时间：2022-10-02 03:30:50
Charlie Sheen’s very public meltdown has once again proved that celebrities are not like normal people. Private jets to whisk you and your‘inner circle’ on weekend retreats to Aspen...Free designer outfits complete with a chiseled piece of the latest man candy...And how about adulation from the public and the ability to earn more in a month than the average Cosmo reader takes home in a year...? Who wouldn’t want an A-list lifestyle? Anyone, it seems with any sense. But, everything in this world has a price and A-listers pay with their freedom.
“Celebrities have almost no autonomy anymore,” explains Hollywood publicist Amanda*.“Every facet of their being is controlled to convey a certain image. These people can’t be themselves, even in their down time, and ultimately that can lead to a pretty miserable existence.”
According to Amanda, who’s worked with two major Hollywood agencies, celebrities’ fawning entourages aren’t just there to remind their feted charges of their‘specialness’. They’re there to arrange convenient ‘fauxmances’to generate tabloid headlines; to hide sexualities and bury stories that could negatively affect their earning potential; and to leak information to keep tabloid interest alive (oh, and to stir their Fair Trade, fat-free latte anticlockwise).
With competition for film roles at an all-time high, a celebrity ‘being themselves’ is rarely an option that appeals to directors, producers, studio bosses, advertisers, and audiences, and as a result, the cabal of celebrity lackeys spend the vast majority of their time wading through the murky waters of image manipulation.
Secret Sexuality
Amanda recalls the time she met a heart-throb actor whose sexual orientation didn’t fit into the leading man mould. “He told me his manager had forbidden him to see his boyfriend, and had sent one of his lawyers to the other guy’s home with confidentiality agreement so he could never sell his story. He’d instructed the actor to destroy all the photos he had of him with his lover, worried that his bisexuality would damage his chances of becoming a big star. I felt sad for my client who was unable to be honest about his life, but I soon learnt that things like this were not unheard of.”
Sandra Harmon, a relationship expert who’s worked with major Hollywood stars, believes celebrities are often forced to lead dual lives and keep their true sexuality under wraps. “Maintaining a fake relationship with a wife or husband and sneaking out to have sex with a gay lover is not uncommon in Hollywood,” she says.
Latino pop star Ricky Martin admitted in 2010 that one of the reasons he kept his homosexuality hidden was because some people in his entourage told him it would hurt his career. “Many people told me, ‘All the years you’ve built will collapse; many people in the world are not ready to accept... your nature.’ Because all this advice came from people who I love dearly, I decided (not to share) with the world my entire truth. Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage.”
Hidden Habits
Elaine Lui is the author of showbiz blog . She’s witnessed the lengths stars go in order to placate their ‘people’. “I go to moviestar events all the time, and the majority of the big names smoke, yet you’ll never see any of them smoking in a photo.” Elaine is also aware of the ‘fauxmances’ that are endemic in Tinseltown. “These fake hook-ups do happen. Not just for photo opportunities, but also to make celebrities a talking point and generate headlines,” explains Elaine.
Love Lies
So, is it possible to sustain a healthy relationship in Tinseltown? Very rarely, says Sandra Harmon. “Longlasting marriages and successful relationships are a rarity among the big stars, and it is no surprise to me.” Imagine how you would feel if everyone who saw or met you told you how beautiful you are? These celebrities begin to believe that they are so desirable and irresistible they can have anything―and anyone―they want. Beverly Hillsbased psychotherapist Dr Dahlia Keen believes many celebs would actually be far happier with a ‘normal’ existence. “A celebrity’s sense of self is often constructed on opinions of others―fans and critics especially,”she says. “But fans can be demanding, fickle and abandoning as they find themselves swept away by media opinion or the next big thing.”
Dr Dahlia sounds a note of caution to ‘wannabes’ anxious to trade their pedestrian lives for a shot at stardom.“Fame and fortune brings glory, but can also inspire many toxic effects,”she tells Cosmo. “They aren’t able to go out in public without feeling the need to look their best; they can’t go to a restaurant and let their hair down, or enjoy any privacy. And at a deeper level, celebs are in danger of losing their identity because everyone is always telling them what to do.”
And it’s this torment that leads many stars to find solace in drinks or drugs. “I have visited more clients in rehab centres than I care to remember,” Amanda sighs. Ultimately, people can only take so much pressure to be perfect. It’s a very, very hard way to live.”
So, it’s settled then. They can keep their glam existence...but if they’d like to share the contents of their shoe closets, that’ll be just fine.
*Some names changed on request.