Hollywood & TV1922–1978
Charlie Chaplin
Chaplin was investigated for alleged Communist ties and under the Mann Act.
InvestigatedRead the guide
Category
FBI Files on Hollywood Stars & TV Figures
Browse declassified and public records involving actors, directors, comedians, producers, and television figures. These files often reflect the politics, scandals, moral panics, threats, and investigations surrounding American entertainment history.
9 files
Hollywood & TV1940s–1950s
Lucille Ball
Ball's file centers on a 1936 voter-registration card listing her as a Communist.
Background checkRead the guide
Hollywood & TV1960s–1990s
Elizabeth Taylor
Most entries cover threats, kidnapping plots, and extortion attempts against Taylor and her family.
Victim or threat reportRead the guide
Hollywood & TV1950s–1970s
Sammy Davis Jr.
Includes threats tied to his interracial marriage and reports on his political associations.
Unclear or mixedRead the guide
Hollywood & TV1960s–1970s
Steve McQueen
Records reflect that McQueen was reportedly named on the Manson Family's target list.
Victim or threat reportRead the guide
Hollywood & TV1955–1962
Marilyn Monroe
The FBI monitored Monroe for suspected Communist ties after her relationship with playwright Arthur Miller.
InvestigatedRead the guide
Hollywood & TV1940–1966
Walt Disney
Unlike most celebrities in FBI files, Disney actively worked with the Bureau as an informant during the McCarthy era.
CorrespondenceRead the guide
Hollywood & TV1950s–1960s
Groucho Marx
Groucho's file is thin, odd, and mostly about jokes the Bureau did not find funny.
Mentioned in recordsRead the guide
Hollywood & TV1969–1979
Jean Seberg
Seberg's file documents the FBI planting a false story about her pregnancy in the press — and the Bureau later admitted it.
InvestigatedRead the guide
How to read these files
FBI files and public records may include verified facts, allegations, third-party claims, redactions, press clippings, public complaints, surveillance notes, or correspondence. A file does not always mean the person was investigated or accused of wrongdoing.
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