Apple CEO Tim Cook has been granted a restraining order against a Virginia woman who has allegedly been stalking him for over a year, sending him hundreds of disturbing emails and claiming he’s the father of her twins.
The behavior reportedly escalated to emails containing photos of loaded pistols and trespassing on Cook’s property. On Friday the Santa Clara County Superior Court ordered Julia Lee Choi, 45, from McLean, to stay away from the tech leader, the Mercury News reports.
Apple says Choi displayed “erratic, threatening, and bizarre behavior,” and believes she “may be armed and is still in the South Bay Area,” where Cook lives.
Choi, who calls herself Julia Lee Cook (eek) on social media and claims Cook is her husband, has been barred from possessing firearms and contacting Cook or other Apple employees.
Her Twitter bio currently reads “twins died,” and has a photo of Cook in the header.
Choi tweeted about being in a relationship with Cook several times on Halloween 2020 and sent him around 200 emails in the following weeks.
The restraining order application cited her “significant escalation in tone, becoming threatening and highly disturbing.”
“My new gun will never return it at this time before I shoot!” she reportedly wrote to Cook, according to screenshots in the application.
In another email screenshot from the application, Choi said her patience was “almost done,” and that she wanted to have sex with Cook, who is gay.
Related: Tim Cook says being gay is ‘not a limitation, it’s a feature’
Choi also allegedly registered fake corporations with “highly offensive corporate names” in California, Virginia and New York, and named Cook as a corporate officer, director or agent.
Her harassment also extended to Cook’s Twitter account, as seen in this comment:
In another email, Choi reportedly asked Cook to be her roommate and is believed to have driven a Porsche SUV to his home on October 22.
Cook’s security stopped her and asked her to leave, but according to the application, she came back and waited outside in her car.
When police arrived, Choi reportedly tried to flee and told the officers she “could get violent.” The car was towed as Choi’s license was expired.
Choi allegedly emailed Cook again in the week before Christmas and demanded $500 million. Then on New Years Day she tweeted about him using violent language, according the application. That tweet appears to have been deleted or removed.
A court hearing in the case is scheduled for March 29.
Ronbo
Yes, much worse than our own Cam.
Cam
I LOVE that the right wing troll account is so enraged at continually being exposed that it has to post about me no matter what the context.
Your trolling is not only sad and weak, but I also live rent free in your head.
LOL
bachy
As an aftermath of the psychological issues associated with repetitive lockdowns and social distancing, I predict that the stalking phenomenon is only going to become worse. I was stalked by a nearby Whole Foods employee for a few years and it was such a strange experience. He would follow me around the store and in the neighborhood. Unless they physically assault you, there is not a lot you can do except wait it out.
Kangol2
Well, one terrifying new complication in all of this is that Apple ironically has created those tiny tracking devices that some creeps are sticking to the underside of women’s cars, in their purses, etc., in order to stalk them. Perhaps Cook and his company will rethinking this horrendous addition to the tracking/surveillance regime we’re all subject to, because Apple has just increased the dangers that vulnerable people, particularly women or anyone being stalked, now face.
Bosch
Is this woman hoping we don’t know how babies are made?
Kangol2
Gay men can impregnate women, you know. It’s not happening between these two but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Bosch
She would have had to steal it when he wasn’t looking.
white-queer-african
SammyBbbb where are u? I am watching u. lol
SDR94103
get off the drugs, becky.
Prax07
Oh no, the leader of a cult has a cult-like fan. Whoops.
Cam
A shame there isn’t easier access to mental health care in the country. She sounds like she needs help.
rand503
I had a gay friend who was stalked by a woman for a few years. She insisted they could be a couple. She wasn’t really threatening, but it was difficult to deal. He was able to press charges, and as a plea agreement, she had to stay away from him and seek professional help.
What we learned: In no circumstances do you ever engage with these people. They are mentally ill. If you tell them to Ef off, stay the hell away, I hate you, etc., you are only validating their existence. In their mind, what they hear is, “I really do love you, but I can’t face it right now. Give me time and keep stalking me, and I will eventually come around.” You must totally ignore them and have no communication whatsoever.
caliboy17
Couldn’t Tim, with his position and money, just have this person dealt with…I don’t mean killed, of course…but it surprises me that a man of his stature has to deal with this sort of thing at all. I suppose if he has to deal with it…then none of us is completely safe.
Inspector 57
Well, I guess this is a too-rare example of the US’ laws being administered equally. Tim Cook gets treated by The Man just as someone who lives in a trailer court in Kentucky would be. Right or wrong, our laws really don’t protect anyone who’s being stalked very well.
And, unfortunately, caliboy17, I agree with you that none of us is safe against (potential) stalkers. (Or high school bullies, or social media weirdos, or co-workers or exes or family members who know just how far they can go to make our lives hell without committing an actual actionable “crime.”)
GrizzleyMichael
Her pathetic life is over and if there are babies they are going to an orphanage or her parents. WHAT A TOTAL LOSER
dannysax
What a delusional bitch. Just send her a recording of “Billie Jean” and change the name to “Julia Lee.” LOL.
preppyesque
I really feel for Mr. Cook, as I had a super crazy stalker once and it was scary AF. I was at a fitness center minding my own business when this huge whale of a man kept talking to me (much bigger than me as I am slightly petite). He started leaving roses and crazy notes on my car and even found out where I lived and sent some weird stuff there (scary!). I had to get him banned from the fitness center and call the police and yes, there is not much that can be done until they actually kill you. That was a very scary few months, and I didn’t have the security team and resources that Tim does. This country REALLY needs to invest in mental health resources!
Fahd
I think it would be more helpful if the media did not identify the stalker….publicity encourages not only her , but more problematically other potential copycats.
I also wonder how people this crazy have the means to pursue their stalking (e.g. she showed up at his house in a Porsche SUV (I guess its an appropriate car for the mother of his children-yikes!)). Whoever is financing this behavior could pay for mental health treatment. But sadly they probably already are.
Inspector 57
“I think it would be more helpful if the media did not identify the stalker…” Interesting, Fahd. I always read and appreciate your thoughts here. But I had been thinking that, yeah, maybe this is one case in which Queerty’s and other media’s sensationalist coverage might actually serve a useful purpose. I was thinking that the public shaming might be a deterrent to the stalker — or at least put other individuals (potential employers, her health care team, people she might target in the future, etc.) on notice as to her character and behavior.
Since her actions HAVE come to light, I gotta say she made an unfortunate choice about who to target. Tim Cook has a lot of credibility in this case — generally low-key, gay, highly regarded by many people. She would have done better to go after a pro football player, a shady politician, Kevin Hart, a televangelist, …
fredk3
once she started mentioning her gun, the craze-o-meter went into the red zone.
Bromancer7
Sorry if I can’t muster any sympathy for Cook the narcissistic sociopath.