Actor Eddie Redmayne says he was left “deeply unsettled” by a fan who harassed him and his family for five years.
In a note written by the actor — read in Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court in his defence — the actor described the ‘deeply unsettling’ feeling of being stalked by German fan Gaby Stieger.
“I always try to be open and friendly as support [from fans] is what gives me a career,” Redmayne said.
However, the note carried on: “I deeply regret having met Gaby Stieger — she harassed myself and my family intermittently over five years, leaving us distressed, unsafe and deeply unsettled.”
Stieger began stalking Redmayne after meeting him at the Donmar Warehouse theatre, London, in 2012. The stalking culminated in an episode this August when Stieger attempted to touch his arm while the actor was carrying his newborn baby daughter.
Things turned darker in the courtroom when court prosecutor Sara Ashkboos described how Stieger would send Redmayne love letters telling of her ‘admiration and love’.
Stieger is said to have sat in the park opposite Redmayne’s house in Southwark, and once randomly approached the actor for a hug at a nearby tube station. She followed Redmayne to more conventional locations too, like film premieres and the London film set of The Theory of Everything.
His note went on describe how Stieger would appear “out of nowhere — observing me and my family without us knowing”.
“The safety of my family is everything to me and with her behaviour we can’t feel safe.” he concluded.
