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Many social analysts argue that we are living in an era dominated by self-obsession, where a growing number of individuals behave as if they are the focal point of existence. The widespread trend of taking selfies seems to validate these observations.
Selfies, often seen as a means to achieve the fleeting fame Andy Warhol once predicted for everyone, can sometimes expose more than just self-admiration. These ten examples of selfies gone wrong highlight how spontaneous self-portraits can inadvertently capture moments of embarrassment, recklessness, illegal activity, and sheer absurdity.
10. Destruction of a Pumpkin Artwork
In February 2017, a detailed and elaborate pumpkin sculpture by renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, showcased at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC, was harmed by a visitor attempting to snap a selfie. The individual stumbled off a platform, resulting in damage to one of the pumpkins.
The damaged pumpkin was part of Kusama’s six-piece collection featured in her Infinity Mirrors exhibit. Kusama had to organize the delivery of a replacement artwork to the museum. The exhibition honors her 65-year journey as the celebrated 'princess of polka dots.'
9. Destruction at the Hypercaine Exhibit
In July 2017, a woman trying to take a selfie with her smartphone caused $200,000 in damage to sculptures at The 14th Factory in Los Angeles, California. The works, created by Hong Kong artist Simon Birch and his collaborators, were displayed on rectangular pedestals. When the woman leaned on one pedestal, it toppled, triggering a chain reaction that brought down an entire row of sculptures. Each piece fell onto the next, with the final sculpture landing on the floor.
Birch’s installation, titled Hypercaine, showcased his own creations alongside works by fellow artists Gabriel Chan, Jacob Blitzer, and Gloria Yu. Yu noted that 'three sculptures were irreparably damaged,' while others suffered 'varying levels of harm.' Ironically, Los Angeles Times journalist Carolina Miranda had described Hypercaine as 'a collection of extravagant, selfie-perfect sets.'
8. Damage to the Statue of the Two Hercules
In 2015, two tourists in Cremona, Italy, accidentally broke the crown off the priceless Statue of the Two Hercules, a masterpiece crafted in the early 18th century. The statue depicts two figures symbolizing the demigod Hercules, with one facing forward and the other backward, both supporting a crowned shield between them. The shield frames a severed arm clutching a ball. A symbol of the city, the statue has been a part of Cremona since its creation and was relocated from the city gate to the Piazza del Comune in 1962.
The marble crown was dislodged when the tourists attempted to climb the statue for a selfie. It shattered upon hitting the ground. Authorities have identified the individuals responsible, and the extent of the damage is currently under evaluation.
7. Crocodile Attack
In January 2017, 47-year-old French tourist Benetulier Lesuffleur faced dire consequences while attempting to capture a selfie during her trip to Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park. Upon spotting a crocodile, she insisted on photographing herself with the creature. Ignoring warning signs advising visitors to stay on designated trails, Lesuffleur rushed toward the pond, tripped, and fell into the water, where the crocodile bit her leg.
She was rescued before the crocodile could attack her further and was transported via stretcher to a nearby hospital. Fortunately, she was expected to make a full recovery from the incident.
6. Plunge From a Bridge
On April 4, 2017, an unidentified young woman from Sacramento, California, fell 18 meters (60 feet) from the Foresthill Bridge in North Auburn, California. She and her friends were walking on a restricted catwalk beneath the bridge when she lost her balance while attempting to take a selfie, causing her to plummet onto the trail below. Although the walkways are off-limits to the public, authorities chose not to press trespassing charges against her or her companions.
The woman was airlifted to a hospital and is anticipated to recover fully.
5. Topless Driving Incident
Nineteen-year-old college student Miranda Kay Rader was arrested for driving under the influence and underage alcohol possession after crashing into the back of a police car. The accident occurred as she attempted to take a topless selfie for her boyfriend on Snapchat. The officer heard her brakes screech before her SUV collided with his patrol vehicle while he was responding to a disturbance report. An open bottle of wine was discovered in her console’s cup holder.
Rader was returning to her on-campus residence on October 27, 2016, when the crash happened. After being charged, she posted a $2,000 bond to secure her release from jail.
