A deranged man said to be an obsessed fan of Taylor Swift tried to break into her Tribeca apartment, claimed by the police on Sunday.

Hanks Johnson, 52 years old, allegedly attempted to force his way into Taylor Swift’s apartment in St. Franklin on Saturday evening at about 8:30 pm. Fortunately, the cops arrived, and the trespassing was foiled. Sources said that a person called 911 to notify the police that the man had broken into the building.

Caught in the act, the law charged Johnson with criminal trespass. He was released Sunday night immediately on his recognizance after a Manhattan criminal court arraignment.

Johnson’s appeal

Johnson said that he was not trespassing but was invited by Swift to go there. Outside the courthouse, he showcased his phone as he sent direct messages to Swift on her official Instagram account. He vehemently claimed that the predictive text suggestions appearing on his phone were replies from the pop star.

To add, the man presented himself as a motivational speaker with plans on visiting Taylor Swift’s apartment for a meeting at her request. He said that the presentation’s agenda was to “increase the vibrations in America” to “place America back on top” economically. He argued that Taylor wants to work with him.

In his own words, he said, “She messaged me from her place, I think, and she invited me to come over to her apartment; that’s why I went there.“ He added, “I went to Franklin St. only to communicate with her about the presentation, and that’s when the police arrived.”

Johnson’s pending cases

After his explanation, he handed out a restraining order barring him from contacting the model Hadid sisters, Bella and Gigi. These two models turn out to have connections with Taylor Swift as her close friends. Johnson showcasing this restraining order is a bit confusing because it proves more of his crime.

Apart from the restraining order that he presented, Johnson also has a pending stalking case in Manhattan from October 2019. Details regarding this case were not fully disclosed to the public.

Swift’s string of stalkers

Johnson is not the only one to do this to the American singer-songwriter. He is, however, the latest in the list of stalkers for Swift, who is popularly known for hits like “Love Story” and “Shake It Off.”

In March 2019, a man named Roger Alvarado, age 23, was arrested on felony charges after he was busted for using a ladder to climb up to the terrace of the same apartment. It was Alvarado’s second time to break in there. The first one was in 2018.

Lastly, another deranged man broke into her Rhode Island mansion in 2019, who even took off his shoes at the front door to act politely.

Taylor Swift’s apartment was bought from the “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson in 2015 for $20 million. The building is known to be a hotbed for celebrities, with Orlando Bloom, who used to own an apartment there.