- [Reporter] Although
celebrities enjoy the many perks of fame and stardom, being in the public high often comes with a slew of unwanted attention. With the whole world watching, they can often feel intense pressure to keep fans happy with
frequent interactions. - [Girl] I love you
- Thank you so much I have to go, thank you guys, bye. (crowd shouting) - [Girl] I gave you no. - [Reporter] In the age of the internet, it is becoming increasingly challenging for celebrities to maintain
any privacy at all. These invasions of privacy
can come in many forms. There have been many docks in cases when stars addresses or private
phone numbers are leaked. There is also a notorious
harassment tactic known in some internet
circles as swatting. This involves calling a SWAT
team to storm a famous person's home, which can be deeply frightening for the celebrity targeted. Obsessed haters and doting fans alike have devised no shortage
of absurd strategies to get celebrities attention. Seeming not to care, if the attention is positive or negative. While it's common to admire
one's favorite celebrities and even follow their lives
through their social media posts, there are countless individuals who take this fascination way too far to the point they become stalkers. Obsessed fans with absolutely
no sense of boundaries who would do almost
anything to meet the object of their affection. - Oh my gosh (indistinct)
all these pictures. [Man] It's okay. - [Reporter] One of
these disturbing stalkers would take drastic action
in an attempt to get closer to his celebrity fixation, Ariana Grande. There's no doubt you must know her by now. Ariana Grande is one of the
most popular and admired celebrities in modern music
history for a good reason. She's very well known
and widely considered an A-list celebrity for
her talent and beauty. Unfortunately, these traits
would draw quite a few stalkers of her own throughout her career. Though one would eventually stand out as the most dedicated and disturbed. What is UP EWU crew? Today we will be discussing
the unnerving story of Timothy Normandin a man who seems to have
centered his whole life around Miss Grande. This case is not only deranged, but somewhat sad as it
showcases what might happen when a mentally unstable person fixates on an idolized version of a celebrity who wants nothing to do with them. While this stalker's obsession
began with online posts and videos, his desire to reach Ariana grew stronger and stronger. And when he eventually took his harassment to the real world, law enforcement were forced to intervene and stop the threat to
the pop star's safety. Timothy Normandin runs a
personal YouTube channel. The only two channels he's subscribed to wouldn't surprise you. Ariana Grande and ArianaGrandeVevo. Upon first glance, his channel seems relatively normal with content about hiking
and videos of him rapping. But one doesn't have to dig too deep to immediately notice a disturbing trend. Much of Tim's attention is
focused solely on Ariana Grande. The oldest video available on his channel was posted on June 12th, 2014. And the strange recording is only one minute and 29 seconds total titled Ariana Grande Addressed. While driving his car, Timothy opens up the short
video by proclaiming his love and respect for Ariana before launching into what
the video's description calls a recited hip-hop verse for a remainder of the clip. - Ariana Grande is one of my favorites, one of my best. Maximum love to you. (indistinct) ♪ Get with me and you'll be sure to see ♪ ♪ Life is best when you're with me ♪ - [Reporter] Well, most
of Timothy's videos have only a few hundred views. This one is the most
watched of his channel sitting at around 5,000 views. The attention he received
was far from positive. The comments section is
littered with please for Timothy to stop and leave Ariana alone. Even before he took drastic action. People noticed his concerning behavior and worried for the singer. In July of 2014, Timothy uploaded another
video titled Step Forward. According to him, it's a
public service announcement with a purpose of telling his haters to back off and meet him in the middle. - It's a little public
service announcement. Now, time and time again, many of you think I need to back off, but I know a truth. Cowards need to take a step forward, meet me in the middle. - [Reporter] He then goes on a
rant about the need for peace in the country, which seems to have little
to do with the cause for most commenters concerned. - Isn't that what this
country's all about? The United States of America. Unity, can we write that? Don't we want to find
ship, don't we want love? Don't we want respect? Don't we want honor? Don't we want an end to
the violence or staff, just stuff we preach but don't practice? - [Reporter] This manner of speaking, where he seems to spout, whatever comes to the top
of his head is a pattern that continually returns
in his other videos. After the video where he
criticizes his haters, Timothy, mostly uploaded
random rap videos. It's hard to tell if the
lyrics of those songs also have to do with Ariana Grande. But it could be possible. Either way, just a few
