4 Horrifying Celebrity Stalking Cases
Contrary to popular belief, being famous has its drawbacks. Celebrities are prone to stalkers, as they are public personalities with worldwide exposure. Some people develop an unhealthy obsession with their favorite stars to the point of trespassing and assassination. In some cases, fans end up hurting themselves in an attempt to gain attention from the public, the celebrity, and the media. Here are some of the most horrifying and real celebrity stalking cases that occurred in the U.S.:
Paula Abdul
Paula Goodspeed
Anyone familiar with the popular TV show American Idol might recall Paula Goodspeed’s audition on the hit series in 2005. Goodspeed was an avid fan of Abdul for almost 20 years; Goodspeed had been making life-sized drawings of her favorite popstar ever since she was young. After her disastrous audition on American Idol, Goodspeed was ridiculed and received hateful comments from the public. Goodspeed then became depressed and committed suicide by overdosing on drugs in her vehicle near Paula Abdul’s home in 2008. When law enforcement personnel discovered Goodspeed’s body, they recovered pictures and CD’s of Paula Abdul in her vehicle. There was also a picture of Abdul hanging from the rearview mirror, and Goodspeed's license plate read, "ABL LV" (Abdul Love).
Selena Quintanilla-Perez
Yolanda Saldivar
The up-and-coming singer had a bright career ahead of her. In addition to singing, Selena was an actress, spokeswoman, songwriter, and fashion designer. Unfortunately, one of her biggest fans (and her fan club president), Yolanda Saldivar, murdered Selena at a Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi, TX in March 1995 after the singer terminated Saldivar. Saldivar became close to the entertainer and even became Selena’s trusted friend. However, Selena fired Saldivar after discovering that she had embezzled funds from the star’s businesses. Arrested in 1995 for Selena’s murder, Saldivar is now serving a life-long prison sentence in Texas.
David Letterman
Margaret Mary Ray
Margaret Mary Ray was the subject in many of David Letterman’s jokes, though her obsession with him was no laughing matter. On one occasion, Ray stole Letterman’s Porsche out of his driveway. When she was stopped by the police, she introduced herself as Mrs. Letterman, and the child accompanying her as David Letterman, Jr. After she was arrested for this offense, she continued to camp out in Letterman’s tennis court for years until she was placed in a psychiatric institution. After being released from the mental facility, Ray committed suicide by standing in front of an oncoming train near Denver, CO in 1998. Knowing of her long history of mental illness, the famed Late Night host refused to press charges against Ray. Upon hearing of Ray’s death, Letterman publicly expressed sympathy to her and her family.
Justin Bieber
Dana Martin
The Canadian pop star has legions of fans, but Dana Martin claimed to be a fan who wanted the star dead. The convicted child rapist and murderer sent multiple letters to Bieber from prison, to which Bieber never replied. As Martin grew more obsessed with Bieber, he became angry and decided to hire two individuals to murder Bieber. More specifically, Martin hired Mark Saatke and Tanner Ruanne to kill Bieber’s bodyguards at a Madison Square Garden concert, abduct Bieber, and then strangle him using a paisley neck tie. Finally, Saatke and Ruanne were to cut off Bieber’s testicles. Fortunately, the plot was foiled and Martin continues serving a life-long prison sentence. It is also worth noting that Martin has a tattoo on his leg of an image of Bieber’s face, his name, the date February 11, 2011 — which is when Bieber’s film Never Say Never hit theatres — and the title of the film itself.