{{Short description|American security specialist and author (born 1954)}} {{Distinguish|Gavin Becker}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Gavin de Becker | image = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing brackets --> | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|10|26}} | birth_place = United States | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (DEATH date then BIRTH date) --> | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Security specialist, author | years_active = | known_for = ''The Gift of Fear'' | father = Hal de Becker<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://obituaries.reviewjournal.com/obituary/hal-de-becker-sr-1083268570|title = Remembering the life of Hal de Becker Sr. 1931 – 2021}}</ref> }}
'''Gavin de Becker''' (born October 26, 1954)<ref name="reagan">Reagan, Ronald (January 19, 1989). [https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/011989e Designation of Gavin de Becker as a Member of the Board of Governors of the United Service Organizations, Incorporated.] via Reagan archive</ref> is an American security specialist and author. He has worked for governments, corporations, and public figures.<ref name="Brown, Patricia Leigh">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/14/us/his-credo-be-afraid-be-very-afraid.html|title=His Credo: Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.|first=Patricia Leigh|last=Brown|date=July 14, 1997|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> Reportedly a billionaire,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/02/robert-f-kennedy-jr-republican-donor-super-pac|title= Robert F Kennedy Jr's campaign bankrolled by Republican mega-donor|work=The Guardian |first=Mary |last=Yang |date=August 2, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/rfk-jr-biggest-backer-republican-185632225.html|title= RFK Jr.'s biggest backer is a Republican megadonor who spent $20 million boosting Trump: FEC filings|work=Yahoo Finance |first=Tatyana |last=Tandanpolie |date=August 2, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/09/rfk-jr-independent-campaign-00120607|title= RFK Jr. goes independent. Does that hurt Biden or Trump?|work=Politico |first=Steven |last=Shepard |date=October 9, 2023}}</ref> he runs Gavin de Becker and Associates, a firm that protects and advises prominent public figures, which he founded in 1978.<ref name="reagan" /> He is also the author of several books, most notably ''The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence'' (1997).<ref name="Brown, Patricia Leigh" />
==Early life== Gavin de Becker is the son of Hal de Becker (1931–2021), an American dancer and prolific writer about dance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://obituaries.reviewjournal.com/obituary/hal-de-becker-sr-1083268570|title = Remembering the life of Hal de Becker Sr. 1931 – 2021}}</ref>
De Becker describes his childhood as mired in violence. His parents divorced when he was three. His mother was a heroin addict who physically abused him and his sister and once shot his stepfather while de Becker was present in the home. She committed suicide when he was sixteen, and de Becker subsequently moved in with a friend from school, Miguel Ferrer, the son of actors José Ferrer and Rosemary Clooney.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Cohen|first=Patricia|date=February 8, 2019|title=Gavin de Becker, Bezos' Security Chief, Is a Guardian to the Stars|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/07/business/de-becker-bezos.html|access-date=February 9, 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> He lived with the family for two years and would go on to work with Clooney as her road manager. He then worked as Elizabeth Taylor's assistant.<ref name="nytimes">{{Cite news|last=Brown|first=Patricia Leigh|date=July 14, 1997|title=His Credo: Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/14/us/his-credo-be-afraid-be-very-afraid.html|access-date=February 9, 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
==Career== In the 1980s, together with the United States Marshals Service, de Becker co-designed the MOSAIC threat assessment systems,<ref name="wired">Forrest, Brett (June 2000). [https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.06/mustread.html?pg=5 UltraViolencePredictor 1.0.] ''Wired''</ref> which is used to screen threats to justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, members of United States Congress, and senior officials of the Central Intelligence Agency. Los Angeles County Law enforcement agencies adopted MOSAIC in 1997 to help police manage and reduce spousal abuse cases that might escalate to homicide.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-02-05-me-25642-story.html |title= Software Aids Battle Against Home Violence |work=Los Angeles Times |first=Julie |last=Tamaki |date=February 5, 1997}}</ref>