months later in October, the Ariana focus was back,
stronger than ever before. On the fourth of the month, the aspiring rapper uploaded
another acapella rap clip. But this time the setting is bizarre. He appears to be walking through an empty college lecture
hall while he speaks. The video is more than seven minutes long, but the repeated chorus
of his song is haunting. Ariana Grande, are you getting what I say? Ariana Grande, would
you consider what I say? ♪ Ariana Grande ♪ ♪ are you getting what I say ♪ ♪ Ariana Grande ♪ ♪ would you consider what I say ♪ - [Reporter] Ariana Grande I'm proving, but you're looking away. Ariana Grande, can I
get in your heart today? ♪ Ariana Grande ♪ ♪ I'm proving but you're looking away ♪ ♪ Ariana Grande ♪ ♪ Can I get in your heart today ♪ - [Reporter] This odd video
is titled Ariana Grande Loved Hardest, which is
most likely a reference to the popular song, "Love Me Harder" that she had released
in September of 2014. His lyrics continue to
beg and plead for Ariana to consider him as a love interest and for her to see how good
they could be together. ♪ Ariana Grande I've
been calling your name ♪ ♪ If I was so fortunate to
have such money and fame ♪ ♪ Or if to your eyes I had
a more glamorous flame ♪ ♪ Tell me my dear ♪ ♪ Would you respond the same way ♪ ♪ Would you reject all my love ♪ ♪ My care and my wealth ♪ ♪ This greatest love I give ♪ ♪ Would you value more than that ♪ ♪ Ariana Grande ♪ - [Reporter] At one point,
he says I'm with you Ari, forever and always. Why punish yourself with
a boy who just plays. I'm your guardian Ariana. ♪ I'm with you Ari forever and always ♪ ♪ Why punish yourself with the boy ♪ ♪ who just plays ♪ ♪ I'm your guardian Ariana ♪ ♪ I've mustard bub's ways ♪ - [Reporter] This was
a truly bizarre claim, especially coming from
someone who'd never met her. As his song finishes, Timothy stands up, grabs his camera and walks
out of the lecture hall into the night, singing the whole way out. ♪ Are you getting what I say ♪ ♪ Ariana Grande ♪ ♪ would you consider what I say ♪ - [Reporter] He doesn't
seem to notice the people around him as he walks
deeper into the shadows. In fact, his stare is oddly blank. Throughout the entire video, his continued gaze into
the camera is intense yet something behind it
seems incredibly hollow. ♪ Ariana Grande ♪ ♪ Can I get in your heart today ♪ - Finally, the last video ever uploaded to Timothy Normandin's YouTube channel may have the weirdest title of all. Loving You The hardest, Don't Beg. This one is only a minute long and it begins with this telling line, loving you the hardest
it's what you begged for. ♪ Loving you the hardest ♪ ♪ It's what you begged for ♪ ♪ I am a real hip-hop artist ♪ ♪ show their disrespect show ♪ - [Reporter] Once again,
he seems to be responding to her song, "Love Me Harder" in which she sings the lyric, if you really need me,
you got to love me harder. Somehow Timothy seems to
have taken the song lyric incredibly personally, despite
Ariana's huge fan base. Indeed as his rap lyrics go on, it becomes more and more
apparent that Timothy has deluded himself into
thinking that he is doing what's best for Ariana. ♪ So satisfactory I' the
best that's gonna be ♪ ♪ And I'll always be the best ♪ (indistinct) - [Reporter] Timothy's YouTube channel wasn't the only online platform where he repeatedly expressed
his love for the pop star. The young man's Facebook page
was similarly ruled by posts about Ariana some exhibited
an extreme affection for the singer, but some were rude in which
Timothy seemed annoyed or disgruntled by Ariana's actions. In 2014, he made several strange posts concerning the young woman. On October 9th, he posted a rhyming message to Ariana. Ariana don't cheat me, I've earned. Are you dating, are you not? That's their only concern to
who give your (indistinct) up. That's all they want to learn. If to glorified womanizer, well, that's none of their concern. 'Cause where you'll be in 20 years, they don't care about that. But seeing you kiss that dirty little rat. From there, his words
get a little explicit. As he displays open disgust
for Ariana's relationship. He ends the Facebook post by saying, my love sets you free. So spite me as you please. And we'll hope it works out. But you'd be best with me. That's a certainty, no doubt. It seems much of Timothy's
anger is directed towards Ariana's boyfriend at the time who may have been rapper Big Sean, as the couple reportedly met and started dating in late 2014. On October 29th, he says, when breaking free from that prison, I bring the getaway car. Once again, the capitalized
words reference the singers, new song "Break Free". He continues adding the
plays where we'll head will be more blissful by far. If you only knew a love so soft, that love could be harder. You would know not, and may not even recognize
it if to your eye, it is brought. I don't know how to get you
to look, but Ariana Grande, it seems you mistook. The way I love you the hardest
for the bait on their hooks. He actually tags Ariana's Facebook page in this post as well. The same day, he shared a
