Okay, I will admit – I love seeing celebrities and I think most fans will admit to seeing their favorite stars out in public. Some go a little over the line, asking for autographs while the star is eating or obviously engaged in conversation with someone and taking photos without asking. Then there are those that go too far.
Colin Farrell is trying to get a restraining order granted against an ex-lover, Dessarae Bradford. While he was on The Tonight Show promoting his new movie Miami Vice, she was in the audience and attempted to walk on stage. Filming was stopped and she was removed from the studio, but Farrell still felt his personal safety was at risk.
Not too long ago John Cusack won a restraining order against a woman who had been stalking him for a year and a half. Emily Leatherman wrote Cusack letters, throwing them over the fence of his house, and visited offices of people he worked with to try to arrange a meeting with him.
Two of the most tragic stalking events were that of young actress Rebecca Schaeffer (My Sister Sam) and music legend John Lennon. Rebecca’s stalker, Robert John Bardo, had become obsessed with her beauty and had stalked her for three years. Eventually, a detective agency gave him her address they had obtained through searching California Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) records. He showed up at her home on July 18, 1989. After telling him to leave once, he returned an hour later and shot her to death. She was 21 years old. A couple of good things came from Rebecca’s death. One was that the governor of California passed a law that DVM couldn’t release address information as easily. Her death also inspired the Los Angeles Police Department to create their Threat Management Team that deals specifically with stalking and harassment cases. Too bad it was too late to help Rebecca, who was gunned down just as her fame was starting.
Most people my age or older remember the John Lennon case. Chapman shot and killed Lennon outside his New York home, The Dakota, in 1980. It seemed at that time as if the whole world had come to a standstill. Even today, many fans mark Lennon’s death on December 8th with prayer and remembrance. Chapman said he did it because of the voices in his head telling him to kill Lennon. He was convicted and sentenced to serve a minimum of 20 years in prison. He has come up for parole, but it has been denied each time. He is due for a parole hearing again in October, 2006.
Chapman’s 1980 Mug Shot
Of course, many more celebrities have been victims of stalkers: Madonna, David Letterman, Steven Spielberg, Meg Ryan, Richard Gere, Jeri Ryan, Nicole Kidman, Katie Holmes, Brad Pitt – the list could go on and on. Why do people stalk celebrities? For some, it is because in their warped mind, this is a way to show their love for the star. Some do it to gain fame and get their name in the news.
What methods do you think should be used to stop stalkers? Are restraining orders enough?