Actress Kelly McGillis, Former Key West Resident, Assaulted in North Carolina
Actress Kelly McGillis, 58, a former resident of Key West, suffered only scratches and bruises after being assaulted by a woman intruder who had broken into McGillis’ home in Henderson, North Carolina. The incident happened two weeks ago, on the evening of June 17. In a series of Facebook posts, McGillis said that when she returned to her home about 9pm, she noticed that a light was on and that the front door was unlocked. She said she also noted a pair of girls’ sandals and a larger pair of sandals inside the front door. “I thought my daughter might be visiting,” she wrote on Facebook. “She has a key.” But McGillis said that when she shouted “Hello” a couple of times, a woman, later identified as Laurence Marie Dorn. ran down the hallway and began punching and scratching her, accusing McGillis of stalking her on Twitter. McGillis said she did not know Dorn and denied stalking anybody on Twitter.
McGillis wrote on Facebook that she was able to break free and scramble back outside, where she called 911 on her cell phone. And since she still had her car keys in her hand, she activated her car alarm. But, she said, the woman followed her out and continued to assault her. McGillis said that she was able to make it to her car and drive away, although her attacker had been able to pull her cell phone out of her hand. She said she was able to flag down another driver, who called 911 again for her. Minutes later, police arrested Dorn, charging her with second-degree burglary, assault and battery, misdemeanor larceny and misdemeanor stalking. They also took into custody Dorn’s young daughter, who had been in the home with her. According to news reports, McGillis said she plans to apply for a concealed gun carry permit.
As a movie actress, McGillis is best known for her role as Tom Cruise’s love interest in the 1986 blockbuster film “Top Gun.” McGillis and her then-husband Fred Tillman moved to Key West in the early 1990s and they opened Kelly’s Caribbean Bar Grill & Brewery in 1992. McGillis also operated Kelly’s Hanger, a Duval Street clothing boutique. She supported local theater here, directing productions for Waterfront Theater and for the Key West Theater Festival. She was also a supporter of women’s flag football. The Kelly McGillis Classic International Women’s & Girls’ Flag Football Championship attracts 30 teams from around the world annually.