Stars Who've Had Really Scary Stalkers

We all have favorite celebrities we'd love to meet, but some fans take it too far and morph into potentially dangerous stalkers. Here are some stars who've had scary encounters with strangers.

Former N'SYNC frontman Justin Timberlake allegedly became the obsession of Karen J. McNeil in 2009. According to the New York Daily News, McNeil harassed Timberlake for months and appeared at his house on at least three occasions, behaving more aggressively each time. In October of 2009, a judge ordered that she stay away from Timberlake, but she showed up at his house again. This time, she had a taxi full of her possessions. reported The Telegraph, and she said that she would rule the world one day and wanted Timberlake to rule by her side. McNeil claimed that all of the charges brought against her were lies, but the "Sexy Back" singer won a three-year restraining order against McNeil in November 2009, reported The Telegraph.

Madonna had an absolutely terrifying encounter with a stalker named Robert Dewey Hoskins. In 1995, Hoskins invaded her California property several times and gave a note to her security team saying that he would slit her throat "from ear to ear" if she refused to marry him, reported the Daily Mail. Hoskins was reportedly shot and captured after he jumped the fence of her home on May 29, 1995. After his 1996 conviction, he served 10 years in prison, then received treatment at a Metropolitan State Hospital in Southern California, where he was later committed in 2011. He escaped in 2012 but was recaptured a week later, reported CBS News.

According to CNN News, pop star Justin Bieber was the target of an alleged assassination attempt plotted by a New Mexico inmate, an ex-convict on probation, and his nephew. The team reportedly planned "to castrate and murder" the "Sorry" singer in 2012. According to CNN, police documents revealed "the inmate, Dana Martin, who is serving two life sentences for a 2000 rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl in Vermont, has a tattoo of Bieber on his leg and had attempted to correspond with Bieber, who never responded...This perceived slight made Mr. Martin upset and that, coupled with Mr. Martin's perception of being a 'nobody' in prison, led him to begin plotting the kidnap and murder of (Bieber)."

Bieber's life may have been saved by poor driving directions. The hitmen were reportedly heading to Vermont to execute part of their plan but missed a turn and wound up at the Canadian border, reported CNN. A U.S. Border Patrol agent arrested the uncle, Mark Aaron Staake on an outstanding warrant and released the nephew, Tanner Ruane, but Ruane "spilled the beans about the murder plot when he called Martin in prison the same day," said CNN.

Martin received nine years added to his prison term; Staake was sentenced to nine years for his part in the plot; Ruane served about a year and a half and was placed on supervised probation.

Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence not only had to deal with a stalker, but her brother Blaine did as well. In April 2013, a Canadian man named Han Cong Zhao, using the alias 'Ted," allegedly sent hundreds of texts and voicemails to Lawrence's brother in an attempt to reach her, reported the New York Daily News. In the messages, Zhao reportedly declared himself her "husband for life." When this method failed, Zhao flew from Vancouver to Louisville, where he asked the Indian Hills Police Department for Lawrence's mother's home address, the Daily News reported. When police interviewed Zhao, he reportedly referred to himself as Jesus' second coming. Zhao was taken into federal custody in May 2013 and held without bail pending trial, reported the Daily Mail. 

Pop starlet Ariana Grande has an alleged stalker who may seem strange, but he's not that funny. Beginning in 2014, Timothy Normandin reportedly sent Grande various gifts, including a 42-pound pumpkin, candles, a $200 anklet, a rock from the White Mountains in New Hampshire, and calendars featuring dogs and cats, reported Boston magazine. He has also declared his love for the "Into You" singer via social media, and he once showed up at her record company dressed in a Santa Claus costume—a stunt that got him arrested and placed on a psychiatric hold. Normandin was also arrested when he appeared at Grande's concert in March 2015, in Uncasville, Conn.

Ashley Tisdale, singer and actress from the High School Musical series, got a little relief when her alleged stalker, Nicholas Fiore, was arrested in June 2013 after violating a restraining order by sending the actress more than 18,000 tweets, some of which referenced guns and contained threatening language, reported the Daily Mail. Fiore also attempted to gain access to the star's home at least twice, once dressed as a delivery man, the tab said. After his arrest, Fiore was hit with a criminal protective order, mandating he stay 100 yards away from Tisdale for five years. Fiore served little jail time, but the judge did sentence him to one year of outpatient counseling and five years' probation, reported the Daily Mail.

