Attack of the celebrity botherers

The Kidman/Schiffer stalker says Ben Affleck's stalking him; Paltrow's stalker to remain in institution; and Tom Cruise's wannabe outer quiets down and hatches new plans!

Published June 18, 2001 4:39PM (EDT)

Is someone stalking Nicole Kidman and Claudia Schiffer's alleged stalker? And if so, is that person Kidman, David Copperfield or possibly ... Ben Affleck?

"Why is Ben Affleck stalking me and following me?" Matthew Hooker writes on one of his myriad Web sites, www.beautifulbutdangerous.com. "In the two months after I met Nicole I caught him following or stalking me 5 times: three times on the streets in Santa Monica, once on the hiking trail near Nicole's home, and once, on May 8, he, or someone who looks a lot like him followed me into the Men's room at my office, and, dressed like a Frenchman, with a 'pencil' or 'toothbrush' moustache, and a French shirt on, simply looked at me, smiled and waved goodbye and said 'sorry.'"

Mystifying? Not to Hooker. He interpreted this as the actor gloating over the fact that Hooker was barred from Cannes this year, due to the restraining order prohibiting him from getting anywhere near Kidman, who he suspects may also be stalking him ... along with Copperfield, who he suspects may be jealous of his interest in Schiffer. (Got that?)

But it's Affleck he's really upset with. Why? He suspects that "Ben is involved in the false allegations against me, so that he can attempt to steal the male lead in [Hooker's screenplay] 'The Activist' from me, so that he can ruin my reputation with leading actresses like Gwyneth Paltrow."

Then again, he says, it could be "a kind of anticipatory retribution" on Affleck's part, "since he knew I was soon to go public with the truth that the original idea for 'Good Will Hunting,' the film that made Ben and Matt Damon stars, was my idea and it was stolen from me."

"Ben," writes Hooker, "if you think by smearing me you can get Gwyneth ... back, or date Claudia, grow up."

And shave that sorry toothbrush 'stache while you're at it, will ya?

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Get well soon, Dante ('cause someone we won't name needs that bed)

"He still needs treatment."

-- Attorney Eleanor Schneir on why her client, Gwyneth Paltrow stalker Dante Michael Soiu, will remain in a mental institution rather than be released on parole.

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Cruisin' for a bruisin'?

While we're on the subject of kooky celebrity tormentors ...

Kidman's ex Tom Cruise may be getting more than he bargained for when he filed that $100 million lawsuit against Bold magazine publisher Michael Davis after Davis alleged that he might be in possession of tapes proving that the actor was gay.

After an initial bout of bravado, Davis appeared to be retreating from his "the public has a right to know" stance: "Davis will be giving no statements to the Press on The Cruise Lawsuite," the publisher's spelling-and-capitalization-challenged flack, Julie Smith, e-mailed her contacts.

But now Davis has reversed course again and is threatening to countersue. "Since this False accusation Davis has suffered great emotional distress and is the Target of Crazy Fanatical Scientology activists making threats on his Life and Gay bashers who claim Davis makes his Money on his Macho Playboy Image and He's a fake," Smith writes.

And Davis intends to exact his revenge in other ways, too. According to a recent Smith missive, "The Next Big Story That will hit in Bold Entertainment Magazine is :SCIENTOLOGY THE HOLLYWOOD CONNECTION. With some many False reports on the Organization. Bold Magazine has gone DEEP UNDERCOVER inside the Church of Scientology. THIS AUGUST 2001.

"P.S.," she adds, "& you thought Davis was scared!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Actually, we just thought he was nuts.

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Miss something? Read yesterday's Nothing Personal.


By Amy Reiter

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Celebrity Tom Cruise