14 Pics Of Celeb Stalkers That Will Haunt You

When celebrities chose the life of the spotlight, we expect them to be okay with having their privacy invaded, their every move documented, and their outfits and relationships picked apart by armchair critics. We do not, however, expect them to have to deal with fan obsession that turns dangerous. Instead of holding up a sign at a concert or camping out front of a movie theater for opening night, these 15 celebrities (and so many more) are forced to address fans-turned-stalkers who show up at their hotels, break into their homes, or even kill them in an attempt to be closer to the people they idolize so much. “If I can't have them the way I want to, then nobody can have them” is a common refrain for the celebrity stalkers, many of whom suffer from some sort of mental illness and find themselves honestly believing that they have a relationship with the object of their adoration. Stalkers are a scary reality for anyone with a modicum of fame, and when you're major superstars like the 15 people on this list, sometimes all the bodyguards and security personnel in the world can't make you feel safe.

14 Dante Michael Soiu, stalked Gwyneth Paltrow

For Gwyneth Paltrow, dealing with her stalker hasn't been a short battle - it's lasted for almost 20 years. Back in 2000, Dante Michael Siou, then a pizza delivery boy from Ohio, began sending the Oscar-winning actress gifts of flowers, chocolates, adult material, jewelery, clothing, cookbooks, pizza, and up to five letters a day that ranged from religious to threatening. At the time, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity (because come on, pizza? Doesn't he read GOOP?) and sent to a psychiatric facility for three years. Unfortunately for Gwyneth,this failed to stop her stalker, who began to send her letters again, from 2009 to 2015, which urged her to let him “cleanse her of her sin”, forgive him for his earlier letters, and marry him! In 2016, the actress was forced to take the stand against her stalker and confront him face-to-face, where she expressed her fear for her safety and security, and that of her two children. Once again, though, Siou was found not guilty.

13 Zachary Self, stalked Lana Del Ray

Blaming his use of hallucinogens for his stalking of singer Lana Del Ray in 2015, the then 19-year-old Zachary Self actually made it into Lana's home, where construction workers found him lying on a mat in the pop star's garage! Upon being discovered, he fled the home, only to be apprehended by the police, who found multiple love notes to the “Video Games” singer, including one that said he was “engaged to heaven on Earth with Lana Del Ray”, photos of himself on the singer's balcony, and a citation for burglary in Kansas.

In addition to his claims of being under the influence of drugs, Self's family also cited their son's mental illness of manic-depression (bipolar disorder) for the reasons for his break-in. It wasn't good enough for the judge, though, who ordered Self to spend 84 days in jail, a year in a residential program, a probationary period of five years, and to stay away from Lana for the next decade.

12 Masahiko Shizawa, stalked Britney Spears

There's fan mail and then there's the letters sent to the Princess of Pop by Masahiko Shizawa, which contained love letters, pictures of himself, and messages like “I'm chasing you.” The Japanese man received a restraining order, but he continued to stalk Britney Spears outside of two of her homes, as well as her parents' home, beginning in 2002.

Despite the obviously frightening behavior, Shizawa claimed that he was just an avid fan of Britney and her music, and that he had no desire to harm or scare the superstar. His lawyers added that it was simply a communication and cultural misunderstanding, and Brit ended up dropping the suit despite the evidence in her favor. In a weird turn of events, Shizawa claimed that a confrontation involving a gun with Brit's bodyguards resulted in his “extreme emotional stress”, but - no surprise here - that case didn't make it far in the courts either and was quickly dismissed.

11 John Andrew Hoover, stalked Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is a superstar who has earned the adoration of legions of fans, but she's also had to deal with a fair amount of obsessive behavior and stalkers, including the recent issue with John Andrew Hoover in November 2016. The 39-year-old Texas native had been issued a restraining order that ordered him not to come within 500 yards of the singer, which he violated in Texas by following behind her car, saying he wanted a picture and to “follow her wherever she goes.”

If that wasn't creepy enough, Hoover was also sending threatening emails to Taylor and her family members, including one to her father that read, “God is going to kill all the Swifts and then the issue will go away” after he couldn't meet Taylor after an October 22 performance. Fortunately for all involved, Hoover was arrested after he violated the lifetime terms of his restraining order.

