Did anyone doubt that Christina Grimmie’s horrific murder was at the hands of a demented fan?
According to Orlando authorities, Kevin Loibl shot The Voice star dead Friday night during a fan meet and greet at the Plaza Live concert venue. The killer turned the gun on himself after Christina’s brother tacked him to the ground.
Now, TMZ has talked to people who worked with Loibl who say he went to great lengths to attract Christina’s attention.
Various people who worked with Kevin Loibl tell TMZ his infatuation with Christina was boundless. He went on a mission to change his appearance for her and, toward the end, got hair transplants and Lasik eye surgery. He also went vegan to lose weight.
He would also listen to her music at work and vow she would someday be his wife.
Loibl’s Best Buy co-workers say he went to one of Christina’s shows in March and hinted that he actually met her. The co-workers also say the Geek Squad killer claimed to have played online games with the singer. A source close to the singer, however, tells us Christina never had contact with Loibl.
And there’s this. The co-workers say they teased Loibl that he would never score because Christina had a boyfriend–her producer. That relationship was never public, but pictures of Christina and the guy together on social media made it pretty clear. They were together. We’re told that enraged Loibl.
Christina’s murder is a tragic outcome I always feared for singing show alums. An artist’s success on a show like The Voice or American Idol depends on fans being emotionally invested enough to VOTE VOTE VOTE for their favorites. Unstable individuals can come out of that experience with dangerous levels of entitlement. An irrational and troubled person figures the artist OWES them more than art. Christina’s constant presence on social media and Youtube helped grow her fanbase, but also potentially inflamed dangerous fantasies.
Big stars like Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber can afford 24/7 security to keep the crazies away. But up and comers like Christina are the artists who are most at risk. They NEED fan investment to grow their brand, yet can’t yet afford expensive security to protect themselves. Every struggling artist has got to be thinking twice after Christina’s murder. Artist management and venues have to figure out a way to keep people safe. Maybe the one on one meet and greet will become a thing of the past.