In 1983, he investigated a stalker for Olivia Newton-John, Sheena Easton, and Cher.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mass murder suspect arrested for shoplifting|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/08/01/Mass-murder-suspect-arrested-for-shoplifting/2109428558400/|access-date=February 9, 2022|website=UPI|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Celebrities want to keep star stalker in custody|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/12/12/Celebrities-want-to-keep-star-stalker-in-custody/4822629442000/|access-date=February 9, 2022|website=UPI|language=en}}</ref> He also provided his services to celebrities like Richard Burton, Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, Joan Rivers, Victoria Principal, Tina Turner, and John Travolta.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Celebrity stalkers: someone is watching|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1989-03-19-8901150220-story.html|access-date=February 9, 2022|website=Sun Sentinel|date=March 19, 1989 }}</ref>
He was twice appointed to the President's Advisory Board at the United States Department of Justice, in 1982 and 1989.<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 6, 1982|title=Appointment of Six Members of the National Institute of Justice Advisory Board|language=en|work=Reagan Library|url=https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/appointment-six-members-national-institute-justice-advisory-board|access-date=October 21, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=January 19, 1989|title=Designations and Appointments January 19, 1989|work=Reagan Library|url=https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/designations-and-appointments-january-19-1989|access-date=October 21, 2021}}</ref>
He has also served as an advisor for the anti-bullying resource Bystander Revolution,<ref>{{cite web|title=Advisors|url=http://www.bystanderrevolution.org/about|website=Bystander Revolution|access-date=April 20, 2016}}</ref> senior advisor to the Rand Corporation, and senior fellow at the School of Public Policy, University of California, Los Angeles.<ref name="Rand 2005 Annual Report">Rand Annual Report (2005) [https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/corporate_pubs/2010/RAND_CP1-2005.pdf] Rand.org – Page 36</ref>
His first book, ''The Gift of Fear'', published in 1997, made it to number one on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2008/09/07/|title=The New York Times Best Sellers|work=The New York Times }}</ref>
In 1997, his firm was hired by Bill Cosby to investigate the murder of his son, Ennis, and the threatening letters his family received after the slaying.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/gossip/pfeiffer-kelley-suit-minds-game-article-1.754579 |title= Pfeifer and Kelley Say Suit is a 'Minds' Game |work=New York Daily News |first=George |last=Rush |date=June 4, 1997}}</ref>
In 1999–2000, he assisted the United States Secret Service in the development of its guide for Protective Intelligence and Threat Assessment Investigations.<ref name="Protective Intelligence Threat Assessment Investigations">US Department of Justice (January 2000) [https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/179981.pdf] ojp.gov – Page vii</ref>
His 2008 book, ''Just 2 Seconds'', has been described as a guide for protectors of at-risk people, focusing on five key lessons for those responsible for protecting others. It also includes summaries of incidents from the last several decades for training and analysis. Co-authors of the book are Tom Taylor and Jeff Marquart.<ref name="J2S">Kirdahy, Matthew (September 16, 2008) [https://www.forbes.com/2008/08/21/ceo-security-spending-lead-comp-cx_mk_0821security.html] Forbes.com</ref>
In March 2019, de Becker, who has worked for Jeff Bezos, accused the Saudi Arabian government of hacking Bezos' phone after the ''National Enquirer'' published a story about Bezos' extramarital affair. According to the BBC, de Becker, as Bezos' top security staffer, "linked the hack to ''The Washington Post''{{'s}} coverage of the murder of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul."<ref>{{cite news |title=Saudi Arabia 'hacked Amazon boss's phone', says investigator |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47763179 |publisher=BBC News |date=March 31, 2019}}</ref> ''The Daily Beast'' ran an op-ed, in which de Becker explained the matter of the Saudi hack in detail.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bezos Investigation Finds the Saudis Obtained His Private Data|url= https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeff-bezos-investigation-finds-the-saudis-obtained-his-private-information|publisher=The Daily Beast |date=March 31, 2019}}</ref> Journalist Brad Stone explored whether the Saudi hack was linked in any way to a ''National Enquirer'' article about Bezos having an affair.