Ashanti has opened up about how the “unsettling” years she endured being stalked by a fan modified her life.”
The “Rock Wit U” singer, 44, spoke concerning the “disheartening” expertise on Monday’s episode of the Investigation Discovery docuseries “Hollywood Demons.”
“I have some of the most amazing fans in the world, so I always try to be gracious, I always try to be courteous, but it does get a bit invasive,” she stated.
“In 2009, I was actually playing Dorothy in ‘The Wiz’ on Broadway, and my mom was getting these pictures, texts,” Ashanti continued, recalling that the sender declared that he wished to “be together” with the singer.
In response to the docuseries, the person commented on Ashanti’s stay performances, disparaged her relationship with rapper Nelly, and even tried to realize entry to her residence.
“It makes you feel a little scared,” Ashanti stated. “This is a red line being crossed. Obviously, my family along with me, it’s kind of affecting everyone. They didn’t ask to be a part of this.”
The person’s messages “progressively turned into something deadly,” she added.
“He started sending pictures of my car, parked in the front of the theater. He started sending pictures of my house, aerial shots, shots of the front door,” she revealed.
“This is serious serious now,” the actress remembered pondering on the time.
“We made the decision, me, my parents, my family, to kind of get the law involved.”
After that, an Indiana man named Devar Hurd was arrested by legislation enforcement in 2009.
“I was doing a show in Chicago, and he felt like I locked eyes with him, and that was his open door,” the singer defined.
Although Hurd was sentenced to 2 years in jail after being convicted of sending undesirable sexual messages and stalking, he served just one 12 months.
“In my situation, he was convicted, and we were hoping and praying that it was done. We felt that that was going to be it. But unfortunately, it kind of kept going on and on,” Ashanti shared.
Hurd continued to stalk the singer, ignoring a no-contact order he obtained after his conviction. After sending Ashanti footage he took along with her little sister, Kenashia Douglas, together with a sequence on messages on social media, he was indicted in 2013 for stalking and aggravated harassment.
Hurd represented himself in his subsequent trial — the second of the 4 stalking trials he confronted between 2009 and 2016 — and cross-examined the “Baby” hitmaker.
“It’s really weird. It’s kinda like, to get what you want done, he gets what he wants, which is to be in your presence,” Ashanti confessed.
A mistrial was granted due to a juror sickness, although Hurd could be convicted in 2016 for felony second-degree stalking. He obtained the utmost sentence of 4 years jail time however, as earlier than, received out after only one 12 months behind bars.
The painful expertise “changed my life,” Ashanti stated within the docuseries. “It’s unsettling, it’s disheartening, and it makes you question who’s the victim.”
Regardless of the ache, Ashanti at this time has “hope” for Hurd.
“[T]he feeling is hope that the rehabilitation happens, hope that he gets the message, and hoping that everything is done,” she defined.
“Stalking the Stars,” the ultimate episode of Investigation Discovery’s “Hollywood Demons” sequence, premieres Monday at 9 p.m. EST on ID and streaming on Max.
