For all the perks of being a celebrity like free stuff, preferential treatment, private jets, etc, there seems to be a real dark side. When you’re famous it can be hard to go undercover and that can attract stalkers and mentally ill people who think they know you. Plus every move you make can potentially be scrutinized. (You also probably have a hard time trusting people because you question their motives for wanting to know you, but that’s an aside.) So I don’t know if I would ever want to be famous, apart from the money and access aspect to it, not that that’s a realistic consideration but I’m not going to lie, I’ve thought about it.
That’s just something that comes to mind when I hear that Kate Beckinsale had to postpone an appearance at Tampa Comic Con after a stalker showed up, having followed her cross country. The guy has made murderous threats against her and once touched her at a public event, which sounds terrifying. Kate was scheduled to appear on a panel at 11 am which had to be rescheduled to the evening after the stalker was spotted at the event and arrested. He’s reportedly been following her for a year.
Kate Beckinsale has been dealing with a man who allegedly followed her across the country over the past year, and even threatened to stab her once prior to being busted at Tampa Bay Comic Con.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … 45-year-old Terry Lee Repp was arrested Saturday morning at the Tampa Convention Center after cops were told to be on the lookout for him, due to his history with Kate.
We’re told one officer recognized Repp before Kate appeared for her 11 AM Q&A panel, and arrested him on the spot. He was booked at Hillsborough County Jail for stalking.
According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, Repp has been following and harassing Kate for at least a year.He allegedly made physical contact with her at an event in Salt Lake City in 2016 — touching her back and then threatening to stab her. He also ran into her again at another event in Houston the same year, where he was detained by cops and booted as well.
Cops say Repp appears to “have an irrational obsession with the victim and has traveled across the country in an effort to harass her.”
We’re told Repp did not make contact with Kate this time, but she did have to come to the police station to file a police report. As we reported … she went on to do her panel later the same day.
TMZ update: A Florida judge on Sunday called for Repp’s misdemeanor stalking charge to be upgraded to a felony charge, saying his alleged offense qualifies as aggravated stalking. The charge was not officially upgraded Sunday, but Repp could be facing a felony charge soon enough. He’s being held on a $5,000 bond.
Thank goodness they caught the guy and he’s been charged with a felony. Can you imagine being followed for a year and constantly wondering if someone who wants to kill you is going to show up at any point? It’s something domestic violence and stalking victims deal with and it’s got to eat away at you. Celebrities have been murdered by stalkers, I’m thinking of Rebecca Schaeffer and John Lennon although I’m sure there are more, and others, like Sandra Bullock, have found crazed fans in their home. I hope this guy gets put away and that Kate is able to feel safe. In the mean time she’ll likely beef up her security at home and when she travels.
In more uplifting news, Kate just turned 44 last week (holla). Her daughter Lily, 18, posted a cute fashion-themed birthday message for her mom with an adorable throwback photo (below). Happy birthday Kate! And now I’m thinking of how scared Kate must have been for her teenage daughter too. Plus, the last time we heard about Kate she was dating a 21 year-old comedian. It didn’t occur to me until now that Kate’s boyfriend is age appropriate for her daughter. Hopefully Kate came to her senses and has dumped him already.
phtoos credit: Getty, WENN and Backgrid
That’s really scary! I’m glad that they caught him.
I want to know what she uses for skin care and who her surgeon is. Wow!
That caption is just…lol. There’s a lot going on it.
She hasn’t aged!
So so frightening and bizarre. And they ALL have to worry about it, even those who are just a bit famous. I was thinking of that poor young singer, Christina Grimmie. Murdered by an obsessed fan. And yet I had to google to get her name. You don’t have to be anywhere near A+ list, there is no telling what is going to set this psychos off.
This is a downside of fame, press coverage—and the care and feeding of social media.
Can’t pretend there aren’t crazy people out there.
” Hopefully Kate came to her senses and has dumped him already.” Ok if Kate was a 44 year old man dating a 21 year old woman no one would care. There is a single, 49 year old male colleague in my office and he is dating a 29 year old woman and every body is so happy he has found love. I call her his child bride and hope she dumps him soon. If Kate wants to date a younger man go for it. Also, stalking the guy her is very creepy.
If Kate was a 44 year old man dating a 21 year old woman, I’d still side eye the age difference. I think people on this site at least are equally critical of men dating younger women.
As someone whose 39 yr old brother is dating a 19 yr old girl, I can tell you I side eye the shit out of it. Especially when the younger party is under ~25 and hasn’t really become an independent adult with a fully developed brain. Now a 30 and 50 yr old bugs me a bit but I figure everyone’s going into it with eyes wide open…
I know. They’re dating. The future of society doesn’t depend on them settling down and growing old together.
That is really scary. Hope she’s OK and has a good security team helping her, and that the stalker is dealt with properly. Sounds like someone who needs jail time and psychiatric help.
I’m glad they’re taking it seriously.
Toothless Bohemian is my new favorite look.
Toothless bohemian is now where it’s at. Unlike regular bohemian, it’s not pretentious or try-hard!
Looks like he already bonded out. I can’t imagine going through life always looking over my shoulder. I’d have ulcers in no time.
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That’s some significant, judgmental shade over her dating someone a lot younger. I doubt she’s going to marry the guy … let her have fun.
Ugh this is so scary! I just had some incidents at work where I found out one of my clients was taking screenshots of my snapchats. When I confronted him, he confessed everything and said he often shared the photos with his bosses. I immediately handled with the higher-ups but feel so so uncomfortable. I can’t even fathom what it would be like to have a serious stalker like this.
She is so underrated, classic beauty, natural, and unfazed by celebrity. And she dislikes Michael Bay.
Need more reasons to love her?
Hope “her” psycho gets a big prison buddy.