Norman Reedus has a reputation of being gracious and thoughtful to his fans, and that extends to incidents where fans grossly overstep. Norman was posing for photos with fans at the Walker Stalker convention in New Jersey over the weekend. It all went wrong when a 40-something woman (I’m assuming she’s 47, because she has ’68 in her username) turned to the side during the photo op and bit him on the chest. The bite didn’t break the skin or draw blood and security came to Reedus’s assistance and ousted the woman immediately. The biter posted to Instagram about the incident, apologizing and claiming she was just excited to meet the “love of her life” and didn’t know what came over her. Really?!
The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus had a pretty big scare over the weekend when a zealous fan decided to bite him at a Walker Stalker event. Yes, bite the actor. A source tells E! News that the incident happened while the woman in question was taking a photo with Reedus and co-star Michael Rooker. But after the time to “say cheese” passed, she leaned in to bite Reedus on the chest!
Apparently her idea of a souvenir was more than just the photo op.
Fortunately police and event security were nearby and jumped in to help Reedus. They escorted the woman from the event and since has been banned from all Walker Stalker conventions and sponsored events where Reedus is present.
Reedus declined to press charges against his attacker because it was “only a nibble” and didn’t break the skin, the source adds.
Since the incident occurred the nibbler took to Instagram to apologize to Reedus; her die-hard fandom apparently made her possessed for a second. “Finally meet the love of my life, and get banned from the rest of the CON and lose two more $100 photo ops with him because I lost my mind…got so excited standing beside him… & just turned my head and bit him!” she captioned a picture on Instagram, per Yahoo!.
“I don’t know what came over me. It wasn’t my intention to hurt him. I’m sorry Norman!”
Even though Reedus didn’t press charges, it looks like he hasn’t forgiven the fan just yet—but he does have a sense of humor about it. He also turned to Instagram to address the situation, posting a photo of himself in a shirt that reads, “Do Not Bite Me.”
“Um please don’t,” he captioned the pic, and included a salsa-dancing emoji.
I get like, touching someone lightly or even kissing a celebrity on the shoulder (which I would never do unless Joel McHale gave me permission first) but biting them?! It was a zombie convention so I suppose there’s some tenuous reasoning behind it. Maybe this woman has a zombie roleplay scenario going on, although she wasn’t dressed as a zombie and I am just not willing to google that to see if it’s a thing. Warm Bodies was cute, but I don’t imagine it’s anything like that. (I already tested my google mojo this month by googling “bear rape.”) This sounds like mental illness, and as much as we shade celebrities for charging for photos and signatures, I get it. There’s traveling and risks involved.
Here’s Reedus’s response. The shirt used to just say “Bite Me” and so he added “Do Not” ahead of it. He’s a pretty chill guy. Many celebrities would have pressed charges and that would absolutely be their right.
photo credit: WENN.com and Instagram/Norman Reedus and fan (redacted)
People are crazy! That person is lucky that Norman isn’t going to press charges.
I have never been that excited to see anyone. Ever!!
He is all class though! And the “um…please don’t” caption is hilarious.
Charging people $100 to take a photo with him is not classy. Where’s the money going?
Speaking as a ginger, she ginger-snapped.
NYer – that’s pretty much standard for celeb cons. I don’t understand it, personally. There are a few actors I like who give autographs and photos for free at stage door every night, yet still fans will pay for an autograph at a convention in the very same city they could stage door in.
Apparently after Jeremy Renner did Dahmer a fan bit him, but that time it did bleed and he had to go to the ER to get shots. Only a tiny number of people saw Dahmer and Renner was a relative nobody, but I guess that doesn’t matter when you’re nuts. Another Dahmer fan stole his cat and the really worrying thing is what he might have done with it.
Someone STOLE HIS CAT?? 🙁
Yes, apparently it was a much older guy that he kept ‘bumping into’ and who kept trying to talk to him about Dahmer. Then he turned up at the house and was seen jumping into a car with the cat under his arm. Neither was seen again. Renner talked about it in an interview ages ago and if you search for Renner and cat a photo with probably come up.
if it was a man biting a woman celebrity this would be a whole different story. I feel bad for him that kind of makes me sick thinking of getting bit by some crazed fan
This is acting crazy.
She even looks crazy! I still find it kind of funny! Did she think she was the zombie or what? 😀
What the hell?
Okay look, I’m a huge Walking Dead fan. And I love Daryl (not so much Norman because he always looks just so unwashed). And I am also willing to admit that there is a fair amount of excitement at those events that can get the adrenaline pumping. But for the love of GOD! You are a grown woman! Get a hold on yourself! Biting is NOT okay. We teach children that before they can talk…
Really, I agree, just absurd and no excuse for a grown woman to bite somebody because she’s “excited.” I admire him for not pressing charges, but part of me wishes he had.
OK, I joke about David Tennant being my imaginary husband, but even I know there are boundaries and a line between reality and fantasy. I want to assure you guys of that. I have worried if I ever met him I would blubber and cry and look like an idiot, but in no scenario would I bite the man! I’m not really a crazy obsessed fan. I know in real life, he’s a stranger with a wife and kids and a right to privacy and his own body. Norman is being way too nice here– this chick seems dangerously unhinged. That’s just frightening.It’s a freaking assault. What did she think would happen? These photo ops are expensive, but all you’re buying is a damn picture! She ought to be in jail. I’m sure this will make celebrities think twice before allowing the public that much access to them. It makes my skin crawl to think about it, NR is known for being really open and generous with his fans, but there are limits. Poor guy.
