Sabrina Carpenter is seeking a restraining order after an alleged stalker tried to open her front door, was arrested, and then returned the next two days.
The heartbreaking sequence of events began just over a week ago, but the alleged stalker has been seen near the “Please, Please, Please” singer's home since April, according to court documents reviewed by The Times.
On May 23, William Applegate, 31, was detained by police and Carpenter security after he headed to a neighbor's property to breach the pop singer's security fence, documents say. “It is clear to me that their approach was deliberate, calculated and aggressive, which is deeply alarming,” Carpenter wrote in the application. “He then made his way closer to my residence and proceeded directly toward my front door. Once there, Applegate physically grabbed the handle of my front door and forcefully pushed it, actively attempting to force his way into my home without any invitation, permission or consent.”
Carpenter said when Applegate couldn't gain access, he knocked on the door and rang the bell. The Grammy winner's Ring camera captured the altercation as her private security intervened and tried to get Applegate to leave. The alleged stalker stood his ground, saying he knew the singer and that she was expecting his visit, and refused to leave until the police arrived.
According to Carpenter's statement, the man was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department but then returned home less than 24 hours later and again the next day. Both days he allegedly inspected the singer's house from his car.
After the unpleasant encounter, Carpenter's security team reviewed security tapes and discovered that Applegate had been showing up for more than a month, according to the court request. “Initially he maintained a greater distance, so there was no direct contact at that time,” the document reads. “However, Applegate's conduct has followed a clear and deeply worrying pattern of escalation as he has moved ever closer to my home, ultimately culminating in the violent and aggressive invasion of May 23, 2026.”
Carpenter further wrote that Applegate's behavior had made him fear for his safety and that the incident in which he attempted to enter her home “is one of the most disturbing violations of personal safety and privacy that I have ever experienced.”
Carpenter requested that her sister, Sarah, and her sister's boyfriend, guitarist George Smith, also be added to the protective order, as the couple resides in their Los Angeles home.
Los Angeles Police Detective. Peter Doomanis backed Carpenter's claims against Applegate, saying the man poses a serious “and increasing” threat to the singer, and has “developed a disturbing and irrational fixation” with the pop star.
Applegate was charged with misdemeanor trespassing. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 18.
Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.
