When a celebrity broke your heart…
Photo Courtesy of Sean Reynolds- Wikimedia Commons
Most attentive people are aware that the majority of celebrities are bad people. No matter how they seem at first, many of them are hiding a much darker underbelly than any could have expected. We’ve all experienced a celebrity we love having a horrible past exposed, and this week, The Lamron staff will walk us through their worst celebrity heartbreaks and betrayals.
To begin, we have John Mulaney. Many people love Mulaney’s wit and charm, and he is undeniably funny. But many people also know about the scandal that rocked fans in 2021. The story broke that he had allegedly cheated on his wife, Anna Marie Tendler, and his many humorous stories about how much he loved her can never be seen the same again.
Not only that, but it was revealed that the woman he cheated with was none other than actress Olivia Munn. Furthering the shock of this scandal, she was pregnant and they were to be married. After discussing with crowds how he was happy with his wife and happy to be childfree, it is no wonder that the intrigue around this incident was as strong as it was. And Mulaney’s personal tragedy of his relapse into cocaine addiction only added to the public’s fire.
For a more recent case, Ed Sheeran has also come under similar fire for his actions concerning his would-be tour opener, Macklemore. Macklemore has been known for his staunchly pro-Palestine views and his willingness to support the cause out in the open. This does not mesh with Sheeran’s decidedly apolitical brand, and Macklemore was dismissed from the tour.
However, fans did not take this lightly. Many believe that not taking a side is taking the side of the oppressor, and Israel’s actions in Palestine, especially the Gaza Strip, has been commonly agreed upon to be oppression. Sheeran’s dismissal of Macklemore led many of his other opening acts to pull out as well; fans rescinded their support just as fast. Personally, as a longtime fan of Ed Sheeran, this one hit close to home.
And not even fictional characters are safe to like. One Lamron staff member discussed the betrayal of Rory Gilmore of Gilmore Girls. While this is a widely disliked character, for this staff member, she started out as a favorite. For anything else that she is, Rory Gilmore is relatable at times, and that connection forms a strong bond between her and the viewer. What else could break that bond but how Rory behaved once she’d gotten to Yale?
After that, she became incredibly stuck-up and self-centered. She could not handle criticism or the idea that not every person she met loved her immediately. Even worse, she tried many times to play the “raised by a poor single mother” card, as if she wasn't supported throughout her life by her grandparents’ money, and as if that money didn’t enable her to attend Yale.
Clearly, not a single beloved figure is safe to love in the absolute sense of the word, real or fake. The lesson we can learn from this is to take our relationships with celebrities as fans less seriously. Even if it feels like you really know a person you’re a fan of, you really never do. Setting less value in these parasocial relationships is the healthiest way to navigate the celebrity-fan relationship.