Thanks to a former LA-based club promoter who dubbed herself ‘Pantera Sarah’, we now have a bunch of never-before-seen photos of celebrities partying together in the early 2000s.
This was before social media really took off: before celebrities meticulously documented their every move using Instagram Stories, and before TMZ was just one short email away.
Sarah kindly shared these with The Hollywood Reporter, allowing us to gawk at how awkward some celebrities used to look. Stars: they’re just like us, in that they also looked cringe in the late 90s and early 2000s.
Don’t worry: Sarah told THR that most of the people she spoke to said it’s fine to reveal the images. She also used to ban cameras (except for her own) from her clubs, making these photos exclusive as hell.
THR perfectly summarised why these photos are interesting:
“They serve as a time capsule for a not-too-long-ago era that seems ancient because it’s pre-Facebook, pre-iPhone, pre-everything. A star could relax with friends at a bar without having to take fan selfies or prepare for a publicist’s angry call when candid images appear on Tumblr. “
Without further ado, here are the photos in all their nostalgic glory:
This is Sarah herself, who Ryan Gosling apparently described as the ‘midwife of LA’, with Jon Favreau.
Here’s Charlize Theron with Ivana Miličević and Kristen Zang:
Tara Reid and Jared Leto having a chat:
Ryan Reynolds, Alyssa Milano and Johnny Galecki in 1999:
Ryan Gosling with Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears before the breakup:
(According to Sarah, Justin used to “come run the door with me and just do pickings from the sea of people. He’d be like, ‘She’s cute, let her in, you can come in and you can’t.’”)
Jason Momoa, who was Sarah’s roommate for a while:
Sarah with Andy Dick and Neil Patrick Harris:
Leonardo DiCaprio in a tracksuit:
Sarah with Jennifer McComb, Lukas Haas, Cameron Diaz, and Matthew Perry:
Heath Ledger with Wes Bentley, and Jennifer Quanz:
Jamie Foxx with J-Lo’s ex, Cris Judd:
Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Gwen Stefani, cryptocurrency entrepreneur Les Borsai and Taj Johnson:
Scarlett Johansson with Kirsty Mitchell and Tara Subkoff:
Vince Vaughn looking peak-Vince Vaughn:
And lastly, Ashton Kutcher in a Bears jersey:
Check out The Hollywood Reporter for some of Sarah’s wildest stories from her years as a promoter in Hollywood.