Paula Goodspeed
Encyclopedia
Paula Goodspeed was a reality TV show contestant and singer born best known for her appearances on American Idol
. She was known for being a huge fan of singer and American Idol judge Paula Abdul
, so much so she changed her first name to Paula and modeled her singing career and wardrobe after her.
In 2008, she died committing suicide via a drug overdose
in her car outside of Paula Abdul's home in Sherman Oaks, California. She reportedly sent Abdul flowers prior to her suicide. Goodspeed had been accused in the press of being nothing more than another celebrity stalker
but her relatives disputed that claim.
Her performance on American Idol brought her a great deal of notoriety, so much so her death was covered by such notable sources as People magazine, The New York Times
, The Daily Telegraph
, Entertainment Weekly
, The New York Daily News, The Los Angeles Times, ABC News
and Newsweek
.
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. She was known for being a huge fan of singer and American Idol judge Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
, so much so she changed her first name to Paula and modeled her singing career and wardrobe after her.
In 2008, she died committing suicide via a drug overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
in her car outside of Paula Abdul's home in Sherman Oaks, California. She reportedly sent Abdul flowers prior to her suicide. Goodspeed had been accused in the press of being nothing more than another celebrity stalker
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
but her relatives disputed that claim.
Her performance on American Idol brought her a great deal of notoriety, so much so her death was covered by such notable sources as People magazine, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, The New York Daily News, The Los Angeles Times, ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
and Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
.