1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:11,520 [applauses] 4 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:17,120 [TV host] Waiting for "Waterloo" by ABBA for Sweden. 5 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:19,800 [applauses] 6 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:25,480 [soft music] 7 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,400 [Gert] I miss her incredibly. 8 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,280 Basically, not a day goes by where I don't think about her. 9 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:37,320 [TV host] Agnetha Fältskog! 10 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:39,720 [interviewer] Do you have a favorite outfit? 11 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,800 Yes, personally I like jeans and a pullover. 12 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,240 You and Frida always look, absolutely beautiful. 13 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:52,480 Sometimes, I think... 14 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,640 ...that if I told people this... 15 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:58,480 ...they'd think I'm just lying. 16 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,480 [soft music] 17 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:06,760 We loved each other. 18 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:16,000 - We want ABBA! - [happy cheering] 19 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,760 The thing about fan worship... It's a fantasy. 20 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:23,800 It's a fantasy. 21 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:29,880 Certain types of extreme fans truly believe that they know them. 22 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:36,400 [Agnetha] You get a lot of letters and strange things from slightly sick people. 23 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:41,160 This was definitely idolatry at its most extreme. 24 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,880 He was the one who loved Abba the most. 25 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:52,320 From eight years old he was like, "I want her". 26 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,800 This was someone who took their infatuation 27 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:57,400 one step, two steps, three steps further. 28 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:04,360 [Dronfield] Stalking is a pattern of unwanted, fixated, obsessive behavior. 29 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,600 It's very dangerous. 30 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:12,360 The Dutchman who for several months stalked and harassed Agnetha Fältskog 31 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,240 was today convicted at Solna Tingsrätt. 32 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:20,600 It was the beautiful blonde attacked by a terrible, ugly man, 33 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:24,560 but every story has two sides. 34 00:02:24,640 --> 00:02:27,680 She wrote me a letter. 35 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:32,440 This is the proof I have of us having a good relationship. 36 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:38,920 This love story that he has created isn't love. It's a crime. 37 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:40,720 [interviewer] This man who stalked you, 38 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:42,200 is he still bothering you? 39 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,200 [Agnetha] I don't know if I can talk about that. 40 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,960 Due to security reasons, I can't. 41 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:50,600 [TV host] Today he was convicted of harassment. 42 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:56,960 I've rarely heard a story with such wild swings between euphoria and terror. 43 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:01,160 - Do you still love her? - Yes, I love her very much. 44 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,680 [birds chirping, traffic] 45 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:25,640 [soft, slightly somber music] 46 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:32,040 22 YEARS AFTER THE VERDICT 47 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,560 [soft music] 48 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:49,360 [calm breathing, pen against paper] 49 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:51,840 [Gert reads out loud] "Hello, Agnetha." 50 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:59,080 "I will never send this letter, and you will never read it." 51 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,400 "But it feels good to write to you anyway." 52 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:14,680 [water boiling] 53 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,600 "There's not a lot going on here in Coevorden." 54 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,000 "I still work at the warehouse." 55 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:37,160 "You don't have to think very much. I like that." 56 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:40,080 "I think way too much otherwise." 57 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:49,040 - [in Dutch] -Hello. - [dr. Hengeveld] Welcome. 58 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:52,360 [Gert reads out loud] "I've begun seeing a therapist." 59 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:57,720 "We spoke about you today. About our relationship." 60 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,440 "He wondered why things came to an end." 61 00:05:06,280 --> 00:05:09,560 "I didn't know how to reply." 62 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,120 "Why did you break up with me?" 63 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,280 It's very sensitive. 64 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,600 Because... 65 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:33,400 Because it's not over. 66 00:05:35,280 --> 00:05:37,760 Not for my part, at least. 67 00:05:40,280 --> 00:05:42,040 [rattles] 68 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,160 [sobs a bit and sighs] 69 00:05:56,400 --> 00:06:00,560 [Gert, in Dutch] The thing is that I had a relationship with a famous woman. 70 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:06,600 And the woman keeps denying that there ever was a relationship. 71 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:13,720 And I'm in the papers again, with "he's stalking me and ruining my life." 72 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:20,120 It sounds strange, but when I tell people, most people think: 73 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:24,480 "He's lying like crazy. It can't be true." 74 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:29,240 It's definitely a very unlikely story, unbelievable story, I have to say. 75 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,000 - Isn't it? - You're free to say so. 76 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:36,640 A man from the Netherlands is no Brad Pitt, so to say. 77 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:41,880 That this has happened, so to say. This is very special. 78 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:46,560 [dr. Hengeveld, in English] When I heard about his story I only knew very little. 79 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,240 My picture was that he really did not have a relationship with her. 80 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:53,680 So I was just curious what his real story is. 81 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:56,640 Not only what's written in the media. 82 00:06:58,120 --> 00:06:59,800 [soft music] 83 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:08,000 [in Dutch] I went to elementary school with Gert van der Graaf. 84 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:12,880 And I remember him as a quiet boy. He kept to himself. 85 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:20,600 [in English] I don't remember Gert, probably because nobody noticed him. 86 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:27,240 But even then you should remember somebody. It's just strange. 87 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:29,040 [dog panting] 88 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,840 It must have been hard on him as well. 89 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:44,600 [Gert] I didn't have a lot of friends as a child. 90 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:50,000 I was a bit of a distant person. 91 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:55,600 When I turned eight, I got a turtle named Bram. 92 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:02,960 As soon as I got home from school, I gave him something to eat. 93 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:06,440 Some minced meat or a worm or something. 94 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:13,440 Bram was a sort of friend to me. I developed a bond with him. 95 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:17,000 He was always there for me. 96 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:22,920 My sibling always brought home classmates and they played together, 97 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:29,960 but I was always alone at home, alone in my room, playing with things I liked, 98 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,160 or listening to music. 99 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:38,000 [applauses, fanfares] 100 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:41,440 Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. 101 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:46,280 Welcome to the 19th Eurovision Song Contest. 102 00:08:48,560 --> 00:08:51,560 [Gert] I remember that I was eight years old. 103 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:56,160 My dad sat down on the couch, and we watched the Eurovision Song Contest. 104 00:08:56,240 --> 00:09:01,800 Long long live love 105 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:05,600 First it was England, then France... 106 00:09:05,680 --> 00:09:09,800 Celui qui reste et celui qui s'en va 107 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,160 ...and after that, it's Sweden. 108 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:14,120 [TV host] We move into Sweden, 109 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:16,160 the largest of the Scandinavian countries. 110 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:19,920 Although we are looking at streets, it's full of mountains, lakes, and forests. 111 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:24,400 Of course it's full of blonde Vikings. This is why it's good for pictures. 112 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:28,000 These are ABBA. If all the judges were men, 113 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:31,560 I'm sure they would get a lot of votes. You will see why in a minute. 114 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:33,760 Their song is called "Waterloo". 115 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:39,200 [Gert] I remember that Agnetha and Frida walked down some stairs 116 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,280 and started singing "Waterloo." 117 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:46,120 [soft music] 118 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:54,120 I've seen this a hundred thousand times. 