The man accused of stalking Sophie Monk in April said he genuinely believed he was in a relationship with the TV star after being “catfished”.
Brian Rapley, 49, is alleged to have shown up at Sophie’s Central Coast home on April 25 with a red rose, hoping they’d meet face-to-face after exchanging romantic messages online.
He claims that a scammer pretending to be the Love Island Australia host sent him loved-up texts and DMs for four months. He was then extorted out of $7,000.
Neighbours reportedly alerted Sophie’s manager when Brian called out for her before he was taken to Gosford Police Station and issued with an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO).
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph about the ordeal, Brian said he feels “like such an idiot”.
“But I thought we were in a relationship,” he maintained.
Describing the situation as “belittling and distressing”, Brian explained police questioned him as if he were a “crazed stalker”.
“I’ve got the messages where she asks me to come to her house… she gives me that exact address. I thought I was going there to meet her,” he said.
Why did Brian Rapley think he was speaking to Sophie Monk?
According to Brian, “one quick comment” on Sophie’s official social media page is how he found himself in this “mess”.
“Four months ago I made one comment on her Instagram account,” he said.
“Then next thing I get a message from another account but with the same profile pic as Sophie, saying ‘Hey it’s Sophie… let’s chat here, my manager reads my official account, so this is better’.”
The Daily Telegraph observed months’ worth of messages between the pair. In them, the person using the name and picture of Sophie Monk told Brian “I love you” and “I miss you”, among other things.
“We only ever spoke online… She said her phone was broken. I did think that was weird, I was like ‘If you are who you say you are, you could walk into a shop and get a new phone for free’.
“She was like ‘Yeah yeah, I’m just so busy filming and that, I haven’t had a chance’,” he said.
At the time of the incident, Sophie was in Queensland filming her new movie, Zombie Plane.
“Look, I know it sounds stupid … I look like a right fool but the truth is I’m just lonely, and I believed her,” Brian concluded.
Sophie Monk addresses the ‘catfish’ incident involving Brian Rapley
Sophie addressed the incident in a statement to police, in which she claimed to not know Brian.
“I do not know any person by the name of Brian Rapley,” she said. “I am not in a relationship with anyone by the name of Brian Rapley.
“I am currently happily married to my husband Joshua Gross”.
She also told authorities that this is not the first time she’s garnered unwanted attention from men she didn’t know.
“In 2011 I was the victim of a… stalking incident when a fan James McCabe began messaging me and saying strange things about Jesus, Satan, fighting in Russia, killing and drugs,” the TV personality detailed.
“In 2020 I was again stalked by a paparazzi-style photographer … and I also reported this matter to police.”
She continued: “This type of behaviour makes me feel scared and anxious. I lose sleep worried and wake up in the middle of the night searching the house.”
Brian is set to appear in court for the AVO matter on May 16.
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