Whitney Houston starred in a movie called “The Bodyguard,” and the idea for the movie was partly based on someone who protected Houston in real life. His name was David Roberts, and he worked as a police officer in North Wales before becoming part of the personal security industry.
Roberts worked for the singer for seven years, starting in 1988. He was let go when he brought up concerns about Houston’s health to her team. Roberts now runs his own Florida-based security firm, and he’s said that he feels like she would be alive today if his worries hadn’t been ignored.
Tom Cruise
When you see him on the movie screen, he's doing all his own stunts, but that doesn't mean he's really an action hero. Cruise contracts with former S.A.S. member Billy Billingham – and it costs him fifty thousand dollars a week. Being world-famous for decades will do that.
One of Cruise's former bodyguards, Sean Ringgold, ended up leaving the contract due to personal disagreements. Keeping mum about a contract's personal life is par for the course with most protectors, and Billingham had nothing bad to say about working with Cruise – though he did once share an anecdote of protecting Cruise from an “assailant.” The assailant turned out to be Penelope Cruz.
Kylie Jenner
With almost a billion dollars in net worth, Kylie Jenner might be the richest person on this entire list. It makes sense, then, that her security personnel cost her almost five million dollars a year. She's made her brand on Instagram and television and has also launched Kylie Cosmetics.
Young as she may be, she's one of the richest people on the planet. She might have started out as just Kim Kardashian's little sister, but she now spends hundreds of thousands of dollars a month on personal security. There are many who even think that Kylie is now more famous and more successful than big sister Kim.
Justin Bieber
One of the big downsides of mega fame is not being able to go out on your own. Bieber became famous when he was still a teenager, and he's had plenty of bodyguards who have protected him from fans.
While Justin has calmed down since he got married, he was always making waves during his heyday, which meant his bodyguards had to be ready for anything. His current head of security is Michael Arana. Thanks to working with Bieber, Arana has gained a bit of fame for himself, with almost two-hundred thousand followers on Instagram – he's often featured on the fan page “Bieber's Bodyguards.”
Jason Momoa
Here's a question: why would Jason Momoa, who is a huge, muscle-bound star, need protection? Well, he's only one man, and he still wants to avoid injury. Despite his huge stature and muscles, he's still often seen with bodyguards – though he looks more like the bodyguard himself.
He's also a big actor, having reached popular stardom as Khal Drogo from "Game of Thrones" and as Aquaman in the DC universe movies. There are a lot of people who want the chance to talk to him. He shells out around a hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars a year for security.