Meet the person behind the @CelebsInCLT Twitter account

The bio of the @CelebsInCLT account reads like a mini TMZ account for Charlotte. The person behind the account posts news of Charlotte celebrities as well as real-time sightings of celebs and athletes around town. And if you spot an important person at a Charlotte restaurant or event and tweet @CelebsinCLT with a photo for proof, chances are you’ll be retweeted by the account.

It dawned on me recently that no one knows the identity of the mastermind behind this account so I set out to ask some questions so that Axios Charlotte readers could get to know more about the individual who gives us our daily dose of Charlotte gossip.

(1) How was @CelebsInCLT created? What inspired you to create the account?

Nothing too exciting… It was a combination of enjoying watching TMZ as mindless entertainment after a long day at work, and coming across more and more “celebs in CLT” on a regular basis. So, I just decided I would start a small anonymous Twitter account and post my sightings… Humorously calling myself The TMZ of The QC!

(2) How many people run the @CelebsInCLT account?

Just me. Although, it has built quite a following and I have people send me tweets and direct messages all the time with celeb sightings in Charlotte. A lot of the direct messages ask to remain private about their sightings for various reasons.

(3) Do you feel like @CelebsInCLT serves a true purpose? If so, what is it?

Its original purpose was just to provide mindless entertainment for me and whoever decided to follow the random Twitter account. But, I think it also promotes the city of Charlotte as the exciting city that it is! And it also helps promote celebrity appearances, celebrity charity events, TV and movie shoots, and just random celebrity spottings!

(4) What is the craziest thing that has happened since you started the @CelebsInCLT Twitter account?

I’ve been contacted by “US Weekly” and “Life and Style” magazines on the phone for insider info on the Bachelorette shoots. I had a famous paparazzi photog from Los Angeles come to Charlotte so I could help them get a certain shot of Claire Danes that was published in national publications. I got press credentials to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte and got to meet many celebs and interview FloRida. But one of the craziest things that has happened, and one of the biggest scoops, was when I leaked that Jon Beason was getting traded from the Carolina Panthers to the New York Giants before anyone else including ESPN, the Observer, sports blogs, etc. My account went crazy that day!

(5) Have you ever gotten in trouble for posting the location of a celebrity or athlete in Charlotte? If so, who?

Not really. I have been messaged by several people to remove tweets or sightings, usually for them not wanting to be seen in a certain place at a certain time… and often I do if they are nice about it.

(6) Have you learned anything while managing the account? If so, what?  

I’ve learned that a lot more celebrities come thru Charlotte than even I anticipated!

(7) What do you see for the future of @CelebsInCLT?

Who knows? When I started this account, I thought it would be cool if I got about 500 followers. It would be cool if someday I could help promote celebrity events and appearances in Charlotte as the city continues to grow.

So, who is behind the @CelebsInCLT Twitter account? That will remain a mystery, as the paparazzi tweeter still does not want his/her identity to be revealed. Do I know who he or she is? Yes. Will I tell you who it is? No.

I’ve kept a local Charlotte secret for a few years now and I’m proud of that fact. I think it’s kind of awesome that we have a local celebrity stalker among us and even in this small city in the South where people gossip, can still remain anonymous.

Follow @CelebsinCLT on Twitter