Gwen Stefani has secured a three-year restraining order against stalker Richard Portnoy.
The 45-year-old singer’s protection order comes just weeks after her father, Dennis Stefani, sought his own order, which protects the entire Stefani and Rossdale clan, after Portnoy turned up on his and wife Patricia’s property on two occasions in February.
According to TMZ, Portnoy has bombarded the star with flowers, chocolates, cards and letters at both her home and her father’s, even reading out a letter explaining his feelings for the married mother-of-three when he came face-to-face with Dennis on one particularly scary occasion.
However, things have since escalated. TMZ reports that Portnoy threatened to kill himself after seeing photos of Gwen tripping as she made her way to her regular acupuncture appointment in Los Angeles on March 13.
The website claims he became so “obsessed” with the 45-year-old he “couldn't bear looking at photos showing her tripping”. TMZ adds that the incident led to Portnoy showing up at Gwen’s home and telling her father that he intended to harm himself if she had been hurt during the stumble.
Three days after the tripping incident, Portnoy is alleged to have turned up at the acupuncturist’s upon Gwen’s arrival. She reportedly felt so unsafe she called police to report the stalker, though they were unable to locate him at the scene.
Testimony obtained by TMZ reveals that Portnoy wrote Gwen a letter in which he concluded that she “wasn't happy in her present life and he felt he could change that”.
The star has been happily married to Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale for 12 years, while the couple are the proud parents of sons Kingston, eight, Zuma, six, and 13-month-old Apollo.
Portnoy has been ordered to stay at least 300 feet from Gwen, Gavin and their children, as well as Dennis and Patricia, and have no contact with any members of the family.