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Stone|first=Brad|date=May 5, 2021|title=The Untold Story of How Jeff Bezos Beat the Tabloids|language=en|work=Bloomberg.com|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-05-05/how-jeff-bezos-beat-the-tabloids-the-untold-story-of-money-sex-and-power|access-date=May 6, 2021}}</ref> United Nations Special Rapporteur Agnès Callamard conducted an investigation of the Saudi hack. In a public statement, she referred to information that suggested a WhatsApp account belonging to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was used to deploy digital spyware on Bezos' phone "in an effort to influence, if not silence" ''The Washington Post''{{'}}s reporting on the kingdom. A United Nations report noted that "the iPhone infiltration occurred from May to June in 2018, when the phones of Jamal Khashoggi's associates, Yahya Assiri and Omar Abdulaziz, were also hacked, allegedly using malware called Pegasus." The United Nations experts stated, "During the same period, Mr. Bezos was widely targeted in Saudi social media as an alleged adversary of the Kingdom. This was part of a massive, clandestine online campaign against Mr. Bezos and Amazon, apparently targeting him principally as the owner of ''The Washington Post''."<ref>{{Cite news|date=January 22, 2020|title=Independent UN rights experts call for 'immediate investigation' into alleged Bezos phone back by Saudi Aravia|work=United Nations News|url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/01/1055771|access-date=July 7, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=January 22, 2020|title=UN experts call for investigation into allegations that Saudi Crown Prince involved in hacking of Jeff Bezos'phone|language=en|work=United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner|url=https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25488&LangID=E |access-date=July 7, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Analysis of the Evidence of Surveillance of Mr. Bezos' personal phone|language=en|work=United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner|url=https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Expression/SRsSumexFreedexAnnexes.pdf |access-date=July 7, 2021}}</ref>
==Political donations== De Becker has donated to both Democrats and Republicans in the past.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Meyer |first1=Theodoric |last2=Caldwell |first2=Leigh Ann |date=August 2, 2023 |title=What Trump's latest indictment means |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/02/what-trumps-latest-indictment-means/ |access-date=August 8, 2023 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In 2019, he supplied New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's re-election campaign with $5,000.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Donor Lookup: Gavin de Becker |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=Gavin+de+Becker |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230809012357/https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=Gavin+de+Becker |archive-date=August 9, 2023 |access-date=August 9, 2023 |website=OpenSecrets}}</ref> In 2022, he contributed $5,000 to Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson's re-election campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 31, 2023 |title=Republican megadonor fuels pro-RFK Jr. super PAC |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/republican-megadonor-fuels-rfk-jr-super-pac-rcna97195 |access-date=August 8, 2023 |website=NBC News}}</ref> Also in 2022, he gave Duke Aiona a total of $6,000 for his bid to become Governor of Hawaii.<ref name=":0" />
In 2023, he donated $4.5 million to the Super PAC that supported Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2024 presidential campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Holzberg DePalo |first1=Melissa |last2=Wright |first2=David |date=August 2, 2023 |title=Takeaways from presidential super PACs' mid-year financial disclosures |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/31/politics/fec-filings-2024-pacs-donors/index.html |access-date=August 8, 2023 |website=CNN}}</ref> In 2024, de Becker donated $10 million to the same Super PAC, then had $9.65 million returned to him. De Becker and the American Values Political Action Committee both confirm that this was "bridge funding", meaning it could be returned if it was not needed or used.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kinnard |first=Meg |date=February 9, 2024 |title=DNC files complaint over RFK Jr. super PAC's efforts to put him on state ballots |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/dnc-files-complaint-rfk-jr-super-pacs-efforts-put-state-ballots-rcna138074 |access-date=February 14, 2024 |website=NBC News}}</ref>
==Expert witness testimony== De Becker has provided expert witness testimony in many cases, including the successful prosecution of Arthur Richard Jackson, the assailant of actress Theresa Saldana. He later led a national campaign to keep Jackson incarcerated.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-06-14-me-279-story.html |title= Saldaña Attacker Ordered to Trial on Letter Threats |work=Los Angeles Times |date=June 14, 1990}}</ref> He also testified in the civil case against the employer of murderer Rodney Garmanian.<ref name="Garrity2016">{{cite book|author=Peggy Garrity|title=In the Game: The Highs and Lows of a Trailblazing Trial Lawyer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T9AmDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT145|access-date=February 10, 2019|date=August 9, 2016|publisher=She Writes Press|isbn=978-1-63152-106-5|page=145}}</ref>
