Paula Abdul really has feelings, she doesn’t just play the sympathetic sidekick to Simon Cowell’s nastiness. Since the unfortunate death of fan Palua Goodspeed outside Paula’s home on November 12 the American Idol judge hasn’t returned to her home. She was away at the time of the suicide.
“I’ve been staying in different homes and hotels, and I have security with me,” she tells People.
“It was very tragic and very upsetting to hear,” Abdul says of the death of Paula Goodspeed, a fan who auditioned for American Idol’s fifth season. “She had tried to do this before, and it was just heartbreaking … It was in the middle of Hollywood week, and it happened while I was actually working at the Kodak Theatre, and it was devastating to hear.”
While producers were informed shortly after police discovered Goodspeed’s body, no one let Abdul know until after they had finished taping Idol for the day. “It wasn’t fun,” Abdul says.
Paula adds that her house will soon be on the market, and that she has been working on her cheerleading MTV special and new accessories line to distract her from the tragedy.
Paula adds that this wasn’t the first time that she has had to deal with an obsessed fan, and that in 1993 a jailed man was writing her letters saying he was going to “get my mom and I” when he was released. Upon release he threatened the President and was jailed “for life”.
Stalkers seem to be common, or at least getting more press, and it must be terrifying. Think of how you feel after someone breaks into your home or car, or when a mentally unstable person violates your personal space on the street. Then imagine living with that threat 24/7.
Paula Abdul is shown outside the Good Morning America studios on 12/8/08. Credit: Bauergriffin
While I agree that it was rather tragic what happened, I also am of the opinion that if Paula laid off of the dolls for a bit, she might not be as manic. Plus, the chances that she even has another fan out there are pretty slim.
Devilgirl, what do you mean by ‘dolls’? Is that another term for meds? And… I agree with you, I think this was incredibly tragic, but (somehow) I think she may be taking advantage of the attention – just a bit.
Ran- Dolls is an old term for pills. As in Valley of the Dolls. I too, agree with you, I think she is kinda attention whoring.
Gotcha – and agree with both of your posts 100%
LOL! Dolls. Love it. Saving that for future use!
1. What the hell is she wearing?!
2. Objectively, can completely understand her distress but I’d probably feel more sympathy towards her if she didn’t come across as quite so flakey and self-absorbed.
I don’t blame her for putting her house on the market. Regardless of anyone’s opinion of her, that’s got to be a horrible thing. I still wonder where the psycho’s family was while she was out stalking PA and committing suicide in front of her house? From what I have read, her family knew very well about her obsession…so, why did they not do something to prevent it from happening to begin with?
I’d have a little problem with returning to live where someone had died because of me too. No matter how crazy or obsessed the fan was, you’d have to feel some guilt and responsibility for it, even though that would be unrealistic guilt. Unrealistic guilt makes you feel just as bad as realistic guilt does.
It depends, if I loved the house I might go back. However, since there have been police reports involving the incident, her address is public record and easily accessed, so I might move too.
And let’s face it, poor Paula has no taste. There’s enough leather there to make the entire interior of an Escalade.
The “psycho'” family? You call mentally ill people psycho?
If any fans come after her, she just has to stomp em’ with those fugly shoes