These celebs have all met the terrifying downside of becoming famous - encountering your stalker. From Rihanna to Britney Spears, take a look at some of the scariest celebrity stalkers of all time.
Jennifer Lopez
Lopez's stalker, a former fire department employee named John M. Dubis, broke into the pop star's 8,500-square-foot home in the Hamptons and went unnoticed for nearly a week! How exactly does that happen?
After being arrested and sent for a psychiatric evaluation, according to HuffPost, the 49-year-old stalker claimed to be the father of her children and ex-husband. As it turned out, Dubis had been stalking the singer for some time as he contacted her mother in 2013, causing Lopez to get a restraining order against him.
Gwyneth Paltrow
For years and years, Paltrow was stalked by Dante Michael Soiu, leaving her frightened for her life. In six years, Soiu sent the Goop founder over 66 packages containing letters and inappropriate photographs, resulting in Paltrow taking him to court.
It was revealed that Soiu was previously charged with stalking allegations in recent years. He was acquitted in 2016 after pleading not guilty and ended up confined to a mental institution. Her stalker testified that he wrote letters to the actress because he wanted her forgiveness but still wanted to marry her.
Sandra Bullock
A few years after Bullock's home invasion in 2014, the actress spoke about the traumatic experience on an episode of Red Table Talk. The Oscar-winning actress explained that she was home when the stalker broke into her private residence, causing her to panic for her life. "I'm in the closet going, 'This doesn't end well,'" she recalled.
She explained that she hid in her closet until the police arrived and that, thankfully, her son was not home during the invasion. However, the pure violation of privacy caused Bullock to "unravel." She admitted that she had severe PTSD. Her stalker, Joshua Corbett, was taken into custody, but in 2018, he took his own life.
Taylor Swift
After a few months of serious incidents, Mitchell Taebel was arrested in June of 2023. The Indiana native was charged with two charges of stalking, intimidation and harassment, and invasion of privacy after constantly trying to reach Swift in person, at home, and through social media.
The 36-year-old reached out to Swift, her father, and dancers on her The Eras Tour, claiming that he was her "soulmate" and he would do anything to be with her. Taebel even attempted to sneak into the singer's penthouse in Nashville, disguising himself as a "popular TV host" until security caught him and escorted him out.
Keira Knightley
Keira Knightley was left terrified after receiving a number of threatening letters from her stalker, Mark Revill. Not only did the 50-year-old constantly deliver inappropriate letters to her doorstep, but he also left a USB of a song he made for her, named The Fuzzy Kitty Waltz.
Revill also made meowing noises through the mailbox of Knightley's north London home, where she at the time lived with her husband and daughter. He continued to taunt her and her family with disturbing tweets until the authorities got involved, and he was ordered to a psychiatric hospital indefinitely.
Rihanna
Similarly to J.Lo, Rihanna faced a frightening stalking incident involving a man breaking into her home. Luckily, she was not home at the time. In 2018, 27-year-old Eduardo A. Leon hopped a fence and spent hours inside the singer's home before RiRi's assistant caught him, and the police were called.
A few months later, Leon had his day in court, where he pleaded to one felony count of vandalism, stalking, and resisting arrest. He was then sentenced to five years probation and placed on GPS monitoring for three months. The judge ordered him to stay clear from Rihanna and is not allowed to be on any social media.
Ashley Tisdale
Disney star Ashley Tisdale, too, faced a terrifying stalker. Just about a decade ago, Tisdale was being harassed by Nicholas Fiore, a superfan who had sent the actress over 18,000 tweets within a year's time. At the time, a judge granted a temporary restraining order against Fiore, but things escalated.
Tisdale explained that the stalker's messages began threatening the lives of her and her boyfriend at the time, Christopher French. During the court hearing, the High School Musical star explained that Fiore had tried getting into her home, once by pretending to be a delivery man.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
In 2003, 47-year-old Diana Napolis pleaded guilty to stalking Jennifer Love Hewitt. She was later diagnosed as delusional but was considered capable of standing trial. Napolis "believed that Ms. Love Hewitt was part of a group that targeted her with so-called psychotronic technology," according to the District Attorney.
