Justin Massler, a former prep school student turned drifter, first discovered Lenora Claire through an article in the LA Weekly, which featured her as one of its people of the year for her provocative avantgarde art shows. Massler showed up to an event at one of her galleries at the time wearing a spacesuit.
The two talked a bit about graphic novels and then, Claire told the Daily Dot, “He looks me right in the eyes, and I’ll never forget it, he goes, ‘I wanna stalk you.’”
Massler even created websites dedicated to Claire, “filled with graphic and detailed rape scenarios,” and caused Claire to live in a “constant state” of fear of the day when his “threats become more than just words,” says the Daily Dot.
That was six years ago and the only time the two ever met, but Massler, a clinically diagnosed schizophrenic, has kept frighteningly true to his word, infiltrating Claire’s life using social media, including emails, texts, tweets, Facebook messages, and YouTube videos to adore and to troll her.
Like many victims of harassment and assault, Claire kept quiet at first, taking action when Massler finally threatened to kill her boss two years ago.
“I go to the Northeast Division of the LAPD, I walk in with a ton of evidence from someone that’s making credible threats with a history of stalking. I think this will be a slam dunk, and they look at me and they victim blame me, they victim shame me,” she said. “They say, ‘If you dye your hair maybe you won’t get so much attention.’ Then they tell me to get off the internet if I want him to leave me alone.”
But Claire also happens to share her stalker with Ivanka Trump, and she’s called upon the president’s daughter more than once to help her put an end to the madness.
“The Trumps have the biggest platform in the world, and they haven’t done anything for this bipartisan issue,” the 37-year-old told the Daily News earlier this year. “I would like to have a lunch with her.”
Claire is committed to using her celebrity and social media to let the world know that stalking victims — about 7.5 million annually — are from all walks of life and that law enforcement needs to treat the threats more seriously and comprehensively. “It happens to real people who do not have the benefit of hiring security firms and living in gated communities,” she told the News. “I’m a regular person that’s had enough, and I want to not only change the laws, but empower people.”
In December 2016, Claire teamed up with Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) to publicize the threat, and with fellow “48 Hours” subject Peggy Farrell to launch the nonprofit Victim Empowerment Resource Safety and Education Center. She also recently signed a deal for a TV documentary series that shows victims how to negotiate with cops and courts and stay safe.
Named the “Erin Brockovich of stalking” by Vice, Claire is a dedicated advocate working to promote safety and respect for America’s marginalized across various projects and platforms.
In fact, Claire’s come up with a host of original (and practical) ideas to improve society’s response to threatened violence against women, which she’s conveniently drafted into legislative proposals including “electronic restraining orders served via read receipts, a national stalking registry to facilitate cross-state tracking, laws for cyberstalking and doxxing, an ankle monitor initiative for stalkers on probation, and an app that would notify victims when their stalker is in the vicinity.”
- Staff
