From Taylor Swift to Britney Spears, These 10 Celebs Have Had Scary Encounters With Stalkers

Celebrities Under Siege: 10 Chilling Stalking Incidents in Recent Times

In the glimmering and uncertain realm of Hollywood, celebrities often face the dark side of fame in the form of stalking. From unsettling encounters to life-threatening situations to unfortunate deaths, the following stars have had their fair share of terrifying experiences with obsessive fans and admirers. These chilling incidents serve as a stark reminder that fame comes at a price, and for these celebrities, the cost has been the invasion of their personal space and the constant threat of harm from those who become dangerously fixated on their lives.

1. Ashley Tisdale

In 2013, a stalker posed as a delivery man to gain access to Ashley Tisdale’s home and posted inappropriate tweets and death threats. One tweet read, "You'll b able to look in my eyes & know exactly what i wanna say without even saying it @ashleytisdale :)." A second tweet went like, "My body is yours & even as friends I f***in love how I make u feel like mom maybe we both got issues cuz nobody's perfect." Another read, "you're future mrs fiore & ill b ur sweet stuff lil momma ur such a good girl u only pretend to b bad for me @ashleytisdale xx." At the time, Tisdale told police she was afraid of being shot by her stalker, although she was also granted a temporary restraining order against Nicholas Fiore, who, in over a year, had tweeted at the Disney star more than 12,000 times, according to TMZ.

2. Britney Spears

Jason Alexander, Britney Spears’ ex-husband, went live while approaching her home and crashing her wedding to Sam Asghari, leading to a restraining order. "I'm her first husband. I'm here to crash the wedding because nobody is here except Sam. Where the f--k is the family? So here's inside scoop of the bulls--t wedding," Alexander said before security approached him. "Don't put your hands on me," he then proceeded to yell. Spears got a restricting order after the incident for security purposes as Alexander was detained, according to Radar Online.

3. Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore also had a stalker, and his name was Chad Michael Busto. It's worth noting that in 2023, Busto was arrested twice in three weeks for forcefully entering her dressing room at Brooklyn Navy Yard, although he demanded to see Emma Watson at the time. According to NBC News, he asserted, "I want to marry Emma Watson. Let me speak to Emma Watson. Let me take a photo with Emma Watson." As per the police reports, it was claimed that "Busto entered the location interrupting a private event, and when asked to leave, the individual became irate and refused to leave."

4. Gwyneth Paltrow

Dante Soiu sent unsolicited letters and gifts to Gwyneth Paltrow for six years, resulting in a guilty verdict and admission to a mental institution the first time around. Then, during the trial for a second case against him in 206, Soiu confessed, "I was trying to show I had changed and I had become a different person. I wanted to show a new face towards her. I wanted her to say flat out, ‘I don’t want to marry you.’ That way I would have a definite response from her." He also asserted in the court, "I have no desire to hurt her feelings." However, the DA pointed out that the stalker eventually got what he 'wanted' with the trial: "He gets to spend hours in a room with the object of his desire. This is not a stupid man. This is actually a highly intelligent man." According to a 2016 article by The Guardian, Soiu was acquitted the second time.

5. Jennifer Lopez

In 2013, a stalker managed to live in Jennifer Lopez’s pool area for six days, posting pictures online and claiming to be married to the star before being arrested. However, this was not the only case of stalking Lopez faced. In 2016, she got a restraining order against another stalker who she claimed had previous experience of violence. “Suspect has driven his vehicle onto victim’s property and wants to see her and was arrested follows victim by his own admission, suspect has a history of violence, and suspect continues to send mail and flowers to the victim,” the court’s director shared at the time.

6. John Lennon

The Beatles fan Mark David Chapman brutally shot John Lennon in 1980 after flying from Hawaii to New York and waiting for the musician outside his apartment. When asked the reason beyond this act, Chapman said, "That bright light of fame, of infamy, notoriety was there. I couldn't resist it." Chapman also boasted about the attention he gets from the media, asserting, "I haven't had an interview in 24 years, and believe me they come. It's not my interest anymore at all… Believe me, I am not interested in any press whatsoever at all, and there has been many times where I could have and very recently too. I won't mention names, but you would be surprised," according to Daily Mail.

7. Justin Bieber

By 2019, Justin Bieber had faced his share of horror when it came to stalkers, but two in particular made big headlines: a woman claiming to live in his house and an uncle and nephew pair that allegedly received orders to murder and castrate the popstar from another convicted murderer, according to Seventeen. However, the pair were caught and charged with first-degree conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation to commit murder, so their plan got foiled, fortunately. In an interview, the supposed brains behind the operation said, "It isn't just so people will know who I am. It's because he changed, and that made me angry. If I was free, here's what I'd want to do — put Bieber in a cage, rape him repeatedly, and put it on YouTube," when asked why he picked Bieber, as per HuffPost.

8. Kendall Jenner

Kendall Jenner had a harsh encounter with a stalker who trespassed on her property to which she later filed a restraining order. Jenner was granted a five-year restraining order against her alleged stalker, John Ford. As per the order, Ford had to maintain a distance of at least 100 yards from Jenner and her residence at all times. Later on, Ford was deported to Canada by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as he was found in the model’s swimming pool after violating the previous orders and was on an expired visa.

9. Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez faced a terrifying encounter in 2014 when a stalker repeatedly trespassed on her property, leading to multiple arrests. A man was arrested twice within one week at the singer’s residence and faced charges of felony stalking and violating a court-mandated order to maintain distance from Gomez. Che Cruz (Gomez’s stalker) trespassed on her property several times, even after his arrest and probation. Gomez was at home when the first intrusion happened. At the time, Cruz was potentially facing four years in prison if convicted, as per the BBC. Eventually, however, Gomez sold her property and moved due to this incident.

10. Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has not been not left alone, as she has also faced her fair share of stalkers. A 33-year-old man named David Crowe from Seattle was arrested for a third time in five days for suspicious behavior near Swift’s New York City residence. Despite his supervised release, he was arrested again as he violated the order of protection. As per the claims of prosecutors, Crowe visited Swift’s building 30 times in the past two months despite being repeatedly asked to leave. Swift shared in an interview once, “​​You get enough stalkers trying to break into your house and you kind of start prepping for bad things.”