Actress Kate Beckinsale opened up about her harrowing lockdown experience. The actress revealed that scammers impersonated her and led several men to believe they were in a relationship with her.
The horrifying experience left Beckinsale and her then-boyfriend, Canadian singer Goody Grace, frightened for their lives. The scammers were never caught, and Beckinsale had to move to a new house.
Keep on reading to learn more.
Kate Beckinsale Opens Up About Her Catfishing Experience
Beckinsale recently shared a terrifying experience with catfishers who duped several men into thinking they were in a relationship with her during the lockdown. The scammers invited the victims to her Los Angeles home, leaving Kate and her then-boyfriend, Goody Grace, to live in constant fear.
Addressing her 5.5 million Instagram followers, the 49-year-old revealed that the situation was so severe that several men flew from different states to Los Angeles and showed up at her “doorstep late at night” over a couple of weeks. However, some of the men were humiliated after learning the truth, while some got arrested.
The Hollywood star shared that the horrific experience left her and Grace “completely freaked out,” and she ultimately had to move house. According to her, the scammers even created fake social media profiles for her pet cat Clive, who has become a social media sensation.
‘It’s NOT Me’
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Reiterating she would never personally reach out to men on social media, Beckinsale shared a video skit by comedian Jimmy Wyngarde, which humorously portrays a man convinced he is in a cyber relationship with Beckinsale.
Warning her followers about the dangers of online catfishing, the “Enigma” actress emphasized that if anyone receives messages supposedly to be from her, it is a scam and urged them to report and block the fraudsters.
“It’s NOT me, and you are being taken advantage of. Please report and block anyone doing this to you. Long story short, if you think I’m messaging you, it’s not me,” she stressed.
Beckinsale also added that her assistant is not authorized to message anyone on her behalf, urging her followers to be cautious during online interactions and not fall victim to such fraudulent schemes.
Kate Beckinsale’s Fans Show Their Support
Per Daily Mail, after Beckinsale shared her harrowing experience with catfishers impersonating her online, many of her fans showed their support and shared their experiences with similar scams.
One follower even reported receiving messages from fake profiles impersonating Kate’s Persian cat, writing, “Sadly, I’ve had messages from ones on here pretending to be you and select others (now [even] a fake Clive profile pops up?) and on Facebook, [some] even used your profile photo to try and lure me, but I was smart and thought, no damn way in hell.”
Another fan jokingly complained about the situation, quipping, “Oh, I’ve been waiting at Wolverhampton station for you for three hours, now where the f are you, Kate? PS, just the five-minute argument will do me for now.” This comment prompted the actress to reply, “Hahaha,” with a heart emoji.
Kate Beckinsale And Goody Grace Split in 2020
At the time of the harassment from catfishers, Beckinsale was in a relationship with Canadian singer Grace. The couple’s relationship lasted for nine months before it hit the rocks in October 2020, just three months after publicly declaring their love. Many raised eyebrows about their relationship due to the age gap between Grace and Beckinsale’s daughter, Lily, who is only two years younger than him.
According to Daily Mail, sources claimed the split was “not a big deal for Kate,” and “it was great for Kate to have him around during the lockdown.” The source added that Grace has different priorities in life and that Beckinsale “totally gets it” and fully respects his choices.
Before dating Grace, Beckinsale married director Len Wiseman for 12 years, but they divorced in 2016. In April 2020, Kate was at the center of a security breach when an alleged stalker attempted to break into her home.
In August 2021, Beckinsale put up the lavish Los Angeles mansion for sale with an asking price of $3.995 million. Per the New York Post, the property sold just weeks after being listed.