119 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:01,280 That evening, my life was changed. 120 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:04,720 A new world opened up. 121 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:08,600 I was caught by Agnetha's eyes. 122 00:10:08,680 --> 00:10:11,040 Those beautiful, blue eyes. 123 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:14,680 They were pretty to look at, her eyes. 124 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:21,440 I loved the song and started singing. "Waterloo, Waterloo, Waterloo!" 125 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:25,120 And I sang again: "Waterloo, Waterloo!" Until my dad said: 126 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:29,240 "Stop singing 'Waterloo'! You're driving me crazy!" 127 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:33,920 The winning song of the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. 128 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:37,800 [host, in French] Sweden with "Waterloo," performed by ABBA. 129 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:39,720 [applauses] 130 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:45,000 ABBA won, and I was really happy. 131 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:55,680 After that night, I was mad about ABBA. 132 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:04,040 As soon as the Eurovision Song Contest ended, 133 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:10,520 I went up to my room and tried to set up the radio to listen to "Waterloo" again. 134 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:14,200 [radio static] 135 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:17,720 [Agnetha on radio] For the next number, would you kids like to join us here? 136 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,840 - It's a song called "Waterloo"! - [cheering] 137 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:28,000 The magic that happens when ABBA plays is crazy. 138 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:33,200 It was such a good song, so catchy and fresh. They looked amazing. 139 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:39,720 We got the song that won by the Swedish group ABBA. It's all about Waterloo. 140 00:11:40,680 --> 00:11:45,680 [Gambaccini] Eurovision was the perfect launching pad to go international. 141 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:51,800 Suddenly we've reached take-off, and the rockets lifts off. "Oh my God." 142 00:11:54,320 --> 00:12:00,840 They are ABBA and their song that everyone wants to hear is at number 1. 143 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:04,560 In the '70s, there was an ABBA hysteria. 144 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:08,640 They had millions of fans from all around the world. 145 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:10,120 [TV presenter] In Australia, 146 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:12,680 more people watched ABBA on TV 147 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:16,600 than watched the coverage of the first man landing on the moon. 148 00:12:16,680 --> 00:12:19,560 [crowd cheers] 149 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:21,320 [Jones] They had the whole package. 150 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:26,720 Geeky guys, gorgeous girls, fabulous music. It's irresistible. 151 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:28,880 [Swedish TV presenter] ABBA is already selling 152 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:33,200 hundreds of thousands of records in the US. 153 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:38,000 They were touring, revered, loved, cracking America, cracking countries. 154 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:39,760 They were huge. 155 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,800 [Agnetha] We're proud of what we've accomplished, 156 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,160 and that's what we want the world to know. 157 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:49,040 They were the modern Beatles. 158 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:52,320 - How does it feel to be an idol? - [laughs] 159 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:55,320 I'm exhausted! 160 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:02,560 [Richards] Gert sets his sights on Agnetha from a very young age. 161 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:06,000 This attraction was about her beauty and what she symbolized. 162 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,560 It wasn't that she was a great singer or that they were a great band. 163 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:14,400 "I love their music. It makes me want to dance." It was all about her. 164 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:21,440 [Strage] Gert has loved Agnetha since he was eight years old. 165 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:26,160 It's hard to get rid of an obsession like that. 166 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:33,280 Here is a collection of CDs. 167 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:37,400 Agnetha's complete Swedish repertoire. 168 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:41,520 And here I've got lots of movies, Swedish movies. 169 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:47,400 Fifteen years ago, I wrote the book "Fans" about idolatry and obsession. 170 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:50,000 That's when I met Gert van der Graaf. 171 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:53,440 I've got a few t-shirts as well. 172 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:58,400 Everything I have is Swedish. 173 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:01,600 [Strage] I interviewed Gert van der Graaf for three days. 174 00:14:01,680 --> 00:14:03,680 One reason why I wrote "Fans" 175 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:08,640 was that I myself have been a fan of a number of artists. 176 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:14,160 So I could relate, in part, to his extreme devotion. 177 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:21,200 [Gert] My room was in the attic. There I could be alone, 178 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:26,160 and I started gathering information about ABBA and Sweden. 179 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:35,280 I collected things, I read magazines, and I watched Swedish movies. 180 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:41,160 Emil of Lönneberga, Pippi Longstocking. 181 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:45,120 Gert loves Sweden, and he has a pretty idealized, 182 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,360 Astrid Lindgren-based view of Sweden as a nation. 183 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:55,560 [Gert] I liked Volvo, Saab, Scania, Volvo trucks. 184 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:00,800 Electrolux, Ikea, Husqvarna. 185 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:05,840 Swedish food. Salisbury steak, minute steak, hot dogs, falukorv sausage... 186 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:09,760 I loved everything that had to do with Sweden and ABBA. 187 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:16,240 Perhaps this can be compared with how some people have a hole inside, 188 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:18,320 and then they find Jesus. 189 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:22,200 [light, soft music] 190 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:28,720 ABBA may have become an ersatz family or circle of friends. 191 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,840 Since he didn't have any other friends, other than a turtle, 192 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:35,680 he could dive into these records, 193 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:38,360 into the glittering world that ABBA offered. 194 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:47,920 He found something that he could focus on, fixate on, and fantasize about. 195 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:54,720 Then it became... It grew into a fixation, a delusion, a fantasy. 196 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:00,840 [Strage] ABBA's music worked as a medicine for him. 197 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:03,200 It healed his soul, 198 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:09,920 and Agnetha Fältskog became his obsession, his love, and his worship. 199 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:17,000 [Gert] When I was a teenager, the others in my class 200 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:19,920 started getting boyfriends and girlfriends. 201 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,760 I went home and listened to ABBA. 202 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:27,160 [soft music] 203 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:32,640 I became more and more interested in Agnetha. 204 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:39,000 A very Happy New Year to all our Dutch viewers. 205 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:41,680 - From Frida. - From Benny. 206 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:45,080 - And from Björn. - And from Agnetha. 207 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:51,000 It could feel deep down inside that Agnetha was becoming interesting. 208 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:53,760 I think she's amazing. 209 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:58,200 [interviewer] Where did you meet? Is it a long story? 210 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:00,200 Oh, it's a long story. 211 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:05,120 At first I met Björn, and Frida met Benny. Then we got together later. 212 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:09,200 - And joined up as a foursome. - But we met as friends. 213 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:14,880 Agnetha was my first true love. But unfortunately, she was married to Björn. 214 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:17,280 You've almost been promoted as... 215 00:17:17,360 --> 00:17:21,760 From the beginning it's been very clear that you are two couples. 216 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:26,280 [Hyman] You're a tight unit where you're not only recording, singing, touring, 217 00:17:26,360 --> 00:17:30,920 but you're married to each other! It's not like they, "How was your day at work?" 218 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:36,360 "I've been with you in the studio. We're writing songs, singing, arguing, touring." 219 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:37,920 That's intense. 220 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:39,640 [clatters] 221 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:41,480 [Dutch presenter] Something earth-shattering is happening 222 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:44,080 in the personal lives of Agnetha and Björn, 223 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,360 causing an upheaval in journalists' minds: a divorce. 224 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:52,760 - As you can see, we are good friends. - Oh. 225 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:54,520 [everyone laughs] 226 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:58,080 [Gert] In 1979, she divorced Björn. 