Laurence Fishburne filed a restraining order against an ex-con cyberstalker who tried to evict the Fishburnes from their Los Angeles area home.
On New Year’s Day Laurence discovered an interesting handwritten letter in his mailbox that demanded his family leave the residence immediately because it house really belonged to the letter’s author – ex-convict Anthony Francis.
According to the Matrix actor, the convicted cyberstalker claimed he was the rightful owner of the home and the Fishburne family needs to “evacuate ASAP.”
The court filing, obtained by E! News, revealed that the would-be evacuation letter in the star’s mailbox isn’t the first sign that Francis has returned to his stalker-ish ways and that Laurence’s family is his latest target.
Apparently the 52-year-old man rang the family’s doorbell first and was ready to give them their eviction notice in person. After nobody answered the door, however, he settled for sliding the angry note in their mailbox around 4:30 pm.
“We have lived and owned our home for 10 years,” the 51-year-old actor wrote in a statement.
That didn’t mean anything to Anthony, however.
“You are to leave this house immediately,” he wrote in the letter. “This means all tenants are to evacuate ASAP.”
To make matters worst, a quick call to the police revealed Francis’s background and he certainly was a bit more than just some random guy who decided to slide a threatening note into the actor’s mailbox on a whim.
“Two weeks ago, Hollywood Police told me they got a similar call from Mr. Francis, about the claim he owns our house,” the Contagion actor revealed.
He also learned of the stalker’s criminal record and that he is no stranger to stalking and may actually have a few mental issues.
The cyberstalker had previously served two years in prison for cyberstalking back in 2010 and was also ordered to serve some time in a mental hospital.
It is believed that Francis was released from jail on Christmas day and a few days later decided that Fishburne’s home was actually his all along.
Due to the strange man’s record, Laurence was immediately advised to obtain on order of protection for his family’s sake.
The restraining order requires Francis to stay at least 100 yards away from Fishburne, his wife Gina Torres, and their daughter.
At the end of the month, Jan. 23, a court hearing will be held to determine if the temporary restraining order should become a permanent one.
