Former NFL wide receiver and Cincinnati Bengal legend Touraj “T.J.” Houshmandzadeh Jr. is having a problem with a crazed female fanatic, and the situation has gotten so dire that he has asked for a court order restraining order.
This is not the first time Houshmandzadeh has had a problem with the fan, named Annette Selkirk. TMZ Sports reported that Houshmandzadeh claimed that the woman had been making his life a living hell after expressing “a bizarre and extreme obsession” with the player and his family.
Houshmandzadeh ended up putting a restraining order on the woman in 2015, but it expired in 2019. The former Bengal said that harassment continued as claims that Selkirk legally changed her name to Annette Marie Houshmandzadeh.
He also claims that the woman has been posing as the mother of his children online, as well as contacting his wife, Kaci Houshmandzadeh.
The 46-year-old also alleges that the woman has sent harassing mail and item to his home. One of the threatening pieces of mail the fan allegedly sent was a letter where she said she had “several bullets inscribed with the names of each member of the Houshmandzadeh family.”
For these reasons, Houshmandzadeh is asking that the court order the woman to stop using his family name to gain access to his personal affairs. He also for the restraining order to keep the woman at least 500 feet away from him and his family.
Some fans voiced their sympathy for Houshmandzadeh after they found out about the harrasment he was facing. Those people said, “wtf?…I would say she needs immediate professional help but I honestly thinks she’s beyond that at this point,” and “Uhhh that’s very scary. She should spend time in prison for that threat alone, especially if he has that letter. A restraining order is not gonna do squat if she follows through on that.”
Uhhh that’s very scary. She should spend time in prison for that threat alone, especially if he has that letter. A restraining order is not gonna do squat if she follows through on that.
— Danny G (@DannyG_49) December 4, 2023
Some fans who didn’t take the harassment seriously made jokes about the woman’s mental state. Commenters jokingly said, “You know how unhinged you gotta be to change your last name to Houshmandzedah?!?! Oh she’s nuts,” and “That’s commitment to take that mouthful of a last name.”
Readers may remember Houshmandzadeh as a big part of the Bengals’ mid-2000s receiving corps, which included Jerome Simpson and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. During his eight-year career in Cincinnati, the receiver played in 105 games and had 5,782 yards receiving, with 37 touchdowns.
In his best year, 2007, Houshmandzadeh tied New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker for most receptions in the league. He was also top five in touchdowns, which led to him being selected for his first and only Pro Bowl.
After leaving the Bengals, Houshmandzadeh went on to play for three more teams, the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, and the Oakland Raiders, before retiring after the 2011 season. After leaving the game behind him Houshmandzadeh has seemingly spent more time with his wife and their four children.
Houshmandzadeh hasn’t left the game all the way, as he has a sports podcast called “Airing It Out with TJ Houshmandzadeh,” where he lends his football knowledge in discussing current NFL topics while also bringing on former and current players as guests.