status from Ariana's brother, Frankie, who had changed his
profile picture to say problem celebrating Ariana's new song. Timothy responded with yet
another long-winded rap, which featured lines such
as it's for your own good, but you refuse to just
look, don't take it so hard, just heed the input and
even do not fear and fret. I pose as no threat. These lyrics directed
towards Ariana come off as possessive and extremely unwarranted as she has the right to
date whoever she likes. Still, it reveals much
about Timothy's entitlement toward the pop star and how those feelings would soon drive him to extreme action. Sure enough, this online
outreach wasn't enough for Timothy anymore and he
began to make real life attempts to communicate with Ariana. In a strange Facebook
post from October 8th, he addresses the
celebrity directly saying, Ariana, I had an interesting interaction with the security at
Universal Republic Records on Broadway, New York, I was being thwarted and diverted. He asks if she even got the gift that he had to force them to give to her. Apparently he had
brought a rock for Ariana and the guards had assumed
he intended to use it as a weapon. Chillingly, he proclaims,
Ariana, I will be back. I will not be thwarted. I will not back down. This is a worthy cause to
fight to the death for. He complains that the
opportunity to be with Ariana romantically should have gone to him. But instead it went to I quote, "Less worthy womanizing degenerate "who abuses this opportunity
he so fortunately "got pampered with, by
pumping nonsensical, "womanizing garbage into
the heads of the masses "of the society." The full post goes on along the
same vein for quite a while. And while the full text is
still publicly available on Timothy's page, there are
some disturbing highlights, deserving of mention. "Ariana, you can hate me all you want, "but at least don't be such a
fraud and a flaunt," he says. After his rap is finished, Timothy writes a few paragraphs
to address Ariana directly. He says that Ariana's health and wellness are more important to
him than his own survival and that he lives and breathes for her. However, his endless
adoration is underscored by layers of hate. He resents Ariana's lack of response to what he sees as benevolent
attempts to contact and guide her. Assuming her silence is spiteful rather than a simple
unawareness on her part. Continuing to vent his frustration, he claims Ariana has a
lustful and tempting image that is not wholesome and
sets a bad example for women. This long Facebook post was
then repeated 51 more times in various forms on his Facebook profile. He copied and pasted the
huge wall of text over and over again, linking it
over other Facebook users posts each time in hopes of
spreading his message as far as possible. Back on October 6th, he had
posted a photo on Broadway. So this may have been the exact day when he tried to infiltrate Ariana's record label headquarters. Timothy's harassment seemed never ending. When he sent Ariana a
bizarre Halloween gift in the form of a 42.5 pound
pumpkin for Halloween. The celebrity's record label
alerted law enforcement of the noteworthy
occurrence and the police immediately intervened
and went to have a chat with the eccentric man directly
at his Massachusetts home. They gave him a warning
to seize his abnormal and over the top outreach to Ariana. Still this stern talking
to had a little impact on the stalker's determination and he only continued to ship her increasingly strange presents. Some of these excessive gifts
include eight Yankee candles, dog and cat calendars, a three-piece Kmart mirror set, one, $200 Kay Jewelers anklet. And the after mentioned rock from the white mountains of New Hampshire. There was no end in sight to
Timothy's unnerving generosity. He spared no expense to
lavish his love interest with costly presents despite
her lack of reciprocation. Eventually authorities took
their threats to the next level. Telling Timothy that he was
looking at a potential charge of criminal harassment
if he didn't stop sending these ridiculous offerings to Ariana. He retorted with a heated Facebook post defining the exact meaning
of criminal harassment. His next statement would make his disdain for the police crystal clear. He posted quote, "Nothing real fair "about having your intellect silenced "in a room full of ignorance." Around this time, Timothy
tried various methods to contact Ariana directly. Attempting to send her text messages and even making use of
the US Postal Service to send her letters. When those methods turned out fruitless, Timothy really began to cross the line. He started making more trips, traveling all the way to
New York and Connecticut to see if he could meet up with Ariana. However, as he continued
to come up empty handed, he kept escalating the
scale of his actions. When he took things one step further, his actions would eventually
lead to his detainment. It was December of 2014. And holiday cheer was well
underway as New York City ushered in yet another white Christmas. He may have been the season's
infectious festive spirit that possessed Timothy to make
