'Selling Sunset' star has a canine unit, armed guards and a tiger protecting her home, plus more proof stars are nothing like us

By Neia Balao 5:17am PST, Nov 19, 2020

From throwing million-dollar birthday parties amid a pandemic to being turned into a Chia Pet, Wonderwall.com is taking a look at the latest news that proves stars are nothing like us. Kicking off our November 2020 list is this Netflix reality star… Well, this is one way to ensure your safety at home. On a November episode of MTV's rebooted show "Cribs," "Selling Sunset" star Christine Quinn revealed that her Los Angeles home is protected by "armed guards" and "canine unit dogs" in addition to a tiger. "He's so friendly," Christine said of the big cat. "When we've had the tiger, he isn't even on a leash. I've been within a foot of him and I wasn't nervous at all." According to the luxury realtor, who works for The Oppenheim Group, feeling safe at home is of utmost importance. "We got it all because the house was featured on 'Selling Sunset.' My neighbors recognized it and called me up," she said, as reported by the Daily Star. "I realized it meant people knew where we live now. That was a little scary to me because we are here a lot. And now, when we are away, we take extra precautions." Since gaining infamy on "Selling Sunset," Christine has also been subject to death threats. "We were warned that a lot of weird things were happening in the area and I joked, 'If guns and dogs don't scare people, we need a tiger,'" she said. "Then I decided it would be really fun to do that. So we found this guy who trains tigers as pets and got one." Keep reading for more…

Kim Kardashian West, who turned the big 4-0 on Oct. 21, flew her family and friends to a private island in Tahiti for a five-day birthday celebration that reportedly cost her $1 million — but not before ensuring that her guests completed a two-week quarantine period. "After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time," Kim tweeted. "We danced, rode bikes, swam near whales, kayaked, watched a movie on the beach and so much more. I realize that for most people, this is something that is so far out of reach right now, so in moments like these, I am humbly reminded of how privileged my life is. #thisis40." But after posting photos from the trip that showed her and her guests sans masks despite being in close quarters together, the reality star received major backlash and was branded "tone deaf," with some commenters criticizing her for flaunting her wealth in the midst of a global pandemic. "Nobody in this family could read a room if their life depended on it," one user commented. Another wrote, "Reading this as half of my office got laid off today."

On Nov. 10, TMZ reported that RuPaul is being transformed… into a Chia Pet! As to be expected, Chia Ru will begin bald but as time progresses, he'll eventually be rocking a full head of luscious green hair! The terracotta figurine and seeds will retail for $24.99 and be sold exclusively on Loot Crate. According to the famed drag queen — who turned 60 in November — this Chia Pet version of himself is "the perfect metaphor for life — to grow you must tend to your garden and love yourself." Previous celebrity Chia Pets include Barack Obama and Bob Ross.

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In March 2020, Naomi Campbell caused a stir on social media when she took to Instagram to show that she was wearing a full hazmat suit and face shield to protect herself from COVID-19 while flying. Well, it looks like the supermodel's germaphobe and anti-virus fashion statement is set to be displayed for all! "I've been asked to put my hazmat suit into a museum," she told host Sean Evans on the Oct. 15 installment of First We Feast's "Hot Ones." Naomi continued, "They asked me for the one that I actually wore and my Burberry cape that I put on top of it." Naomi has yet to disclose which museum has asked to house the suit, which, according to BET.com, retails for an affordable $16 on Amazon.

George Clooney finally publicly confirmed a story told by pal Rande Gerber a few years earlier about how the Oscar winner is so generous, he in 2013 gave 14 friends suitcases filled with $1 million — with the taxes already paid — to thank them for supporting him over the years. George shared the story — and details about the very cool way he employed subterfuge to get his hands on that much cash — in GQ's 2020 Men of the Year issue, which hit the internet on Nov. 17. "I just thought basically if I get hit by a bus, they're all in the will. So why the f*** am I waiting to get hit by a bus?" he explained of why he did it. At the time, George was a single man and getting older and didn't expect to start a family (he's now married with twins). "And I thought, what I do have are these guys who've all, over a period of 35 years, helped me in one way or another. I've slept on their couches when I was broke. They loaned me money when I was broke. They helped me when I needed help over the years. And I've helped them over the years. … And I thought, you know, without them I don't have any of this."