227 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:02,720 We don't want to discuss it anymore, at least not I. 228 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:10,280 And there I saw an opening for perhaps getting a close contact with her. 229 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:19,600 Gert and I were members of an ABBA fan club. 230 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:25,720 He was one of the people who I exchanged letters with. 231 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:29,560 He always focused on Agnetha. 232 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:35,360 I myself was a big fan of Frida. She was my idol. 233 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:38,400 So we talked a lot about such things, 234 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:43,760 but for him it was always about Agnetha. 235 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,200 The goal was to meet Agnetha. 236 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:54,200 [Gert] The very first letter, I wrote from the Netherlands. 237 00:18:55,600 --> 00:19:00,280 I didn't speak Swedish then, so I tried writing in English, 238 00:19:00,360 --> 00:19:04,000 which I had learnt a bit in school. 239 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:12,840 I didn't have her address, so I just wrote "ABBA, Agnetha, Sweden." 240 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:22,000 I didn't get a reply, so I continued to write letters, 241 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:25,640 hoping they would arrive. 242 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:32,160 [Bergsvenkenrud] Many fans could handle it normally. 243 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:36,960 Posters on the wall, perhaps go to a concert 244 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:43,760 and perhaps get a chance to meet them to get a picture and an autograph. 245 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:47,720 That would be enough for them. But never for him. 246 00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:50,400 [soft, somber music] 247 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:55,480 Being a fan is a part of growing up. I think that's healthy, actually, 248 00:19:55,560 --> 00:20:00,720 to feel that you belong to something, a group, a collective, a shared identity. 249 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:06,120 But the problem comes when fan becomes fanatical. 250 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:10,280 This is where things can really mushroom and blow out of all proportion. 251 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:20,760 Please sit down. 252 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:22,400 [applauses subside] 253 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:27,640 The papers have been full of stories that you're going to split, eventually. 254 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,640 - You're not? - No. 255 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:36,240 - Are you quitting, or will you keep going? - We've been asked that from the beginning. 256 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,120 When will we stop? When will ABBA fall apart? 257 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,920 That's still just as difficult to give an answer to. 258 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:45,760 We've said that we'll continue as long as it's fun, 259 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:48,080 and as long as we have something to give, musically. 260 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:52,560 IS ABBA BREAKING UP? 261 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:54,120 [sad music] 262 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:58,840 [Jones] The fact that you only had two couples and they both divorce. 263 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:00,600 You've got no band anymore. 264 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:08,000 So really, the end of those two marriages was the end of ABBA. 265 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:13,960 [Hyman] It was a very sad time. 266 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:18,920 To have such an amazing, euphoric career and success in the music business 267 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:23,640 and then you are splitting as a group and as a couple. 268 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:28,080 For them it was awful. 269 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:31,240 For the fans, too. 270 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:38,280 [Strage] In 1982, when ABBA broke up, Gert was heartbroken. 271 00:21:38,360 --> 00:21:41,680 Until he read that Agnetha Fältskog was aiming for a solo career. 272 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:44,920 Agnetha Fältskog, welcome to Britain. 273 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:48,680 You're here to promote an album coming out later in the month. 274 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:54,840 The album comes the last of May, and it's called "Wrap Your Arms Around Me". 275 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:57,320 I might. 276 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:02,400 [Strage] She went on a promotion tour in Europe and performed on Dutch TV. 277 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:05,400 [fast violin music] 278 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:11,760 I knew that Agnetha was coming. But I wasn't allowed to go by my mom and dad. 279 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:19,120 So I skipped school and biked as quickly as I could 280 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:22,000 about 50 kilometers to Aalsmeer. 281 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:38,200 Hi. Welcome to Holland, Agnetha. 282 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:42,680 It's a great honor for us to have you here in our show. 283 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:45,280 - It's so nice to be here. - Yeah. 284 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:48,440 [piano music, applauses] 285 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:52,000 [Gert] There she was, for real, in front of me. 286 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:56,360 Live in RAI, Agnetha Fältskog. 287 00:22:56,440 --> 00:23:00,240 [Gert] It was the greatest dream I'd had. 288 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:03,440 [dreamy music] 289 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,360 [Gert] She looked out into the audience when she was singing, 290 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:11,000 and I felt that she looked straight at me. 291 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:21,040 She gave me a very special look. 292 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:23,760 [applauses, soft piano music] 293 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:28,600 - We love you. - I love you. 294 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:31,440 [audience laughs and applauds] 295 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:38,480 [Gert] I wanted to get even closer. 296 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:46,760 That's when I decided that one day, I would go to Sweden. 297 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:49,520 And try to find her. 298 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:55,480 The delusions that come from stalkers are the stories 299 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:58,920 that they play over and over, the fantasies. 300 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:04,240 It comes from, "Oh, they looked at me. They were seeking me out." 301 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:06,920 Then this whole story plays out in their head. 302 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:12,080 In his mind, now it's just cemented, these feelings that he's had. 303 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:18,360 He is determined that he will get her attention and win her affection. 304 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,440 [dreamy music] 305 00:24:23,120 --> 00:24:26,640 [Gert] I had no money, no car, not even a driver's license, 306 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,120 and I couldn't speak Swedish. 307 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:32,760 So I worked really hard to realize my dream. 308 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:35,040 [quicker music] 309 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:40,360 [Strage] Gert gathered return bottles, worked at a patisserie, in a warehouse. 310 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,600 He saved all his money and allowed himself no excesses. 311 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:45,920 The goal was to get to Sweden. 312 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:54,720 [Jones] He devoted his entire existence to getting to this woman. 313 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:59,080 His role on this planet, this Earth, this life was to be with her. 314 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:02,400 He just went for it. "What the heck? I don't have anything." 315 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:05,720 "Let's go for it. Let's see what happens." 316 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:12,680 [Gert] I got my driver's license, I bought a Volvo, and I took lessons in Swedish. 317 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:20,720 It took many years, but when I was 28, I could at last make my dream come true. 318 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:22,640 [car starting] 319 00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:31,840 [Erfors] She's celebrated, successful and beautiful. 320 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:38,560 He's a Dutch weirdo. All the odds are against a romance. 321 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:41,040 All the odds were against a romance. 322 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:48,720 [Hyman] You watching "Waterloo", ABBA videos and concerts... 323 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:53,600 That's a one in ten million chance that you will have a relationship with her. 324 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:55,640 It's unbelievable. 325 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:57,480 [quick xylophone music] 326 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:07,720 [Gert] It felt absolutely wonderful. I almost kissed the ground when I arrived. 327 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:11,560 I was finally in my dream country. 328 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:21,400 The first time I went to Sweden, I had a map exactly like this one. 329 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:27,560 So I ended up in Halmstad and followed the E6 to Gothenburg. 330 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:31,640 [Strage] Gert drove along the west coast. 331 00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:36,000 He had heard that Agnetha had a house near the Norwegian border... 332 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:38,080 ...which she didn't. 333 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:40,760 [exciting music] 334 00:26:43,360 --> 00:26:45,000 [Strage] He visited cities in Sweden, 335 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:50,040 and in every city, he went to a phone booth and checked the phone book 336 00:26:50,120 --> 00:26:53,000 looking up Fältskog to see if she lived there. 337 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:58,960 Finally, he came to Jönköping, the city that Agnetha Fältskog is from. 338 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:02,280 I was hoping to find her there. 