Christchurch soprano Hayley Westenra
has been forced to hire a bodyguard after being stalked by three male fans, one
of whom tried to grab her at a recent concert in Berlin.
"This has really unnerved me, it's put
me on edge," the 19-year-old singer reportedly told British newspaper the
Sunday Express.
"I've spent my whole life on stage and
I feel safe up there – it's the one place that is really my space."
Westenra is touring through Europe with Opera
boy band Il Divo.
The singer's mother, Jill Westenra, said yesterday
that Hayley had had stalking incidents involving three different men over the
past few months and after the most recent scare in Berlin, a bodyguard had been
hired.
She said one of the first stalking incidents
was in April last year when a German male fan got into Hayley's 18th birthday
bash on a forged invitation before being escorted out by guards.
The same man had also posted her daughter sexually
inappropriate mail – some of which he had sent to her home in Christchurch.
"He's known to the management and at the
ticket sales so when they see his name they know if he's going to be there and
at that point security gets stepped up," Jill Westenra said.
Another stalker had turned up at a concert rehearsal
in the United Kingdom in November last year while Hayley and Jill Westenra were
backstage. The man approached crew members and started to chant.
Jill Westenra said police were called and the
man was eventually put into a police cell for the night and then deported.
"Hayley did feel a little bit sorry for
him because he missed the concert," Jill Westenra said.
"Some people just don't seem to know what
the appropriate behaviour is."
Most recently, a third male stalker tried to
grab the singer after a concert in Berlin two weeks ago, but security pulled
him away.
Jill Westenra said the new bodyguard had experience
in the business, including having worked for Victoria and David Beckham, and
was a black belt in tae kwon do.
She said she was confident Hayley was safe.
"I kind of feel that she's well looked
after."
