Sabrina Carpenter can finally breathe easier. A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge granted the pop star a permanent restraining order on June 17 against a man who repeatedly showed up at her home and tried to force his way inside.
William Applegate, 31, must now stay at least 100 yards away from Carpenter, her sister Sarah, and Sarah’s boyfriend George for the next five years. The order also prohibits Applegate from contacting Carpenter or possessing firearms.
The nightmare began in late April. Carpenter said Applegate’s “pattern of stalking, trespassing, and surveillance has caused me severe and ongoing emotional distress”. On May 23, Applegate trespassed onto a neighbor’s property to bypass security fencing and reached Carpenter’s front door. He struck a security guard and was arrested by LAPD.
But he didn’t stop. Less than 24 hours after his arrest, Applegate returned to Carpenter’s home and loitered outside for hours. Security escorted him away. He came back again the next day, prompting another police response.
Carpenter submitted Ring camera footage showing Applegate at her front door as evidence. In her court declaration, she stated, “William Applegate is a complete stranger to me. I have never met him or communicated with him in any way. I have no desire to meet him or communicate with him”.
Applegate represented himself at the hearing wearing a suit and sitting with a laptop . He admitted to being at Carpenter’s residence but claimed she wanted him there. In his written declaration, Applegate insisted he and Carpenter are both part of a classified “military government program” and that they needed to “be together as soon as possible” to ensure “national and global security”.
He also claimed Carpenter communicated with him by looking directly at him during her Coachella set in April. Applegate argued Carpenter didn’t truly want the restraining order, alleging it was an “artifact of a military government program’s maligned instructions”.
Judge David L. Wasserman wasn’t swayed. “I understand that it’s your belief that in order to save the world, you and the petitioner must be together,” the judge told Applegate. “I expect you to obey the order, not what you think is right, not what you think the military commands you”.
Carpenter appeared virtually at the hearing but was not called to testify. Her attorney Blair Berk told the judge the singer “is in fear for her own personal safety and the safety of members of her family”.
A criminal investigation remains underway, though no charges have been filed yet. For Carpenter, the five-year order provides at least some peace of mind as she continues her rise as one of pop music’s biggest stars.
