A pop icon, a plane crash, life changing injuries, and no evidence. The mystery of Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul was one of the biggest pop stars of the late 1980s and early 1990s. After starting her career as a Lakers cheerleader and choreographer for artists like Janet Jackson, she skyrocketed to fame with her 1988 debut album Forever Your Girl, which produced four No. 1 hits. Her follow-up album, Spellbound (1991), was also a massive success, further solidifying her place in pop music history. During this time, Abdul was everywhere—performing, touring, and appearing on TV. But by the mid-1990s, her career seemed to slow down dramatically. She largely disappeared from the public eye, leaving fans wondering what had happened.

Years later, Abdul claimed that her absence was due to a near-fatal plane crash. According to her, sometime in 1992, she was on a private seven-seater plane returning from a concert when the aircraft suffered mechanical issues and crashed. She has described being thrown around the cabin, sustaining severe neck and spinal injuries, and undergoing multiple surgeries as a result. She says this experience led to years of chronic pain and addiction to painkillers, explaining her retreat from the spotlight.

However, despite her detailed recollections, no official record of this crash exists. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which documents all U.S. aviation accidents, has no record of a crash matching her description. There are no news reports, no eyewitnesses, and no known crew members or passengers who have come forward. Given the severity of the injuries she described, some skeptics have questioned why such a major incident would have gone completely undocumented. Even during her absence, there were no contemporary reports of Abdul being in a major accident.

Paula Abdul first publicly mentioned the crash in the mid-2000s, well over a decade after it supposedly happened. During her time as a judge on American Idol, she spoke openly about her struggles with chronic pain and the multiple surgeries she had endured. It was around this time that she began referencing the plane crash as the source of these medical issues. This delay in mentioning such a life-altering event has fueled speculation about whether the crash actually occurred. Was it possible she misremembered or exaggerated an unrelated incident? Did she fabricate the story to explain her career downturn and struggles with painkillers? Or was there truly an undocumented crash that somehow evaded official records?

To this day, the mystery remains unresolved. Paula Abdul stands by her story, but without any tangible evidence, the supposed plane crash remains one of pop culture’s most puzzling unsolved mysteries.

Sorry, I’ve had to repost this several times as it keeps getting removed for various reasons including ‘no personal/undocumented stories’ (it isn’t and have included several links) and no flare (it says optional when creating a post).

I have followed every single rule so hopefully will stay up