339 00:27:02,360 --> 00:27:06,880 I found the address of an Agnetha Fältskog. I could barely believe it. 340 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:12,720 I bought flowers and chocolate and went to the address. 341 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:18,080 I pressed the buzzer and waited. I was so nervous. 342 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:22,080 And when the door opened... 343 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:26,800 ...it was the wrong Agnetha. 344 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:28,360 [sad music] 345 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:33,520 That made me a bit disappointed, but in Jönköping, I met another ABBA fan. 346 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:36,160 She told me that Agnetha lived in Stockholm. 347 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:45,920 Stockholm was so beautiful, an old city yet at the same time modern. 348 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,480 But it was big, a lot bigger than I'd expected. 349 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:51,640 [screams and laughter] 350 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:57,120 When I realized how big Stockholm was, I started to lose hope. 351 00:27:57,200 --> 00:28:02,720 I got lost everywhere I went. I was thinking that I'd never find her. 352 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:07,480 [soft music] 353 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:13,280 [Strage] Agnetha Fältskog lived out on Ekerö and rarely came into the city. 354 00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:18,080 She was a very reclusive, mythical artist. The Greta Garbo of pop Sweden. 355 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:23,080 [soft music slowly intensifying] 356 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:31,920 [Gert] You won't believe this, 357 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:37,800 but by coincidence I ended up at Skytteholm, a hotel on Ekerö. 358 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:45,360 [Strage] He claims he went there looking for cheap accommodation, 359 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:48,640 not because he knew that Agnetha Fältskog lived on Ekerö. 360 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:52,000 He claims that he ended up there by coincidence. 361 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:54,440 There's never a coincidence. 362 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:59,520 They plan out how they're going to get up close and personal. 363 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:04,880 For the stalker, that's when they come alive and are connected to this person. 364 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:12,840 [Gert] At the hotel, I met a bartender. 365 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:19,120 I told him that I was a fan and was looking for Agnetha in Stockholm. 366 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:25,800 He took out a paper and a pen and started drawing a map. 367 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:32,080 Apparently, she lived ten minutes from there. 368 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:38,280 So I drove there. 369 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:49,240 [Strage] Gert drove out to her estate thinking, "Wow, this is where she lives." 370 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:56,520 I think he brought Dutch Gouda cheese and some tulips with him. 371 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:01,920 [tires scraping against road] 372 00:30:03,320 --> 00:30:07,200 Agnetha was driving out, and the two nearly crashed into each other. 373 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:12,200 Gert was thinking, "Oh, no. What if I had crashed into my great idol?" 374 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:14,920 [dreamy music] 375 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:18,800 [Gert] It was the first time I saw her. 376 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:22,920 I was a bit sorry that I did something like that. 377 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:27,160 Maybe she got shocked or scared. 378 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:33,040 I drove back to Skytteholm and drank a coffee to calm my nerves a bit. 379 00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:36,800 I was thinking about what to do now. 380 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:42,920 But then it happened. 381 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:51,400 [Strage] According to Gert, they met at a parking lot at Skytteholm. 382 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:55,280 Agnetha was taking a walk, and it was her birthday. 383 00:30:57,080 --> 00:30:59,000 [Gert] I couldn't believe my eyes. 384 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:06,000 I was caught by surprise that she was at the same place as me. 385 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:11,400 She was walking with a man. I didn't know who that person was. 386 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:15,920 I was both happy and worried at the same time. 387 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,560 I said, "Happy birthday, Agnetha." 388 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:25,320 I saw it in her eyes that she got a bit happy. 389 00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:30,000 Already by that time, I felt there was something between us. 390 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:37,000 In some way, we had a strong connection. I felt that something clicked between us. 391 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,720 You've got to look at it from Agnetha's point of view. 392 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:51,120 A fan says "Happy birthday". She's going to respond in a nice way. 393 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:56,240 But the way Gert's taken that, is completely different- 394 00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:59,200 and he's built his own fantasy of what that means. 395 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:04,840 Gert felt that something magical happened between them when they first talked. 396 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:09,320 I have a hard time believing that Agnetha Fältskog felt something similar. 397 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:12,160 - Agnetha Fältskog. - [cheering and clapping] 398 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:17,400 [both laugh loudly] 399 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:22,720 - I think you didn't expect that. - Did you just fall? 400 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:29,200 [de Jong] I can understand that people are big fans of Agnetha. 401 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:32,160 She is such a great artist. 402 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:36,400 I can imagine many boys must have had a crush on her. 403 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:39,600 Agnetha has to put up with her butt all the time. 404 00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:41,920 [host] And her blonde hair, I guess. 405 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:47,560 I see that as a positive thing, but other things may be less positive. 406 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:52,160 [Hyman] She's more than "I'm so pretty." She had the talent as well. 407 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:55,720 Obviously, the looks are great. Lots of pop stars just look good, 408 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:58,320 but she was also an amazing performer. 409 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:02,240 How long did it take you to record the album? 410 00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:06,480 - Between two and three years. - That's quite a long time. 411 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:12,360 Everybody was in love with Agnetha. She was a fantastic songwriter. 412 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:13,960 [woman] We love you! 413 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:17,240 - Thank you. - What did that woman say? 414 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:19,880 "I love you. We love you." 415 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:25,040 Agnetha Fältskog is one of the most iconic Swedish women of all time. 416 00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:30,400 Her charisma, her presence and her look left a deep impression in music history. 417 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:38,840 My name is Leif Schulman. I've worked as a journalist since the seventies. 418 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:45,240 Through my work I've often come into contact with ABBA throughout the years. 419 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:55,160 We met privately at different parties. I have a memory of one of these parties 420 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:59,560 seeing Agnetha getting up and going to the living room floor 421 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:01,120 where people were dancing. 422 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:06,960 She stood there listening, humming, and dancing a bit to the music. As people did. 423 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:13,200 In my view, she was this great artist, but here she was just a normal girl. 424 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:17,160 [cheering and shouting] 425 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:21,120 She loved to sing and stand on the stage, 426 00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:26,520 but what she didn't like was the touring. 427 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:31,800 [interviewer] ABBA on one side and the children and family on the other. 428 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:36,360 - How does it work, Agnetha? - Of course it's also a problem. 429 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:42,840 Because you always feel guilty that you don't have enough time for them. 430 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:49,360 The children always need you. Even though they're ten they need you as much. 431 00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:51,120 [soft music] 432 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:56,920 [Schulman] She definitely wasn't comfortable in the star roll. 433 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:03,120 She has always been the girl next door. She was never really the star. 434 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:09,520 She was and still is the girl from Jönköping. It shines through her. 435 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:15,600 - I am like everybody else. - That's exactly what you are not. 436 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:20,120 Yes, I am. I'm so very ordinary. 437 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:27,000 [dreamy music] 438 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:32,480 I got such a strong feeling from our first encounter. 439 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:39,400 So I started dreaming of Agnetha becoming my girlfriend. 440 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:48,360 When I got back home to Holland, I started planning my next trip to Sweden. 441 00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:55,400 I traveled perhaps 30 times between Holland and Sweden. 