin. Back in the 1920s, he was said to have insured them for £100,000.³⁰

Whole body

Some celebrities don’t stop at individual body parts. While filming James Bond, Daniel Craig reportedly insured his entire body for $9.5 million due to the physical demands and risks associated with performing many of his own stunts.³¹

Strange? Maybe. Sensible? Absolutely.

While insuring your tongue, voice or feet might sound bizarre, the principle behind it is exactly the same as any other kind of insurance. Insurance is about protecting what matters most, and when something is central to your livelihood, it makes sense to protect it because it’s what helps to pay the bills.

Whether it's a famous footballer's legs, a chef's sense of taste, or the tools and equipment a business relies on every day, insurance is ultimately about protecting the income, opportunities and peace of mind connected to it.

Let's talk

Although most of us won't be looking to insure our voice for millions or put a value on our feet, the truth is that many people and businesses face unique risks that need a bit of specialist protection.

If you're dealing with something that’s a little out of the ordinary, speak to Neil D'Mello to find out how Everywhen can help.

Sources:

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