Renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking received unwanted confirmation of his celebrity status after an obsessed fan was arrested for stalking him!
The unnamed woman allegedly sent Hawking dozens of threatening emails and tweets promising to harm the beloved scientist.
Among the missives was the unsettling message, "I am very close to you. I am going to kill you."
Apparently, the unstable 'admirer' planned to follow through on the promise at this week's Starmus Festival in Spain, where Hawking was in attendance.
However her nefarious plot was foiled after Hawking's daughter informed the police of the ongoing threats and they arrested the woman before she could do any harm to him.
It appears that they intervened at just the right time, since the woman had extensive notes on Hawking's home, office, and itinerary for the conference.
Unfortunately, the arrest may not give Hawking and his family too much reassurance, since Spanish authorities only issued a restraining order that keeps the woman from contacting or going near him for the next eight months.
What happens after that is anyone's guess, but we're hoping that Hawking will have extra security around him to prevent any ugly incidents in the future.
Source: Gizmodo