10 Jason Luis Rivera, stalked Miley Cyrus

Just by looking at him, you can tell that Jason Luis Rivera is bad news, but he was downright life-threatening to actress and singer Miley Cyrus. Beginning back in 2012, Rivera tried to break into Miley's house using a pair of scissors to get in after climbing over a tall fence to gain access to the property. After he was arrested by the LAPD, Rivera claimed that he and Miley were friends, saying, “I am friends with Miley Cyrus… She is my wife. Me and Miley have been friends for five years.”

Clearly delusional and in desperate need of help, Rivera was given a permanent restraining order to stay at least 500 yards away from the singer (fortunately Miley wasn't home at the time of the break-in), convicted of misdemeanor trespassing, and sentenced to 18 months in jail. Miley Cyrus maybe “Can't Stop”, but Jason Luis Rivera certainly has to - by order of the law!

9 John Hobbs, stalked Alyson Hannigan

Taking to the Internet, stalker John Hobbs made How I Met Your Mother star, Alyson Hannigan, fear for her life and the lives of her family, due to the threatening messages Hobbs posted about wanting to take her to “the after-life”. Recently discharged from a mental hospital (how?), Hobbs was said to be living in an alternate reality, according to police in 2013, and although he has never physically encountered Alyson, he sent her multiple threatening messages. The messages were so abhorrent that we can't talk about them here but you can look up the story for yourself if you want to know more. After her online nightmare, Alyson was granted a restraining order for herself and her family for the next three years, and Hobbs is also not allowed to post any messages about the actress online.

8 Dana Martin, Mark Staake, Tanner Ruane, stalked Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber may inspire fanatical devotion from many, but in an unlikely turn of events, his scary stalkers were not part of his usual female and teenybopper fanbase - they were three grown men. In 2012, while stalker Dana Martin was doing time for the rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl, he enlisted the help of his prison friend, Mark Staake (above left), and Mark's nephew, Tanner Ruane (above right), to kidnap and commit violent acts to him!

For some reason, Martin became obsessed with the singer, and even tattooed his image on his leg. Then, once Justin began to get in trouble with the law, Martin claimed that he was angry at his obsession's edgier new attitude. His anger didn't seep into his physical affection for the singer, however, with Martin saying that he would go to bed with Bieber, since he's legal and a “good-looking kid”. Fortunately for Justin, Martin's associates were apprehended, but their twisted plot will live in infamy.

7 Joshua Corbett, stalked Sandra Bullock

While most celebrities who have stalkers are fortunate enough to never have to meet their violently obsessed fans in person, Sandra Bullock was not so lucky. Not only did she have to face Joshua Corbett in court, but she had to hide from him in her own house!

In 2014, Corbett broke into Sandra's home, with a note that said, among other things, “You are my wife by law, the law of God and belong to me.” Sandra was alone at the time, as her son was with the nanny, and she locked herself in a room and called the police. Oh, and Corbett was in possession of a gun! As terrifying as this was, it looks like Corbett may get off due to a technicality: officers searched his home, where they found more guns and ammunition, but they did so without a warrant. Despite the fact that Corbett is clearly deranged and kept a diary detailing his obsession with the Oscar winner, he may be able to walk.

6 Thomas Brodnicki, stalked Selena Gomez

When Selena Gomez was singing “Come And Get It”, you can bet that she wasn't talking to her stalker, then-46-year-old Thomas Brodnicki who scared and threatened the singer in late 2011. Brodnicki claimed to have had “over 50 conversations with God in a day, about killing Ms. Gomez.” Despite his clear break with reality, Brodnicki seemed aware of the threat he posed to Selena, and urged the singer to file a restraining order against him, as he said he knew it was the only thing that would keep him away from her. Scary stuff! Selena listened to her stalker, though, and was granted a 3-year restraining order against him in 2012.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as smoothly as either party would have hoped, and Brodnicki violated the terms of his order and emailed the singer in 2014, saying he loved her more every day, and detailing a time and place when the two could meet once the restraining order expires.

