I think my skin needs some adjusting to American way of sarcasm and views, here in Holland we aren't that secretive about things like addresses and stuff. We are...opener. My contact info is filled in because I have nothing to hide, I think...and what I think too is that I am having a little culture shock here.
Once I planned to live in the USA, because my husband could get a job at the Calif. Highway Patrol some 20 years ago and I woldn't have it because I was afraid of being homesick. For years I regretted. But now...perhaps I wouldn't have fitted in at all anyway......:-(
I think my skin needs some adjusting to American way of sarcasm and views
Well, from an American perspective your request did appear to be rather odd, and hence you appeared to be potentially dangerous. The people who had harsh words for you, presumed you were American. Please forgive their ignorance.
Where I live, I have been around celebrities and the children of celebrities all my life. It's considered no big deal to see an actress in the market, or a model in a restaurant. I have actually known a few of them personally -- not as close friends, but as casual acquaintances -- and when I was a kid I went to school with several children of actors, politicians, etc. It's just considered normal around here. People who make a big deal about it are considered to be a bit unbalanced.
Also, the celebrities value their privacy as much as anyone else, and they find attention by both fans and paparazzi, to be annoying at best. Once in a rare while, the attention is potentially dangerous; I do NOT know Mel personally but I do know that he has had kidnap threats to his children and is very concerned about security. Any ordinary citizen trying to contact him directly, would be considered "odd" and therefore a potential threat.
So if you truly admire the man (as I do), respect his privacy.
"Not having anything to hide" is not the reason most people don't fill in their contact information. The reason is that the internet can be a dangerous place and there are lots of seriously whackadoodle people out there. Some of them are just annoying, and some them can be a real danger. It's a precaution not to put personal contact information on a public forum.