On Oct. 25, Cardi B took to Instagram to clap back at a social media post claiming that Hermés Birkin bags "lost their value" and exclusivity when Black rappers started buying them. In her video, Cardi criticizes the remark that she "and other female rappers" were lessening the value of the luxury bag. After revealing that she'd just bought "four bags today from the Hermés store," Cardi went on to assert that Black women are questioned about having Birkin bags while "y'all don't do this to these white celebrities… So why is it that y'all gotta be asking us?" In response to the post's claim that Black celebrities are "depreciating the value" of the Birkin bag, Cardi hit back. "Actually, we add value," she said, "because when we mention brands in hip hop … [sales] go up." She went on to cite her track "Bodak Yellow" and how her reference to Christian Louboutin's red-bottomed shoes resulted in "an estimated $4.5 million in media value." Before ending the video, Cardi addressed the racism of the post. "And another thing is, why when a Black girl, why when a Hispanic girl [has] a bag you have to question it? 'Oh, is it fake?' or 'She's a scammer'" she lamented before reminding women that they don't need material items to feel valued. "Let me tell you something: If you're a regular girl you don't gotta break your neck to have a Birkin. A Birkin don't make you," Cardi said. "They makes that fashion with the Zara and the H&M amazingly. So don't ever feel like you gotta compare yourself. Don't compare yourself to nobody [on] the internet."

This is what nightmares are made of! On Oct. 31, Kim Kardashian West took to Instagram to reveal that she'd transformed her home into the ultimate Halloween house — complete with a slew of spiders! "It's kind of actually my biggest nightmare to have a huge tarantula on my house, but you'll see inside how we transformed it into a full spider web experience," she said in an Instagram video. The outside of her pad featured a gigantic pink tarantula perched on top of her home, while the inside was decorated with tons of spider webs and massive arachnids inside each room — some of which even hung from the ceiling and moved up and down!

Yet another reason to love Sacha Baron Cohen? The "Borat" star and writer reportedly donated $100,000 to charities in Oklahoma City in the name of Jeanise Jones, an unemployed mother of three and grandmother of six who was hired to babysit Borat's daughter in his latest project, 2020's "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm." In the flick, unaware that she was actually being pranked, Jeanise gave an inspirational speech that made her a fan favorite. A pastor at Jeanise's Ebenezer Baptist Church, Derrick Scobey — who will distribute the funds at her request — spoke to People magazine about Sacha's generous donation. "I was blown away but not surprised because I was told about what type of heart this man has," he said. "Maybe it's a little risqué, some of the things in the movie, but he has a good heart." Sacha's donation came after Derrick created a GoFundMe account for Jeanise after she lost her job of 32 years due to the coronavirus pandemic (she was also reportedly paid just $3,600 for her appearance in the "Borat" sequel). As of Nov. 17, the fund had raised more than $181,000. "While all these people around the world are loving how she's the moral compass of the movie, she's sitting here serving people in the dark and in the cold," Derrick continued. "This is who we are. This is what we do for our community, and we love our community."

Leave it to Grimes and Elon Musk to show their 5-month-old "radical art." During an interview with The New York Times on Oct. 28, the music star revealed that she showed her son with the SpaceX and Tesla founder, X AE A-XII, an R-rated movie. "I've watched 'Apocalypse Now' and stuff with my baby," said the Canadian singer. "He's into radical art. Like, he just actually is, and I don't think it's problematic to engage with him on that level." She went on to explain that babies do, in fact, have "taste" and preferences. "They definitely like some things. They don't like other things. They fully have opinions." Grimes also discussed her disdain toward white noise machines for babies. "I don't want your first introduction to the world to just be all this aimless [trash]," she said. "I'm not insulting babies. I'm just, it's all very one vibe. I just feel like getting out of the like, 'Here's a zebra and a bear in, like, pastel color tones' energy. That's just one very small sort of creative lens that things can be looked through."

Talk about an expensive hobby! On Oct. 28, TMZ reported that Rob Kardashian, who's an avid sports card collector, scored a rare football card. Rob purchased a case of 2020 Panini Mosaic Choice cards, which typically retail for a cool $10,000 (no big deal!). However, Rob didn't know that inside the pack was a rare, one-of-a-kind collector card of NFL quarterback Tom Brady. Upon closer inspection, the card was declared to be in mint condition and capable of selling for six figures! "People can argue all day long what the value is but we won't know unless Rob decides to sell it," said The Bullpen card shop owner Mitch Guttenberg. "Then we can end the speculation. The amount of attention Rob is bringing to the hobby is fantastic. He is a great dude and his collection just got a lot better."