Is it bad to say I hope she is mentally ill? Then I can at least hope she can get professional help. Otherwise 🙄 get a life.
Instagram and Twitter and these conventions really have exposed the bizarre and unhealthy nature of some much of “fandom”. These stars don’t know you, they don’t like you, they care when they are being paid or when it suits the publicity agenda. They are not your friend or your “love”. It’s all pretend. Get over it and grow up.
+1
I don’t understand how people can get so crazy about someone they don’t know just because they are on TV or in movies.
I think it has to be mental illness.
Any speculation on the process used to make his hair look so horrid? Is this the result of conscious indifference/no attention (as in he hasn’t washed it since 1995) OR is it washed, combed, styled, and producted into this state?
I think its over use of texture product and a bad dye job. By all accounts fans say he smells really good and doesn’t look dirty in person.
I think it’s a combination of a god awful cut, thinning hair, and product. It looks like they probably just rinse it, and comb his grandmother’s cast iron pan grease through to let it air dry. It’s so bad.
That’s taking it a little too far. People get into this stuff tho, Brother in laws neighbor has an actual stock pile of food, gas, and “other things ” in case of zombie apocalypse. He’s not even back woods-crazy, the guy is a corporate lawyer. On a petty note, he is a beautiful man I just wish he’d stop dying his hair.
Ah, stupid people. What was she trying to accomplish with that? She though it would be sexy to do it and that he would remember her forever because of it? Yeah, he will but not for any good reasons.
I bet he’s delicious…
Seriously though, what a nutter.
I just can’t with that hair.
Ugh. Lady take a seat and act your age.
it would be fine if she acted half her age but that also seems too much to ask.
the love of her life, alright.
I’m not buying this “I don’t know what came over me” excuse. She probably planned it ahead and thought that since Norman is always so nice and encouraging with his fans, he wouldn’t mind a bite either. I can see her imagining that he would laugh with her and then talk about it in talk-shows and during conventions. It’s a claim-to-fame idea gone wrong.
And he’s lucky it didn’t end worse than that. There’s being nice and greatful and then there’s encouraging nut-jobs to hurting you. He already crossed the line to the latter by agreeing to so many ridiculous stuff, that I’m surprised this incident was the worst thing that’s happened to him and that it happened so late into the show.
NBM: I agree. These people are delusional. How does one get so caught up in a fictional character. The trekkies for example…wtf…..I guess I’m just grateful I can watch these shows or movies for entertainment purposes solely and don’t need to stalk the characters playing the roles. This man shouldn’t have to fear some loon is going to take a chunk out of him to satisfy the needs of a twisted sister. If someone knows they’re so vulnerable, they shouldn’t watch tv at all and educate themselves rather than tale the actors. If a random dog bit someone, it would probably get put down. Ai yi yi
What a crazy world we live in. Does she not know fiction from reality. I wish he would have pressed charges to show these lunatics that this is not okay. It wouldn’t be worth his time though considering this vampire didn’t break skin. Why can’t people get a grip. It’s television people…….grrr
Wow. I’m freaked out, and I was nowhere near The Walking Jaws. How freaky. I would flip out if some total stranger bit me. Nuts.
I saw screenshots of her crazy posts on tumblr. She was complaining about losing a chance to other 2 photo ops with him she paid for because she was escorted out after she bit him. That is not “apologizing”.
And what did she think was going to happen?
There are some really unhinged fans out there.
No wonder celebrities are afraid of their fans.
Didn’t Mike Tyson have the same excuse when he took off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear?
i genuinely can’t say i blame her…
Wow, it must take the patience of a saint to deal with some of these people. I don’t even understand being that obsessed.
Taking “Eye Candy” to the extreme lady! Lol. Glad he’s a chill guy tho’.
is that hole in his shirt where she bit him?
She doesn’t even sound sorry, just upset she got kicked out. She was even tweeting him to basically say it was his fault – why would you continue to pursue someone after doing something like that to them??
I’m not at all surprised by his reaction. I have run a couple of celebrity charity events, and he is by far the nicest out of any I’ve worked with. We chatted for a few minutes and he was so incredibly gracious and humble. He made me feel like he actually cared about what I had to say – which I think is rare for celebrities when they are the center of the event.
That article isn’t saying that before she bit him, she told him that she likes to pretend that they’re married.
Definitely mentally ill and she needs help.
To Everyone complaining about his hair:
In his contract/agreements with TWD he can either let his hair grow @ lengths consistent to his character’s appearance/costume or be fitted & set up with a hairpiece(s) every time he shoots.
He doesn’t really have a lot of choices. So what’s a guy that’s described as super chill, laid back, & nice do? He let’s his hair just grow out to prevent hassles for himself & the crew he works with pretty much everyday while filming.
At least that’s my assumption. I think it makes him hotter. And I’m no fan of long hair on dudes.
I actually think there is something very unhealthy about “fandoms” and often the people who participate. It takes over their lives, they are obsessed with little tidbits of info and live in a fantasy. Some of the biggest are Dr. Who, TWD, anything space related, and Harry Potter. I am a big fan of TWD and HP but I have no urge to meet the stars. Why? It would make me feel pathetic. Why would I want to just see them in person? They aren’t their characters, it’s acting! Also, these people have LIVES and I imagine they view their rabid fans unfavorably.
Shows we get really into are enjoyable forms of escape, but people need to get a GRIP!