Kristen Stewart at Center of 'Madness' Fears After Claiming She's Been Haunted by Princess Diana Since Playing the Tragic Royal
Kristen Stewart revealed she felt haunted by Princess Diana in a new interview.
Feb. 6 2026, Published 3:59 p.m. ET
Kristen Stewart has ignited fresh concern and speculation after saying she is still "haunted" by Princess Diana years after portraying the late royal, with industry insiders warning the actor's lingering emotional attachment has tipped into what some privately describe as troubling territory.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Stewart's comments surfaced as she promotes new work, reviving memories of her acclaimed turn as Diana, who died aged 36 in a Paris car crash in 1997, in Spencer, the 2021 psychological drama directed by Pablo Larraín.
'I Can Cry About Her At Any Moment.'
Kristen Stewart said she still felt haunted by Princess Diana.
The film examined a fictionalized Christmas in 1991 at Sandringham, charting Diana's isolation, eating disorder, and collapsing marriage to Prince Charles.
Stewart, 35, received an Academy Award nomination for the role and has repeatedly spoken about the personal cost of inhabiting the princess.
In a recent interview, she said she was still emotionally overwhelmed by Diana's presence in her life.
The actress added: "I can't drive around London, and Paris for that matter, without thinking about her... all the love that poured out of this woman."
She went on: "I can cry about her at any moment."
Colleagues Concerned Over 'Spiritual' Connection to Role
Stewart linked her experience to intense media pressure.
A source close to the production of Spencer said the A-lister's words have unsettled colleagues.
They added: "Kristen has always been intense, but people around her are uneasy when she talks about Diana as if she's a living presence – there is a sense that the line between role and reality never fully closed."
One Hollywood source said: "When an actor says they are haunted years later, it raises questions about how deeply the character has lodged itself – some fear it borders on emotional burnout or worse."
Stewart has previously explained the physical transformation for the role of Diana contributed to her fixation with the princess.
Parallels Between 'Twilight' Fame and Diana's Press Struggles
The actress described feeling emotionally hollow after filming ended.
She said the costume was "part of the armor," which allowed her to step into Diana's "physical space and create images of her in this prison of a castle."
She also linked her connection to Diana with her own experience of relentless press attention after she starred in the Twilight franchise, saying: "It does kind of soul-suck."
Stewart added: "Her rebellious qualities felt so desperate, and so young, and so vulnerable."
Reflecting on the end of filming the Di movie, Stewart said she felt emotionally hollow.
She added: "I felt a bit like a shell when the shoot ended."
Stewart continued: "I think she did too. That was the point."
Stewart's Directorial Shift Following Psychological Toll
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Stewart later directed 'The Chronology of Water.'
A mental health professional who specializes in working with performers said Stewart's remarks fit a broader pattern.
They said: "Actors sometimes struggle to shed traumatic roles, but framing it as being haunted can alarm fans and fuel fears of psychological strain and even madness in the form of schizophrenia."
Stewart has since shifted focus behind the camera, making her feature directorial debut with The Chronology of Water, nine months after it premiered at Cannes.
The psychological drama stars Imogen Poots as a woman who channels childhood trauma into success as a competitive swimmer, continuing Stewart's continued fascination with damaged inner lives.
