Here is a rundown of some of the most deranged celebrity stalkers in recent history. Some sent unwanted mail or emails to famous people, those who showed up at their homes, and those who broke in. Some unfortunate victims on this list met violent ends at the hands of their stalkers.
How come they were so fixated? That's hard to say because I think it varies considerably amongst individuals. How terrifying is it that some of these people believed they were destined to be with the celebrity with whom they fell in love? Okay, maybe these celebs shouldn't complain too much about being followed by photographers looking to make a fortune off their fame. But being followed around by someone who intends to do them harm? Well, that's a whole other ballgame.
1. Madonna
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Even Madonna is stalked. Madonna was harassed and threatened by escaped mental patient Robert Dewey Hoskins. Her guards shot him after jumping her fence. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, so that's it, right? Wrong. Hunting incarceration, he was imprisoned in a mental facility, then escaped and was after Halle Berry to kill her. Robert quit threatening to kill famous ladies and frightening them. Not good. Thanks.
2. Sandra Bullock
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Sandra Bullock was at home when she noticed a man. She called 911 from a closet. Joshua James Corbett, 39, was arrested. He waited outside her house for days before breaking in. His letter read: "You could've had me today, but you didn't. I'll be there. You're great. I adore you and Louie and want to be in your lives... I watched you coming home from the AFI gala and wished I was there." Creepy? Burglary and stalking were his charges.
3. Selena Gomez
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Thomas Brodnicki, 46, hated
Selena Gomez. What was his condition? He talked to God about killing her, which is wicked. He didn't object to the restraining order because he knew it would keep him away from Selena. This lunatic was arrested for stalking other women and flew to Los Angeles three times to meet her. Selena's fine, but maybe leave her alone? He sent her an email a few years ago saying, "I love you more each day."
4. Alec Baldwin
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Okay, they're all bizarre, but this one? How did she think? She says she slept with Baldwin. He says he only brought her to dinner once. Either way, she flipped out and harassed Baldwin and his family via email, phone, and house visits. Six months in Rikers. "I don't have his side of the story. Therefore, I don't have a complete truth," she told Radar. I wanted his perspective. I want closure by knowing why he did this. Let it go, Genevieve!
5. Gwyneth Paltrow
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Mail is nice and old school. Letters are the best way to demonstrate your care. Five letters a day to a stranger? That's excessive. Tell him that. He wrote Gwyneth Paltrow five letters a day, but it wasn't enough, so he also sent her sexual DVDs. Never send a woman you appreciate adult flicks, guys. Paltrow was fine with it until he told her parents he intended to "cut the sin" out of her with "God's scalpel." He's legally mad and hospitalized in California, where he probably can't get stamps.
6. Paris Hilton
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James Rainford liked Paris Hilton, but not everyone might agree with him. Overkill. He was found guilty of breaking into her house and beating her boyfriend at the time, Cy Waits. He got 227 days in jail for that. After 24 days, he went to the beach near her house and was arrested again. Hilton tweeted, "My stalker needs to stop." That was the last time someone caught Rainford stalking, so we can hope he stopped. No one, not even Paris, is worth following.
7. Blake Lively
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Blake Lively was just doing her own thing, unaware of her metaphysical link to a lunatic. Her stalker Sergei Mifle told her he had a "metaphysical link" with her and started showing up on the set of Gossip Girl. He then bugged Blake's parents. They got a three-year emergency restraining order, which he didn't violate. Here's a tip, Sergei. You're probably wrong if you think you have a metaphysical connection with someone, but they don't. Try "connection"
8. John Lennon
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John Lennon's murder by Mark David Chapman is the most famous stalker case ever. He shot Lennon five times in New York City because he assumed he was a fake. "He encouraged us to imagine no possessions, yet there he was with millions of money, yachts, ranches, and country estates, laughing at people like me who believed the falsehoods, bought the records, and formed their life around his music," he said. Chapman's acts echoed worldwide for a long time after Lennon's death. His parole hearing happened in August 2016.