Since 2020, there have been at least 52 stalking cases involving sports figures

New York Times

4 days ago

Less than a third (29 percent) of stalking victims reported their situations to police in 2019, according to a study published by the U.S. Department of Justice, and no law enforcement agency in the U.S. publicly tracks cases in which athletes have been stalked.
The Athletic utilized news reports, social media and court filings to compile a tally of alleged stalking incidents (or similar fixated behavior) involving athletes over the last five years. In some legal cases, the identity of the alleged targeted individual has not been publicly revealed, and in other instances, athletes have publicly addressed their experiences, though they may not have filed a police report.
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Since 2020, there have been at least 52 reported or alleged stalking incidents in which athletes or coaches were targeted. Female (29) and male (17) athletes were involved, and some female athletes were allegedly targeted by multiple individuals.
Among the more prominent cases:
The British tennis player said in a Guardian article published in December 2024 that she and her partner, fellow tennis player Alex de Minaur, were followed by someone in a car. She also described a situation at a tournament in Nottingham in which she said someone messaged her on social media, saying, 'I'm outside. I'm going to hurt you if you come outside.'
A 40-year-old man from Oregon pleaded guilty in December 2024 to stalking the former UConn basketball star. Robert Cole Parmalee received a one-year suspended sentence and three years of probation, during which he is barred from the state of Connecticut. As part of the plea agreement, Parmalee must also follow a protective order until Jan. 4, 2064.
The San Diego native transferred from Club America in Mexico to Angel City FC in Los Angeles in March 2023 due to safety reasons after an individual, Jose Andres N, harassed and threatened her, according to multiple reports. The individual, who also allegedly hacked into her social media accounts, was sentenced to 36 hours of house arrest. Club America said the response from Mexican authorities was not sufficient for her safety and emotional stability.
Michael Lewis, 55, was arrested in January in Indianapolis, and prosecutors later alleged he sent Clark more than 800 threatening and sexually explicit messages over a month. He told officers he had an 'imaginary relationship' with the 23-year-old Indiana Fever guard. He was sentenced in July to 2 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to stalking and harassing the WNBA star.
The American tennis player told Telegraph Sport in a July 2024 article that she experienced multiple security issues, online and in-person, over the years. 'I don't really go many places by myself, I make sure I always have security on site, and it's been something I think that has affected me very personally,' she told Telegraph Sport. 'For a long time, it was hard to be myself. Sometimes I would question myself and think, 'What have I done to cause this person to believe that they can cross normal boundaries?''
In May, a Los Angeles court granted the retired NFL player and his family a five-year restraining order against a woman, Janelle Anwar, who Donald alleged had harassed and stalked them since 2020. Donald wrote in an application for a temporary restraining order that he was fearful for his safety and the safety of his family as Anwar's alleged threats, harassment and stalking escalated. That alleged behavior included sending multiple packages to his home and 'threats against (his son's) life.' He also alleged that, although they had never met, Anwar filed a request for divorce in March and sought spousal support and a $6.5 million 'settlement.'
The former NFL player filed a request for a restraining order in December 2023 in Los Angeles against a woman he said had been stalking him and his family since 2015. The woman, whom Houshmandzadeh alleged he did not know, changed her name to Annette Marie Houshmandzadeh (previously Annette Selkirk) and 'used her new identity to surpass security, and gain access to the Houshmandzadeh residence,' according to court records. She also allegedly 'posed as the mother of the Houshmandzadeh children online,' and sent 'several bullets inscribed with the names of each member of the Houshmandzadeh family,' per court records.
A federal grand jury in Louisiana indicted a man, Ukkasha Ali-Suleiman, in February 2024 on one felony count of interstate stalking after he repeatedly posted about the Olympian on social media and appeared at her property. Jones wrote in the caption of an Instagram post in January 2023 that she had three different male stalkers in the last year: 'One guy broke into the Olympic training center and stayed overnight in hopes to find me. Another guy has continued to harass my friends in attempts to reach me. And lastly, a guy stalked my house and told the police he knew me from Instagram and I invited him to come live with me.'
A man in Sweden in his 60s allegedly called Karlsson 207 times, left her many voicemails and text messages, and sought her out at various locations, including at her residence, according to multiple reports. More than 7,000 photos, primarily of Karlsson, were reportedly found on the man's phone. 'Everyone should speak up when something is wrong and when someone crosses the line,' she said, per the Associated Press. 'And I hope that everyone who is victimized does so.' The man received a suspended prison sentence and was fined around $4,000 in damages after he was convicted of stalking the cross-country skier for more than a year.
The Olympic gymnast has dealt with multiple stalkers, according to a New York Times article published in July 2024. Her coaches told the Times that one of the alleged stalkers tried to find her in at least three states. Lee's former coach at Auburn also told the Times there was an incident in which security searched a hotel for two men who were stalking Lee.
In May 2023, social media influencer Orla Melissa Sloan, who called herself the 'devil baby,' pleaded guilty in London to stalking and harassing multiple Premier League players. She pleaded guilty to two charges of stalking Mount and Gilmour, and one charge of harassment without violence toward Chilwell. In June 2023, she received a 12-week prison sentence, which was suspended for 18 months, and she was ordered to complete 200 hours of community service and 30 days of rehabilitation. She also received a five-year restraining order that requires her to refrain from contacting those players.
The Women's Tennis Association in February banned a man who exhibited 'fixated behavior' toward the British tennis player during her match in Dubai. Raducanu, 22, dropped charges against the man, who had reportedly appeared at her matches in prior weeks, and he was issued a restraining order, Dubai authorities said. She had also previously been granted a five-year restraining order against a man named Amrit Magar, who was found guilty in 2022 of stalking her after visiting her family's home multiple times.
In 2024, the UCLA basketball player was granted a temporary restraining order against a man, Latyr Thiaw, who had allegedly stalked Rice since 2023. Thiaw appeared on UCLA's campus multiple times and frequently posted about Rice on social media.
In March, Świątek received extra security at the Miami Open after her team reported that a man who exhibited 'verbal aggression online' toward her later appeared at a practice session and verbally harassed her. A representative for Świątek said the man shouted comments about her family and personal life. 'In his behavior, he was aggressive and taunting,' the representative previously told The Athletic.
In June, the Olympian said a sports bettor followed and verbally abused her during a track meet in Philadelphia. The alleged bettor wrote he 'made Gabby lose by heckling her' and was subsequently banned from using FanDuel's betting platform. In a separate incident, Thomas said in a TikTok video posted in January that a group of men repeatedly approached her at various airports, becoming 'aggressive and hostile' if she declined to sign photos for them. Gymnasts Simone Biles, Suni Lee and Livvy Dunne, as well as tennis star Coco Gauff, replied in the comments, saying they had similar experiences.
The following current and former athletes and coaches have also allegedly been targeted in incidents involving stalking or fixated behavior in the last five years:
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos: Nathan Stirk, Steph Chambers, Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
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