In the places Emily Leatherman has frequented since arriving in Los Angeles several years ago -- the reception area of the William Morris Agency, the gates of Malibu's beachfront homes, the courthouse and the jail -- this accusation defines her: John Cusack's stalker.
But in the Oregon home where she was raised, she is a cherished only daughter whose psychological troubles are a constant source of heartbreak.
"Emily has a family that loves her very much," said her mother, Cheryl. "This has been very difficult."
Leatherman, 33, was arrested in April after an encounter with Cusack in his Malibu driveway. The actor had a restraining order against her based on what his representatives said were hundreds of disturbing and in some cases threatening letters and packages Leatherman sent over a period of years, as well as her unwelcome visits to the actor's home and his agent's office.
She is due in court this morning, where a judge is expected to decide whether she is mentally competent to stand trial on a felony stalking charge and other counts. She faces a maximum sentence of six years in prison if convicted.
Her mother, a nurse, and father Dale, an optician from the small town of Dundee, Ore., declined to discuss details of their daughter's mental health, but said they were concerned that her condition might worsen if she is sent to prison.
In an e-mail response to questions, the Leathermans said they were sorry that their daughter's behavior "may have caused undue stress, pain or upset," but added, "her actions were those of a troubled individual, and though they have been misguided, they were not with malice."
They said her two younger brothers have been hurt by tabloid and Internet coverage mocking their sister. One gossip site listed Leatherman and others accused of stalking celebrities in an online poll, asking readers to vote for "the biggest kook." Another suggested that Leatherman stand outside Cusack's home with a boombox -- a reference to his 1989 movie "Say Anything."
"The lack of compassion and understanding for someone like Emily is stunning," her parents wrote.
They said their daughter was a bright, musically gifted teenager who enjoyed singing Beatles songs with her father and attending a David Bowie concert with her mother. They described her as "beautiful on the inside and the out," and said she traveled to Mexico City with her church group at age 14 to work with children living in slums.
