Kim Kardashian gets restraining order against stalker: A deep dive into the dark world of celeb worship

Celebrity socialite Kim Kardashian has had a rough 2022 – from her divorce with rapper Kanye West to the brouhaha over her Met Gala Marilyn Monroe dress, the fashion mogul is in the news yet again. Kim got a restraining order against her stalker who claimed he could communicate with Kim ‘telepathically’. The man in question, Andre Persaud, has been forbidden from both contacting Kardashian and also coming within 100 yards of the SKIMS founder. According to a report on TMZ, the man has also been forbidden from owning a firearm. The man had allegedly showed up at Kim’s residence thrice in August and claimed to be armed. Kim is not the first celebrity to get a restraining order against her stalker. In fact, there have been many Hollywood celebs in the past – the likes of Miley Cyrus, Kylie Jenner, Lindsay Lohan, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber among others. We have seen fans go gaga over pop stars like Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift in their concerts. The superfans wait in lines, spend huge amounts of money on concert tickets and try their best to get in touch with their favourite celeb. But what happens when the fandom which seems pretty harmless at first turns into an unhealthy obsession leading to stalking and intrusion of privacy? Where does one draw the line? We spoke to a clinical psychologist to uncover the dark side of celebrity worship and toxic fandoms.

The Thin Line Between Fandom and Obsession

How does a seemingly harmless and non-threatening fan waiting for an autograph or a selfie turn into a stalker? Charlotte Fox Weber, psychotherapist and author of What We Want says the problem begins when the fan starts believing that the bond that they share with their idol is special in some way and is also reciprocated by the celebrity. “If a fan starts adding meaning to whatever their encounters they have had with a celebrity, then it is worrisome”, Weber adds. The problem becomes more serious when the fan starts intruding on the boundaries of the celeb. “Showing up at surprising places and over personalizing and familiarizing, are the most worrisome signs of fandom turning into stalking”, Weber adds.

Why Do Stalkers Wish Harm on Celebs?

The larger question that arises here is – if a stalker claims to love the celeb they are pursuing, then why do they cause them harm? In this case, Kim’s stalker wished to see her but was also armed – presumably to cause harm. Weber feels that while obsessive infatuation is affectionate, it can also be aggressive. It is this aggressive tendency which if acted upon by the stalker, can be dangerous. “The wish to have an impact can be harmful, even  detrimental, if it’s acted out by a stalker at any cost”, says Weber. It is important to note here that in the past, several celebs have reported incidents of their stalkers threatening them with harm. Taylor Swift’s stalker for instance began sending the pop star’s father, Scott Swift, disturbing letters promising to kill their entire family back in 2015. Dana Martin, a convicted felon serving life in New Mexico for rape and murder, conspired with former inmate Mark Staake and Staake’s nephew Tanner Ruane to kidnap Bieber while he was in New York City for high-profile performances. Martin, who reportedly has a Bieber tattoo on his leg, later told investigators that he was “infatuated with Bieber” and was offended when the “Sorry” singer never returned his letters.

How Can Celebrities Protect Themselves?
Many well-known personalities with a few hundred thousand followers on Instagram are also vulnerable to stalking. What can a person do to protect themselves from stalkers? How can a celeb even know that a stalker is trying to cause them harm? Weber says “Fans and “superfans” may feel a sense of special rapport if they communicate with a celebrity. But if someone starts popping up at places that aren’t in the public realm — if they have private, personal information that’s unusual — it’s a definite sign that there’s a wish to push boundaries”.

Therefore, if you or someone you know sees people start showing randomly and they have private information that weren’t necessarily privy too, it is likely that they are a stalker.  Kim was previously given a temporary restraining order against the alleged stalker last month, but has now been granted a five-year one. This has not been Kim’s first stalker scare, and last year another man was arrested for trespassing on her property last year. Since then, Kim has increased her security in her Calabasas mansion, and has spoken about being vigilant on her social media and in interviews.

Deepansh Duggal is an entertainment, pop-culture and trends writer based in New Delhi. He specializes in op-eds based on the socio-political and gender issues in the world of entertainment and showbiz. He also writes explainers and occasionally reviews shows in the OTT space. He tweets at @Deepansh75. 

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