The Dark Side of Being a Celebrity
Being a celebrity might seem amazing. There are a seemingly endless amount of fabulous parties to attend to, more money than you know what to do with, and every designer in the world wants to outfit you in fabulous gowns and tuxedos.
While being a celebrity does have a lot of perks, many forget that there are some downsides as well. Between not being able to go out in public without attracting attention to constantly living your life in a fishbowl, it can be frustrating to be a celebrity.
As far as money goes, there’s a good chance friends and family you haven’t seen in years are going to come out of the woodwork looking for handouts. On the dangerous side of things, some celebrities have even had problems with stalkers.
It can also be challenging for a celebrity to meet new people, as it is hard for them to gauge if a new person is interested in them for real or because they have money and fame.
Celebrity Fish Bowl
Sometimes being a celebrity can feel a bit like being in a fishbowl or at a carnival room. Who hasn’t seen pictures in magazines of celebrities in flip flops on a bad hair day trekking through Target? While a Target run might not feel like a luxury, it can be frustrating to be a celebrity when you can’t so much as go out for a cup of coffee without being recognized and judged.
Paparazzi can also be a real thorn for celebrities to deal with. Aside from fans constantly stopping and asking for pictures and autographs, celebrities also have to worry about paparazzi trying to get that glamour shot as they walk their dog or drink their coffee. By and large, celebrities just have very little privacy, which can take away from their quality of life.
Friends Asking for Money
It can be hard to have a lot of money when the whole world knows you have it. Suddenly your second cousin once removed is coming out of hiding and asking you for a handout. Many professional athletes and celebrities have gone broke trying to pay for cars and homes for everyone they know; it’s a quick and easy way to burn through money, and people don’t seem to understand the word, “no.”
People see the money of celebrities and think it will last forever. Here’s the thing: it won’t. Money is finite. Celebrities only have so much of it. The average person might see a rich celebrity worth $20 million and think they have all the money in the world. In reality, if he gives out $1 million to all his friends, buys them homes and cars, he will indeed eventually run out of money.
Fortunately, there are ways celebrities can still be generous while making sure their money lasts. Many professional sports offer rookie seminars to teach rookies how to deal with celebrity status, which includes managing their money. There are also a lot of financial advisors that specialize in working with celebrities and wealthy clients.
It Can Be Hard to Stay Relevant
Most athletes are out of their sports by 30. For superstars, maybe they get to play another 5 years if they are lucky, 10 if they are incredibly fortunate. Then what? By 40, they are washed up. This can take a toll on the mental health of celebrities who cannot get the acting roles they used to or score a touchdown in front of screaming fans.
It is hard for celebrities to stay mentally healthy. Between the constant financial demands being placed on them by family and their hopes to stay relevant for years after their prime, many celebrities eventually turn to drugs. This is why many celebrities seem to die of overdosing or suicide. Suddenly, they have all the money in the world and too much time on their hands to fill with constructive activities.
To combat this, athletes might consider getting into coaching the sport they love, as they can do that long after they are unable to play. For actors and actresses, they can also coach a younger generation or be open to movie roles that require older actors.
Singers might have it easiest, as they can usually sing and remain their rock-star status for decades if they choose. But, it can be challenging to make sure their music stays relevant as newer musicians are becoming successful every day adding some competition to the music industry.
Watch out for Stalkers
Stalkers can be a real problem for celebrities. So often we see celebrities in our living room, as they are on our TV screens for years at a time. It makes us feel like we know them. But, we don’t! Just because an actress does a great job of making you fall in love with her, does not mean she has fallen in love with you.
There have been a variety of rapes, murders, and near misses associated with the stalkers of celebrities. With so many stalkers, many celebrities have had no choice but to pay money to hire bodyguards to protect them. However, these bodyguards then essentially take away even more of their privacy making it even harder to get some alone time as a celebrity.
Hard to Date or Find Loyal Friends
There are many reasons that child-stars frequently end up addicted to drugs, or worse. One of the problems they face as they grow up is it is difficult to date or make new friends. Anybody new that enters their life is immediately scrutinized. Do they have good intentions? Are they just after money? Can they withstand the pressures of dating under a microscope?
While the average citizen has enough trouble meeting a quality partner, it can be even more difficult for a celebrity to meet genuine people. It might look easy as a Hollywood actor’s good looks can get him far, but it can actually be challenging to meet quality people. Quantity over quality is not necessarily a good thing in this case.