Entertainment
Surprise! Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin Aren't The First Celebrities to Piss Off Their Neighbors
As if Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin didn't have enough on their plate with all of the conscious uncoupling and "break-up mooning" going on, it seems like their Brentwood neighbors are not sending chill vibes their way. According to a RadarOnline exclusive, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s neighbors don’t like ‘em and things could get messy. Why? Because of some trees and a gate. Hm, say what? Allegedly, a complaint was filed with the L.A. Department of Building and Safety last year regarding the four layers of fir trees and the nine-foot gate Paltrow added to the property. The permitted height limit? Three and half feet. According to RadarOnline, these modifications violate the neighborhood's zoning laws. Paltrow and Martin have yet to act on the requests/complaints.
Furthermore, the neighbors are also allegedly pissed off about the ongoing construction AND paparazzi surrounding the Paltrow-Martin home. “There was always work being done at the house," a neighbor told RadarOnline. "I only got annoyed when the workmen would illegally park in my driveway and they hadn’t even spoken to me about it.” Ugh, I get why this neighbor was annoyed. You don't mess with someone's driveway. The neighbors couldn't air their grievances with Paltrow or Martin directly, however. They had to direct all complaints to a middleman named Oliver "who seems to deal with all their issues to do with their neighbors, the house and community."
Paltrow and Martin aren't the first famous folk to have neighbors, and they aren't the first famous folk to frustrate their neighbors. Here are a few recent examples of celebs angering local residents*:*Note: It would take a LOT for a celeb neighbor to piss me off, if ever. TBH, I don't think my "OMG that's Taylor Swift" starstruck awe could ever wear away. Not even if she parked on my driveway one million times.
Taylor Swift
In 2013, Taylor Swift pissed off her neighbors when she had a giant seawall built by her Rhode Island property sans permits. According to one resident, the construction site prevented people from accessing a public beach and covered over the memorial for a resident who drowned in 2004.
James Franco
In March 2013, Curbed L.A. reported James Franco’s Silver Lake neighbors, er, “neighbors” were none too pleased with him: The multi-hyphenate celeb purchased a compound in the L.A. neighborhood, but wasn’t living there. Instead, the house appeared to be the headquarters of a production company. According to one neighbor’s story, the production company was pretty inconsiderate. Like I said before, don’t screw with someone’s driveway.
Justin Bieber
Oh, Justin Bieber! The Biebs doesn’t exactly have the most neighborly reputation. A few examples:
In 2013, Bieber’s Calabasas neighbors didn’t love living in proximity to the pop star. Why? Allegedly, Bieber more or less laughed in the face of speed limit signs and HOA rules.
In early 2014, Bieber egged his neighbors.
And recently, Bieber moved out of his Calabasas home. When word got out that he was looking at a house in Atlanta, the residents of Buckhead (an Atlanta suburb) spoke out against Justin Bieber living there. Yes, his maybe-future-neighbors were pissed about him living there without him actually living there. Poor Biebs.
David Schwimmer
A few years ago, David Schwimmer bought and tore down an East Village townhouse. The original building was constructed in the 1800s and was only a year away from landmark status. His neighbors were pissed off, so they left him a love note.
