Success in the music industry often brings admiration, but for Lacuna Coil‘s frontwoman Cristina Scabbia it also led to unsettling encounters with stalkers—so much so that the FBI had to get involved.
In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, Scabbia reflected on the highs and lows of rising to mainstream metal fame in the 2000s. Among the darker moments was the presence of obsessive fans who followed her and even sent disturbing messages.
She recalls one fan who gave her his wedding ring. “That was to tell me he had ended a toxic relationship,” she says, “and to thank me for somehow saving him from something bad with my voice.” While unusual, that interaction paled in comparison to the more troubling experiences that followed.
“That was peculiar, but I did have actual stalkers that were potentially dangerous and would follow me around,” she reveals. “I remember them sending me weird pictures of me covered in blood or sending me pictures of a fetus.”
The situation escalated to the point where law enforcement had to intervene. As a precaution, authorities assigned FBI agents to monitor her safety during Lacuna Coil‘s North American tour.
“I reported it, and for one complete tour I had an FBI agent in every town checking on me,” she explains. “It was not only disturbing, it was also boring for me because I had to be confined on a tour bus every day.”
Despite the challenges, Scabbia also acknowledges the perks of fame. She weighed in on the once-popular practice of ranking the “hottest women in metal” in magazines, a trend now widely criticized as outdated and sexist.
“I don’t see the negativity in those lists at all,” she says. “I know a lot of people are against this because they see it as sexism, but I thought it was just a way to say ‘beautiful.’ I didn’t see it as something that objectified me.”
This isn’t the first time Scabbia has spoken on the subject. In a 2022 interview – also with Metal Hammer – she noted that such recognition can be “empowering” if the artist is in “complete control” of how they are presented.
However, she did draw a line: “I hate when the image of a woman is completely sexualised, especially if there is talent behind her. There’s nothing wrong with liking yourself or feeling sexy and beautiful and showing it. Put it this way: in the music world, if being sexy is the only thing that you have to offer, that’s kind of sad.”
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