The DA also added that the actress's stalker believed that Hewitt was in a cult that allowed her to read minds. Napolis confronted Hewitt on multiple occasions in person, harassing and threatening her throughout 2002. At the end of the trial, she was sentenced with a ten-year restraining order.
Steven Spielberg
As it turned out, Jennifer Love Hewitt wasn't the only celebrity to be stalked by Diana Napolis. Steven Spielberg was also a victim of her infatuation. In 2001, the director filed a restraining order against her after she was constantly calling and harassing him. The judge said she could not come within 150 meters of Spielberg.
Napolis believed that Spielberg and his wife were a part of a satanic cult that had implanted a microchip called "soulcatcher" in her brain. The director spoke out on the subject, expressing his concern for his and his family's safety, as she posed "a serious risk of violent confrontation."
Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez put the past behind her after selling her 4.5 million dollar Calabasas home because a relentless stalker wouldn't leave her alone. Soon after she moved in, Che Cruz broke into her home and was arrested immediately after. However, she would soon learn he wasn't giving up.
The 20-year-old stalker jumped the fence in the gated community yet again to get closer to Gomez and was arrested for a second time back in 2014. Following the multiple arrests, he was instructed to stay away from Gomez and sentenced to psychological treatment.
Conan O'Brien
This might be a first and hopefully a last. The iconic TV host, Conan O'Brien, was stalked by a priest back in 2007, and luckily, law enforcement got involved before things got too ugly. Father David Ajemian was arrested after sending O'Brien invasive letters to his home address and TV studio.
Apparently, the letters even continued after he was ordered by law enforcement to stop. In the letters, he would name himself "your priest stalker," writing some very off-putting messages to the host. The priest eventually pleaded guilty to harassing and stalking.
Jodie Foster
This may be one of the most infamous celebrity stalking cases of all time, considering it does include Jodie Foster and President Reagan. Let's rewind a few decades. Jodie Foster had starred in the iconic film Taxi Driver, and mega stalker John Hinkley Jr. developed an unhealthy obsession with the young actress.
To "prove his love" for her, he enrolled in the same university as her and would slip inappropriate messages under her door. He took his obsession to new extremes to impress Foster by attempting to assassinate President Reagan in 1981. He was sentenced to a mental institution. Last year, he was granted unconditional release.
George Harrison
In 1999, lead guitarist of the Beatles, George Harrison, and his wife Olivia were brutally attacked by the musician's stalker in their home in Oxfordshire. The attack happened in the middle of the night by Michael Abram. Luckily, authorities arrived before there were any fatalities, but Harrison was left severely injured.
According to the court reports, Abram "believed that the Beatles were witches who flew around on broomsticks," and "subsequently, George Harrison possessed him and that he had been sent on a mission by God to kill him." He was sentenced to a psychiatric hospital for 19 months.
Björk
Unfortunately, with some great musicians, terrifying stalkers follow. For example, world-renowned superstar Björk was put in a serious life-threatening situation with her stalker, Ricardo López. He became completely obsessed with her, dedicating video diaries to her. Things really escalated when the singer began dating Goldie.
The stalker announced that he was going to take her life and "send her to h***." López decided to send Björk a letter bomb filled with sulfuric acid that would explode and immediately kill her. Thankfully, the authorities were able to catch the letter after hearing about his last video diary dedicated to his obsession with her.
Drew Barrymore
In very recent news, our favorite Charlie's Angels actress, Drew Barrymore, went through a public stalking incident while she was speaking at 92 Street Y alongside Renée Rapp. So what exactly happened? A video captures the now-viral moment of Barrymore's stalker calling her name out from the crowd and moving towards the stage.
She immediately responded to her name being called, saying, "Oh my God, yes? Hi!" Her stalker replied, "I'm Chad Michael Busto, you know who I am. I need to see you at some point while I'm here in New York." She was immediately freaked out, and she and Rapp quickly exited the stage while security escorted Busto out of the venue.