442 00:35:57,280 --> 00:35:59,760 Back and forth, back and forth. 443 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:06,680 I wrote a hundred letters, at least. 444 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:11,280 In the letters, I wrote which dates I was in Ekerö. 445 00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:15,240 I didn't get any replies, but I never gave up. 446 00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:27,760 [in Dutch] I tried to be in places 447 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:31,240 where I could I get a feel for where she used to go. 448 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:34,680 Everybody needs to go out to eat sometimes where you live. 449 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:38,000 - So that was only a plan, then? - It was already a plan, yes. 450 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:44,760 Then I knew which sushi bar she used to get take-away, 451 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:50,720 where she went to eat out, and where she used to shop. 452 00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:55,920 I knew where she went on walks, which car she drove... 453 00:36:56,000 --> 00:37:02,360 Yes, I kept track of that. I kept an eye on it. 454 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:08,600 It's terrifying when another human being spends all their time 455 00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:14,760 and commits to researching and hunting another human being. 456 00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:17,320 That's what we should call it. Hunting humans. 457 00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:25,640 [Dronfield] In order for a stalker to stop, they must recognize that it's wrong. 458 00:37:25,720 --> 00:37:28,520 I think that's where the problem lies, 459 00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:33,720 because if you allow this delusion, this fixation, to fester 460 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:36,000 it just evolves. 461 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:46,280 [Gert] I commuted every weekend to Ekerö. It was really frustrating. 462 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:49,760 Staying at hotels was getting expensive. 463 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:55,240 Later on, he discovered that there was a small house nearby, on Ekerö. 464 00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:57,520 This small house was for sale. 465 00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:05,640 He thought that if he stayed there, he could even get to know Agnetha. 466 00:38:05,720 --> 00:38:09,720 [Gert] So in May of '97, I bought a house on Ekerö. 467 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:14,200 - [interviewer] 800 m from Agnetha's home? - [hums affirmingly] 468 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:24,000 [Erfors] It takes his stalking to another level. 469 00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:32,280 It shows how obsessed he was with her and how extremely fixated he was on her. 470 00:38:36,200 --> 00:38:41,080 It must be quite unusual even for a stalker to get a mortgage and buy a cabin 471 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:44,120 to live near the person you're fixated on. 472 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:56,720 [Agnetha] For ten years, I was followed and chased wherever I went. 473 00:38:56,800 --> 00:39:00,400 It felt difficult sometimes to never be left alone. 474 00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:04,480 Sometimes I just long for a place where I can be by myself. 475 00:39:08,520 --> 00:39:11,440 [Dutch tv host] Agnetha, the blonde singer of ABBA. 476 00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:16,560 The songs are still heard, but Agnetha is no longer seen. 477 00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:20,320 The superstar has turned her back to the music and the audience. 478 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:29,000 From '92 or '93, Agnetha Fältskog disappeared from public life completely. 479 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:35,640 [Dutch TV presenter] She says no to every interview, shuns the outside world, 480 00:39:35,720 --> 00:39:41,320 and has even employed a security company to keep curious people far away. 481 00:39:42,880 --> 00:39:47,680 [Agnetha] I've had it with traveling and barren hotel rooms over the years. 482 00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:50,920 Many times I've been in some place missing home, 483 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:53,840 where I can be myself with the kids. 484 00:39:54,720 --> 00:39:57,280 [sad music] 485 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:00,120 AGNETHA'S DARKEST SECRET REVEALED 486 00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:03,720 [Dekker] In the early nineties Agnetha had some difficulties in her family. 487 00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:07,600 THIS IS WHERE HER MOM FELL 488 00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:12,840 Her father died. Her mother committed suicide. Terrible. You're in shock. 489 00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:19,440 You need comfort, you need compassion. Someone has to understand you. 490 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:29,040 [Strage] Agnetha Fältskog had recently been through her second divorce. 491 00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:31,840 She had also lost both her parents. 492 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:37,440 Not long after that, Stikkan Anderson passed away. 493 00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:40,280 He discovered and managed ABBA. 494 00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:42,280 [applause] 495 00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:45,160 [male TV presenter] Stig Anderson is first out. 496 00:40:45,240 --> 00:40:47,360 [female TV presenter] Stikkan Anderson is dead, 497 00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:50,520 the music publisher, lyricist, and father of ABBA. 498 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:54,120 That is how he will be remembered by the world. 499 00:40:57,720 --> 00:41:01,040 [Gert] I thought Agnetha would be broken by sorrow. 500 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:08,000 And I wanted to be there when she needed me. 501 00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:10,640 [music intensifies] 502 00:41:12,440 --> 00:41:16,680 He gets into his car after a long shift at the warehouse 503 00:41:16,760 --> 00:41:21,720 and speeds off toward Sweden to help her in this difficult moment. 504 00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:30,600 I wanted to help and support her, the same way her music had done for me. 505 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:37,200 [music intensifies] 506 00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:41,200 [crashing, breaking class] 507 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:46,760 [low clicking] 508 00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:50,800 I fell asleep by the wheel and overturned my car. 509 00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:00,560 I lost control of the wheel. 510 00:42:00,640 --> 00:42:06,640 I overturned all the way up to that bridge, the viaduct. 511 00:42:06,720 --> 00:42:12,920 The car was totaled, and I was brought to the hospital in Södertälje. 512 00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:16,800 It wasn't that bad. I was tired, that was pretty much it. 513 00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:23,600 But this accident turned out to be a blessing in disguise. 514 00:42:26,200 --> 00:42:30,920 He writes a letter to Agnetha from his hospital bed. 515 00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:33,600 He goes back to his house on Ekerö, 516 00:42:33,680 --> 00:42:36,280 and the following evening, there's a knock on his door. 517 00:42:40,160 --> 00:42:43,400 I was doing the dishes and looked out the window. 518 00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:47,440 Then I suddenly see two women approaching my house. 519 00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:50,080 It was Agnetha and her friend. 520 00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:53,240 [music intensifies] 521 00:43:00,240 --> 00:43:03,480 I couldn't believe my eyes. 522 00:43:04,680 --> 00:43:11,120 My greatest idol, the one who I'm in love with, knocked on my door. 523 00:43:14,240 --> 00:43:17,880 She wanted to know how I was feeling after the accident. 524 00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:22,160 I was really, really nervous. 525 00:43:23,520 --> 00:43:27,040 I had worked so hard to get close to Agnetha. 526 00:43:27,120 --> 00:43:30,760 And now, she was the one who came to me. 527 00:43:30,840 --> 00:43:33,000 I still cannot believe it. 528 00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:43,040 According to Gert, Agnetha Fältskog came back later that night. 529 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:48,360 That's when they got more acquainted with each other. 530 00:43:49,080 --> 00:43:51,520 [dreamy music] 531 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:55,280 We had an amazing time. 532 00:43:55,360 --> 00:44:00,240 I could never have imagined that I was going to have an evening like that. 533 00:44:02,760 --> 00:44:06,280 Agnetha was the first woman I had sex with. 534 00:44:08,120 --> 00:44:13,080 It was magical. It was like a force from within. 535 00:44:13,160 --> 00:44:18,840 I was so happy to have spent my first night with my idol. 536 00:44:18,920 --> 00:44:25,320 I fell in madly love with her. It was incredible. 537 00:44:29,760 --> 00:44:33,240 [Dr. Hengeveld] It's an incredible dream story, to be honest. 538 00:44:33,320 --> 00:44:37,360 You could never have predicted that when you were 16. 539 00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:43,560 You might hope or fantasize. A lot of people do. 540 00:44:43,640 --> 00:44:48,920 You don't make things like that up, do you? You're not making this up? 541 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:56,520 You have to tie a lot of threads together to make up a story like that. 542 00:44:56,600 --> 00:44:59,440 A very special one. 543 00:44:59,520 --> 00:45:04,640 - Yes. Is it strange? - Not strange but rare, maybe. Isn't it? 544 00:45:04,720 --> 00:45:07,320 You're a psychologist, do you find it strange? 545 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:12,200 Yes, well, it's rare. It's something you wouldn't expect. 546 00:45:12,280 --> 00:45:19,200 What I find insulting is that when you say something no one believes you. 547 00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:23,240 People don't believe the things you're telling me. 548 00:45:26,920 --> 00:45:33,160 He claims he slept with Agnetha. He had sex with her. I doubt it. 549 00:45:34,560 --> 00:45:39,160 But there was one thing that was strange for me. 550 00:45:39,240 --> 00:45:45,680 When I was reading the magazines, I saw a picture of that man and Agnetha. 551 00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:49,840 [dramatic music] 552 00:45:51,840 --> 00:45:56,040 In this photo, I'm sitting next to Agnetha. 553 00:45:56,120 --> 00:46:00,720 We're sitting here, holding hands and in love. You can tell we are. 554 00:46:02,440 --> 00:46:05,320 Wow. Wow. 555 00:46:05,400 --> 00:46:11,360 She looks very happy. That's not her ABBAtar, is it? 556 00:46:11,440 --> 00:46:15,400 [de Jong] He claims they were sitting on a couch, hand in hand. 557 00:46:15,480 --> 00:46:18,920 You can see them on the couch, but not hand in hand. 558 00:46:22,920 --> 00:46:29,360 They are sitting close, so they must've been more than celebrity and stalker. 