Songtress Taylor Swift has been dogged by multiple fanatics sending her frightening messages and showing up at her homes. In May 2016, a man named Lucas Vorsteveld was apprehended by police outside the singer's Manhattan pad, according to Page Six. Vorsteveld was reportedly ringing Swift's doorbell and carrying a suspicious duffel bag. She wasn't home, but her private security detail was. Vorsteveld was reportedly transported to Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital for evaluation. Page Six sources said this was not the first time Vorsteveld has shown up uninvited, claiming he has previously loitered outside her Rhode Island property.

In February 2016, TMZ reported the apprehension of another man, dressed in fatigues, lurking at the foot of Swift's drive at her home in Los Angeles. According to the report, LAPD determined the man should be evaluated at a hospital but had not committed a crime.

A guy named Timothy Sweet has allegedly been harassing Swift since 2011, sending her emails, letters, and social media posts to profess his love to her, and one that, for some reason, allegedly threatened the life of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, reported the New York Daily News. One of Sweet's messages reportedly said, "My wife, Taylor Swift (Sweet) and I live in Beverly Hills. I am in love with her. In conclusion, we treat each other with dignity and respect. I will carry a gun to protect her the rest of my life." In March 2014, a judge ordered Sweet not come within 100 yards of Swift or her family. the Daily News reported.

In August 2016, 25-year-old Shavaughn McKenzie was arrested after model Kendall Jenner saw him approaching her car in the driveway of her gated Hollywood home. The Associated Press (via Page Six) reports that McKenzie tried talking to Jenner, 20, who called the police. McKenzie was charged with trespassing and misdemeanor stalking and held on $180,000 bail.

In October 2016, Jenner testified against McKenzie in court, telling a jury, "I've never been so scared in my life...I was terrified. I was literally traumatized." The Associated Press (via Page Six) reports that Jenner claims McKenzie also accosted her on at least two previous occasions outside of her Westwood, Calif. condo. McKenzie may be a repeat offender indeed: TMZ reported that he previously pleaded guilty to two other counts of trespassing and was arrested several times for lurking around the University of California Los Angeles campus.

In August 2016, 25-year-old Shavaughn McKenzie was arrested after model Kendall Jenner saw him approaching her car in the driveway of her gated Hollywood home. The Associated Press (via Page Six) reports that McKenzie tried talking to Jenner, 20, who called the police. McKenzie was charged with trespassing and misdemeanor stalking and held on $180,000 bail.

In October 2016, Jenner testified against McKenzie in court, telling a jury, "I've never been so scared in my life...I was terrified. I was literally traumatized." The Associated Press (via Page Six) reports that Jenner claims McKenzie also accosted her on at least two previous occasions outside of her Westwood, Calif. condo. McKenzie may be a repeat offender indeed: TMZ reported that he previously pleaded guilty to two other counts of trespassing and was arrested several times for lurking around the University of California Los Angeles campus.

Lana Del Rey's stalker was a little too obsessed with the "Young and Beautiful" crooner. TMZ reported that Zachary Self broke into Del Rey's Malibu, Calif. home in November 2015, but thankfully, the singer wasn't home, and construction workers found Self in her garage. He left the premises, but police tracked him down after reportedly finding notes from him in her home, including disturbing missives professing his love for Del Rey, as well as a notice to appear citation from a burglary in Kansas. When cops busted Self in December 2015, he told them that he became obsessed with Del Rey while he was on hallucinogens. In January 2016, Self was sentenced to five years of probation and a year of residential therapy, reported TMZ. Self must also stay away from Del Rey for 10 years.

In January 2016, TMZ reported that Del Rey obtained a restraining order against two other fans, Nataliia Krinitsyna and Iuliia Vladimirovna. Del Rey reportedly testified against the women in court, saying they "caused a big scene screaming at [her]" when she went on a routine trip to the bank and left threatening letters in her mailbox and on social media. Del Rey claimed to have moved to get away from the girls, who persisted in their campaign to harass her. Now they have to stay at least 150 yards away from the singer and her assistants for three years.