Debra Messing
We know and love her from her role as Grace on the iconic sitcom Will & Grace, but unfortunately, so did the actress's mega stalker. Years later, Messing recalled the "scariest" moment of her life to Trinny Woodall on her Fearless podcast when an unidentified male stalker tried to enter her residence in New York.
"This man showed up at my doorman building and he said that I invited him and that he was spending the day with me and [my son] Roman," Messing said. "He referenced my son and that scared me in a completely different way because there was no one-on-one interaction with this person," she added.
Rachel Bilson
Earlier this year, Bilson was granted a restraining order against her stalker, protecting both her and her daughter, Briar, from this man named Clyde. "There have been many incidents, messages on social media, letters, but most alarmingly, there have been multiple attempts to visit, come into my home," Rachel said in court.
"He refers to me as 'baby' and calls me his 'future wife' and indicates that he believes I am pregnant with his child. I have never met him and have absolutely no intention of doing so," she continued to share about her stalker. The restraining order is in effect until 2026.
Britney Spears
Unfortunately, some stalkers might not be totally anonymous, like in this pop star's case. Britney Spears' ex-husband, Jason Alexander, was taken into custody after breaking into his ex's home on her wedding day last summer. The couple got hitched in Vegas back in 2004 and stayed together for just 55 hours.
During her wedding to now ex Sam Asghari, Alexander broke into the singer's house with a weapon, claiming he needed to talk to Spears. Luckily, security was able to catch him before things got violent. The pop star was granted a 3-year restraining order against her ex, and he was charged with stalking, vandalism, and more.
John Lennon
Unfortunately, we all know how this one ends. Over forty years ago, John Lennon was killed outside his apartment in New York. He was on the way back from the studio with his wife, Yoko Ono, when Mark Chapman approached the singer and took his life. Chapman was found on the scene after reading The Catcher in the Rye.
Chapman completely idolized the singer, but things took a sharp turn when Lennon made a comment saying the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus." The religious 25-year-old then decided to plot his death, claiming he called the beloved musician for "self-glory." He is currently serving a life sentence in prison.
Willow Smith
Almost three years ago, Willow Smith was too being terrorized by stalker Walter James Whaley, who was obsessed with her every move. A stalker had broken into Willow's home in Los Angeles while she was on vacation with her family. She came home to a tent that was set outside belonging to this man.
Smith understood that he was camping there to watch her every move. "He basically got my patterns," she said on an episode of Red Table Talk. "He was a pedophile. I had to go to court and testify about it." The Memories singer later was able to receive a restraining order against him.
Theresa Saldana
Best known for her role as Rachel Scali on the 1990s series The Commish, Theresa Saldana survived a life-threatening stalker in the 1980s. Saldana's stalker, Arthur Richard Jackson, used a private investigator to get both her mother's phone number and the actress's address, leading to a tragic situation.
Jackson's obsession led him to attack Theresa in her home. She survived after spending multiple months in the hospital recovering. However, according to the NYTimes, her stalker was sentenced to 14 years, but he continued to threaten her via letters from prison. He was sent to a psychiatric hospital and died in 2004.
Selena
Talk about gone too soon. Selena was at the top of her career when an obsessed fan, Yolanda Saldívar, took her love for the pop star to terrifying extremes. Due to her infatuation with the singer, Saldívar created a Selena fan club, promoting herself as president, and in return, became close to the young singer.
At one point, Saldívar's obsession got way too out of hand, and she began embezzling money from Selena's family. When Selena attempted to fire her and meet with Saldívar to get the financial records, Saldívar killed the young 23-year-old singer. In return, Saldívar was sentenced to life in prison.
Kendall Jenner
Being such a high-profile celeb like Kendall Jenner, you are bound to come across some obsessed fans. In 2017, Jenner shared a terrifying stalking experience during an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. She shared how a stranger, Shaquan King, snuck past her gate and began banging on her car window.
