Obsessive Fan of Paula Abdul Commits Suicide
Nov. 13, 2008— -- The woman whose body was found near Paula Abdul's home was a one-time "American Idol" contestant who, despite being ridiculed during her audition, maintained her infatuation with judge Paula Abdul.
Paula Goodspeed, 30, was found dead, an apparent suicide, Tuesday evening in her car, which was parked a few doors down from Abdul's Los Angeles home. Reuters reported that prescription pills, along with CDs and pictures of Abdul, were found in the car.
"It appears to be a suicide by overdose," Detective Robert Bub of the Los Angeles Police Department told Reuters.
According to Ross Bonfiglio, the public information officer for the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, a close relative of Goodspeed called the sheriff's office at 3 p.m. Tuesday to report the young woman missing.
"Goodspeed had not been seen since 11 p.m. Monday, and her family member thought that she might try to overdose. The family member relayed her psychiatric history including her Paula Abdul fixation," Bonfiglio said.
Police were apparently familiar with Goodspeed, who may have been stalking Abdul. A law enforcement source told the Los Angeles Times that she was known to the LAPD's threat management unit, which investigates stalking cases.
According to The Associated Press, the license plate on her car read "ABL LV" and a photo of Abdul was hanging from the rear-view mirror.
On her MySpace.com page, Goodspeed posted a seductive photo of Abdul, with her mouth open and tongue exposed, below the words, "My secret crush, shhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!"
Abdul was at the "Idol" studio when Goodspeed's body was found and had to be told by the Fox network, her rep told People magazine.
In a statement Wednesday to ABCNews.com, the singer and former Los Angeles Lakers cheerleader said: "I am deeply shocked and saddened at what transpired yesterday. My heart and prayers go out to her family."
Goodspeed's Austin, Texas, audition in 2005 was featured prominently on "Idol," after she made it to Round 3 to sing before the judges. In an interview with host Ryan Seacrest, she admitted to being a diehard Abdul fan.
"I really like Paula Abdul a lot," she told Seacrest. "She's very cool. I'm a really big fan. I make life-size drawings of Paula. I've been drawing ever since I was a little kid and my first drawing was of Paula Abdul."
Wearing a long pink skirt, cropped top, pink high-heeled boots, a pink scarf in her hair and pink and green rubber bands on her braces, Goodspeed, who said she was also known for being a "fashion genius," was compared to Abdul by another judge, Simon Cowell.