559 00:46:29,440 --> 00:46:33,280 There must have been some kind of connection. 560 00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:36,640 Otherwise you won't sit that close together on the couch. 561 00:46:37,440 --> 00:46:39,840 Do you have more photos of the two of you? 562 00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:46,080 Of us together? Not really. 563 00:46:47,080 --> 00:46:51,080 But this one is important. 564 00:46:51,160 --> 00:46:55,080 [Gambaccini] I have seen so many photos of people with their arms around stars. 565 00:46:55,160 --> 00:47:01,080 I have no idea what that photo means. It means there was a photo taken. 566 00:47:01,160 --> 00:47:04,440 Fine. There are two people. One of them appears to be Agnetha. 567 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:07,280 [interviewer] Where are you? 568 00:47:07,360 --> 00:47:13,280 My mom took this picture of us in my house, on my birthday. 569 00:47:13,360 --> 00:47:17,480 I have these floral wallpapers in my house. 570 00:47:21,880 --> 00:47:27,480 [Erfors] I've been to that cabin and have seen the photo of her in that couch. 571 00:47:27,560 --> 00:47:30,440 The same couch Gert and I sat in... 572 00:47:30,520 --> 00:47:35,480 So, she's been to his home and it's absolutely incredible. 573 00:47:37,120 --> 00:47:42,600 [Strage] When you see the photo, you don't really think that they're crazy in love. 574 00:47:42,680 --> 00:47:49,400 They're sitting in the couch together, but something about the photo is off. 575 00:47:50,120 --> 00:47:55,920 This is the proof I have of us having a good relationship. 576 00:47:56,000 --> 00:48:00,440 Unbelievable. 577 00:48:00,520 --> 00:48:01,960 [soft music] 578 00:48:02,040 --> 00:48:05,360 [Gert] I couldn't believe it. 579 00:48:05,440 --> 00:48:07,840 It was a fairytale. 580 00:48:09,080 --> 00:48:12,000 We met up several times a week. 581 00:48:13,160 --> 00:48:17,600 We went for walks and had organic meals. 582 00:48:17,680 --> 00:48:22,760 We drove to the city and did smaller excursions. 583 00:48:24,000 --> 00:48:28,600 We did things together just like any other couple. 584 00:48:28,680 --> 00:48:31,480 We enjoyed the nature here. 585 00:48:31,560 --> 00:48:37,400 She said that she had started to like me and was falling in love. 586 00:48:37,480 --> 00:48:42,040 It was nice to sit here with her, having a cinnamon bun. 587 00:48:47,080 --> 00:48:51,800 I thought Agnetha would fall in love with an artist or something else. 588 00:48:51,880 --> 00:48:53,920 Not with me. 589 00:48:54,000 --> 00:48:58,240 I was a regular warehouse worker. But that's what happened. 590 00:49:02,600 --> 00:49:06,560 Agneta was quite reclusive at that stage. 591 00:49:08,400 --> 00:49:14,720 It was a time when she wasn't doing well, when she basically was vulnerable. 592 00:49:14,800 --> 00:49:21,920 There were a lot of negative things in her life. 593 00:49:22,000 --> 00:49:27,800 And I feel that that retreatment made her more vulnerable to certain types. 594 00:49:29,040 --> 00:49:36,320 Did the media, press or friends know that she had that relationship with you? 595 00:49:36,400 --> 00:49:40,040 No, we were really careful about not being caught on camera together. 596 00:49:40,120 --> 00:49:43,520 - Why? - Why? Yeah... 597 00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:48,440 I think Agnetha thought it was a bit too exciting. 598 00:49:48,520 --> 00:49:54,480 We went into town and had dinner in the evenings 599 00:49:54,560 --> 00:49:57,520 or went to Stockholm, picked up sushi or something. 600 00:49:57,600 --> 00:50:00,200 But she mostly stayed in the car. 601 00:50:03,840 --> 00:50:06,840 [Gert] When you're in love and with that person, 602 00:50:06,920 --> 00:50:10,720 you can be afraid of losing the one you love. 603 00:50:12,080 --> 00:50:14,720 Then you'll get jealous. 604 00:50:16,240 --> 00:50:21,920 Gert and Agnetha once went to the cinema to watch Colin Nutley's "Under the Sun." 605 00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:26,520 [Gert] We sat next to each other watching the movie. 606 00:50:29,240 --> 00:50:33,240 Agnetha felt that I stared too much at Helena Bergström. 607 00:50:36,560 --> 00:50:40,160 We had a huge fight in the car. 608 00:50:41,520 --> 00:50:46,160 I explained to her that she's the only one I want. 609 00:50:46,240 --> 00:50:48,120 It didn't help. 610 00:50:48,200 --> 00:50:52,280 After nearly a year together, she broke up with me. 611 00:50:56,080 --> 00:51:03,240 I wrote her letters where I explained that I only loved her. 612 00:51:05,000 --> 00:51:11,920 One beautiful day, Agnetha called me and wanted to talk by the church in Ekerö. 613 00:51:14,520 --> 00:51:15,840 [Gert, in Dutch] Agnetha called me. 614 00:51:15,920 --> 00:51:22,400 "I'll be by the church at half past seven." 615 00:51:23,560 --> 00:51:25,520 "Will you be there?" 616 00:51:25,600 --> 00:51:29,200 "Yes, I will. I want to talk with you." 617 00:51:29,280 --> 00:51:33,560 "If you don't come, we'll never talk again." 618 00:51:33,640 --> 00:51:38,840 She didn't go out, but waved at me to come over to her car. 619 00:51:38,920 --> 00:51:40,920 We didn't have to say anything. 620 00:51:41,000 --> 00:51:47,320 She gave me a hug and said that she had missed me. 621 00:51:47,400 --> 00:51:49,680 Yes, it's sad. 622 00:51:50,440 --> 00:51:55,040 [pleasant music, happy voices] 623 00:51:57,840 --> 00:52:00,920 [Gert] We went to the west coast for a holiday. 624 00:52:02,800 --> 00:52:07,080 Skummeslövsstrand is a special place. 625 00:52:07,160 --> 00:52:10,520 We walked all this way here. 626 00:52:10,600 --> 00:52:12,200 And then we stood there, 627 00:52:12,280 --> 00:52:19,560 and listened to the water and the sound of the waves and had a good time. 628 00:52:25,880 --> 00:52:30,920 Agnetha started a serious conversation about our relationship, 629 00:52:31,000 --> 00:52:34,000 and if we could live together. 630 00:52:35,600 --> 00:52:40,600 In the fall '97, I decided to move permanently to Sweden. 631 00:52:42,720 --> 00:52:47,680 For me, there was only one person. One woman. 632 00:52:47,760 --> 00:52:53,000 I used to tell her, "You must never leave me." 633 00:52:55,760 --> 00:52:58,200 [soft music] 634 00:53:02,240 --> 00:53:04,400 [Öhman] He asked me if he could work for me. 635 00:53:04,480 --> 00:53:08,520 We're an agency for warehouse workers around Stockholm. 636 00:53:10,880 --> 00:53:14,560 I was impressed because he had come from the Netherlands to Sweden, 637 00:53:14,640 --> 00:53:16,840 and that he spoke Swedish. 638 00:53:16,920 --> 00:53:20,920 He told me that it was love that brought him to Sweden. 639 00:53:21,000 --> 00:53:25,120 His girlfriend's name was Agnetha and she lived in Stockholm. 640 00:53:25,200 --> 00:53:27,400 [car starts] 641 00:53:27,480 --> 00:53:30,280 [Gert] I promised Agnetha not to talk about us. 642 00:53:30,360 --> 00:53:34,760 I said that I have a girlfriend and her name is Agnetha, and that's all. 643 00:53:34,840 --> 00:53:38,160 I didn't find it strange. I understood. Because love... 644 00:53:38,240 --> 00:53:41,000 Love can push any man incredibly far. 645 00:53:43,000 --> 00:53:46,960 [Gert] I got the job, and I really enjoyed it. 646 00:53:47,040 --> 00:53:53,360 He did well. He got to work on time, he was never sick. He was great. 647 00:53:53,440 --> 00:53:59,560 I felt so happy in Sweden, but since we kept the relationship to ourselves, 648 00:53:59,640 --> 00:54:03,160 it didn't feel right. 649 00:54:04,000 --> 00:54:06,080 [soft, sad music] 650 00:54:07,560 --> 00:54:13,680 [Öhman] Gert was supposed to get hired by a client. They interviewed him. 651 00:54:13,760 --> 00:54:17,720 After that, the client calls me and says: "I can't hire Gert." 652 00:54:17,800 --> 00:54:21,360 I was surprised. "Why not?" 653 00:54:21,440 --> 00:54:23,480 "He's a liar." 654 00:54:23,560 --> 00:54:30,440 "A liar?" "He says he's in a relationship with Agnetha Fältskog." 655 00:54:32,000 --> 00:54:35,680 It was unbelievable. 656 00:54:35,760 --> 00:54:39,600 I can imagine her being his idol, but... 657 00:54:39,680 --> 00:54:44,920 But that Agnetha Fältskog and Gert would meet 658 00:54:45,000 --> 00:54:48,000 and fall in love... 659 00:54:48,080 --> 00:54:54,080 That's... I couldn't see it. I don't think anyone could. 660 00:54:58,080 --> 00:55:02,440 You don't hear those stories every day. 661 00:55:02,520 --> 00:55:08,280 I knew where he lived. I had his address. So I started to examine it. 662 00:55:12,640 --> 00:55:15,480 [the MC stops] 663 00:55:15,560 --> 00:55:19,280 It was very unlikely that they would be together. 664 00:55:19,360 --> 00:55:26,280 I was more concerned about him moving here to be able to stalk her. 665 00:55:28,600 --> 00:55:31,640 I called him up to my office 666 00:55:31,720 --> 00:55:35,600 and told him that he can't say things like that. 667 00:55:35,680 --> 00:55:38,560 "But I am in a relationship with her." 668 00:55:38,640 --> 00:55:42,960 That can't be real. Agnetha is an icon in Sweden. 669 00:55:43,040 --> 00:55:49,520 She's famous, and you're from the Netherlands and work in a warehouse. 670 00:55:49,600 --> 00:55:53,000 "I struggle to believe this, Gert." 671 00:55:54,720 --> 00:55:58,120 I called the police and asked them, 672 00:55:58,200 --> 00:56:02,280 "Do you know if Agnetha Fältskog is stalked by anyone?" 673 00:56:02,360 --> 00:56:04,160 They said no. 674 00:56:04,240 --> 00:56:09,160 I guess they wouldn't have told me even if she was. 675 00:56:09,240 --> 00:56:15,720 [Gert] I can understand why people didn't believe me, because it was a bit odd. 676 00:56:17,680 --> 00:56:25,000 That made me sad, so sad that I stayed home from work. 677 00:56:25,080 --> 00:56:28,360 He got angry with me. 678 00:56:28,440 --> 00:56:31,520 "Why are you lying?" 679 00:56:31,600 --> 00:56:35,360 That's what I was thinking. Why would he lie about things like this. 680 00:56:41,040 --> 00:56:42,720 [Bergsvenkerud] I was told in a letter 681 00:56:42,800 --> 00:56:45,800 that he was in a relationship with Agnetha. 682 00:56:45,880 --> 00:56:52,880 That it was a secret that I couldn't tell anyone. 683 00:56:56,400 --> 00:57:01,200 I was told that if I wanted to make a trip to Sweden, 684 00:57:01,280 --> 00:57:05,160 I would get to meet Agnetha, and he said... 685 00:57:05,240 --> 00:57:09,840 Frida was my big idol. Maybe something could be arranged. 686 00:57:12,560 --> 00:57:16,040 I suspected something wasn't quite right. 687 00:57:16,120 --> 00:57:21,840 I thought it was some sort of fantasy that he was trying to involve me in. 688 00:57:21,920 --> 00:57:29,200 I ignored that letter and didn't reply. I moved on with my life. 689 00:57:29,280 --> 00:57:35,800 But I've often thought, "If I had gone, what would have happened?" 690 00:57:38,000 --> 00:57:40,400 Let's see... 691 00:57:43,000 --> 00:57:46,800 Let's see... This one... 692 00:57:46,880 --> 00:57:54,240 She missed the tenderness and there has to be a way for us to continue. 693 00:57:54,320 --> 00:57:58,240 She wrote me a letter. 694 00:57:58,320 --> 00:58:00,720 "Thank you for all the love you've shown me." 695 00:58:00,800 --> 00:58:05,360 "Thanks for not giving up on looking for me." 696 00:58:06,640 --> 00:58:09,360 [Strage] Gert showed me a letter Agnetha Fältskog had given him. 697 00:58:09,440 --> 00:58:14,680 She had written, "Thanks for not giving up on looking for me." 698 00:58:14,760 --> 00:58:19,920 She thanked him for his strong devotion. 699 00:58:24,280 --> 00:58:30,040 Here... October 12, 1998. 700 00:58:30,120 --> 00:58:37,280 "Hello, Gert. I have wanted to leave everything at home so many times." 701 00:58:37,360 --> 00:58:40,680 "To run up to you to tell you" 702 00:58:40,760 --> 00:58:46,000 "how much I love you. I miss you so incredibly." 703 00:58:47,800 --> 00:58:51,640 The letters I have from her... They're not many, 704 00:58:51,720 --> 00:58:56,200 but she wrote letters. That's the truth. 705 00:58:56,280 --> 00:59:00,040 If these go missing... 706 00:59:00,120 --> 00:59:04,480 That would destroy me. 707 00:59:04,560 --> 00:59:09,760 I would never be able to handle that. I look after these. 