Scarlet Johansson has seen a judge reject her restraining order against an obsessed fan who claims to have fathered her child.
The actress, 39, filed a lawsuit against her stalker, identified by The explosion as Michael Joseph Branham, in November 2023 after his crush left his family terrified.
But the California Superior Court was forced to throw out his restraining order on a technicality because the documents could not be served on Branham.
The outlet said Johansson’s lawyer, Michael Goldstein, confirmed that he could not serve the restraining order on the unhinged fan, meaning all temporary restraining orders were also dissolved.
Johansson claims that Branham has attacked her since August 2022, claiming that his fixation increased until she filed the restraining order.
Scarlet Johansson has had her restraining order against an alleged stalker rejected, despite saying his obsessive actions have left her family terrified.
According to the actress, the harassment grew during that time until Branham began appearing outside her house, and she notes in her file that this included trips on ‘November 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19.’
On November 19, he claims Branham followed one of his neighbors for more than 30 miles, believing it was Johansson who was driving.
When the neighbor realized what happened, she reported it to the actress’s assistant since she was scared by the stalker’s behavior.
In her rejected restraining order, Johansson said the incident caused her and her family “significant fear and concern.”
“Defendant’s ongoing and escalating pattern of harassment, combined with his determination and ability to travel, has created heightened safety concerns given several upcoming public events I will be attending,” the filing continued.
Most alarmingly, Branham is accused of obsessively trying to communicate with Johansson’s son, Cosmo, because he believes he is his biological father. Johansson welcomed the child in 2021 with comedian Colin Jost.
The wild accusation stems from when Branham reportedly began showing up at Johansson’s Los Angeles mansion, prompting the actress to hire private investigator Jon Perkins.
Johansson, photographed in March 2023 wearing an undercover outfit on the streets of New York City, said her stalker’s antics caused her and her family “significant fear and worry.”
The stalker claimed to be the biological father of Johansson’s son Cosmo, whom she welcomed in 2021 with her husband, comedian Colin Jost (pictured together).
He was tasked with investigating Branham’s recent behavior, including leaving several letters and children’s toys outside the Johansson mansion.
Perkins told The Blast that he found images Branham had shared online from outside the house, with an ominous caption: “Here I am and where I will be forever.”
The notes he allegedly left also showed the stalker expressing his desire to meet Cosmo and spend time with him as his father.
Branham had claimed he needed Johansson to send him money and asked her for forgiveness after he began stealing because of his financial problems, Perkins said.
Johansson is far from the only celebrity to deal with obsessive fans, with singer Taylor Swift a particularly popular target for obsessive fans.
In January, a Swift obsessive was arrested on the streets of Manhattan after a failed attempt to break into her apartment building.
The man, referred to at the scene as ‘David’, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for failing to respond to a subpoena, and had previously been seen loitering outside the Tribeca apartment in other failed attempts.
Johansson is far from the only celebrity to deal with obsessive fans, with singer Taylor Swift (pictured) being a particularly popular target for nasty fans.
An alleged stalker was arrested in January after trying to break into Taylor Swift’s Manhattan apartment.
Swift’s home in Manhattan’s TriBeCa neighborhood has become a common gathering place for her most ardent fans, who often camp out in hopes of catching a glimpse of their favorite artist.
In May 2023, alleged stalker Mitchel Taebel, 36, from Indiana, was arrested after visiting Swift’s Nashville home, following a series of bizarre antics.
Police said he sent photos of weapons to members of Swift’s team threatening to “destroy them,” before leaving a message for the singer’s father saying he was her “soulmate” and “he’s the only one who can keep her safe.” “.
In March, Taebel posted a bizarre TikTok video in which he urged Taylor Swift fans to prepare for the Eras tour by “being one step ahead of Taylor wherever she goes… watching her every move.”
In July 2022, ‘Swift mania’ also saw Brooklyn resident Joshua Christian go into a courtroom frenzy after he was caught trying to sneak into the same TriBeCa apartment and making threats over the intercom.
When confronted by a judge, he began shouting: ‘Are you all the biggest pranksters ever or are you really real?’ Show that you are real. Prove you’re real.’
Swift’s megastar status has attracted her fair share of unsavory followers, including Mitchel Taebel (left) and Joshua Christian (right).
In September 2020, stalker Eric Swarbrick (pictured) was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to following and sending threatening letters to Swift.
Swift’s home in Manhattan’s TriBeCa neighborhood has become a common gathering place for her most ardent fans, who often camp out in hopes of catching a glimpse of their favorite artist.
The manic support that Swift evokes also caused Texas resident Eric Swarbrick to plead guilty in September 2020 to stalking and sending threatening letters and emails to her record label.
He was sentenced to 30 months behind bars after allegedly sending more than 40 letters and emails to Big Machine Label Group in January 2018.
In 2021, Swift opened up about her growing fear of stalkers and creepy fans, telling she: ‘My fear of violence has continued in my personal life.
“I wear military-grade QuikClot bandages, which are for gunshot wounds or stab wounds… there are enough stalkers trying to get into your house that you start preparing yourself for bad things.”