Willow Smith has reportedly been granted a protection order against an alleged stalker.
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, the 20-year-old entertainer requested the order against Walter James Whaley, a 30-year-old man who had trespassed onto her Los Angeles property around Christmas 2020. Smith says the man had jumped a fence and began walking around her home as he appeared to look for ways to gain entrance. The request was accompanied by surveillance footage still shots that showed an individual outside the residence. Smith pointed to the images as proof that Whaley “will do whatever possible to make physical contact with me.”
Smith claims her security had notified police immediately after Whaley had trespassed; However, the man was not taken into custody at the time. She says officers discovered a Greyhound ticket on Whaley, indicating he had traveled all the way from Oklahoma the day prior. Smith also states that Whaley had been contacting her on social media before he was seen outside her home. He allegedly sent her messages professing his love and expressing his desire to start a family with her.
Though it’s unclear why Whaley wasn’t initially apprehended, local authorities confirmed earlier this month that Whaley had been arrested on March 3.
Following the incident, Smith reportedly hired private investigators to look into Whaley’s background. They allegedly discovered that he was a convicted sex offender.
Whaley has been ordered to cease all communications attempts with Smith and remain at least 100 yards away from her at all times.