Agnetha Fältskog's stalker back in Sweden
In the 1990s, ABBA member Agnetha Fältskog was in a relationship with a Dutch man named Gert van der Graaf. He soon revealed himself to be a stalker. Peace only returned after a contact ban, as he had to leave the country. Now, van der Graaf is vacationing in the Swedish city of Nyköping for the first time since then. Across from the Swedish newspaper "Expressen," he declared, "I love Sweden, I speak a little Swedish." Van der Graaf, who still lives in the Netherlands, apparently plans to spend his retirement in Sweden, as he further explained, "I am now 58 and I'm thinking about moving to Sweden after my pension."
The former forklift driver spoke in the 2023 Amazon Prime doc "Take A Chance" about his long-term fascination with Agnetha Fältskog and how he once pursued his crush. Already at the age of eight, he was intrigued by the 16-year-older singer when he saw ABBA at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974. In the 90s, he traveled to Sweden multiple times to look up her address in phone books. He eventually found Fältskog on the island of Ekerö and bought a cabin nearby. By chance, they met during a walk and began a relationship.
After the breakup, van der Graaf's behavior became increasingly problematic. He harassed Agnetha Fältskog with daily calls, searched her mail, and appeared unannounced in her driveway. Fältskog turned to the police and expressed her fear at the time, "I'm afraid for my life."
In the documentary from last year, the Dutchman described his relationship with Fältskog as "magical" and emphasized that he still "terribly missed" her. He didn't go a day without thinking about her. Now, however, he assures that he can get by without her: "It feels to me like I've come home. I want her to live her life and feel free. I also want to move on with my own life." It's unclear where this change of heart comes from. For Agnetha Fältskog, this would sound extremely implausible.
During his vacation in Nyköping, Gert van der Graaf expressed his love for Sweden and its language, mentioning his plans to retire there. In the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, van der Graaf was captivated by ABBA's performance, sparking his long-term fascination with Agnetha Fältskog.
