Fan Breaks Into ‘Idol’ Finalist’s Home: Court Documents Reveal Scary New Details

Getty Los Angeles Police caution tape

Scary new details have emerged regarding an “obsessed fan” who broke into the home of “American Idol” alum Daniel Seavey on July 28. The fan was caught sleeping in the popular singer’s bed, wearing his clothes, and rummaging through his kitchen while he was out of town. TMZ first reported the incident after obtaining footage of the young woman, captured on Seavey’s Ring security cameras.

Seavey was just 15 when he competed on Season 14 of “Idol,” reaching the Top 9 in 2015. The following year, he and fellow musicians formed the boy band Why Don’t We, which scored its first No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Charts in Jan. 2021 with contributors including Travis Barker, Skrillex, and Timbaland. The band has fans all over the world, who call themselves “Limelights.” However, the group’s been embroiled in legal disputes with their management and announced on July 6 that they were being forced to cancel their tour due to ongoing litigation.

In light of the band’s hiatus, Seavey began recording and releasing his own solo music — a haunting original tune called “Bleed On Me,” and a soulful cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” which is the same song he sang when auditioning for then-judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. on “American Idol.” In fact, the music video starts with a black and white clip from the audition.

Court Documents Reveal Scary Details of Home Intrusion

GettySinger Daniel Seavey in 2015 and 2022.

Over the years, Seavey has learned to deal with screaming girls wherever the band goes. But he told the Chicago Tribune in 2019 that fans act differently around the world; those in Japan are “respectful,” for instance, while fans “go crazy” in the Philippines. But in Los Angeles, Seavey said fans act like they know him personally.

“Fans there try to act like you’re homies more than they’re fans,” he told the newspaper. “It gets kind of awkward. You’ll take 30 pictures with them at an airport and they’ll (post), ‘Hanging out again.’ And you’ll be like, ‘What? No.’”

According to court documents obtained by Heavy, an “obsessed fan” broke into Seavey’s Los Angeles home on July 28 when he was out of town. According to the singer’s request for a temporary restraining order, when the young woman was spotted on Seavey’s security cameras, his older brother Tyler called the police and headed to the home. Because the fan saw him as she was being arrested, Seavey requested that his brother also be included in the restraining order.

“The person broke into my house while I was out of town,” Seavey wrote. “She stayed the night in my bed, put on my clothes, playing my musical instruments. She told LAPD we should be together when she was arrested and questioned.”

Seavey also revealed that this was not the first interaction with the fan, reporting that she’d shown up outside his gym multiple times.

“I am in fear of what she might do upon release,” he wrote.

Police said the woman gained access to the property by crawling through an open window, which is significant in part because, according to TMZ, Seavey has a tattoo on his arm of a person climbing through a window.

The woman was placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold but has since been released. The temporary restraining order, which forbids her from coming within 100 feet or contacting Seavey and his brother, will be in effect until a formal hearing on Aug. 19 to determine whether a permanent restraining order, which typically lasts three to five years, will be granted.

Seavey Now Concerned For His Safety, Says He’ll Press Charges

GettyDaniel Seavey (L) with his Why Don’t We band in March 2022.

On the morning of Aug. 1, Seavey’s dad, Jeffrey Seavey, shared several media stories about the intrusion on Twitter, writing, “Been a looooong weekend!!!” He then provided additional details in a separate tweet.

“Update: Daniel was in Miami when this happened,” his dad wrote. “The girl was held in a psych hold for 72 hours after her arrest. The Dr informed us that she will prob do it again and advised pressing charges. We have now filed a restraining order and will be pressing charges. Pls (pray) for her!!”

About an hour later, Seavey addressed the frightening incident himself, tweeting, “i am fearful for my safety and will be moving houses immediately. i will also be pressing charges. i am not in la and am safe for the time being, but i worry a restraining order isn’t enough to protect me, my friends and family.”

On Aug. 2, the singer posted two photos of himself to social media, including one of him looking through a giant magnifying glass. On Twitter, he captioned the photos with “caught ya!!” and on Instagram, where has over 2 million followers, he simply typed in three question marks.

Fans flooded the post with words of encouragement and sorrow about the situation. And on Aug. 3, they used a Twitter hashtag — #smilesfordaniel– to try lifting his spirits. Most fans posted a picture of themselves next to a photo of Seavey and a note about how the singer has positively impacted their lives.