What Did Celebrity Look Like During the Bling Ring Years?
Though The Bling Ring, Sofia Coppola’s upcoming film about a group of young Los Angelenos who burgled the homes of several celebrities, might seem like it’s about the robbers — primarily Alexis Neiers, played by Emma Watson — it’s actually concerned with what fame looked like during the second half of the last decade. When the robberies occurred, between October 2008 and August 2009, we were at peak celebrity madness. Paris Hilton led the charge, Britney and Lindsay were on their way down, and Kim Kardashian had just begun her post–sex tape, pre-Kanye ascension. Before you catch The Bling Ring in theaters next weekend, catch yourself up on what the late aughts looked like.
Primary Bling Ring victim Paris Hilton was riding high in 2008–09: MTV show Paris Hilton's My New BFF and its two foreign spinoffs, Paris Hilton's Bri...
Primary Bling Ring victim Paris Hilton was riding high in 2008–09: MTV show Paris Hilton's My New BFF and its two foreign spinoffs, Paris Hilton's British Best Friend and Paris Hilton's Dubai BFF all aired during that time. She also apparently endorsed every product released near the end of the decade.
Photo: Gregg DeGuire/2009 Gregg DeGuire
Around the same time that the Bling Ring members were hanging out in her "nightclub room," Paris was busy spinning records with a hair-bow'd...
Around the same time that the Bling Ring members were hanging out in her "nightclub room," Paris was busy spinning records with a hair-bow'd Lady Gaga.
Photo: Nick Harvey/2009 Nick Harvey
During this period, Gaga stopped wearing hair bows (ah!) and started drinking from tea cups. It was a relatively quick transition. Unlike Paris, Gaga ...
During this period, Gaga stopped wearing hair bows (ah!) and started drinking from tea cups. It was a relatively quick transition. Unlike Paris, Gaga was not targeted for robbery. The Bling Ring-ers didn't make it to NYC.
Photo: Scott Gries/2008 Getty Images
Meanwhile, Perez Hilton was still allowed to be friends with celebrities.
Photo: Jason LaVeris/2009 Jason LaVeris
Britney Spears spent time shopping barefoot in a Target. This photo was taken soon after (shoes included).
Photo: shaRRp / Splash News/? www.splashne...Britney Spears spent time shopping barefoot in a Target. This photo was taken soon after (shoes included).
Photo: shaRRp / Splash News/? www.splashnews.com
One of Bling Ring leader Rachel Lee's favorite targets was none other than Lindsay Lohan. Mid-2008, Lohan scored a few DUI charges, starred in the TV ...
One of Bling Ring leader Rachel Lee's favorite targets was none other than Lindsay Lohan. Mid-2008, Lohan scored a few DUI charges, starred in the TV movie Labor Pains, and launched a leggings line called 6126 (so named for Marilyn Monroe's birthday).
Photo: Junko Kimura/2008 Getty Images
Much like Paris, Lindsay also had her own spray-tan line. It was called "Sevin Nyne."
Photo: Michael Buckner/2009 Getty Images
Hanging out with D.J. Steve Aoki while dating D.J. Sam Ronson, Lindsay Lohan was probably considering becoming a D.J. full-time at this point. Just a ...
Hanging out with D.J. Steve Aoki while dating D.J. Sam Ronson, Lindsay Lohan was probably considering becoming a D.J. full-time at this point. Just a guess.
Photo: Michael Buckner/2009 WireImage
Back then, Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift still had baby faces. Katy Perry did not have a baby face.
Photo: Kevin Mazur/2009 The Recording Academy
The girls of Laguna Beach /The Hills /The City (Lauren Conrad, Whitney Port, and Audrina Patridge) were all pretty famous, although the robbers went f...
The girls of Laguna Beach /The Hills /The City (Lauren Conrad, Whitney Port, and Audrina Patridge) were all pretty famous, although the robbers went for receptionist turned model Audrina. Maybe it was Into the Blue 2: The Reef? Probably not.
Photo: Kevin Mazur
The OC was canceled in 2007, so Mischa Barton was still riding high. Hey, girl.
Photo: Kevin Mazur
Speaking of The OC, Rachel Lee's favorite name twin, Rachel Bilson, sat front row at fashion shows like this Brian Reyes one. I bet she just had ...
Speaking of The OC, Rachel Lee's favorite name twin, Rachel Bilson, sat front row at fashion shows like this Brian Reyes one. I bet she just had the best clothing ...
Photo: Andrew H. Walker/2009 Getty Images
Here's some perspective for you: Kim Kardashian was not pregnant, hadn't even dated future husband Kris Humphries, and had a small part in Disaster Mo...
Here's some perspective for you: Kim Kardashian was not pregnant, hadn't even dated future husband Kris Humphries, and had a small part in Disaster Movie.
Photo: Kevin Winter/2009 Getty Images
Kris Jenner, however, was exactly the same.
Photo: Jeff Gentner/2009 Getty Images
In 2009, Katy Perry did things like swing in a seashell ...
Photo: Florian Seefried/2009 Florian Seefried
... And dress like a modern pop version of Victor Victoria.
Photo: Gareth Cattermole/2008 Getty Images
She was also busy BFFing Rihanna. Rihanna and Chris Brown had just started dating.
Photo: Amy Sussman/2009 Getty Images
In 2009, Bling Ring target Megan Fox was on her second Transformers movie. Found at the Austin-Green-Fox estate? Brian's gun.
Photo: Lester Cohen
Suri Cruise, Katy Perry's Future BFF (okay, an imagined future still to come), was just two years old in 2008! That's also two years old in Scientolog...
Suri Cruise, Katy Perry's Future BFF (okay, an imagined future still to come), was just two years old in 2008! That's also two years old in Scientology years.
Photo: Amy Sussman/2008 Getty Images