Celebrities, Fans, Stalkers and Killers

Rebecca Schaeffer (November 6, 1967 – July 18, 1989)

Los Angeles, CA—Celebrity brings the artists of our world fame, fortune and a lot of fun.  For every celebrity either male or female there is the very real threat of stalkers.  The more famous the star the more court orders get issued and reasonable security precautions must be made.  

Most fans simply want to meet and express their admiration for the star’s work.  Some harmlessly dream of romance with their favorite celebrity but usually realize that’s impossible.

There are those quirky souls out there that insist on being a part of some celebrities’ life.  Some of these twisted souls want power over their targets and seek to frighten them.  Unfortunately stalking often escalates into home invasions and even worse.

In Arizona I have been requested to quietly deal with many stalkers that target TV new anchors and reporters.  Most of the victims are attractive women and many of them are in committed relationships or are married.  Their spouses and partners suffer too.  Thankfully none of the people under my protection were ever hurt and I put more than a few stalkers in jail over the years. 

Most of the overly aggressive fans are not dangerous or difficult.   However none of us are clairvoyant so reasonable precautions must always be taken.  

A sincere fan should always understand that celebrities need their privacy and space.  A true fan would never want the object of his or her admiration to feel uncomfortable. 

The worst thing a celebrity can do is to empower a stalker by showing fear.   A good actor can keep smiling while being afraid.  Fear is a gift that keeps all of us alive so we must respect that instinct.  Just remember to never display fear under any circumstance. 

The people we actually label as stalkers for the most part are borderline cases where a friendly visit from a private investigator or cop can diffuse the concerns and change the conduct.   

The difficult cases require service of court orders and sometimes surveillance.  When the stalker professes love for the celebrity target and seems to be beyond embarrassment this is where things become dangerous. 

Celebrities must attend public events and those usually have necessary professional security.  

Unfortunately public government records and the people that facilitate stalkers by publishing maps to the star’s homes create real problems.  

Celebrities need to limit the amount of personal information they release.  

After Robert Bardo shot and killed Rebecca Schaffer at the front door to her apartment building Congress acted to remove driver’s license records from public viewing.  It sounds like they fixed it right?  Wrong!  Should the celebrity get a single traffic ticket the citation and its contents are a public record. 

I’m a believer in special training for celebrities and their right to conceal firearms.  Their spouses and partners need training too.  Sooner or later this will bring safety and peace of mind. 

Just today I’m reading that a man was arrested for trespassing at the home of Selena Gomez.  What a frightening event!  

Even if the celebrity dislikes guns they still need some training with them for film work and can post that on their resume.  If circumstances become threatening the trained celebrity can at least obtain a gun later and keep it for protection. 

Celebrities are constantly shaking hands with strangers and need to wash their hands with soap and water often.  Hand sanitizers are ineffective and have recently proven to be dangerous.   

Celebrities need fans, those obnoxious paparazzi and entertainment journalists and cannot simply ignore these people.  Be safe, smart and stay friendly.   Walk those Red Carpets like you own them