his Grande's exhibition yet. Instead of mailing
Ariana a Christmas gift, He decided on showing up at Ariana's New York City record label himself, fully decked out in a Santa's suit. Instead of receiving a long
awaited response from Ariana, he was thankfully intercepted by security before he could frighten
or threaten the pop star. He was promptly placed in a
mental facility for three days, but was unceremoniously released afterward only to continue roaming free. Fox News covered the intriguing
story of Ariana's obsessed stalker in this clip from 2014. - Officers have given him a
warning about that pop star. - That's right, the investigation began after her record label
contacted local police. - [Reporter] Shockingly,
the reporter claims that Timothy had told the media team that he was not deterred
by the official warnings he had received from the police. - Officers have asked the man to stop, or he could face harassment charges, but he tells us he has
no intention of stopping. - [Reporter] But more importantly, this Fox segment shared
three important details about Timothy's case. First of all, phone
call audio was included in the discussion in which Timothy himself said that his motivation
behind sending so many gifts was simply to gain Ariana's
precious attention. - I was trying to gain her attention and I thought that was
the only way to do it. - [Reporter] Second, the reporter shares that Timothy has a hearing impairment, which affects his speech. - [Jarrod] Norman did tell us by phone, he has a hearing impairment
which affects his speech and that his intentions
with the gifts are innocent. - [Reporter] Finally, an important detail that Timothy himself
explains in the phone audio is that he never had
any harmful intentions towards Miss Grande. - [Jarrod] Police have asked you to stop. Are you going to stop? - No, it actually isn't harassment at all as it is not malicious. - [Reporter] Even if you
believed explanations at face value, things quickly
become more complicated. As he continues to explain
his justification's become more convoluted. The news clip goes on to reveal
that Timothy was not only interested in pursuing a romantic
relationship with Ariana, but also seemingly a professional one where he could advise her
on how to better utilize her public image to make a
positive influence on the world. - A large audience, I
think the way she uses that influence and
influence those cat audience is rather terrible. - [Jarrod] And why is that? - Because it's very womanizing. - [Jarrod] He also says he loves
her and does want something more than friendship. He wants to quote, "serve and protect her wellness." - [Reporter] This definitely contradicts his previous claim that he only wanted to gain her attention. Perhaps the most bizarre part
of this brief Fox coverage comes at the very end
when Timothy explains the meaning behind a symbolic
clock he sent to Ariana. - [Jarrod] In fact, he says
after police warned him, he ordered her clock. - (indistinct) wanna harass me. Universal Records was gonna
press charges against me. It's all time. Time is running out, police
are gonna have me do time. - [Reporter] In a similar occurrence. Timothy allegedly showed up
at the Connecticut Mohegan Sun Casino in 2015 in
hopes of meeting his idol. Having traced and followed
Ariana there by unknown means. Luckily the pop star had employed
a group of security guards at the location, and they were able to stop Timothy before he could sneak past them. It wasn't until Timothy
showed up at one of Ariana's concerts in Connecticut
that this long-time fanatic was finally arrested. He was detained for criminal
trespassing on that day and was dealt a hefty fine of $5,000. In 2016, at 31 years old, he was found guilty of criminal harassment and received a three-year
probation sentence as punishment for his continued creepy and concerning behavior. Despite the many warnings he received. While many believe that he
was clearly mentally ill and not all there, so to speak, they still felt that he had
to face adequate judgment for the unrelenting barrage of absurd communication
attempts he had orchestrated in a desperate ploy to
be noticed by Ariana. Although it's true is that
he likely needs counseling more than anything now, his long and incriminating
history of obsessive behavior could not be overlooked. Even in the face of arrest, Timothy refused to back down and reportedly opposed all
notions that his behavior had been inappropriate. He continually failed to
acknowledge or understand the fear it could strike in Ariana. While being questioned by the police, it is said that Timothy
screamed, it's love not threats. This alleged statement
allows a clearer insight into the stalker's mind. It would seem that he is so
deranged with infatuation and spurred on by mental instability that he truly believes
he has done no wrong. However, law enforcement
clearly have a different point of view when looking at the
objective facts of the case. And though they may house some pity for the mentally ill man, they couldn't simply
accept it as a valid excuse for his repeated offenses. In Lowell District