Conan O'Brien's stalker was actually a priest. CBS News reports that Rev. David Ajemian was arrested in November 2007 for stalking the late-night funnyman over a period of 14 months, often sending him threatening letters on parish letterhead and even contacting O'Brien's parents. Ajemian's letters to O'Brien included references to Harvard University, which O'Brien and Ajemian both attended, as well as demands for "a spot on [O'Brien's] couch" and threats like, "Is this the way you treat your most dangerous fans?" The final straw was when Ajemian was busted at 30 Rockefeller Center for trying to get into a taping of O'Brien's show. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was ordered to stay away from O'Brien.

Three years later, Ajemian spoke out on the allegations to Fox News. "I think that if I thought I could get an extra ticket, go into the audience, he would recognize me and perhaps find the whole situation somewhat amusing," Ajemian said, adding, "I think I said 'I'm your most dangerous fan' or something...Meaning was that being a priest and someone who had this inside connection to his life a little bit, there was something dangerous about the idea of having a priest on a show like that. That's actually what I meant by that line." Ajemian added that he thinks his actions were influenced by a prescription medication and continued, "I am not a stalker. That word I take to mean somebody who's hiding around bushes, sending explicitly homicidal or dangerous communications and it's just not the case with me at all."

Singer Joss Stone's stalkers were particularly terrifying. E! News reported that in 2011, Junior Bradshaw and Kevin Liverpool were arrested near Stone's home after neighbors called the police on the suspicious characters. Thank heaven they did, because these guys were dangerous: when police apprehended Bradshaw and Liverpool, the men reportedly had a samurai sword, a hammer, knives, black bags, and gloves. They allegedly planned to decapitate the "Super Duper Love" singer and leave her body in a river, all supposedly because she was invited to perform at the royal wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William. Bradshaw was sentenced to 18 years in prison (reduced to 10 years on appeal), and Liverpool was sentenced to life (with a minimum of 10 years and eight months behind bars, which was later cut to a minimum of six years.)

Stone had a surprisingly levelheaded and calm response to the incident. She told the Mirror in 2015, "I have no idea what that was about. But I would prefer it if they stayed inside. I'd feel less nervous about being chopped up. That's not something I want on a Monday morning! It is unsafe to have people who want to kill people roaming the streets, I suppose. They didn't do it, but that doesn't mean they didn't want to do it."

Richard Gere's stalker, Ursula Reichert-Habbishaw, made thousands of phone calls and faxes to the Pretty Woman (1990) star, reported BBC News in 2002. She reportedly left the actor disturbing voicemails that included charming lines such as, "I will stay with you for all time" and suicide threats. Eventually, police got involved and arrested the admirer. She pleaded guilty in May 2002 and was deported back to her native Germany in lieu of serving jail time. According to the BBC, Reichert-Habbishaw is not allowed back in the States, and Gere maintains a restraining order against her, just in case.

In 2004, Dawnette Knight, an aspiring psychologist (yes, really) was charged with 25 counts of stalking Catherine Zeta-Jones for more than a year. People reported that Knight sent letters threatening to kill the actress to Zeta-Jones, to her husband, Michael Douglas, and to Douglas' father, Kirk Douglas. Knight reportedly even called Michael's mother, Diana Douglas, at a hotel in Bermuda. Knight claimed to be "infatuated" with MIchael and to have had an affair with him, alleging he offered to pay her to keep quiet. None of those claims were true, but Knight seemed determined to make Fatal Attraction (1987) a reality.

USA Today reported that Knight was sentenced to three years in prison in July 2005. That remedy was not necessarily comforting to Zeta-Jones. In a letter her attorney read at Knight's sentencing, the Chicago (2002) star said, "You have profoundly affected me in how I conduct my life...Your actions will be with me the rest of my life—how I will be constantly observing, looking over my shoulder."

Pamela Anderson revealed to Life & Style that an obsessed fan actually broke into her home and stayed for three days in a guest room unbeknownst to the blond bombshell or her two sons. "One fan snuck into my house, sliced their wrists, and then ate all my bread," she said. "It's terrible but I am serious! When the police took her, she was even wearing one of [the] Baywatch [1989-2001] bathing suits. It was very scary, actually."