De Becker testified in the successful 1994 civil case ''Khawar v. Globe International, Inc.'', in which Francis Pizzulli represented the plaintiff. The case arose when the tabloid ''Globe'' accused an uninvolved man of being the actual assassin of Senator Robert Kennedy. ''Globe'' attempted to have de Becker's testimony dismissed by a higher court, but the decision was ultimately upheld by the California Court of Appeals.<ref name="Globe">California Court of Appeals (June 5, 1996). [http://ca.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.19960605_0008.ca.htm/qx] Khawar v. Globe International Inc.</ref>
De Becker advised the Los Angeles County District Attorney in the prosecution of Robert Bardo, the murderer of actress Rebecca Schaeffer,<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-05-08/rebecca-schaeffer-hollywood-murder-that-changed-america|title= A young actress, an obsessed stalker and a Hollywood murder that changed America|newspaper=LA Times |first=Christopher|last=Goffard |date=May 8, 2024}}</ref> and was a consultant on the prosecution of O.J. Simpson for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman,<ref>{{cite book|last=Clark|first=Marcia|title=Without a Doubt|year=1998|publisher=Penguin Books|location=East Rutherford, NJ|isbn=978-0-14-025977-3|url=https://archive.org/details/withoutdoubt00clar_0}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Darden|first=Chris|title=In Contempt|year=1996|publisher=Regan Books|isbn=978-0-06-039183-6|url=https://archive.org/details/incontempt00dard}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Toobin|first=Jeffrey|author-link=Jeffrey Toobin|title=The Run of His Life|url=https://archive.org/details/runofhislifepeop00toob|url-access=registration|year=1996|publisher=Random House Books|isbn=978-0-679-44170-0}}</ref> and the successful civil action against Simpson.<ref>{{cite book|last=Petrocelli|first=Daniel|title=Triumph of Justice|year=1998|publisher=Crown|isbn=978-0-609-60170-9|url=https://archive.org/details/triumphofjustice00petr}}</ref> His role in the O.J. Simpson cases is described in several books on the case, including those written by Marcia Clark, Christopher Darden, Jeffrey Toobin, and Daniel M. Petrocelli.<ref>{{cite book|last=Clark|first=Marcia|title=Without a Doubt|date=March 5, 1998 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=978-0-14-025977-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QXg7eY3NRl0C&q=gavin+de+becker|pages=119, 464, 491}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://slate.com/culture/2016/04/what-s-fact-and-what-s-fiction-in-the-people-v-oj-simpson-finale.html |journal=Slate |first=Leon|last=Neyfakh |title=What's Fact and What's Fiction in the People v. O.J. Simpson Finale? |date=April 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Darden|first=Christopher|title=In Contempt|date=March 18, 2016 |publisher=Graymalkin Media |isbn=978-1-63168-073-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eTDECwAAQBAJ&q=gavin+de+becker|pages=119, 464, 491}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Petrocelli|first=Daniel|title=Triumph of Justice: Closing the Book on the O.J. Simpson Saga|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mKnajwEACAAJ|pages=}}</ref>
==Cultural references== * Actor Miguel Ferrer, who played FBI agent Albert Rosenfield in the 1990s television show ''Twin Peaks'', reported that his character was based on Gavin de Becker. Ferrer reportedly knew de Becker since high school.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1990/11/24/page/45/article/ferrer-not-your-average-cop-in-broken-badges|title= Ferrer Not Your Average Cop in 'Broken Badges' |publisher=Chicago Tribune |first=Jerry|last=Buck |date=November 24, 1990}}</ref> * Actor Robert De Niro met extensively with de Becker in preparation for his role in ''The Fan'' (1996).<ref>{{cite news |url= https://ew.com/article/1996/08/23/robert-de-niro-researched-his-latest-role/|title= Robert De Niro researched his latest role|publisher=Slate |first=Steve|last=Daly |date=August 23, 1996}}</ref> * In Patricia Cornwell's 2004 novel ''Trace'', character Lucy Fairinelli describes using "the Gavin de Becker style of simulated combat" for training security staff.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cornwell|first=Patricia|title=History of the Western Insurrection in Western Pennsylvania: Commonly Called ...|url={{Google books|7ydCAAAAIAAJ|page=42|plainurl=yes}}}}</ref> * In season 2, episode 10 of ''Entourage'' (2005), character Vincent Chase states, "I should have Gavin de Becker come sweep the house for bugs".