"Sherlock" stars Amanda Abbington and her partner Martin Freeman had to call the police after they received death threats from a Benedict Cumberbatch fan.
The identity of the fan hasn't been revealed, but it is believed to be an obsessive woman who appears to be a fan of AMC's "The Walking Dead" as well.
One message from the woman included a photo of a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire with the caption: "Shall we start prepping for a possible funeral?"
As "The Walking Dead" fans know, the baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire is the preferred weapon used by villain Negan. The weapon was first introduced in issue 100 of the comic book series, but it is yet to make its television appearance.
Another message from the anonymous fan included: "Both Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington are starting to give Benedict [Cumberbatch] and all his fans a bad name! They seriously just need to shut up and f--king die already!"
Cumberbatch plays Sherlock while Freeman portrays John Watson in BBC's "Sherlock". Abbington essays the role of Mary, Watson's wife.
Sadly, this is not the first time Abbington is receiving death threats for her association with Cumberbatch or Sherlock. When it was initially announced that Abbington would play Watson's wife, a good number of fans reacted negatively, fearing the character would come between Sherlock and Watson.
"When I told everybody I was playing Mary, there was a small group who wanted me dead," Abbington said, according to Daily Mail. "I got, 'She should die. How dare she play Mary Morstan? How dare she!'"
"They take the John and Sherlock storyline so seriously that they wouldn't want anyone coming between them," she added.
Cumberbatch has a strong female fan following who call themselves Cumberbitches, a nickname the British actor isn't too fond of.
In an earlier interview with People, Cumberbatch wanted his female fans to call themselves anything other than bitches. "It's funny and I'm flattered," Cumberbatch told People. "But on a serious note, come on, give yourself more power as women. Don't just call yourself bitches!"
