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Not since John Cusack found himself the recipient of a series of care packages containing love letters, screwdrivers, and rocks tossed over the fence of his property by a heartsick, homeless admirer, have we been so struck by a celebrity stalker's pertinacity: Meet Linda Ransom, an unfortunately surnamed aspiring screenwriter with third-act problems so insurmountable, she's been tormenting Jeff Goldblum for eight years:

Jeff Goldblum won a permanent restraining order Wednesday against a woman he claims has stalked him for years and appeared outside his house numerous times.

The order issued by a Superior Court judge says Linda Ransom must stay at least 100 yards from the 54-year-old actor, his home, workplace and vehicle.

In court papers filed Feb. 7, Goldblum said he did not know the 44-year-old woman. He claimed she had visited his home more than 50 times in recent months in what he called an "escalating pattern of harassing, threatening, and stalking behavior" since 2001.

In a six-page declaration to the court, Ransom stated she met Goldblum in 1999 at an acting school where Goldblum teaches and talked to him about a screenplay she was working on. On several occasions, she said she went to city venues where he played with his jazz band.

Ransom said she made repeated visits to Goldblum's house to "support my efforts to complete my research and screenplay as accurate as possible."

Why Goldblum chose now to finally file for a restraining order is not entirely clear, though there have been whispers that his beloved pet rabbit had been discovered lying dead on his front step with two brass brads plunged into its eyes. Meanwhile, Ransom's screenplay, working title: How I Instantly Fell In Love With My Future Husband After Watching 'The Big Chill' 278 Times In A Row In The Theater, and All The Fun and Wonderful Times We Are Going To Have Together Once He Realizes We Were Fated To Be Together, Oh Yes, We Will, Mark My Words, has been making the agency and studio rounds, and despite some overly expository passages and on-the-nose characterizations, it's been largely well received as a fresh spin on the stale romcom format.

[Photo: AP]