<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.ent411.com/browse/entourage-character-quotes/vincent-chase/page/3/?qsort=epdesc|publisher=Ent411 |title=Vincent Chase Quotes }}</ref> * In 2006, after Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel called on the entertainment industry to blacklist actor Mel Gibson for things he said when arrested for drunk driving, de Becker responded through an essay published in a full-page ad in ''The Hollywood Reporter''. He defended Gibson, saying that "alcoholism cannot be used to prove anti-Semitism". In the essay, de Becker asked Emanuel: "A drunken spouse spits out the words 'I never loved you anyway!' Is that truth? A drunken idiot boasts that he can 'take on the whole goddamn bunch of you, you bastards, come on, 'I'll kick your asses'. Is that truth?"<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-dear-ari-letter_b_26512|title= Who is Gavin de Becker? |work=The Huffington Post |first=Hary|last=Shearer |date=August 4, 2006}}</ref> * Actress Meryl Streep, who describes de Becker as a friend, said ''The Gift of Fear'' informed her portrayal of a nun in the 2008 movie Doubt.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/02/gavin-de-becker-jeff-bezos-national-enquirer.html|title= Who is Gavin de Becker? |publisher=Slate |first=Aaron|last=Mak |date=February 8, 2019}}</ref> * In season 2, episode 12 of ''Breaking Bad'' (2009), Walter White's book on his nightstand is ''The Gift of Fear''. * De Becker gave the eulogy for Garry Shandling; referring to a long-term feud with studio head Brad Grey, de Becker said, "Over the years, many people asked me, 'Why doesn't Garry have a family?' My answer was, 'Of course he had a family.' He created the Sanders family, which was as much a family as anything, and he had this family [motioning to the crowd]. And even Brad Grey had a role in his family, because every family has an uncle or a cousin who is a sociopath."<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.gq.com/story/garry-shandling-memorial-service|title= Garry Shandling's Memorial Service Was a Funny, Sad, Perfect Tribute to a Beloved Comedy Mentor|publisher=GQ Magazine |first=Amy|last=Wallace|date=April 25, 2016}}</ref> * De Becker gave a eulogy at Carrie Fisher's memorial service. Fisher and de Becker reportedly attended high school together and are described as friends. "The first time I had sex was at Carrie's house", de Becker stated in the eulogy, and added, "It wasn't with Carrie, but she arranged it".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.thewrap.com/carrie-fisher-debbie-reynolds-funeral-features-dancing-droids-and-a-standing-ovation/|title= Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds Funeral Features Dancing, Droids and a Standing Ovation|publisher=The Wrap |first=Matt|last=Pressberg|date=March 25, 2017}}</ref> * De Becker and novelist Bruce Wagner officiated at the wedding of Carrie Fisher's daughter, actress Billie Lourd. Lourd said, "It was the most hysterically brilliant and touching officiating in the history of officiating".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/billie-lourd-austen-rydell-wedding|title= Billie Lourd Wore Rodarte to Marry Austen Rydell at an Intimate Ceremony in Cabo San Lucas|publisher=Vogue |first=Alexandra|last=Macon|date=March 15, 2022}}</ref> * Writer and director Zach Cregger says his 2022 film, ''Barbarian'', was inspired by ''The Gift of Fear''.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/movies/barbarian-zach-cregger-interview.html|title= A Walk Through the 'Barbarian' Basement with Zach Cregger|work=The New York Times |first=Erik|last=Piepenberg |date=November 9, 2022}}</ref>
==Philanthropy== De Becker founded and funded Patient Pets, providing pet therapy for violently inclined patients at Atascadero State Hospital in California.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=DSqRAwAAQBAJ&q=patient+pets+gavin+de+becker&pg=PT181|title=Children Who Kill: Profiles of Pre-Teen and Teenage Killers|first=Carol|last=Anne Davis|date=November 15, 2011|publisher=Allison & Busby |isbn=9780749016234}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://blog.fawny.org/2015/11/11/values/|title= My Values Are All I Have|publisher=He Doesn't Know How Much I Love Him |first=Joe|last=Clark|date=November 11, 2015}}</ref>
De Becker is the creator and primary funder of the Naqaqa Giving Foundation, which supports disadvantaged people in Fiji and in southern Africa.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fijicharity.org/about-ngf |title=Naqaqa Giving Foundation |access-date=December 11, 2023}}</ref>
==Personal life== In the 1990s, de Becker was romantically linked to singer Alanis Morissette and actress Geena Davis.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/12/jeff-bezos-gavin-de-becker-national-enquirer-amazon|title='Bodyguard to the stars': the man helping Jeff Bezos fight the Enquirer|website=TheGuardian.com |date=February 12, 2019 |last1=Pulkkinen |first1=Levi }}</ref>