5 Robert Dewey Hoskins, stalked Madonna

Another instance of a stalker who simply wouldn't go away, despite decades separating the two distinct events, Robert Dewey Hoskins first began his stalking career in the 1990s, before being sentenced to prison in 1996 after stalking pop superstar Madonna for months. At that time, he had hopped the fence to enter her Hollywood home and her bodyguards were forced to shoot him. If that wasn't scary enough, Hoskins admitted to being a violent man who would either marry the Material Girl or kill her. Talk about an ultimatum!

Hoskins was later transferred to a psychiatric hospital - and rightly so - but managed to escape from the facility in 2012. Luckily for Madonna, he was quickly apprehended by police and taken to the Metropolitan State Hospital. Not only was this a good thing for Madonna, but also for actress Halle Berry, whom Hoskins had recently set his sights on.

4 Ricardo Lopez, stalked Björk

In 1993, introverted loner Ricardo Lopez became obsessed with Icelandic singer Björk, following her work and sending letters to her claiming that she was his muse, as he was an aspiring artist himself. Soon, Lopez began to spiral into a fantasy world in which Björk accepted him and loved him, but that he had no sexual feelings towards her. He began writing a diary that detailed his obsession and eventually reached 803 pages!

In 1996, Björk began a relationship with another musician, Goldie, which Lopez took offence to and said was an example of the singer's “betrayal” towards him. He began to keep a series of video diaries, in which he said he needed to kill Björk for what she had done, intending to construct a bomb filled with HIV-tainted needles, so that the two could be united later in heaven. After he mailed the bomb (which was safely detonated), Lopez used the last video diary to kill himself on camera, with a gun to the mouth and a Björk song playing in the background.

3 John Hinckley Jr., stalked Jodie Foster

It's right up there with the most infamous stalker cases in Hollywood history and has been used as an example of how stalkers can get crazy fast. John Hinckley Jr. chose to show his undying devotion to actress Jodie Foster (whom he had first become obsessed with when she was 12 and appeared as a young prostitute in the film Taxi Driver) by attempting to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981 as “the greatest love offering in the history of the world”. (Before that, he had begun trailing former President Jimmy Carter)

In addition to this plot, which saw him serve 35 years in prison before being released in 2016, Hinckley moved closer to Yale University, where the actress was studying, and slipped poems under her door and called her repeatedly. Jodie refused to acknowledge his existence, which is what led to Hinckley's drastic actions and a permanent place as one of the most violent and dangerous examples of celebrity stalkers ever.

2 Yolanda Saldivar, stalked and murdered Selena

Sometimes a stalker will always be a stalker, even when you consider them a good friend and they are the president of your fan club. Such was the case with influential singer Selena and her die-hard fan Yolanda Saldivar, who used her close connection with the singer to influence her, and when she couldn't have her the way she wanted, kill her.

In addition to running Selena's fan club and clothing boutique, Saldivar also had what witnesses described as a shrine to the singer, complete with posters, candles, and videos. When the singer discovered that Saldivar was embezzling money from her fan club and stores and attempted to cut ties with her, Saldivar's obsessive jealousy went into overdrive, and she shot and killed Selena in 1995 when the beautiful brunette was attempting to retrieve tax documents. Saldivar attempted to explain away her actions as accidental, but no one bought the obsessive stalker and fan's excuses, and she was sentenced to prison, where she'll be eligible for parole in 2025.

1 Mark David Chapman, stalked and murdered John Lennon

Next to Selena's tragic end, the case of Mark David Chapman and John Lennon is regularly pointed to as the most extreme case of fan worship gone wrong. In 1980, the chubby, bespectacled Mark David Chapman traveled to New York with the sole purpose of murdering the Beatles musician ( he had been planning to do so for three months), on account of his newfound religious beliefs. A former big Beatles fan, Chapman was angered when John made the much-quoted remark that the Beatles were “bigger than Jesus”. He also considered him to be a “phony”, since he preached of peace and love, yet earned millions of dollars, according to Chapman's wife. After loitering outside his apartment building all afternoon, Chapman waited until he had received an autograph from the former Beatle before shooting him in the back.

Charged with second-degree murder Chapman has been an inmate of Attica State Prison and, as of 2016, has been denied parole nine times.