OMFG, Peter Braunstein XOXOs Gossip Girl

2009_09_braun.jpg

Peter Braunstein loves keeping in touch. The former journalist was convicted of attacking and assaulting a former colleague—while kidnapping her in her own apartment for 13 hours by pretending to be a firefighter (he set a fire in her building's stairwell) —in 2005 and sentenced to 20 years to life in prison in 2007. There was also a manhunt and capture after suicide attempt in Memphis. Now, he writes letters to the Post and Daily News, detailing his love for CW shows and his ultimately achieved goal of fame (or infamy).

Braunstein's given jailhouse interviews to the Post and Daily News since being in lockup, but now the tabloids can compare notes on what they got: The Post says it received a " seven-page, handwritten letter" from the "stir-crazy, suicidal sex fiend" while the News describes its missive as a three-pager. He tells the Post, "There's another incentive or two for staying in the game, namely, Season 3 of 'Gossip Girl.' But still I ask myself: Sure, it's probably going to be great, but is 'Gossip Girl' in and of itself reason enough to stay alive? We'll see." Um, Blake Lively, Taylor Momsen, and Leighton Meester—be glad he's behind bars.

He adds, "Before I concocted the fireman idea, when I was just an extremely hurt and practically nonfunctioning person, I felt like the most unwanted person in New York .And then overnight I became NYC's Most Wanted, and then one of America's Most Wanted. It was just so ironic." To the Daily News, he writes something similar: "I accomplished what I set out to do. Before the crime, I had been shunned by the fashion world, shunned by the worst girlfriend ever, shunned by my friends, shunned by the city itself. I felt like New York's most unwanted person. And then suddenly I became New York's Most Wanted and then America's Most Wanted because of that show. ... I went from being an on-the-rise reporter with a beautiful girlfriend in a long-term relationship to a jobless down-on-his-luck-guy, to a full-fledged psychotic."

Other Braunstein tidbits: He's also watching The Mentalist, The Beautiful Life and Melrose Place; he got a bevy of female admirer pen pals; and he really enjoyed going to Applebee's with cops while in Ohio to face other charges (robbery and abduction while on the lam), "Hey, this isn't half bad, what with the planes, the franchise-restaurant food, maybe I should start copping to some of the still-unsolved stuff I pulled during the manhunt and rack up some more frequent-flier miles."

Email This Entry


Comments (4) [rss]

user-pic

Ugh.

Those shows must be thrilled to have him as a fan...

At least somebody's watrching that show.

Shame on you Gothamist...this would have been the perfect chance to post the photo of Blake and Leighton licking that ice cream cone.


You know the one I'm talking about.

He seems to be maintaining a positive attitude in the klink. admirable.

Post a comment (Comment Policy)

Tips

Get your daily dose of New York first thing in the morning from our weekday newsletter, now in beta.

About Gothamist

Gothamist is a website about New York. More

Editor: Jen Chung
Publisher: Jake Dobkin

Newsmap

newsmap.jpg

Contribute

Latest Tip:

Chinese government-owned construction company wins $100 million NYC Subway contract http://www.china
[more]

Latest Photo:

Subscribe

Use an RSS reader to stay up to date with the latest news and posts from Gothamist.

All Our RSS

Follow us