708 00:59:12,560 --> 00:59:17,080 [Interviewer] Do you think that Agnetha wrote these letters? 709 00:59:17,160 --> 00:59:21,000 Or is there anything that speaks against it? [sighs] 710 00:59:28,720 --> 00:59:34,120 I think they're real. I'm almost sure of it. 711 00:59:34,200 --> 00:59:37,240 What do you think? Have you heard anything suggesting they're not? 712 00:59:38,000 --> 00:59:39,920 [soft music] 713 00:59:40,880 --> 00:59:45,880 I wanted to take the next step, to live together. 714 00:59:48,680 --> 00:59:51,840 But she hit the brakes all the time. 715 00:59:54,760 --> 00:59:58,120 Everything was on her conditions. 716 00:59:58,200 --> 01:00:04,920 She snuck out to my house. I wasn't allowed to go to hers. 717 01:00:10,440 --> 01:00:11,760 FÄLTSKOG'S SECRET 50TH BIRTHDAY PARTY 718 01:00:11,840 --> 01:00:17,560 Agnetha was turning 50 and was having a big party. 719 01:00:17,640 --> 01:00:21,120 I wasn't invited to the party. 720 01:00:21,200 --> 01:00:26,440 That was quite sad for me. 721 01:00:26,520 --> 01:00:28,320 [sighs deeply] 722 01:00:33,000 --> 01:00:37,760 One evening after work, Agnetha came over to me. 723 01:00:37,840 --> 01:00:41,640 She said that she had something important to tell me. 724 01:00:42,480 --> 01:00:44,240 [music intensifies] 725 01:00:45,200 --> 01:00:50,200 She didn't want to see me anymore, so she broke up with me. 726 01:00:50,280 --> 01:00:52,920 That was hard to take in. 727 01:00:59,000 --> 01:01:02,080 At that time, Bram died. 728 01:01:02,160 --> 01:01:05,000 My beloved turtle. 729 01:01:10,640 --> 01:01:15,360 I lost the two that I loved the most in the whole world. 730 01:01:29,640 --> 01:01:31,640 Thank you. 731 01:01:38,240 --> 01:01:46,040 I'm still trying to understand her reasons. 732 01:01:47,080 --> 01:01:52,040 Why she broke up with me. 733 01:01:52,120 --> 01:01:58,680 I haven't really received an answer to that question. 734 01:02:00,520 --> 01:02:04,600 You don't think the reason can be that she wasn't in love with you anymore? 735 01:02:04,680 --> 01:02:08,520 I don't think so. To first be in love, 736 01:02:08,600 --> 01:02:14,280 so in love that she once wrote 737 01:02:14,360 --> 01:02:18,280 that our relationship just kept growing, 738 01:02:18,360 --> 01:02:22,920 and then choose to end it two months later... 739 01:02:23,000 --> 01:02:25,840 I don't understand that. 740 01:02:27,120 --> 01:02:30,040 It's impossible. 741 01:02:31,120 --> 01:02:34,800 [Richards] In my experience... I don't know any stalker that would accept no. 742 01:02:34,880 --> 01:02:38,600 For them it's their right, and their entitlement, 743 01:02:38,680 --> 01:02:40,880 to behave in that they are. It's all about them. 744 01:02:41,920 --> 01:02:44,160 [somber music] 745 01:02:45,040 --> 01:02:50,000 They won't accept no, and it's difficult to take them off this pathway. 746 01:02:50,080 --> 01:02:52,920 They don't want to stop this behavior. They want to carry on. 747 01:03:05,040 --> 01:03:10,720 It was hard to understand that it was completely over. 748 01:03:14,840 --> 01:03:20,600 I wrote a letter to her and asked her to meet me at Ekerö Church. 749 01:03:21,640 --> 01:03:26,240 Just like she told me over the phone earlier. 750 01:03:30,280 --> 01:03:34,520 I went there and waited, but she never showed up. 751 01:03:35,680 --> 01:03:37,480 Unfortunately. 752 01:03:44,040 --> 01:03:47,240 [in Dutch] I did my best too, of course, 753 01:03:47,320 --> 01:03:50,760 and she's told me that a few times as well. 754 01:03:50,840 --> 01:03:56,360 That she liked that I never gave up looking for her, 755 01:03:56,440 --> 01:03:59,600 and eventually it worked, and then... 756 01:04:00,800 --> 01:04:03,880 ...she slammed the door in my face. 757 01:04:06,560 --> 01:04:13,560 I couldn't understand or accept that she broke up with me. 758 01:04:13,640 --> 01:04:16,600 I got angry. 759 01:04:18,000 --> 01:04:24,800 She has said that she was glad that I never gave up looking for her. 760 01:04:24,880 --> 01:04:28,720 So I continued writing letters to her. 761 01:04:28,800 --> 01:04:32,040 Eventually, I received a response. 762 01:04:32,120 --> 01:04:37,920 This is a letter that should really be burned, not read. 763 01:04:38,000 --> 01:04:41,400 I got very upset from reading this letter. 764 01:04:42,080 --> 01:04:47,360 I wrote many letters in response to this letter. 765 01:04:47,440 --> 01:04:49,680 - [interviewer] How many letters? - Well... 766 01:04:49,760 --> 01:04:54,640 By 1999, around 350 letters. 767 01:04:54,720 --> 01:04:58,320 But I never got a response from her. 768 01:05:02,640 --> 01:05:06,720 [Erfors] This is a letter that was referred to in the trial. 769 01:05:06,800 --> 01:05:10,640 It's dated January 18, 2000. 770 01:05:10,720 --> 01:05:16,840 "Gert, the reason why I'm writing you is that I want to be left alone." 771 01:05:16,920 --> 01:05:21,840 "I stick by my decision. There's no hope for us together." 772 01:05:21,920 --> 01:05:26,920 "I'm asking you now to respect this - on every level." 773 01:05:27,000 --> 01:05:32,000 "I don't want any more letters or anything else. Agnetha." 774 01:05:33,320 --> 01:05:36,040 [sad music] 775 01:05:36,120 --> 01:05:39,040 [Richards] Now he knows that she's saying no. 776 01:05:39,120 --> 01:05:42,560 There's no imagination, there's no "were going to be together". 777 01:05:42,640 --> 01:05:44,200 It's an absolute rejection. 778 01:05:44,280 --> 01:05:47,760 He turns into the rejected and vengeful. 779 01:05:47,840 --> 01:05:51,120 That's when she starts to become concerned for her safety. 780 01:05:53,200 --> 01:05:56,400 Over many years he's been obsessing and fantasizing 781 01:05:56,480 --> 01:06:01,080 about his potential of meeting Agnetha and this relationship. 782 01:06:01,160 --> 01:06:03,760 It then overlaps that stalking, 783 01:06:03,840 --> 01:06:08,000 from strangers stalking into ex-intimate partner stalking. 784 01:06:08,080 --> 01:06:10,600 That's when there is fear of violence. 785 01:06:10,680 --> 01:06:13,520 They are the most dangerous type of stalker. 786 01:06:15,360 --> 01:06:18,400 [Strage] Gert starts to write a huge amount of letters to Agnetha. 787 01:06:18,480 --> 01:06:23,560 He tries to contact her children, her friends, her neighbors. 788 01:06:23,640 --> 01:06:27,480 He makes her life a living hell. 789 01:06:29,640 --> 01:06:31,840 [somber music] 790 01:06:34,680 --> 01:06:37,680 [interviewer] This is what it says in Agnetha's statement: 791 01:06:37,760 --> 01:06:39,160 [hums] 792 01:06:41,840 --> 01:06:46,760 "From '97 to '99, the suspect wrote" 793 01:06:46,840 --> 01:06:52,520 "around 300 letters to Fältskog." 794 01:06:52,600 --> 01:06:57,640 "He called very often, around one to three times a day." 795 01:06:57,720 --> 01:07:02,800 "He also followed Fältskog wherever she went." 796 01:07:08,720 --> 01:07:10,720 [hums] Mm... 797 01:07:15,040 --> 01:07:17,880 Is that how it was? 798 01:07:18,360 --> 01:07:20,000 [takes a deep breath] 799 01:07:20,520 --> 01:07:25,080 I have written a lot of letters to her 800 01:07:25,160 --> 01:07:31,760 in an attempt for us to get back together. That's correct. 801 01:07:31,840 --> 01:07:38,160 But that I followed her is not correct. 802 01:07:38,240 --> 01:07:40,240 - [interviewer] I'll continue. - [hums] Mm. 803 01:07:42,400 --> 01:07:44,360 [Strage] She's being stalked, 804 01:07:44,440 --> 01:07:48,120 like so many other women who have ended a relationship. 805 01:07:48,200 --> 01:07:52,040 This is a controlling behavior, 806 01:07:52,120 --> 01:07:56,280 which men use in order to harass women. 807 01:07:56,360 --> 01:07:59,760 [interviewer] "From '97 to September '99," 808 01:07:59,840 --> 01:08:05,320 "the suspect has also surveyed places which Fältskog visited," 809 01:08:05,400 --> 01:08:11,160 "followed her car, stood in places where she would often go for walks..." 810 01:08:11,240 --> 01:08:18,360 - "...for example, Ekerö Church..." - That was maybe one time. 811 01:08:18,440 --> 01:08:21,200 - "...Skytteholm..." - [hums] Mm. 812 01:08:22,600 --> 01:08:27,480 Being stalked is being hunted. You feel like a sitting duck. 813 01:08:27,640 --> 01:08:32,640 You are constantly on edge, waiting for the next thing to happen. 814 01:08:32,800 --> 01:08:36,000 And your space is closed down. 815 01:08:37,000 --> 01:08:40,560 [interviewer] "Her life has become incredibly restricted." 816 01:08:40,640 --> 01:08:43,160 "She doesn't dare to go outside" 817 01:08:43,240 --> 01:08:46,920 "without being accompanied by her neighbor." 818 01:08:51,400 --> 01:08:54,920 But I wrote that I want to speak with her, 819 01:08:55,000 --> 01:08:58,080 in this... in this letter. 820 01:08:58,800 --> 01:09:01,760 [Dronfield] He says that he loves her, and everything else, 821 01:09:01,840 --> 01:09:06,040 but if someone's telling you not do something and they want it to stop, 822 01:09:06,120 --> 01:09:12,600 but you continue, how do you see that as love? It's a crime 823 01:09:15,000 --> 01:09:20,000 [interviewer] Can you understand, when you hear this, 824 01:09:20,080 --> 01:09:24,480 that she was afraid? 825 01:09:26,080 --> 01:09:27,680 No. 826 01:09:30,880 --> 01:09:34,080 [Dronfield] The fantasies in their head become their reality. 827 01:09:34,160 --> 01:09:37,720 In their world, what they believe to be true. 828 01:09:37,800 --> 01:09:45,080 In Gert's case he believes that they are in love and can be together. 829 01:09:46,400 --> 01:09:48,720 [Violins play intensely] 830 01:09:51,320 --> 01:09:56,720 [tv host] Good afternoon, and a very warm welcome to you all. 831 01:09:58,320 --> 01:10:03,560 Now things are as usual. My candle burns for each and every one of you. 832 01:10:07,200 --> 01:10:11,480 [Erfors] During the last months, he's been counting down the days. 833 01:10:11,560 --> 01:10:14,480 He writes that something big is about to happen. 834 01:10:17,600 --> 01:10:24,360 [Gert] On Christmas Eve '99, I went to her house, despite not being allowed to. 835 01:10:25,760 --> 01:10:30,280 Me going there was meant to be. It was destiny. 836 01:10:33,200 --> 01:10:38,480 I entered her property with all the security equipment. 837 01:10:38,560 --> 01:10:44,360 I know it wasn't right, maybe it was stupid... 838 01:10:47,800 --> 01:10:51,480 ...but I really wanted to see her. 839 01:10:54,280 --> 01:10:59,680 This time it was me coming to her. 840 01:11:02,760 --> 01:11:08,000 Why can't I talk to her? I couldn't understand it. 841 01:11:08,640 --> 01:11:11,120 [music intensifies] 842 01:11:20,000 --> 01:11:23,200 [crying] I would never want to hurt her. 843 01:11:23,280 --> 01:11:26,920 I was always so kind to her. 844 01:11:28,440 --> 01:11:33,400 And then I was arrested by the police who said she feared for her life. 845 01:11:38,000 --> 01:11:45,760 Gert was given so many different indications. "Leave her alone". 846 01:11:45,840 --> 01:11:51,160 Who knows what would've happened if she hadn't called the police 847 01:11:51,240 --> 01:11:53,320 and gotten him arrested? 848 01:11:53,400 --> 01:11:57,280 ARRESTED AT AGNETHA'S 849 01:12:00,720 --> 01:12:04,200 He has stalked and harassed her for more than a year, 850 01:12:04,280 --> 01:12:07,120 but when the trial started at Solna Tingsrätt, 851 01:12:07,200 --> 01:12:12,000 the besieged singer did not have to meet her fanatical admirer. 852 01:12:16,920 --> 01:12:19,080 [soft music] 853 01:12:20,400 --> 01:12:24,400 [Gert] I was here because I was accused of harassment. 854 01:12:26,360 --> 01:12:29,240 But I didn't exactly feel like I was guilty of that. 855 01:12:29,320 --> 01:12:32,280 I knew for certain that I had not done anything wrong. 