In 2005, a homeless man was busted for attempting to swim naked across Biscayne Bay to tennis star Anna Kournikova's seaside home in Miami, allegedly convinced that she'd left her house unlocked and had dry clothes waiting for him. According to The Telegraph, neighbors saw the man, William Lepeska, sitting nude in a lounge chair at the wrong house, screaming, "Anna, save me!" Kournikova told a jury that Lepeska had been writing sexually explicit and disturbing letters and messages to her via mail and on her website for quite some time before the incident occurred.

In court, Lepeska, who showed off a tattoo of Kournikova's name, told the jury, "I thought Anna possibly had some sincere regard for me. I had all sorts of delusional assumptions about Anna...I don't know what is true and what is not true about the celebrities, the beloveds. I had no idea the letters were being opened by her step-sisters. Had I known, my behaviour would have been different," reported The Telegraph. He added that he was once in love with former Spice Girl Melanie "Mel B." Brown for five years, but decided, "The heck with her, moving on to greener pastures." He must now stay 1,000 feet away from the tennis pro forever, The Telegraph said.

Paula Goodspeed was reportedly so obsessed with pop star Paula Abdul that in 2006, she auditioned for American Idol when Abdul was on the panel of judges. The tryout didn't go well. In 2008, Goodspeed committed suicide only a few doors down from Abdul's home. After her death, Abdul told Access Hollywood that Goodspeed had pursued her for years. "When I heard from [Idol creator] Nigel [Lythgoe], 'Wait 'til you see this next girl! Oh my God, she changed her name for you,' and I saw her name, I got really nervous," Abdul said. "She had been a stalker from [awhile back.] And the thing is, that all she could do was get a hold of me through my fan club. Now, there's access to follow me home and I [had] a really scary situation and it's time for me to move. It's not like I'm moving just because of this. My address was announced and [it was shown] how you could get into my house."

Abdul did make clear that she did not feel guilt over Goodspeed's death. "I didn't do anything [to cause the suicide]," she told Access Hollywood. "I went through a very rough time of feeling like she wanted my attention so much...I shed a lot of tears. It was tumultuous for me. [I'm] living with security full time now, it's just different."

Actor Alec Baldwin was pestered and pursued for a long time by stalker and wannabe actress Genevieve Sabourin. According to the New York Daily News, Sabourin claimed she had an affair with Baldwin, which the 30 Rock (2006-13) star adamantly denied. When he wouldn't sweep her off of her feet, she reportedly harassed the actor and his wife, Hilaria, and showed up uninvited at their home in New York in 2012. In November 2013, Sabourin was sentenced to seven months in prison for what the judge in the case deemed a "relentless and escalating campaign of threats and in-person appearances in private spaces served at a minimum to harass, annoy and alarm Mr. Baldwin," the New York Daily News reported.

Reuters (via Billboard) reported that a Japanese-born computer programmer named Masahiko Shizawa sent pop star Britney Spears a slew of disturbing messages in 2003, including notes that said, "I'm chasing you." Spears alleged in her petition for a restraining order against Shizawa that he tracked down not just her home, but also the homes of her divorced parents, Jamie and Lynn Spears. However, Shizawa's lawyer reportedly said the incidents were a "cultural misunderstanding" and that Shizawa "had no intent to bother Spears." After both sides reached an agreement, Spears filed to dismiss her case.

Mark Billingham, the former head of Brangelina's security team, says Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie had a really creepy stalker situation that she didn't even realize. "We had stalkers in Chicago and New York which I had to deal with," Billingham told The Sun. "Angie was filming in a crowd and everyone's got smiles on their faces except for one guy. He looked angry. A few days later we were coming off set, and this guy came running down the road with photos to be signed. Angie wanted to get out of the vehicle and do it but I said no. I went and got the photos and took them to her. She was like, 'Wow, these are personal photos.' The guy ran off then reappeared days later near the hotel, so I got him arrested." Billingham continued. "He'd been following Angie all over the States. To me, it was a John Lennon classic. Whenever she was on her own in pictures, he was smiling. Then whenever she was with Brad, he had this angry look on his face."