Court in December, 2016, Timothy faced the consequences
of his relentless harassment, including the excessive
giving of unwanted gifts, as well as unfounded
attempts to profess his love for the superstar. The prosecutor handling Timothy's trial, a man named Matthew Bailey
explained that he perceived the stalking to have
originated even before 2014. According to him in years prior, Timothy had simply been a
harmless fan of Ariana's music, but it wasn't until 2014
that the man's admiration went too far. During an early hearing, a court clinician had diagnosed Timothy as a victim of delusional
disorder and paranoia along with other mental ailments. Based on this information,
Judge Ellen Caulo later made the decision
to place a heavy emphasis on Timothy's psychological treatment. And she ordered the stalker to continue with his mental health counseling. According to the local paper, "The Lowell Sun," Caulo also ordered that Timothy abstain
from drugs and alcohol, submit to random screens
and not leave the state. In addition to these parameters, Timothy was told well
to stay away from Ariana and abstain from contacting the pop star or anybody close to her in any manner. If he can follow these rules and keep his distance
accordingly while minding his probationary limits, Timothy can avoid facing
possible jail time. Hopefully Timothy has recovered
from his unhealthy obsession in the years following his court hearing. But he's not the first person to foster a concerning amount of
love for Ariana Grande. And he clearly wasn't the last. In early 2020, Ariana was forced to
file a restraining order against a stalker who weaseled
his way onto her property. The young man named Fidel Henriquez was arrested after reportedly sneaking on to Ariana's estate by
following a delivery truck through the gate. He not only rifled through
the celebrities garbage, but he somehow managed to
evade the heavy security of the mansion and knock on the front door with a love letter for Ariana, which also featured
directions to her house. The enraged Fidel allegedly
spat in the face of the officers who arrived to arrest him. And he was later charged
with battery and trespassing for his offenses. Ariana and her mother
were reportedly as scared for their lives after this incident. In legal documents obtained by TMZ, it is reported that Ariana
says she is living in fear. Supposedly this is because
the cops found notes in the stalker's backpack upon his arrest. The contents of these
notes were disturbing to say the least. The crazed man expressed a desire and threat to murder Ariana. And as though he was
stopped before he could do any lasting damage, there's no doubt the incident
must have left her shaken up. The five-year restraining order
will last until May of 2025. During that period, Fidel is legally prohibited
from coming within 100 yards of Ariana or her mother Joan or any of their belongings or property. He is also, of course
not to contact the family through any medium. As our society has become
more social media fluent. Our ability to see a constant
feed of our favorite stars lives have increased leading
to unprecedented levels of interaction between
celebrities and their fans. Due to this emerging style of
close one-sided communication, psychologists have begun
to study a phenomenon known as parasocial relationships. This term refers to the
one-sided interaction that often occurs between
celebrities and their fans in which the audience
comes to view famous people as their friends. They may believe that these celebrities are people they know extremely well, especially if they spend
a large amount of time watching or listening to them. Most of the time on the
other side of the screen, the celebrity in question
has no idea they exist. Although this problem is
becoming increasingly prevalent as social media's influence
only continues to grow. Most healthy minded individuals
are able to distinguish between fantasy and reality. And they respect the privacy and wishes of the stars they admire. But obviously, as we've seen today, some people allow their
delusions to take control of their entire life, leading them to do crazy
things under the impression that they're entitled to
the love of a celebrity, although celebrity harassment stories like this are not likely
to end anytime soon, looking deeper into cases like Timothy's, paints a powerful picture
of the scary people that famous stars often have
to deal with behind the scenes. The life of the rich and famous
isn't always as glamorous as it seems with big houses and fancy cars come stalkers, scrutiny and
the startling lack of privacy. With their whole lives
under the careful watch of the general public. It's important to
remember that celebrities are real people who
deserve the same respect, privacy and feeling of
safety as everyone else. Hopefully future legal measures can be implemented to save
upcoming stars from similar, dangerous situations
and cases like Timothy's will become far less common. - Thank you guys. Thank you guys, have a good night. - [Girl] Thank you Ariana. - [Woman] Ariana Grande,
that's your girl, look at her.
