Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham found himself in handcuffs outside his home after an alleged stalker made a false emergency call, leading to his recent request for court protection.
The 75-year-old musician was awakened on Nov. 3 by “nearly a dozen policepersons” responding to a fabricated crisis. “When I answered the door, I was handcuffed and asked to step outside of my house. The reason given was that a 911 call had been received stating that my son William was in my house and [wanting to harm himself] and that the caller had heard gunshots,” Buckingham detailed in court documents, per In Touch.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“After twenty minutes of the police searching my house and me outside in the cold handcuffed, I was let back into my house, shaken and fearful,” he stated, adding, “I now know that the 911 call was traced to [Michelle’s] phone and was the latest in an unabated pattern of harassment and threatening acts against my family and me.”
According to court filings, the harassment began when Michelle obtained his wife Kristen’s phone number, making dozens of calls daily “sometimes, leaving long drawn-out messages that included the claim that she was my child and threats to kill me and my family.” Buckingham explained, “She also blamed me for facial deformities she apparently suffered as a child and demanded money,” emphasizing, “I do not know [Michelle] and I am not her father.”
“She is a stalker who has been harassing me and my family,” Buckingham noted in the petition. “I am very fearful that Michelle… without restraining, will continue this conduct which continues to make me and my family fear for our safety and peace.” He expressed concerns that her “conduct may escalate into something physically dangerous to me and my family,” reports The Blast.
A Los Angeles Police Department detective confirmed multiple encounters with Michelle since Sept. 18, “when the suspect placed a paper taped to Lindsey and Kristen Buckingham’s residence with photographs of herself.” The following day, security reported her car outside their home. When questioned, Michelle claimed to be the vocalist’s daughter. Police warned her to leave and never return.
Police said Kristen updated them in September about Michelle’s “history of harassment,” reporting that her son had been receiving “concerning” voice messages for a year. The detective spoke with Michelle, who admitted to making the false 911 call, and warned of possible charges if the harassment continued, according to the outlet.
This crisis follows several turbulent years for the rock legend. In 2018, Buckingham sued his Fleetwood Mac bandmates Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, and John McVie for breach of fiduciary duty after being unexpectedly dropped from their tour. He was replaced by Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Neil Finn from Crowded House.
The court has ordered Michelle to maintain a 100-yard distance from Buckingham, his wife Kristen, and son William until a hearing later this month. The family’s legal team will return to court on Dec. 20 to argue for converting the temporary order into a long-term restraining order.
