Celebrity Connections

As NFTs became more visible in 2021 and 2022, they started appearing outside the usual digital-art and crypto communities. Musicians, actors, athletes and other well-known names began collecting NFTs, creating them or becoming involved with projects.

Some were serious collectors. Some were interested in the technology. Others saw an opportunity to connect with their existing audiences in a new way.

A few names that became part of the story include:

  • Paris Hilton- one of the most visible celebrity supporters of NFTs in the early boom. She collected digital art, became involved with NFT projects and helped bring NFTs into mainstream celebrity culture.

  • Snoop Dogg- became closely associated with the NFT community and Bored Ape Yacht Club, while also creating his own NFT projects and digital experiences.

  • Grimes- released an NFT collection called WarNymph Collection Vol 1 in 2021, which reportedly generated around US$6 million in sales.

  • Serena Williams- became involved in the NFT and Web3 world and was also a prominent figure in discussions around women and technology.

  • Jimmy Fallon- became one of the more visible mainstream television personalities to publicly embrace NFTs, famously discussing his Bored Ape on The Tonight Show.

  • Justin Bieber- bought a Bored Ape and became one of the many celebrities who helped make NFT profile pictures part of mainstream internet culture.

  • Madonna- became involved with Bored Ape Yacht Club and later appeared in connection with World of Women.

  • Gwyneth Paltrow- became involved in the NFT space and joined discussions aimed at bringing more women into Web3.

  • Mila Kunis- took a different route, using NFTs as part of the production and community around Stoner Cats, an animated project.

  • Randi Zuckerberg- Mark Zuckerberg's sister became an active NFT collector and advocate for women entering Web3. At one point she said she owned more than 100 NFTs.

  • Reese Witherspoon- became particularly associated with World of Women, purchasing a WoW NFT and later partnering with the project through her company Hello Sunshine to explore storytelling across film, television and other media. (World of Women)

  • Eva Longoria- also joined the World of Women community and publicly supported the project. (Artnet News)

  • Eminem- became a Bored Ape owner and used his Ape as part of his online identity.

  • Steph Curry- was another early high-profile Bored Ape owner, helping bring PFP NFTs into the world of professional sport.

What I find interesting about this part of the story is how quickly the boundaries began to disappear.

NFTs were no longer just something happening between digital artists and crypto collectors. They were appearing on television, in music, fashion, sport and Hollywood.

And for a short period, it seemed as though everyone was talking about them.

That celebrity involvement didn't necessarily mean that everyone understood the technology, and it certainly didn't mean every project was successful. But it did help turn NFTs from something happening in a relatively small digital-art community into a much larger cultural conversation.


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