Judge Sides With Sabrina Carpenter in 5-Year Restraining Order Case

When a stranger shows up at your front door uninvited, it’s unsettling. When that same person comes back the very next day—and the day after that—it becomes a pattern that demands legal intervention. That’s exactly what pop star Sabrina Carpenter faced in late May, and a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge just sided decisively in her favor.

On June 17, 2026, the court granted Carpenter a permanent restraining order against 31-year-old William Applegate, keeping him 100 yards away from her, her sister Sarah, and Sarah’s boyfriend George for the next five years. The decision came after William testified in opposition to the order, but his defense apparently didn’t resonate with the judge presiding over the case.

Here’s where things get genuinely concerning: Carpenter alleged that William showed up at her home on May 23 and tried to enter through the front door. Her team described his actions as calculated and aggressive, and they had the evidence to back it up—a Ring camera screenshot captured him at her front door. But instead of ending there, William allegedly returned 24 hours later and showed up yet again before police arrived. That’s not a one-time mistake; that’s persistence of a troubling kind.

William claimed the restraining order request was actually a conspiracy orchestrated by the people around Carpenter—a defense that fell flat with the court. The judge’s decision to grant the permanent order speaks volumes about how seriously the case was taken. This isn’t a temporary measure or a warning. It’s a five-year legal boundary designed to keep Carpenter and her family safe.

The case highlights a reality many public figures face: the line between fans and obsession can blur dangerously fast. Carpenter’s willingness to pursue legal protection also underscores an important point—sometimes, documenting incidents and taking them seriously is the only way to establish a pattern that courts will recognize. For her, that Ring camera footage became crucial evidence.