Jennifer Aniston’s home in Los Angeles was visited by police on Friday (September 20) evening after a “swatting” prank where a hoax caller requested a wellness check.
The Friends star, 55, was reportedly at home at the time of the incident and soon assured officers she wasn’t in danger.
TMZ reports that an unidentified male caller rang a 911 dispatcher and said he was worried about a friend’s wellbeing without mentioning The Morning Show actor by name.
The caller said the friend “wasn’t doing well,” gave Aniston’s address and failed to identify themselves.
When LAPD arrived at the home shortly after midnight they were met by surprised security staff. The officers were only then informed that they were at Aniston’s residence and spoke to the star, who confirmed that she had no intention of self-harm.
In a statement to The Independent, LAPD confirmed that “officers responded to a welfare check” and that they then “determined the radio call was a swatting incident.”
A swatting incident is when a prank call is made to the emergency services to set up a response to a specific location, such as the home of a politician or other public figure, with the aim of getting the authorities, possibly a SWAT team, to appear at the address.
Other celebrities such as Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj have been targeted in similar incidents, with police or swat teams called to their homes unnecessarily.
It is not only celebrities who have been targeted by such pranks. In January this year, emergency service workers rushed to the White House in response to reports of a fire that was later determined to be a likely “swatting” incident.
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In April, a British video gamer was spared jail after a hoax call to US police led to the shooting of an innocent man.
Robert Walker-McDaid, 28, from Coventry, rang a US terrorism hotline in 2015 claiming he had plastic explosives and hostages.
The call led to a Swat unit being sent to the home of Tyran Dobbs, who was shot with plastic bullets.
Walker-McDaid had been posing as Dobbs, who was shot in the face and chest and suffered severe life-changing facial injuries.
Walker-McDaid became the first person in the UK to be charged over “swatting,” according to the Crown Prosecution Service, which worked with the US Department of Justice and the FBI.
He earlier admitted perverting the course of justice and was sentenced at Warwick Crown Court on Friday to 20 months in prison suspended for 18 months.
He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay compensation of £1,000 to Mr Dobbs.