Another reason to celebrate! Following the birth of their daughter, Daisy, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom purchased a home in Montecito, California. On Oct. 20, Variety reported that the A-list couple paid a casual $14.2 million for their 8.9-acre property, which boasts views of the Pacific Ocean. Built in 1934, the gated compound has an extensive driveway that leads to the main house, which is a three-story Mediterranean-style villa. Features of the main structure include four bedrooms, a master suite that comprises more than half of the top floor, a walk-in closet, dual bathrooms, a dressing room and a fireplace with a lounge area. The lower level of the home includes a conference room and private office. Additional features of the property include a massive sports court, stunning gardens, sculpted foliage and several fountains.

On Oct. 29, Kim Kardashian West took to Instagram to share the incredible gift that her husband, Kanye West, gave her for her 40th birthday — a hologram of her late father, Robert Kardashian Sr. "For my birthday, Kanye got me the most thoughtful gift of a lifetime. A special surprise from heaven. A hologram of my dad. ✨🤍," Kim wrote. "It is so lifelike and we watched it over and over, filled with lots so tears and emotion. I can't even describe what this meant to me and my sisters, my brother, my mom and closest friends to experience together. Thank you so much Kanye for this memory that will last a lifetime ✨" In the video, Robert is seen praising Kim for all that she's accomplished. "Keep doing what you're doing Kimberly," said the hologram. "You are a beautiful soul. Know that I am very proud of you and that I am always with you."

The latest celebrity to spend a pretty penny upgrading their veneers? Simon Cowell. The "America's Got Talent" host paid a visit to Beverly Hills-based cosmetic dentist Dr. Apa. "it official. i'm going to hollywood!! actually DUBAI THIS WEEKEND," wrote Dr. Apa on Instagram on Oct. 26 alongside a photo of Simon smiling while holding an "American Idol" card. "it truly is amazing working with amazing people," the doc added. "thank you @simoncowell for putting your trust in us." Simon's dental procedure took place over the course of two three-hour appointments and included 28 teeth, according to Page Six. Dr. Apa reportedly charges $4,000 per tooth, which would mean the total cost of Simon's veneer upgrade was about $112,000. The decision to elevate his smile came just over two months after Simon suffered a horrible e-bike crash in August that almost left him paralyzed.

Hey, big spenders! On Oct. 24, Page Six reported that Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden purchased a seven-bedroom, 10-bathroom home that measures 9,287 square feet in Beverly Hills for a cool $14.7 million. The exclusive neighborhood Cameron, Benji and infant daughter Raddix will call home is also where celebs like John Mayer, Vin Diesel, Gene Simmons, Kate Upton and Justin Verlander live. The 1.7-acre property was listed as a "compound" because of its massive main house and adjoining guesthouse.

What happens if your significant other isn't totally sold on your outfit and you happen to be halfway across the world? They fly out to restyle you… obviously! While chatting with David Letterman for his series "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction," Kim Kardashian West revealed that husband Kanye West once flew to Paris because he didn't approve of her ensemble. "Kanye flew in because he didn't like my outfit, so he flew in [from his tour] to style me," she recalled. "He saw a picture of my outfit and he said, 'I'm on the next flight."

What do you do when you're denied a free ticket to Disneyland? You take your business elsewhere. In a Hollywood Reporter cover story that hit the internet on Oct. 21, writer-producer Shonda Rhimes opened up about her decision to leave ABC for Netflix in 2017 after a Disneyland ticket debacle proved the be the last straw. Shonda, who reportedly made upwards of $2 billion for Disney thanks to the success of her shows like "Grey's Anatomy," had consistently been quarreling with ABC. "I felt like I was dying," the multi-hyphenate said. "Like, I'd been pushing the same ball up the same hill in the exact same way for a really long time." Shonda's contract with ABC (which is owned by Disney) included an all-inclusive pass to Disneyland that was non-transferrable, so when Shonda's sister needed one to take the "Scandal" creator's daughter to the theme park while Mom was working, Shonda received major pushback from the network and was even repeatedly told "we never do this." While the park did end up giving her an extra pass, which didn't work when her family arrived to use it, Shonda got in touch with a "high-ranking executive" who apparently questioned her, asking, "Don't you have enough?" As a result, Shonda moved over to Netflix and signed a deal that is reportedly worth more than $150 million.

Although "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" is ending in 2021, financial woes are the least of Kim Kardashian West's concerns. During her appearance on David Letterman's "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction," Kim revealed that her family's long-running reality show doesn't bring in as much cash as her social media posts. "We would not be who we are today without 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' and that's why we continue to share our lives," she told the comedian. "Even if, realistically, we can post something on social media and make more than we do a whole season." While the reality star and businesswoman didn't provide exact numbers, Us Weekly reported that Kim previously said that one Instagram post can make her about $300,000 — and that's on the low end. The high end for a post can be "upwards of $1 million," according to Us.