Celebrities have an especially difficult time responding to and dealing with stalkers.
If a celebrity responds to the stalker at all, this could cause the stalker to become angry, or the stalker may feel encouraged to continue harassing the victim.
There is a major difference between the relationship between celebrities and their stalkers and non-famous people and their stalkers. Celebrities do not have relationships with their stalkers, and the stalkers are usually obsessed fans who demonstrate psychotic behaviours. According to the Stalking Resource Centre, excluding celebrities, 75 percent of people are stalked by someone they know whether the person is an ex-partner, co-worker, or acquaintance.
Erotomania Stalking
In the case of erotomania stalking, this stalker is delusional, and believes that a relationship already exists between himself or herself and the victim, who is usually a public figure. The victim has usually done nothing to suggest that he or she is in love with the stalker.
The stalker will reinterpret anything the victim says or does to support his or her delusion, and is convinced that the imagined romance will blossom into a “happily ever after” fairytale romance.
Celebrity Stalkers – The David Letterman Stalking Case
David Letterman was stalked throughout the 1980s by a woman that he did not know.
She had been caught trespassing on Letterman’s property several times was found hiding in his closet. She believed that she was his wife. She was arrested in 1988 when she was caught driving Letterman’s car.
When the police apprehended her, she told them that her husband was out of town and she was getting groceries so that she could have dinner on the table when he arrived home.
She was treated in a mental institution several times, but eventually took her own life.
Celebrity Stalkers – The Shawn Johnson Stalking Case
In 2009, a 34 year old man tried to break onto the set of “Dancing With the Stars” to meet 17 year old Olympic gold-medalist Shawn Johnson.
Johnson’s parents had already placed restraining order against the man, and he was stopped by security guards when he jumped the fence at CBS Studios. The police found a loaded shotgun, a loaded handgun, duct tape, and love letters in his car.
He told police that he had travelled from Florida to California in hopes that he and Johnson would be together. Johnson’s mother claimed that the stalker believed that he and Johnson were supposed to have a child together.
He told police that he heard Johnson’s voice when watching the Beijing Olympics, and that he communicated with celebrities through telepathy. He also told detectives that he had children with both male and female celebrities.
He was charged with one felony count of stalking and two misdemeanour counts of carrying a loaded weapon.
In July, 2010, he was sentenced to five years at a state mental facility.
Love Obsession and Stalking
This stalker is focused on establishing a personal relationship with the victim, who is most likely a celebrity or politician.
This stalker wants to raise his or her self-esteem, by associating with a well-known person whom he or she holds in high regard.
This stalker is also known to create detailed fantasies of a non-existent relationship with the victim.
Many stalkers are so desperate to establish a relationship, any relationship at all with the victim, that they settle for negative relationships, and engage in destructive behaviour to win the affections of their victims. Here are some examples of destructive behaviour:
In 1980, Mark David Chapman, a man who claimed to be John Lennon’s biggest fan, shot him dead outside of his New York home.
John Hinckley, was obsessed with Jodie Foster, and tried to make her fall in love with him. She ignored him, and in 1981, he shot President Ronald Reagan in an attempt to get her attention. He remains incarcerated to this day for the assassination attempt.
Females Stalking Females
According to an ABC report, 78 percent of victims are females, and 87 percent of stalkers are male, but cases exist where the stalker and victim are both females.
Celebrity Stalkers – The Catherine Zeta Jones Stalking Case
In 2004, Dawnette Knight was arrested for stalking and making death threats against Catherine Zeta Jones. Knight is accused of sending Zeta Jones more than two-dozen threatening letters, and even described how she would kill and dismember her body.
Knight claimed that she was having an affair with Zeta Jones’ husband, Michael Douglas. Knight also knew the name of the nanny, and the layout of the house.
Knight was sentenced to three years’ incarceration.
Celebrities can hire body guards, get restraining orders, or ignore the stalker, but when a person is well-known, he or she may have multiple stalkers, and may not know the identity of the stalker. The stalker can be anywhere at any time, the celebrity must constantly be on the lookout for danger, and it becomes increasingly difficult for celebrities to know who to trust.
Sources:
“Alleged Shawn Johnson Stalker Charged With Felony.” Fox News.com. 26 March, 2009
Celizic, Mike. Celebrity Stalkers Pose Real Threat to Famous. Today.msnbc.msn.com. 15 May, 2008.
Lee, Ken. “Alleged Stalker of Shawn Johnson Arrested Near DWTS Set.” People Magazine.com. 25 March, 2009.
“Shawn Johnson Stalker Gets 5 Years in Mental Facility.” CNN.com/Larry King Live. 27 July, 2010.
Silverman, Stephen, M. “Alleged Zeta-Jones Stalker Makes Love Claim.” People.com. 14 September, 2004.
Stalking Resource Centre: Stalking Fact Sheet. Stalking Awareness Month.org. June 2009.
“Three-Year Term for Zeta Stalker.” BBC News.com. 8 July, 2005.
Annique Daniel - My name is Annique Daniel, and I recently graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a BA in Journalism and Human Rights. I have a ...
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