- The 39-year-old actress had her restraining order against Michael Joseph Branham denied because her lawyer failed to serve her papers.
- She requested a restraining order in November 2023 after claiming Branham’s antics had terrified her family.
- Branham claims to have fathered her son Cosmo, who the actress welcomed in 2021 with comedian Colin Jost
Scarlet Johansson has had her restraining order against an obsessed fan who claims she fathered her son thrown out by a judge.
The 39-year-old actress filed a complaint against her stalker, named by The Blast as Michael Joseph Branham, in November 2023 after his infatuation left her family terrified.
But the California Superior Court was forced to reject his restraining order on technical grounds because the documents could not be served on Branham.
The outlet said Johansson’s lawyer Michael Goldstein confirmed he was unable to serve the restraining order on the unhinged fan, meaning all temporary restraining orders were also been dissolved.
Johansson claims she was targeted by Branham since August 2022, alleging his fixation intensified until she filed the restraining order.
According to the actress, the harassment intensified during this time until Branham began showing up outside her home, and notes in her file that this included trips on “the 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and November 19.”
On November 19, she claims Branham followed one of her neighbors for more than 30 miles, believing it was Johansson behind the wheel.
When the neighbors realized what had happened, they reported it to the actress’s assistant, frightened by the stalker’s behavior.
In his rejected restraining order, Johansson said the incident caused him and his family “significant fear and worry.”
“Defendant’s continued and escalating harassment, combined with his determination and ability to travel, has created increased security concerns in light of several upcoming public events in which I will be participating,” the filing continues.
Most alarming is that Branham is accused of obsessively trying to contact Johansson’s son, Cosmo, because he believes he is his biological father. Johansson welcomed the child in 2021 with comedian Colin Jost.
This wild allegation dates back to when Branham allegedly began showing up at Johansson’s Los Angeles mansion, leading the actress to hire private investigator Jon Perkins.
He was tasked with investigating Branham’s recent behavior, including leaving a number of letters and children’s toys outside Johansson’s mansion.
Perkins told The Blast he found footage Branham shared online from outside the house, ominously captioned: “Here I am and where I will be forever.”
The notes he left also allegedly saw the stalker expressing his wish to meet Cosmo and spend time with him as a father.
Branham had claimed he needed Johansson to send him money and asked 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 unsavory supporters.
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 arrest warrant for failing to respond to a summons, and had previously been seen hiding outside the building. the Tribeca apartment during other failed attempts.
Swift’s home in Manhattan’s TriBeCa neighborhood has become a common hangout 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 say he sent photos of guns to members of Swift’s team, threatening to “destroy them”, before leaving a message for the singer’s father saying he was her “soul mate” and “he is the only one who can secure it”.
In March, Taebel posted a bizarre TikTok video in which he urged other Taylor Swift fans to prepare for the Eras tour by “being one step ahead of Taylor everywhere she goes…watch 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 via the intercom.
As he faced a judge, he began shouting, “Are you all the greatest pranksters in history or are you actually real?” Prove that you are real. Prove that you are real.
The maniacal support Swift evoked also saw Texas resident Eric Swarbrick plead guilty in September 2020 to stalking and sending threatening letters and emails to her label.
He was sentenced to 30 months in prison 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 Elle: “My fear of violence carried over into my personal life.
“I’m wearing a military-grade QuikClot dressing for gunshot and stab wounds…you have enough stalkers trying to break into your house and you kind of start preparing yourself for bad things.”