CM Punk warns fans not to follow wrestlers to airports or hotels

CM Punk issued a blunt warning to fans this week, telling them not to follow wrestlers to airports or hotels and saying that those who do will be treated as stalkers. In an Instagram Stories post, the WWE star said the behavior is harassment, urged people to respect boundaries and warned that repeated invasions of privacy will no longer be tolerated.

"We unfortunately have to have this conversation again. Do not turn up at airports. Do not show up at hotels. I cannot believe I have to say this. DO NOT FOLLOW PEOPLE," Punk wrote. He added that people who continue to track performers after being told to stop "are not a fan, you are a stalker and will be treated as such," and called on followers to "stop harassing people."

Punk’s post comes amid a wider pattern of performers reporting intrusive and sometimes aggressive encounters in public spaces. Several wrestlers have described being followed through airport security, having hotel room numbers sought from staff, and being approached while dining with family. A widely shared video showed another prominent wrestler being accosted at an airport and asked a political question, an exchange that the wrestler declined to engage with...