Fans who appear to be asking for more than a signature or a photo in letters they dash off to celebrities may get an unwanted response from a federal agent.
Tuesday's slaying of actress Rebecca Schaeffer, who was sent at least one letter by her alleged attacker, and a lawsuit filed by actor Michael J. Fox against a voracious letter writer, have heightened concerns about communications between stars and fans.Fan mail is carefully scrutinized in Hollywood by celebrity agents, publicists and representatives who look for threats - obvious or veiled.
"If we get a threatening letter, the first thing we do is make the client and additional representatives aware of it," said David Brokaw, who handles many high-profile movie stars. "If it's something we feel concerns us, we go to the authorities and report it."
During his 18 years in the business, his office has received just "three or four that have concerned me. I've always called the FBI."
John Robert Bardo, 19, charged in the slaying of Schaeffer, who starred in the sitcom "My Sister Sam" with Pam Dawber, wrote her a love letter, Los Angeles police said.
It was affectionate and "a bit rambling" but not threatening, said Detective Dan Andrews.
A 26-year-old Camarillo woman pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles Superior Court this week to charges of sending thousands of threatening letters and rabbit droppings to Fox, the star of the former hit series "Family Ties."
But a judge refused on Monday to release Tina Marie-Ledbetter, who was being held without bail at the Sybil Brand Institute for Women.
Fox testified that he feared for his safety and that of his family. He said he received life-threatening letters over the course of a year, but 800 of them arrived last July when he married actress Tracy Pollan.
FBI spokesman Jim Neilson said the FBI investigates any kind of extortion if it goes through the mail. He declined to comment on celebrity mail.
Most fan letters are addressed to the production studio where the actors last worked or the public relations office representing them. Fan magazines frequently publish such addresses.
"We get several hundred pieces of fan mail a week," said Dick Grant, whose clients include Joan Rivers, Larry Hagman and Richard Dreyfuss. "We have people who read through it. If it's regular mail, it goes to a fan mail service for photos. If it's personal, a letter about a terminally ill child who wants to meet a star, it's referred to the star's office. If it's threatening, it goes to the FBI."
The tone of a threatening letter usually determines how seriously its contents are taken.
"You have to look at the way it is written," said Dale Olsen, who represents stars like Dyan Cannon, Shirley MacLaine and Sally Kirkland.