I saw this story and knew it had the makings of a great “Laura Pennace”-style blog entry: a haunted hotel, celebrities, and a funny picture (courtesy of Google images). Thank you, world, for bringing amazing stories such as this to me.
Let’s get this party started…
X Factor judges — and former Idol cohorts — Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul had an encounter of the supernatural kind last week when they unknowingly checked into a haunted hotel in Dallas during their show’s audition tour.
Intending to stay at The Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa during their time in town, the judges — including L.A. Reid — didn’t last long at the luxury digs.
Obsessed with “spirits.” If you know what I mean.
“L.A. didn’t even know the story of the ghosts; he just couldn’t be inside the hotel,” a source close to the trio tells Us Weekly. “He was first to check in and left before the others arrived, saying it had a ‘weird feeling about it.’ Everyone joked he was being a diva, but when they heard about the hotel really being haunted they just thought he was smart!” (Laura’s note: Is this what it takes to be thought of as “smart” these days?)
After the Dallas area experienced a thunderstorm — said to bring out the apparitions — Abdul was especially spooked and the insider tells Us she experienced her bathroom’s faucets turning on and off on their own.
As for Cowell, the source says he quite enjoyed the impromptu haunting.
Word is the judge — and X Factor‘s creator — has become somewhat obsessed with the spirits.
Interestingly, this experience has seemed to stick with Simon Cowell, as can be seen in this follow up article. Somehow his desperate need (he is “hellbent”) to see a ghost is not surprising, since he seems to want to accomplish everything in life with the gusto of a punch to the face. What does that even mean? I’m not completely sure, it just sounds right.
Point of story is – is it just me, or is every celebrity staying in a haunted hotel/apartment/house lately? Fact of the matter is, for the most part, what these celebrities are experiencing is most likely not paranormal at all. Once you hear that a place you’re staying at is haunted, you’re going to assume everything is a ghost (I’ve personally seen this happen to people at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO). If you’re staying in a place short term, you’re obviously going to hear noises you’re not used to that may actually be normal to wherever you’re staying (the building settling, rattling pipes, etc). It’s not a ghost! And maybe it’s a problem with the plumbing, Paula! The simplest explanation is usually the correct one.
And so L.A. Reid had a weird feeling – fine, but that doesn’t prove anything. Sometimes I get a weird feeling. Turns out I’m actually just hungry.
Not to be a Cynical Cindy, but I have to wonder if this “insider” was actually someone from the hotel itself.