856 01:12:35,680 --> 01:12:40,040 It's a crime of mental terrorism. That's what stalking is. 857 01:12:40,120 --> 01:12:45,400 It's to destroy the victim's mind, to gain that power over them. 858 01:12:45,480 --> 01:12:47,600 [tv presenter] He explained to the court 859 01:12:47,680 --> 01:12:50,360 that Agnetha Fältskog means everything to him. 860 01:12:50,440 --> 01:12:53,400 He denies that he ever hurt or offended her. 861 01:12:54,280 --> 01:12:57,040 Gert knows exactly what he did. 862 01:12:57,120 --> 01:12:58,640 ABBA-Agnetha tells of the terror: "I fear for my life" 863 01:12:58,720 --> 01:13:05,720 It boosted his ego that here is this woman who is a big celebrity, 864 01:13:05,800 --> 01:13:11,520 her name is known all over the world, and he is controlling her. 865 01:13:11,600 --> 01:13:16,600 He's making her fearful. And now he has all this power. 866 01:13:16,680 --> 01:13:18,600 And that's what it's about. 867 01:13:19,480 --> 01:13:22,640 [tv presenter] When Agnetha Fältskog stepped into the courtroom this morning, 868 01:13:22,720 --> 01:13:28,160 the 34-year-old Dutchman had been taken to another room. 869 01:13:28,240 --> 01:13:30,960 That was something that Agnetha arranged, 870 01:13:31,040 --> 01:13:35,920 so she wouldn't have to see me in the court room. 871 01:13:36,000 --> 01:13:38,920 Why, I still don't know. 872 01:13:40,480 --> 01:13:43,920 [Schulman] This whole affair, with the stalker, 873 01:13:44,000 --> 01:13:46,800 had a profound effect on Agnetha. 874 01:13:46,880 --> 01:13:52,400 It confirmed all the fears she had when she was considering... 875 01:13:52,480 --> 01:13:56,480 She decided to step out of the limelight to get away from intrusive fans. 876 01:13:56,560 --> 01:13:57,960 "I want a normal life again" 877 01:13:58,040 --> 01:14:01,400 And then that exact thing happens. 878 01:14:03,440 --> 01:14:07,920 A doctor that examined him said that he had Paranoia erotica, 879 01:14:08,000 --> 01:14:10,680 or De Clerambault Syndrome, as it's also known. 880 01:14:10,760 --> 01:14:13,600 You believe you're loved by another person, 881 01:14:13,680 --> 01:14:15,760 despite all facts pointing to the opposite. 882 01:14:15,840 --> 01:14:22,360 [in Dutch] I had to see a forensic psychologist. 883 01:14:22,440 --> 01:14:24,800 He said: "Don't imagine that I believe that you've had a relationship" 884 01:14:24,880 --> 01:14:29,640 "with Agnetha, because I really don't." That's what he said. 885 01:14:29,720 --> 01:14:36,640 "You're stupid to say such a thing, because no one will believe you." 886 01:14:36,720 --> 01:14:40,400 In less than five minutes, I'd been labeled. 887 01:14:40,480 --> 01:14:45,840 - That is very irritating. That hurts, yes. - It hurts. 888 01:14:46,840 --> 01:14:49,320 [sad, soft music] 889 01:14:54,480 --> 01:14:57,600 [speaker] For over a year, Gert van der Graaf stalked and harassed 890 01:14:57,680 --> 01:14:59,000 the former ABBA star. 891 01:14:59,080 --> 01:15:00,920 Today he was convicted of harassment 892 01:15:01,000 --> 01:15:03,480 and will be deported and can't return for two years. 893 01:15:03,560 --> 01:15:06,920 The verdict means that Agnetha's tormentor will return to Holland, 894 01:15:07,000 --> 01:15:09,600 and she can breathe easier. 895 01:15:15,160 --> 01:15:17,480 [Saunders] Gert was convicted. 896 01:15:17,560 --> 01:15:23,240 His punishment was to be deported and he was given a restraining order. 897 01:15:25,120 --> 01:15:30,680 My experience with stalking cases and victims... It's a piece of paper. 898 01:15:30,760 --> 01:15:35,520 It means little or nothing to the stalker. 899 01:15:37,800 --> 01:15:43,760 [Richards] Gert's punishment wasn't strong enough to make him stop. 900 01:15:43,840 --> 01:15:47,280 It's no surprise to me that he continues his behavior. 901 01:15:47,360 --> 01:15:51,320 He goes to Sweden. He continues to write to her. 902 01:15:51,400 --> 01:15:55,360 And he's spotted multiple times close to where she lives. 903 01:15:56,680 --> 01:15:59,040 [music intensifies] 904 01:16:02,000 --> 01:16:05,400 [Gert] I had two weeks to leave Sweden. 905 01:16:05,480 --> 01:16:10,680 I had to leave all of this that made me so happy. 906 01:16:16,040 --> 01:16:19,960 I returned to Waddinxveen. I didn't have a house there. 907 01:16:20,040 --> 01:16:25,360 I lived with my mom, temporarily. 908 01:16:38,080 --> 01:16:42,400 [Strage] After the stalking scandal, Gert van der Graaf was ostracized 909 01:16:42,480 --> 01:16:47,200 by ABBA fans throughout Europe. They wanted to defend Agnetha. 910 01:16:47,280 --> 01:16:50,280 They sent him threatening letters, called him, 911 01:16:50,360 --> 01:16:53,160 and some even threatened to kill him. 912 01:16:55,920 --> 01:16:59,840 Then came the big scoop, the bomb. 913 01:16:59,920 --> 01:17:01,240 [quick footsteps] 914 01:17:05,360 --> 01:17:09,920 Look! You really were dating her? 915 01:17:10,000 --> 01:17:15,040 They did have a relationship. Gert and Agnetha Fältskog had a relationship. 916 01:17:15,120 --> 01:17:19,000 It's here, in black and white, and Agnetha Fältskog confirms it all, too. 917 01:17:19,080 --> 01:17:20,800 They had a secret affair Agnetha tells about the stalker 918 01:17:20,880 --> 01:17:22,240 It's incomprehensible. 919 01:17:23,560 --> 01:17:28,680 [de Jong] He, the guy that saw his crush on TV when he was eight years old. 920 01:17:28,760 --> 01:17:32,320 He now had a relationship with that same crush. 921 01:17:32,400 --> 01:17:35,280 It's crazy when you think about it. What are the odds? 922 01:17:36,280 --> 01:17:38,720 That doesn't happen in real life. It really doesn't happen. 923 01:17:38,800 --> 01:17:40,800 "We were both very sad" 924 01:17:40,880 --> 01:17:45,480 How can he... I can't wrap my mind around it. 925 01:17:45,560 --> 01:17:48,560 You're telling me... Again, I'm processing it. 926 01:17:51,560 --> 01:17:58,280 Really, my god. She could have had any man she wanted. Why him? 927 01:18:00,280 --> 01:18:02,680 I think she needed something different. 928 01:18:02,760 --> 01:18:06,440 Maybe she needed a chubby, Dutch warehouse worker. 929 01:18:08,040 --> 01:18:13,600 Here at last, was somebody here for her. Only here for her. 930 01:18:13,680 --> 01:18:17,760 Who didn't care about anybody else, who had eyes only for her. 931 01:18:17,840 --> 01:18:20,640 Gert tells about the affair with the ABBA star 932 01:18:20,720 --> 01:18:25,080 [Richards] He wore her down. She said that she couldn't resist him anymore. 933 01:18:25,160 --> 01:18:28,080 It was so intense. She used those words. 934 01:18:28,160 --> 01:18:30,360 "I will never give up" 935 01:18:30,440 --> 01:18:35,360 Even though they had a relationship there is no blame to be placed on her. 936 01:18:35,440 --> 01:18:38,640 The blame is placed on Gert. 937 01:18:40,000 --> 01:18:47,600 Agnetha refused to even mention him or give a comment on their relationship. 938 01:18:47,680 --> 01:18:51,560 [Interviewer] This man who stalked you, is he still bothering you? 939 01:18:51,640 --> 01:18:56,720 I don't know if I can talk about that. I don't think I will. 940 01:18:56,800 --> 01:19:00,560 Due to security reasons, I can't. 941 01:19:02,480 --> 01:19:07,280 [Dekker] He was once lucky to have that beautiful woman, that star, 942 01:19:07,360 --> 01:19:10,720 but now the love is gone, but what's tragic is 943 01:19:10,800 --> 01:19:15,400 Agnetha is famous, so she's everywhere. 944 01:19:16,160 --> 01:19:19,480 [hoorays and cheers] 945 01:19:21,280 --> 01:19:26,240 ABBA has never left us. The music is a part of us. 946 01:19:30,680 --> 01:19:34,200 [Gert] I see her almost every day, and ABBA is topical again. 947 01:19:34,280 --> 01:19:37,840 I see her on stage and read the papers. 948 01:19:37,920 --> 01:19:42,200 Of course I miss her. 949 01:19:44,800 --> 01:19:48,600 [Dekker] He will never get rid of that image in his life, of Agnetha. 950 01:19:50,560 --> 01:19:55,080 The situation is impossible. It's a trap. He's trapped. 951 01:19:56,080 --> 01:19:58,160 It must be a hell. 952 01:19:59,800 --> 01:20:04,920 I can imagine it's hard for you to let it go? 953 01:20:05,000 --> 01:20:07,640 It's been many years now. 954 01:20:07,720 --> 01:20:13,040 It keeps spinning around in my head. It comes back, again and again. 955 01:20:13,120 --> 01:20:19,280 It was a period in your life that was exceptional and beautiful. 956 01:20:19,360 --> 01:20:23,640 It might be something I can never give up, 957 01:20:23,720 --> 01:20:27,440 not until my last breath. 958 01:20:27,520 --> 01:20:32,760 It may sound strange, but... As Agnetha said... 959 01:20:32,840 --> 01:20:40,440 She said she was glad that I never stopped looking for her. 960 01:20:40,520 --> 01:20:45,200 - And therefore, you'll never stop. - Then I never stop. 961 01:20:47,240 --> 01:20:53,040 - Okay. Done. - Thank you for the talk. 962 01:20:53,120 --> 01:20:55,200 You're welcome. 963 01:20:55,720 --> 01:20:57,320 [soft music] 964 01:20:58,760 --> 01:21:00,400 [in English] Can you really love somebody 965 01:21:00,480 --> 01:21:02,960 who is not answering your love? 966 01:21:03,040 --> 01:21:05,080 Why not? 967 01:21:08,360 --> 01:21:10,840 Loving somebody who's not answering your love is a way of life. 968 01:21:10,920 --> 01:21:13,480 It could be fulfilling something in your life, maybe. 969 01:21:13,560 --> 01:21:18,160 Particularly if you don't have anything else in your life. 970 01:21:24,200 --> 01:21:26,800 I'm definitely not religious, 971 01:21:26,880 --> 01:21:32,360 but sometimes I turn to God for strength. 972 01:21:33,920 --> 01:21:39,920 It's possible that there's something out there that can... 973 01:21:41,760 --> 01:21:45,240 ...hopefully... 974 01:21:47,680 --> 01:21:51,440 ...help me deal with my issues. 975 01:21:53,800 --> 01:21:56,720 [music intensifies] 976 01:22:12,160 --> 01:22:16,000 [Gert reads] "Hi, Agnetha. I hope you're well." 977 01:22:17,280 --> 01:22:20,800 "It's nice here in Coevorden." 978 01:22:20,880 --> 01:22:23,080 "I still work at the warehouse." 979 01:22:25,000 --> 01:22:28,640 "I have many great colleagues." 980 01:22:28,720 --> 01:22:31,800 "Sometimes we have a beer on the weekends." 981 01:22:33,080 --> 01:22:35,440 Some maintenance is needed, huh? 982 01:22:35,520 --> 01:22:39,640 - You're not much of a gardener. - No, I never have been. 983 01:22:39,720 --> 01:22:42,720 "My neighbor Wiecher came over today." 984 01:22:42,800 --> 01:22:46,640 [neighbor] This is all weeds, and this is weeds. You can just... 985 01:22:46,720 --> 01:22:49,920 "'You have to fix your garden, Gert', he said." 986 01:22:50,000 --> 01:22:53,680 And because you're not doing anything about it, I'm getting very annoyed. 987 01:22:53,760 --> 01:22:56,200 So that's why I do it for you. 988 01:22:58,120 --> 01:23:01,320 "I don't know if I should tell you this," 989 01:23:01,400 --> 01:23:07,200 "but I've been chatting with a girl a few times. Her name is Pamela." 990 01:23:08,560 --> 01:23:14,520 "We're just friends, but I think she would like us to be more than friends." 991 01:23:16,000 --> 01:23:19,480 "I will never send this letter." 992 01:23:19,560 --> 01:23:25,160 "And you will never read it. It's for the best." 993 01:23:25,240 --> 01:23:27,520 "Lots of love, Gert." 994 01:23:38,360 --> 01:23:42,320 [Richards] People often think that stalking is isolated cases. 995 01:23:42,400 --> 01:23:46,960 It's celebrities, it's royalties, it's politicians who are stalked. 996 01:23:47,040 --> 01:23:52,120 Anyone can be a victim of stalking. And anyone can be a stalker. 997 01:23:52,200 --> 01:23:55,520 Stalking is not an isolated problem. 998 01:23:55,600 --> 01:24:01,880 In Sweden over 600.000 people have claimed to have been stalked. 999 01:24:02,200 --> 01:24:05,400 Even more here in the United States. 1000 01:24:05,480 --> 01:24:09,160 The victim never gets over being stalked, 1001 01:24:09,240 --> 01:24:14,200 they've lost that sense of safety in the world. 1002 01:24:14,280 --> 01:24:18,960 My advice for anyone being stalked is to keep a diary. 1003 01:24:19,040 --> 01:24:21,040 Take pictures, alert the authorities. 1004 01:24:23,800 --> 01:24:25,920 Let your friends and family know. 1005 01:24:26,000 --> 01:24:30,200 [interviewer] What kind of advice do you have for the stalkers? 1006 01:24:30,280 --> 01:24:32,680 I don't think they'd recognize the advice. 1007 01:24:32,760 --> 01:24:35,840 They wouldn't recognize they're a stalker. 1008 01:24:45,200 --> 01:24:50,920 Agnetha chose not to participate in the documentary.