4. Electrocution Mishap
In March 2014, a 21-year-old man from Andujar in Southern Spain tragically died after being electrocuted while climbing on top of a train to take a selfie. He accidentally touched a live wire, which he and his friend mistakenly believed was not electrified. His companion also suffered a severe shock from the 3,500-volt discharge but survived.
By the time emergency responders arrived, the young man had already passed away. His friend was hospitalized in serious condition at the local Alto Guadalquivir Hospital.
3. Self-Incrimination Through Selfies
Police suspect that Dmitry Baksheev, 35, and his wife Natalya, 42, may have killed up to 30 people over two decades while residing at a military barracks in Krasnodar, Southwest Russia. In September 2017, road workers discovered Dmitry’s phone, which contained selfies of him posing with a severed hand and other body parts from a female victim. The workers alerted the police, who then searched the couple’s dormitory. Inside, authorities found human remains and recipes for cooking human flesh. Investigators believe Dmitry killed and dismembered the woman in the selfies three days prior, following a drunken argument. Local media published a photo of Dmitry with a human hand in his mouth.
While searching the couple’s living quarters, police uncovered salted human body parts, frozen meat, and a jar containing the same severed hand Dmitry had posed with in his selfies. In a nearby basement, they also found the remains of a woman. Authorities are currently investigating her death.
Although Dmitry insisted he had only discovered the body parts he used in his selfies, police suspect he and Natalya are cannibals who may have murdered up to 30 people. Vitaly Yakubenko, an entrepreneur, revealed to the media that during a job interview for a chef position, Natalya inquired about where he sourced ingredients for his dishes. Yakubenko recalled, 'She kept asking about meat and whether I wanted to buy it cheaper. It seemed she wanted to sell human meat at my bistro.'
Dmitry eventually confessed to killing the woman, and Natalya admitted that she and her husband had killed 30 people since 1999. They reportedly drugged their victims with ether and Corvalol to incapacitate them before murdering them. Their apartment reeked of the drugs. During a search of their dormitory to verify their confessions, police discovered 'video lessons for cannibals' and human remains stored in their refrigerator, freezer, and a cellar. The cannibalistic couple has yet to be sentenced.
2. Accidental Gunshot to the Head
On May 21, 2015, a 21-year-old Russian office worker, whose identity remains undisclosed, was taking a selfie while holding a gun to her head when the 9-millimeter handgun accidentally discharged. The weapon belonged to a security guard at the Moscow office who had left it behind two weeks earlier while on vacation. Discovering the gun, the woman decided to use it as a prop for her selfie. While attempting to take the photo one-handed, she accidentally pulled the trigger, shooting herself in the temple at close range.
Despite surviving the self-inflicted gunshot wound, the woman was reported to be in 'serious condition,' according to a spokesperson for Moscow’s Sklifosovsky Hospital.
In a strikingly similar incident in India in 2016, a 15-year-old boy named Ramandeep Singh attempted to take a selfie while pointing his father’s .32-caliber gun at his head. While posing with his older sister, he accidentally pulled the trigger instead of capturing the photo. Hearing the gunshot, neighbors alerted his father, and Singh was rushed to a private hospital in Ludhiana, Punjab. Unfortunately, the teenager succumbed to his injury.
1. Tragic Train Accident
In November 2014, Carla Nunez’s 12-year-old daughter, Charlotte, was tragically killed by a train while taking selfies on railroad tracks. Nunez later received a letter from SNCB, the Belgian rail operator, stating that she was liable for the damage caused by her daughter’s actions. As a result, Nunez was billed $21,400 to cover the cost of repairing the tracks.
Nunez was stunned by the bill, as she had insurance and couldn’t comprehend why SNCB sent the invoice directly to her instead of her insurance provider. She described the notice as a 'hammer blow' and expressed her frustration, even considering confronting SNCB’s chief executive, Jo Cornu, to demand an explanation for the company’s actions.
Socialist Belgian MP David Geerts was outraged by SNCB’s lack of sensitivity. 'How can anyone disregard the emotional toll of sending such a letter to grieving families who have lost a loved one?' he questioned. 'Rather than demanding payment for damages [ . . . ], it would have been far more appropriate to demonstrate compassion.'
