[IMG:L]In case you haven’t heard, just a few days ago, the actor Hugh Grant was arrested for allegedly throwing a container of baked beans at a photographer. No doubt, Grant is pursued around the clock by paparazzi and stalkers from all walks of life. Yet, before he tossed the beans, he should have really considered paying a visit to the offices at the Los Angeles Police Department’s “Threat Management Unit”–informally known as, “The Celebrity Anti-Stalking Unit.”
This special unit of the LAPD is run by a 44-year-old detective named Jeff Dunn. On the morning that I visited Detective Dunn, he was dressed with textbook neatness: He wore slacks; a freshly pressed shirt; and a sturdy leather belt from which hung his nine millimeter pistol; his standard issue Smith & Wesson handcuffs; and an extra clip with fifteen bullets. Detective Dunn was roughly 5’8,” with a trim athletic build, a head of reddish blond hair, and a vague resemblance to former Vice President Dan Quayle.
“My team works on 250 cases a year,” Dunn told me when we met. “That may not seem like a lot compared to other units, but over here you can get bogged down quickly by the attorneys, and the chiefs, and the mayor–and all the boot-licking lackeys who are associated with high-profile people. And we’re not just talking about Tom Cruise. We get cases all the time from people I’ve never heard of–TV stars, movie stars, rock groups, you name it–and somewhere out there, there’s a fan base.”
Detective Dunn soon took out a pad and paper and commenced a quick tutorial on the three basic types of stalkers that he encountered. The first and most common are “simple obsessional” stalkers. These are usually acquaintances–neighbors, co-workers, customers, or former lovers–who have had a prior relationship with the victim that somehow turned sour.
The second types are the “erotomanic stalkers.” Those suffering from “erotomania,” an actual disorder listed in Diagnostic Statistical Manual IV, have delusions that a public figure is in love with them.
The third types are “love obsessional” stalkers. These are typically obsessed fans who nurse the hope that they might become friends with their idol–if only they could meet them–and so they launch elaborate campaigns to make themselves known to a celebrity.
In general, there is no consensus on what makes someone turn into a stalker. There is evidence that childhood traumas may be to blame. Dr. Kris Mohandie has made a name for himself by overseeing and publishing the largest study of stalkers ever compiled–drawing on 1,005 cases, 271 of which involved public figures.
Mohandie found that a significant number of stalkers had “attachment issues” dating back to childhood, in which they either had a parent who died, or who didn’t give them enough love or support. “That explains some stalking behavior,” Mohandie told me. “But in general, people may feel empty or powerless–for any number of reasons–and so they want to identify with some idealized person who has all the traits that they covet.
Dr. Mohandie furthered, “for them, this may be a way of lifting themselves out of the abyss. This is a way of finding relief. In that regard, I’ve often said that stalking is really an addiction of sorts. Often stalkers are trying to escape an unpleasant mood state. The act of stalking actually seems to fix or numb feelings of abandonment, rejection, helplessness, hopelessness, or rage. But the effect is temporary, and they soon find themselves wanting to stalk again, even though that behavior may have very adverse consequences.”
Experts like Mohandie also say that there is no truly reliable way to identify potential stalkers. John C. Lane, Jr., a retired LAPD lieutenant and the officer who developed the department’s Threat Management Unit, is now a partner at a consulting firm in Los Angeles called The Omega Threat Management Group. Lane keeps his eyes out for rabid fans who are also social recluses. Many of his clients are local and national newscasters. According to Lane, for many stalkers, these newscasters feel more familiar than the girl next door.
Lane, Jr. shared, “There is no one type of person that becomes a stalker, but often you’ve got these reclusive individuals who aren’t married, and they’re living with relatives or at a board-and-care home. And what are they doing? They’re watching television constantly and developing a relationship with these newscasters whom they see two and three times a day. Many of them have never had a love interest, or relationship in their real life, so they end up just taking that leap, and developing these imaginary relationships.”
[IMG:R]Some of the more famous cases of celebrity stalking have led to serious harm–if not tragedy. There was provocateur, Andy Warhol’s ‘incident’ made famous in the Mary Harron film, I Shot Andy Warhol. Sapnning across time, from artists to figure-heads, from to celebs to politicians, anyone in the public eye is fair game. The ‘80s had its share of notorious stalker cases: recall the televised hit taken by then President Ronald Reagan by a stalker obsessed with Jodie Foster. Then there was ‘90s the shocking murder of the “queen of Tejano music” that made headlines, worldwide, and was immortalized in the movie Selena; a film that ironically catapulted Jennifer Lopez to fame–a woman with no shortage of stalkers, herself. With the explosion of media and celeb frenzy, it’s only increased today. High profile victims have included: Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock and, yes, Hugh Grant–to name a few. In an interview this summer for British GQ, Lindsay Lohan referred to the disquieting insinuations made by her stalker.
The often disputed, most notorious modern-day case, blending both the frenzied stalker and paparazzi phenomena: the media hunting of Princess Diana that ultimately led to her untimely death. In her case, the lines became blurred.
Apparently, however, some “celebrities” are every bit as ‘unhinged’ as the stalkers they complain about. Just consider the syndrome that Detective Jeff Dunn refers to as “false victimization syndrome.” This involves a mid-level celebrity who invents a stalker story in order to get attention. “We see that from time to time,” Detective Dunn said with a sigh. “I guess you’re no one in Hollywood unless you’ve got a stalker.”
This was adapted from the new book, Fame Junkies. Read the hot, page-turning exposé that everyone in Hollywood is talking about! Purchase a copy of FAME JUNKIES for a discounted price on Buy.com right now.
This was adapted from the new book, Fame Junkies. Read the hot, page-turning exposé that everyone in Hollywood is talking about! Purchase a copy of FAME JUNKIES for a discounted price on Buy.com right now.
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Watch this eyebrow-raising, documentary short based on Fame Junkiies, the critically acclaimed book by Jake Halpern.
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[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 3: The Grooming of Baby Idols
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[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 4: The Secret Lives of Stylists
Marcel Winter* has made a life for himself by dressing other people–mainly powerhouse celebrities. Their distinguished ranks include the likes of Halle Berry, Jim Carrey, John Travolta, and Nicole Kidman to name just a few. Over the years, Winter has also developed a successful second career as an analyst of celebrity fashion for several television networks, on which he identifies, candidly, the “best” and “worst” dressed attendees at the biggie events like the Oscars and the Golden Globes.
[IMG:L]Fame Junkies – Volume 5: The Devil’s Helper
Anyone wondering just how aggressive paparazzi photographers are these days should look no further than Britney Spears’ Malibu home. Earlier this week, two photographers–who were staking out Britney’s house–got into a heated scuffle as they vied to snap a shot of the recently-rehabbed star. In truth, the paparazzi have good reason to be so aggressive; an exclusive photo of Britney can earn upwards of $250,000 these days. Yet if these two brawling photographers were truly interested in mastering the tricks of their trade, they would put Britney on hold–at least for a few hours–and pay a visit to the home of Russell Turiak.
