What did Michael Lewis do? Caitlin Clark's stalker insisted he had "an imaginary relationship" with the WNBA star days before arrest

Michael Lewis, a 55-year-old Texas man, had been associated with the stalking of basketball star Caitlin Clark in the past few months. Recently, according to a police video obtained by TMZ, Lewis was seen repeatedly telling the FBI agents before his arrest that he had an "imaginary relationship" with Clark.

The video in question was obtained as a bodycam footage dated January 8, 2025. This reportedly was after law enforcement authorities accused Michael Lewis of allegedly "sending numerous threats and sexually explicit messages" to the WNBA star since December 12, 2024. 

According to TMZ, the clip captured law enforcement officials including FBI agents as well as Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers interrogating the Texas man about his social media posts. At some point during the interrogation, he let the authorities search his hotel room to prove that he wasn't possessing any weapon or harmful substance.

In the video, Lewis could be heard justifying his online communication aimed at Caitlin Clark. In the clip, Lewis suggested having only an "imaginary relationship" with Clark and nothing else. He continued,

"That's all it is. It doesn't involve any threats. Just a play fun thing. That's all it is."

At the time, the bodycam footage captured the officials warning Lewis about keeping his online behavior on check, before leaving the place. Marion County Prosecutor's Office, however, later confirmed that nothing changed and the communication attempt from Lewis' end continued. Finally, on January 12, 2025, authorities detained Michael Lewis and criminal charges were filed as well.

Finally, last month, he pleaded guilty to one felony count of stalking and one misdemeanor count of harassment. This prompted to Lewis being sentenced to about 2.5 years in the prison. He was particularly ordered to stay away from the 23-year-old WNBA star and make absolutely no contact with her. He had also been ordered to avoid using internet while doing his time.

Prosecutor Ryan Mears praised Caitlin Clark for coming forward and opening up about being stalked by Michael Lewis

According to reports by ABC News dated January 2025, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears reacted to this situation relating to the WNBA star. Mears noted it was courageous of Caitlin Clark to have come forward and opened up about the issues she has been facing. In a statement, prosecutor Ryan Mears said,

"No matter how prominent a figure you are, this case shows that online harassment can quickly escalate to actual threats of physical violence. It takes a lot of courage for women to come forward in these cases, which is why many don't."

According to the affidavit for probable cause, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office noted that there seemingly was a possible pattern of stalking on Lewis' end. The affidavit further suggested that during the period from December 16, 2024, to sometime around January 2, 2025, Lewis sent some questionable messages to Caitlin Clark. 

Upon further investigation, law enforcement officials discovered that the messages to Caitlin were sent from an IP address based in an Indianapolis hotel. The affidavit further read,

"When asked why he was making so many posts about Caitlin Clark, Lewis said, 'just the same reason everybody makes posts.' When asked about posts that were threatening in nature, Lewis said it wasn’t him. Lewis claimed that this is just an imaginary relationship."

According to ABC News, upon being asked about law enforcement officials, Michael Lewis claimed that he was just cracking jokes through the posts. He additionally said that those were "fantasy type thing" and refused to believe that any part of it was meant to be threatening to Caitlin Clark.

Prosecutor Mears said it was important to hold the defendant accountable

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears reacted to the situation once the judge issued the sentencing in the case related to Clark. According to Mears, it was necessary to hold the defendant accountable for his accounts. Following the sentencing, Mears stated,

"This resolution ensures that the defendant is held accountable for his threatening actions, the fear he instilled, and the disruption he caused."

The prosecutor additionally mentioned,

"He will now spend the next two and a half years in the Department of Corrections and the victim will be able to have peace of mind while focusing on what matters to her."

While Lewis entered a plea deal, he also reportedly said in the courtroom that he wanted Caitlin to be safe. Michael Lewis further revealed that he had never thought of threatening her. This prompted the judge to intervene and point out that his statements could just get him out of the plea deal with the prosecutors. 

Prior to the sentencing, he was facing upto six years behind the bars.

Caitlin Clark became one of the many celebrities who faced stalking in their lives. The list of stars who had faced this issue in the past include Selena Gomez, Madonna, Uma Thurman, Taylor Swift, and Harry Styles.