De Becker and his wife have been married since 2007 and have two sons. He has also raised eight adopted children, now adults.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Riley |first1=Una |title=Una, 2014 |url=https://professionalsecurity.co.uk/blogs/unas-blog/una-june-2014/ |access-date=February 5, 2024|publisher=Professional Security Magazine|date=June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Scalet |first1=Sarah D. |title=Interview with Gavin de Becker |url=https://www.csoonline.com/article/2117323/interview-with-gavin-de-becker.html |access-date=March 28, 2023 |work=CSO |publisher=International Data Group |date=July 1, 2004}}</ref>
De Becker was friends with former Beatle George Harrison, who reportedly died at de Becker's home.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/30/obituaries/george-harrison-former-beatle-dies-at-58.html|title=George Harrison, Former Beatle, Dies at 58|work=The New York Times |date=November 30, 2001 |last1=Kozinn |first1=Allan }}</ref> De Becker is also friends with Brooke Shields. Interviewed in the documentary ''Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields'', he told of her confiding in him after she was raped by an acquaintance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2023/01/21/brooke-shields-reveals-rape-pretty-baby-documentary-sundance/11098629002/|title=Brooke Shields reveals she was raped in 'Pretty Baby' documentary: 'Stay alive and get out'|website=USA Today }}</ref>
==Writing== '''Books''' * {{cite book| last = de Becker| first = Gavin| author-mask = 2| title = The Gift of Fear and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence| year = 1997| publisher = Little, Brown and Company| location = Boston| isbn = 978-0-316-23502-0| oclc = 36143575}} * {{cite book |last = de Becker| first = Gavin| author-mask = 2| title = Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane)| url = https://archive.org/details/protectinggiftke00debe| year = 1999| publisher = Dial Press| location = New York, NY| isbn = 978-0-385-33309-2| oclc = 317692059}} * {{cite book | last = de Becker| first = Gavin| author-mask = 2| title = Fear Less: Real Truth about Risk, Safety, and Security in a Time of Terrorism| url = https://archive.org/details/fearlessrealtrut00debe| year = 2002| publisher = Little, Brown and Company| location = Boston| isbn = 978-0-316-08596-0| oclc = 48746358 }} * {{cite book| last = de Becker| first = Gavin| author-mask = 2| title = Just 2 Seconds: Using Time and Space to Defeat Assassins| year = 2008| publisher = Gavin de Becker Center for the Study and Reduction of Violence| isbn = 978-0-615-21447-4| oclc = 0615214479}} * {{cite book| last1 = Horowitz| first1 = Emily| last2 = de Becker| first2 = Gavin| author-mask = 2| title = Destruction of Innocence: The Friedman Case & How Coerced Testimony and Confessions Harm Children, Families and Communities for Decades After the Wrongful Convictions Occur| year = 2013| publisher = Little, Brown and Company| location = Boston| asin = B00CX3LJ48}} * {{cite book| last = de Becker| first = Gavin| author-mask = 2| title = Forbidden Facts: Government Deceit & Suppression About Brain Damage from Childhood Vaccines| year = 2025| publisher = Skyhorse Publishing| location = New York City| asin = B0FJ2PQ7XJ}}
'''Forewords''' * ''To Have or to Harm: True Stories of Stalkers and Their Victims''. 1994. Grand Central Pub. {{ISBN|978-0446365437}} * ''Surviving a Stalker: Everything You Need to Know to Keep Yourself Safe''. 2000. Balance. {{ISBN|978-0971144705}} * ''Beauty Bites Beast: Awakening the Warrior Within Women and Girls''. 2001. B3 Books. {{ISBN|978-0971144705}} * ''A Girl's Gotta Do What a Girl's Gotta Do''. 2003. Rodale Books. {{ISBN|978-1579546397}} * ''On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and Peace''. 2004. Human Factor Research Group Inc. {{ISBN|978-0964920514}} * ''Embracing Fear: How to Turn What Scares Us into Our Greatest Gift''. 2005. Harper One. {{ISBN|978-0062517753}} * ''The End of War: How Waging Peace Can Save Humanity, Our Planet, and Our Future''. 2010. Easton Studio Press. {{ISBN|978-1935212119}} * ''The Kidpower Book for Caring Adults: Personal Safety, Self-Protection, Confidence, and Advocacy for Young People''. 2012. {{ISBN|978-0979619175}} * ''The Safety Godmothers: The ABCs of Awareness, Boundaries and Confidence for Teens''. 2014. B3 Books. {{ISBN|978-0971144736}} * ''Self-Defense for Women: Fight Back''. 2016. YMAA Pruductions Center. {{ISBN|978-1594394928}} * ''SUICIDE, COVID-19, and KETAMINE: How a Little Known Drug May Save Lives''. 2021. Tailwind Productions. {{ISBN|978-0978709440}} * ''The Revolutionary Ketamine: The Safe Drug That Effectively Treats Depression and Prevents Suicide''. 2023. Skyhorse. {{ASIN|B0BTZ6Q9KY}} * ''The Brass Check: The Seminal Exposé on News Media Censorship and Propaganda''. 2026. Clydesdale. {{ASIN|B0BTZZC383}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:De Becker, Gavin}} Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:American non-fiction crime writers Category:20th-century American businesspeople