Malika Andrews, an ESPN anchor, reportedly resorted to seeking a restraining order after situations grew worse with her stalker, Ahmed Abubakar, getting out of control. Purportedly, she had encountered problems with the same guy at the network, as have several on-air personalities. She claims that Abubakar has also harassed Stephen A. Smith, Molly Qerim, and other ESPN employees, including herself.
The harassment began with Abubakar’s messages to Andrews in September 2022, which rapidly escalated into threatening conduct. The texts initially appeared to be typical fan banter but quickly turned into threats. As the stalker repeatedly called Andrews throughout the entirety of the summer after obtaining her contact information, she became increasingly concerned.
Malika Andrews recently filed for a restraining order against Ahmed Abubakar, a 41-year-old man from New Jersey, per @TMZ
She alleges that Abubakar has been harassing her, Stephen A. Smith, and other ESPN colleagues. The harassment began with messages in September 2022, which… pic.twitter.com/bCiKUWQoID
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 4, 2023
He even obtained Andrews’ private contact numbers and made numerous calls exploiting it. Abubakar was taken into custody in August after purportedly showing up abruptly to “First Take” host Molly Qerim’s residence. Abubakar visited the ESPN Los Angeles website to get in touch with Andrews, Smith, and Qerim, she stated. She is concerned about her security as a consequence of these experiences.
Andrews urged the court to compel Abubakar to adhere to a distance of a minimum of 100 yards away from her, Smith, her fiance Dave McMenamin, and the rest of the people. Shortly after she lodged the petition, the temporary restraining order became effective.
Malika Andrews granted a restraining order against Ahmed Abubakar
The Los Angeles County Superior Court granted Malika Andrews an interim restraining order to shield her from the New Jersey stalker. ESPN claims that Abubakar has intimidated and tormented their employees, which led them to take this action. The restraining order includes protection for Andrews’ fiancé and NBA journalist Dave McMenamin, as well as “First Take” reporters Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim.
“Due to Respondent Abubakar’s harassing and threatening course of conduct, Malika Andrews is seriously alarmed and fears for her safety,” ESPN said in its petition. “She no longer feels comfortable coming to the ESPN facility where she works and does not feel comfortable interacting with her fans on social media which is an important aspect of her job.” (h/t via Washington Post)
The “derogatory and threatening” tweets Abubakar texted to Andrews in September 2022 reached the notice of ESPN’s executive director of safety and security, George Fong, who testified in court records. From that moment onward, according to Fong, he observed Abubakar’s interactions with workers at ESPN and afterward observed the individual’s focus on Andrews, Smith, and Qerim.
Malika Andrews ‘granted a restraining order against a man who stalked her, Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim… turning up to ESPN and even calling host a “malignant c***'”
his name is Ahmed Abubakar pic.twitter.com/nKQN9qU4pZ— Black AF News (@blackafnews) October 4, 2023
Abubakar discovered Andrews’ unlisted cellphone number after the most recent incident in June, and since then, he has rung her on multiple occasions. According to court records, when Abubakar initially called, Andrews hurriedly hung up and notified Fong, who commanded Abubakar to cut off all contact with Andrews. But after that, he texted Andrews on X, using no less than 14 messages.
Abubakar’s activities persisted throughout the summertime, until August 9, when he unexpectedly showed up at Qerim’s Connecticut residence. He was detained for trespassing violations and stalking, according to court docs. The Connecticut Superior Court then granted Qerim a civil restraining order against Abubakar. Fong claimed that after that occurrence, he put Andrews under continuous security surveillance.