'I'm a victim of Netflix cyberstalker Matthew Hardy - he left me scared for my life'
09.04.2024 - 17:43
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A mother has come forward to reveal her chilling ordeal that left her scared for her life at the hands of Netflix's Can I Tell You A Secret? stalker Matthew Hardy.
Kristen Dugdale's life turned into a nightmare after she was targeted by Hardy - dubbed Britain's worst cyberstalker and who has been jailed for nine years.
The 31-year-old mum was first contacted in February 2019 by an anonymous Instagram account claiming they had an important message about her then-husband.
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It began a two-year ordeal which saw Hardy accusing her of sleeping with her then-husband's father and using her images to sell adult content. He even subjected her to a barrage of anonymous phone calls and insults - calling her "disgusting" and telling her to "stick to taking your clothes off".
She became convinced it was someone she knew - and stopped trusting those close to her, and it drove a wedge between her and her now-ex. Kristen contacted police but the abuse didn't stop until Hardy's arrest - she was not involved in the court case against Hardy but police confirmed she was a victim of the prolific stalker.
Hardy, who created hundreds of fake social media accounts, is believed to have targeted 63 victims over 11 years, according to reports.
Speaking for the first time, the mum-of-one said she's still haunted by his daily messages. “I was scared for my life at one point," she said.
"I lost my confidence and my trust in people around me. Before I knew it was Hardy, this random person from a place I had never been to, I was questioning everyone around me.
“It affected my mental health, and it’s not fair – it's had a lasting impact on me, and I lost