American gymnast Shawn Johnson is opening up on her 'horror movie' stalker who plotted to kidnap her in 2009.
It has been 10 years since Johnson's stalker Robert O'Ryan, now 44, tried to kidnap her by hopping a fence to enter a TV studio where she was taping Dancing With The Stars, and was found armed with two loaded guns, duct tape, a wooden club, and poetry dedicated to the gymnast.
But a decade later, the paranoia still shakes the 27-year-old, who skyrocketed to fame in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
'[It was] surreal...like I was watching a horror film,' Johnson revealed to ABC.
'I have been driving down the street before, and paranoid that the yellow car behind me has been following me for too long,' she added. 'I have been walking down the street and if someone even resembles Robert O'Ryan, I go into just a cold sweat.'
Olympic medalist gymnast Shawn Johnson, 27, is opening up about her stalker Robert O'Ryan who tried to kidnap her in 2009, saying she's still paranoid a decade later
Her stalker Robert O'Ryan, now 44, became obsessed with her watching her compete on Dancing with the Stars and on March 25, 2009, he broke drove to LA and broke onto the set where she was performing, armed with two loaded guns and love letters to her
In June 2010 he was convicted of stalking her and was ordered to a mental institution where he spent five years then was released. He's forbidden from trying to contact Johnson.
Johnson is now speaking out about O'Ryan to spread awareness about harassment and the threat of violence against women.
She says she was 'such a reserved...and just sheltered 16-year-old' when she won four Olympic medals - three silver and one gold - in Beijing in 2008.
A year later she competed on Dancing With The Stars. Her stalker O'Ryan, then 34, became obsessed with her as he watched episodes from his trailer in Florida.
Then on March 25, 2009 he drove up from Florida to LA to meet Johnson.
'I remember getting ready for the day, being dropped off at the studio, and it just feeling normal,' Johnson recalled on that fateful day. 'I was just giddy and on cloud nine being able to be there for another dance and another week.'
A day before he arrived to LA, he was stopped by police in Alabama. Polish dash cam footage captured their conversation where he told officers he was going to meet Johnson, get married to her, and start a future together.
He was arrested after he broke onto the Dancing With The Stars set where Johnson was performing
A judge ordered him to a mental institution where he spent five years and he was later released. Pictured above talking to cops in Alabama about marrying the star gymnast before he tried to kidnap Johnson in LA
'I know if sounds a little bit crazy, but my intuition tells me that we're gonna have a beautiful relationship together,' he told the officers, who issued him two tickets for not having insurance and having an expired license plate.
Johnson said she had no idea who O'Ryan was and was concerned about the commotion on set after he broke into
