Celebrity scandals in the media prove we’re all human

By Ryan, April 11, 2016

By Caroline Burkhart // Staff Writer

Celebrities. Role Models. Singers. Actors. Performers. Athletes.
What do you think of when you hear the term celebrity? What is the first thing that pops into your head? For each person, it is probably something different. Celebrities exist because they have fans. They are usually known for their musical talent, acting skills, or some other form of entertainment they provide. They are known for what they bring to the table. But what happens when the talent of a celebrity is overshadowed by a personal challenge? Or, worse, by a scandal?
Many celebrities use these personal issues as a platform to raise awareness. In 2010, Demi Lovato checked into a treatment facility in Illinois for a few months. She went there to get help with mental illness issues, such as bipolar disorder and self-harm. When she left rehab, Lovato’s pictures were all over the internet. Some captions with truth and others just rumors. The tabloids love to get people when they’re down. The media loves to always have a story. Something juicy. Making drama out of something that is quite simple. Focusing on someone’s personal struggle instead of his/her new movie or song that just came out. Why? Because those things sell – drama sells.
It is a similar story for Erin Andrews and Kesha. Two other powerful and influential women whose work was overshadowed by personal challenges they were facing. In both cases, the celebrities were dealing with court cases. Erin Andrews was a beautiful and bubbly sportscaster who had a stalker who took things too far. During a stay at a hotel for her job, she was videotaped and violated. The case recently went to trial. Even with millions of dollars gained, her trust was still lost. Andrews went back to ESPN after the incident. Only after being forced by the network to do an interview about the videos. Not long after, she wanted a fresh start. She headed to FOX sports and is now one of the hosts on “Dancing With the Stars.” Yet, when you google her name, this is not what you learn about Andrews. Instead you’ll get a list of sensational headlines and rumors about the court case. Andrews doesn’t have a way of taking that story away from her name. The emotional distress will never disappear. Kesha’s been through a similar scenario. Kesha was sexually abused by her producer, who is known as Dr. Luke. When she took the case to court, a New York Supreme Court judge made the decision to hold her to the contract with Dr. Luke. Kesha is unable to do much of anything under contract with Dr. Luke. He has control over the majority of her life and you can easily find hundreds of stories about it all over the Internet. Her hopes to just be known as Kesha the musician will probably never get to be fulfilled. These are just some of the things that come up when you google Kesha’s name. Her personal stories, not her talents.
Lovato, Andrews and Kesha are not alone. Drama unfolds across the media and online every single day. Drama may just be part of the territory, but it is not the reason most celebrities get into the business. Many are just striving to do what they love. More than the headlines, more than the columns. Celebrities are human too.