As Kendall was sitting in her car, she explained, "I turned my car off, and I'm about to open my door, and he's standing right there," she said. "He goes, 'I need to talk to you,' and I was like, 'No, you need to leave.' I called one of my friends sobbing, crying - he's at my window, banging at my window, screaming at me."
Rebecca Schaeffer
Rebecca Schaeffer's career was just starting off after starring in My Sister Sam when she was tragically killed by an obsessed young fan, Robert Bardo. Bardo's obsession started in 1986, which eventually led him to fly to LA to see her, claiming he loved her. He even tried to get to her on set but was denied entry.
One day, his romantic obsession with her turned into a feeling of betrayal, prompting him to board a bus to LA, track down her home address, and murder the young 21-year-old actress. He was sentenced to life in prison, and in 1990, California became the first state to pass an anti-stalking law.
Agnetha Fältskog
Agnetha Fältskog, from the iconic band ABBA, was stalked by both a fan and an ex! At first, Gert van der Graaf, a forklift driver, moved closer to the singer to start up a relationship, and well, it worked because the two went steady from 1997 to 1999.
However, it was his obsessive behavior that ultimately ended their relationship. According to Amomama, he would call her an unhealthy amount, constantly send her letters, and even cover his walls with photos of her. The stalking would continue for three years before he was deported back to the Netherlands.
Justin Bieber
Around a decade ago, Justin Bieber was also a victim of a terrifying stalker, 41-year-old Mark Staake, and his 23-year-old nephew, Tanner Ruane. The duo were caught in New York City plotting to physically harm and murder the young pop star. However, the two were actually obeying orders from 45-year-old Dana Martin.
Martin claimed his reason for wanting Bieber dead wasn't "just so people will know who I am" but also because the popstar had "changed," and that made him "angry." All three men were later indicted on first-degree conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation to commit murder, and thankfully, Bieber was never physically harmed.
Lily Allen
Lily Allen dealt with her stalker for seven years before he was charged with burglary and sentenced to a mental health facility. So, what exactly went down? Well, Allen's stalker, Alex Gray, claimed he was the writer of her hit song, The Fear, and in response, would send inappropriate harassing and threatening letters to her.
Then, one evening, a man, who Allen believed was Gray, broke into her house and attacked her. "This guy came steaming in, and I didn't know who he was. I recoiled, and he ripped the duvet off, calling me a 'f*****g b***h' and yelling about where his dad is." She was sure it was him, calling the connection "too much of a coincidence."
Lindsay Lohan
It's really like some celebs can never catch a break. Back in 2011, Lindsay Lohan was being stalked by a man whom she later tweeted a photo of in order to let others know what had been happening. "This is the freemason stalker that has been threatening to kill me — while he is TRESPASSING," she tweeted at the time.
"I'm actually scared now," she added. Three years later, Daniel Vorderwulbecke was arrested for harassing Lohan and her team in London while she was rehearsing for a play. Her stalker, who called himself "King Lionheart," convinced himself he and Lindsay were talking every day and were married.
Sarah McLachlan
The tables really turned with this one. In the early 90s, Sarah McLachlan began receiving "creepy" love letters from a fan, Uwe Vandrei. She would later base her hit song, Possession, about this strange experience, which in return caused her stalker to sue her!
Vandrei filed a lawsuit claiming that she had stolen the words from his letters and used them as the lyrics for her song. He was later found dead after taking his own life. McLachlan later explained that many of her fans have actually "walked down the aisle" to Possession. "If only they knew it was about a stalker!" she said.
Madonna
The Queen of Pop faced a terrifying situation when her stalker, Robert Dewey Hoskins, escaped a mental health facility in LA after serving a ten-year prison sentence for severely threatening and stalking Madonna. At the time, he tried breaking into her home and was shot by her personal security team, leading him to his arrest.
The Vogue singer's stalker then claimed he was either going to marry Madge or take her life. At the trial in 1996, Madonna confessed that she was having nightmares about being harassed by Hoskins. After cutting loose from the facility, authorities found Hoskins, ordering him to receive treatment until 2012.