Dear Prudie,
I’m a graduate student and one of the other students here is writing her thesis on an actress in her 70s. This classmate is extremely obsessed with the actress. She has seen all of her movies and shows many times, read all her articles and interviews. She talks about this woman constantly, to the point that if a conversation is not about this actress, she will quote a line from her movies in order to change the subject to her. My classmate recently confessed to me that she used her graduate funding to track this woman in New York City. She has figured out approximately where this lady lives, and knows what restaurants she frequents. She said she spent time sitting in a nearby park hoping to see the actress. She also used property records to find the actress’s summer home. She has tried to get an interview, but has been firmly turned down by the actress’s management. She’s angry that the manager is standing between her and the actress. Other people have brought up to her that her obsession seems unhealthy, but she has rebuffed them. She says everything she does is for research. I think she’s a stalker. Should something be done, and what?