An alleged stalker of Scarlett Johansson was arrested in Manhattan on Wednesday after threatening to bomb the studio where Saturday Night Live is filmed, according to New York Post and law enforcement sources.
Michael Joseph Branham, 48, was taken into custody after allegedly sending a threatening message through a platform connected to an online university he attends. Authorities say Branham wrote, “THE NEXT TIME YOU HERE [sic] FROM ME I WILL BE ON CNN FOR EXPLODING A BOMB IN SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE AUDIENCE.”
The threat was reported by NBC Universal’s global security team to NYPD’s Midtown North Precinct. Branham was arraigned Thursday night on charges including false reporting and making a threat of mass harm. He was ordered held on $100,000 cash or $300,000 bond, and the judge issued protective orders for both Johansson and her husband, Colin Jost, who co-hosts the show’s “Weekend Update” and has been a staff writer since 2005.
Prosecutors say Branham’s actions were driven by an obsessive fixation on Johansson. He has her name tattooed on his torso and has posted delusional claims online, calling the actress his “fiancée” and alleging she bought him a car.
Branham’s public defender, Jamie Niskanen-Singer, argued that the threat may have been the result of scammers impersonating Johansson and that Branham could have been hacked. The judge denied the request for lower bail, citing the serious nature of the alleged offense.
The arrest follows Johansson’s earlier attempt to obtain a restraining order in 2023, after Branham allegedly harassed her and showed up at her home. That request was dismissed in April 2024 due to procedural issues.
Branham has four outstanding warrants in Kentucky and is the father of two daughters.
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