Discussions about celebrities’ privacy has once again become a hot topic on social media after videos of fans showing up to private events and interrupting interviews went viral on social media. Parasocial relationships with celebrities are not a new thing. Many fans feel that they deserve more private information from their favorite celebrities than what is normal and that can result in some creepy, unwanted behavior that should never be considered okay.
Recently though, hundreds of Taylor Swift’s fans swarmed the venue she was at for Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley’s wedding in Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Videos and images went viral on TikTok, leaving fans to question if people are taking their devotion for a celebrity too far. Many believe that Swift looked extremely uncomfortable with the fans in the images that went around social media. The other celebrities at the wedding also looked to be in shock and a little disturbed at how many people were there. Swift has spoken out many times in her songs and her documentary, “Miss Americana”, about how she wants to keep her private life to herself.
A couple days later, while Drew Barrymore was interviewing Reneé Rapp at an event, a fan rushed to the stage in an attempt to get to Barrymore. He claimed that Barrymore knew who he was and that he wanted to talk to her. Barrymore looked uncomfortable and Rapp quickly got her backstage. The fan was told to leave. Days later, he was arrested for allegedly stalking Barrymore’s Los Angeles home according to CBS News.
This issue isn’t just affecting Swift and Barrymore. Many celebrities have to deal with fans showing up anywhere they are spotted. A good photo of certain celebrities can cost a lot of money for fans and paparazzi.
This is especially relevant with celebrities who have kids since they try to keep them out of the spotlight for as long as possible to avoid predators and stalkers both on the internet and in real life. These celebrities have to plead with the paparazzi and fans to not take pictures of their children. However pictures tend to get out anyway, whether by the fans, paparazzi, or even family members. This could be very dangerous for the children.
This trend of celebrities’ privacy being invaded has been around for a long time. Almost every big celebrity has had multiple stalkers at one point in time. Naturally, once a person becomes famous, they won’t be able to keep their whole lives private like they once could. However, many fans take it upon themselves to know every aspect of their favorite celebrities’ personal lives. This can make many celebrities feel uncomfortable and even threaten their safety.
Some people believe that this is just a part of being famous and that celebrities should just accept it. A lot of celebrities are very open with their fans and will even call the paparazzi to take pictures of them. However, many believe that celebrities deserve their privacy too and should be able to feel safe living their lives and that just because they live in the spotlight does not mean they have to lose their privacy.
Celebrities are real people and should be able to keep some things private. They should be able to feel safe while also being able to have a relationship with their fans. However, in today’s social media environment, where fans have the ability to know where celebrities are at any moment in the day, this is quickly becoming an impossibility.
