UK Edition
Obsessed fan plotted to kidnap US singer Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey, the US pop singer, was the victim of an alleged kidnap plot by an obsessed fan who planned to snatch her at a concert, police in Florida have revealed.
Michael Hunt, the 43-year-old suspect, was arrested by detectives on Friday night, just a few hundred yards from where she was performing at a stadium in Orlando. He was said to be carrying a three inch knife.
They were acting on a tip off from a caller who said Hunt shared “cryptic and threatening” posts on social media toward the Summertime Sadness singer, whose real name is Elizabeth Grant.
Police didn’t reveal the exact wording of the threat, but a Facebook page apparently belonging to the suspect showed several posts leading up to her concert, professing his love for the singer and his intent to be with her, according to the Orlando Sentinel newspaper.
“I want to see my queen on Friday and from that day forward our decisions will be as one,” he wrote on January 30th.
In a separate post, he said the singer “knows my face in her dreams” and “she’s my always and forever to be.”
Below a photo of her, one of Hunt’s friends expressed her good wishes for the couple.
“Wow, I’m so happy for you Michael Hunt. I hope she makes you happy when you finally stalk her down and get your hands on her!” she wrote. He reacted to the post with a heart.
And on Wednesday afternoon, Hunt published a rambling video in which he talked about his plans to “get together” with 32-year-old Miss Del Rey.
“I’m going to probably finish out her tour with her, obviously, and dance and talk and figure out what we’re going to do,” he added.
He now faces charges of attempted kidnapping with a weapon and aggravated stalking with a credible threat.
A spokesman for Orlando Police Department wrote on Twitter: "After receiving a tip we deemed a credible threat, OPD got to him before he could get near singer Lana Del Rey last night at her show at Amway Center."
The arrest report obtained by the Orlando Sentinel revealed that Miss Del Rey, a two times Brit Award winner, was frightened by the nature of the Facebook posts.
It read that arresting officers determined “there is a concern for public safety” and “due to the statements posted by Hunt, victim Elizabeth Grant was in fear for her safety."
But the resilient star showed no public concern, posting on Twitter yesterday: "Orlando! Fort Lauderdale! Miami! Thank you so much for coming out and making those shows totally crazy and keeping the energy high. We’re all feeling super lucky after a couple of days of amazing shows. That means Atlanta, Georgia at the Phillips Arena is our next stop. Grateful."