by Robert Littal
Former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel has obtained a temporary restraining order against a 32-year-old Texas mother he accuses of stalking him for several years, escalating to conspiracy-laden social media posts and unwanted contacts that have left him fearing for his safety.
Manziel, 33, filed for the order Friday in Brazos County District Court, describing the ordeal as “years of hell” caused by MaKenzie Calame, a College Station resident and mother of two. The court found Manziel faces “probable, imminent and irreparable injury” without the protection, according to documents.
The harassment began four or five years ago when Manziel noticed Calame tagging him in social media posts, he said. It intensified over the past one to two years and sharply in the last three months, including more than 30 videos posted in a single day on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Calame’s posts include alleged text conversations with Manziel and wild claims tying him to political conspiracies. She has asserted that Manziel works undercover for former President Donald Trump, is a distant cousin, and survived an assassination attempt linked to his friend and podcaster Mike Majlak. Manziel has denied all such allegations, calling them “false” and “crazy talk.”
The situation traces back to a single photo taken with Calame when Manziel was 18 or 19, during his time at Texas A&M University around 2011 or 2012. Manziel said he has never spoken to her since and their only interaction was that brief encounter.
Calame’s behavior shifted around the time of the 2024 presidential election, when she joined online chatrooms, learned video-editing skills, and began echoing claims of election fraud. One TikTok video was titled “The Cold War: Texas Mom Gone Rogue… My Story,” according to Manziel’s account. This period marked her transformation into what some have described as a “MAGA Mom,” amplifying conspiracy theories aligned with Trump supporters.
Recent escalations include Calame contacting Manziel’s business associates, contacts and ex-wife earlier this month. Late last year, Manziel received an email from Texas child services suggesting he had a child with Calame — a claim he refuted, noting the child is African American while neither he nor Calame is. Manziel offered to take a paternity test, which he said confirmed no relation.
“It’s scaring me … [and] people in my family are really upset,” Manziel said. “I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder.” He has blocked her accounts, consulted with College Station police and retained a lawyer while seeking a permanent resolution.
Manziel expressed concern for Calame’s well-being, noting her family — including an aunt who reached out to him — is “very concerned” about her actions. “I don’t have any malicious intent in my heart for this,” he said, drawing from his own experiences with mental health struggles. “I’m a person that’s dealt with mental health struggles … and I realized that no matter where your mental [state] may be, there are people out there that can help you.”
He attends therapy three times a week and emphasized prioritizing his own life: “As much as I want to help, it’s not my place.”
Manziel, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2012 and played for the Cleveland Browns from 2014 to 2015, has been open about his post-football challenges, including substance abuse and mental health issues. He now lives a quieter life but said the stalking has caused “unbelievable problems.”
