Celebrity Feuds and Toxic Femininity
Celebrity gossip always seems to focus on the relationships of the rich and famous. As consumers, we tend to get invested in the personal lives of the celebrities and influences we watch on TV or social media. In pop culture, there always seems to be a love triangle between two famous women and a famous man. In the early 2000s, it was Brad, Jennifer and Angelina. In the 90s, it was Charles, Diana and Camilla. In these cases, the men in these relationships were guilty of an affair with the “other woman.” These stories ran their course within the media, but they always ended with the other woman being painted as the true villain. Angelina and Camilla were slammed for being the reason two marriages ended, but people failed to acknowledge the married men who willingly participated.
More recently, a similar Internet feud has surfaced relating to Justin Bieber and his wife, Hailey. Prior to being married to Hailey, Justin was romantically linked to Selena Gomez on and off from 2010-2018. They were last linked to each other in January of 2018, and Justin married his wife in September of the same year. Because of this timeline, fans of Justin and Selena claimed that there had to have been overlap between the two relationships. Since then, Hailey was presumed as the “other woman” and has struggled to become popular with her husband’s fan base. Selena has emerged as the victim, while Hailey has become the villain. Both women have publicly spoken out about the alleged rivalry, saying there is no bad blood between them. This has not stopped the Internet as branding Hailey and her friends as bullies toward other women, especially Selena.
It’s possible that Hailey is a bully. It’s also possible that she willingly took part in Justin’s infidelity. It’s unlikely that we will ever know the complete truth about what these celebrities do in private. Hailey never stood a chance in the eyes of the public, because the blame is always shifted onto the woman. Justin has faced little to no public backlash on his actions, just like the men who came before him. Brad Pitt’s acting career never suffered from his divorce, while Angelina was publicly blamed for seducing him on set. Prince Charles never faced consequences within the royal family for having a years-long affair, but Camilla’s image with the citizens of the UK has been negative ever since.
Famous couples and love triangles are the most obvious examples of this phenomenon, but it’s something that happens all around us. Instead of pitting women against each other, these men should be held accountable for their actions and allowing women to take the best for them.