It's been nearly three years since Sandra Bullock got a restraining order against an allegedly obsessed fan. A warming up period it wasn't.
With the order set to expire next month, the actress is asking a Los Angeles court to extend it for at least another three years, and, if possible, forever, her lawyer said Monday.
Attorney Edwin F. McPherson described the move as a "preventative measure." Since Bullock obtained a restraining order against Thomas Jane Weldon in June 2003, the Miss Congeniality star hasn't heard from the Michigan native who once allegedly trailed her through three states, and bombarded her with faxes, voice-mail messages and unsolicited gifts.
"[But] she's still concerned about it, and we're still concerned about it for her," McPherson said.
In recently filed court papers obtained by City News Service, which first reported the new restraining order request, Bullock wrote that she had no reason to believe that Weldon "recognizes that his fixation on me is delusional and that he will not resume stalking and harassing me."
Under the current restraining order, Weldon is required to stay at least 200 yards away from Bullock and her sister, producer Gesine Bullock-Prado.
In the years since the stay-away order was first issued, Bullock, 41, married Monster Garage wheelman Jesse James; Weldon, in his 30s, checked into a mental health institution. McPherson said Weldon, whom he termed a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, remains in the Nashville facility today.
"We've been in contact with his family, and don't wish him any harm at all," McPherson said.
A hearing regarding Bullock's extension request has been set for May 31.
Bullock, meanwhile, is set to dip into the summer movie pool with The Lake House, a romantic fantasy opening June 16 and costarring Keanu Reeves.