If you ask the average person, the chance to work closely with a high profile celebrity probably ranks up there on their list of dream jobs.

It comes with the promise of connections, networking and travel, and a look at how the world’s rich and famous live.

From that angle, the world of celebrity personal assistants looks like a dream come true. Speak to them, though, and many will tell you a different story.

Over the years there have been a number of lawsuits levied against celebrities by their personal assistants, as well as the other way around, reports The Telegraph.

Gaga’s former assistant Jennifer O’Neill sued the star for what she claimed was a missing $393,000 in overtime pay. O’Neill, who had been paid a flat-rate salary of $75,000 for her services, alleged that she had put in 7,168 hours of unpaid labor overall. Gaga disputed the claim.

…Mariah Carey is currently suing her former assistant for $3 million, alleging that Lianna Azarian, who worked for the star between 2015 and 2017, secretly recorded Carey in “embarrassing” situations with the intention of using the footage to blackmail her.

Azarian has launched her own suit against Carey and Carey’s former manager, Stella Bulochnikov, alleging that Bulochnikov sexually and physically abused her

She also alleges that Bulochnikov once held her down and urinated on her, all of which she claims Carey witnessed yet did not prevent.

Mariah Carey is also the celebrity who allegedly has a “professional cup-holder”, whose only job was to move her straw back and forth to her mouth when she was thirsty.

Other high profile cases include Harry Potter author,JK Rowling’s case against her former PA, for stealing merchandise and using her credit card without permission.

Her PA retaliated that Rowling’s “unpredictable moods” left her employees terrified.

Nigella Lawson’s infamous 2013 legal battle against her former assistants Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo was also rooted in such allegations, with Lawson accusing the sisters of fraudulently using credit cards to buy high-end fashion.

When Jennifer Lopez was on the hunt for a PA, she had some pretty weird requirements:

Applicants with significant others, pets and a desire for vacations were advised not to bother applying, and the assistant had to be prepared to be “on call 24/7… change diapers, work on little sleep, and cook if the butler is away.”

The story also claimed the ad requested a psychic knowledge of Lopez’s “snack time” — “She won’t say she’s hungry, and you’re expected to have food waiting.”

I guess she’s no longer “Jenny from the block”. Unless that block is Fifth Avenue, New York.

Needless to say, the turnover for these positions is pretty high. If you really want to know how down-to-earth a star is, you should look at how long their PAs have worked for them.

Despite the horror stories that we so often hear about, the job of celebrity PA is still very much sought after.

I’ll just stick to writing about it, thanks.

Mariah Carey can hold her own straw.

[source:telegraph]