Celebrities Who Have Faced Dreadful Stalkers
In addition to dealing with constant paparazzi attention, celebrities often face unwelcome behaviors and incidents from individuals in their surroundings. While it’s expected for fans to attend concerts and purchase merchandise, it becomes deeply alarming and perilous when these same fans discover a celebrity’s home address and intrude upon it. Numerous stars have shared harrowing experiences involving encounters with fans who turned into stalkers. Believe it or not, some of the horrifying instances are listed below that these celebs faced and could get on anybody’s nerves.
1. Taylor Swift
In 2015, Taylor Swift faced a disturbing ordeal when a stalker named, Frank Edward Hoover, took his obsession to an extreme. Hoover sent frightening letters to her father, in which he made threats to harm the entire family and declared himself the “real son of God.” Subsequently, he was placed on a decade-long probation starting in 2018. More recently, in 2024, an individual believed to be a stalker was apprehended outside Swift’s residence in New York City for repeatedly attempting to break in, as reported by Page Six .
2. Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore encountered a frightening incident during a recent appearance at the 92nd Street Y, where she was approached by a stalker while speaking. A video capturing the moment quickly spread across social media, depicting the individual startling Barrymore by calling out her name and approaching her onstage. “I’m Chad Michael Busto, you know who I am,” the guy said approaching her on the stage. “I need to see you at some point while I’m here in New York,” he said further while the artist was escorted from the stage.
3. Britney Spears
Britney Spears and Sam Asghari had their dream wedding last year, with all the fans loving their moments with each other per TMZ . However, the joyous occasion faced a potential disruption when Spears’ ex-husband, Jason Alexander, attempted to violently crash the event. Alexander allegedly live-streamed himself on Instagram to reach her leading to the police intervention. Following the incident, a restraining order was swiftly obtained by the newlyweds for their safety and peace of mind.
4. Selena Gomez
In 2014, Selena Gomez faced a harrowing incident involving a stalker. Identified as Che Cruz, the intruder repeatedly barged into the guest house of her Calabasas, California residence, causing considerable distress. As a result, he was mandated to maintain a distance from Gomez for ten years and to undergo necessary psychological treatment. Later on, the Single Soon hitmaker sold off the property per Teen Vogue .
5. Keira Knightley
Mark Revill, now known as Mark McCattipus, received a suspended jail sentence of eight weeks and a restraining order for harassing Keira Knightley, her husband James Righton, and their daughter Edie. Following prior convictions for indecent exposure and stalking, the individual engaged in concerning behavior, including meowing through Knightley’s mailbox. The situation prompted the family to relocate and stay away from such frightening encounters per The Sun .
6. Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez faced a troubling incident when her stalker managed to break into her home and remain undetected in her guest house for nearly a week. This scared the musician as the individual, identified as John Dubis further claimed to be her ex and dad to her children, per HuffPost . Subsequently, he was removed for psychiatric evaluation.
7. Gwyneth Paltrow
For more than a decade, Gwyneth Paltrow faced harassment from her stalker. Dante Michael Soiu inundated her with over 65 packages, including letters and parcels containing explicit material, over six years. Despite the concerning behavior, Soiu was ultimately acquitted of attempted stalking and felony stalking charges, according to reports from People magazine.
8. Sandra Bullock
In a harrowing incident in 2014, Sandra Bullock experienced a terrifying home invasion perpetrated by her stalker, Joshua Corbett, who entered her residence armed with a loaded handgun. Recounting the ordeal on an episode of Red Table Talk , she described hiding in a closet while awaiting the arrival of the police. Fortunately, law enforcement intervened and apprehended Corbett. However, the actor suffered intense PTSD for a long period.
9. John Lennon
On December 8, 1980, John Lennon tragically lost his life when he was shot outside of his apartment by a disturbed individual named Mark Chapman. During the event, Chapman was seen reading The Catcher In The Rye , a detail he later referenced as influencing his actions. The convict is behind bars serving a life sentence per Crime Museum .
10. Justin Bieber
In 2012, Mark Staake and his nephew Tanner Ruane faced charges for plotting a violent assassination attempt against Justin Bieber, reportedly under the direction of another inmate named Dana Martin. The scheme included a plan to harm the singer per Atlantic . Martin, already serving a life sentence for another offense, was linked to organizing the plot. Staake and Ruane were subsequently charged with first-degree conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation to commit murder.