Gwyneth Paltrow was forced to revisit a very dark and terrifying time in her life during a courtroom testimony in Los Angeles on Monday.
Paltrow has been stalked by the same man since 1999. Now, as a mother of two, the fact that the threats are returning is even more frightening than when they started.
It was almost 17 years ago when the actress had her first encounters with Dante Soiu, a now 66-year-old, psychologically unstable man.
He started by sending Paltrow disturbing letters and emails, upwards of 1,200, according to a NY Daily News report from 2000. He also sent Paltrow items ranging from flowers and pizza, to pornographic material — some of it including both of their names, together.
He was originally brought to trial in 2000, and was found guilty due to insanity, so he served his sentence in a mental facility. A Los Angeles County DA spokesperson, Sandi Gibbons, told NY Daily News in 2000 that he "threatened to 'put a curse on' Paltrow's parents and warned that God would 'punish' their daughter." According to reports, he also wanted to excise sin from her using a scalpel.
But, starting in 2009, the contact began again. It persisted until 2015, with 66 letters sent over the course of the past six years. Soiu was arrested in 2015, and Monday was the first day of the trial.
One letter from the accused read during the opening testimony described his desire to see Paltrow "bowing to death." In another letter, he is accused of expressing his desire to marry the actress: "I have a goal: to marry Gwyneth Paltrow and take care of her."
"This is a case that has gone on for Ms. Paltrow for 17 years," said Deputy District Attorney Wendy Segall, NBC reports. "Her sense of security has been shattered by this man."
Paltrow testified against the man for over an hour, and cried during part of it. "I felt very upset by it," Paltrow said in court, according to NBC. "This has been a very long and very traumatic experience already."
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