As it turns out, the LAPD will “be there for you” — even if “there” is your house in the middle of the night!
Friends icon Jennifer Aniston received an unexpected house call from authorities just after midnight on Friday, September 20, per TMZ.
In what appeared to be a prank known as “swatting,” an anonymous individual called the police and said that the person who lived at the address was “not doing well” and in need of help, though the caller did not state that their “friend” at the home was the 55-year-old actress. The caller then asked if the police could do a welfare check.
Jennifer Aniston is seen filming on location for ‘The Morning Show’ at the New York Public Library on July 29, 2024 in New York City. The actress was the victim of a prank on September 24 that caused police to be sent to her home.
James Devaney/Getty Images/GC Images
Los Angeles Police Department officers then arrived at the home of the Morning Show star, much to the surprise of her security team.
TMZ went on to report that the police, once made aware of who they were visiting, spoke to the Horrible Bosses actress. Aniston reportedly confirmed that she was doing well, with “no self-harm intentions.”
Per TMZ, the LAPD has now noted the location of Aniston’s home, and has announced that they will reach out to Aniston’s security team first if they receive another call about that address.
The trend of “swatting” pranks, where individuals anonymously report crimes at a celebrity’s house in order to get a law enforcement team to show up, became a huge problem in 2013. The New York Times reported that dozens of celebrities, including Ryan Seacrest, Rihanna, and Sean “Diddy” Combs had full SWAT teams sent to their homes after false reports of horrific crimes. (Diddy, of course, later had a legitimate visit from law enforcement, who raided his Los Angeles and Miami properties in March. Earlier this month, the rapper was arrested and charged with several sex crimes, to which he has pleaded not guilty. He is currently in jail awaiting his trial.) In 2023, the trend also hit several politicians, including controversial Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Although Aniston is doing fine, the police reportedly told TMZ that they are treating the call as a swatting prank and are attempting to investigate how it occurred.
