Lana Del Rey, more take a stand when their boundaries are crossed

For decades, there's been an unspoken rule that celebrities are expected to be friendly and approachable in public — but lately, we've seen a shift in stars dropping the façade when they overstep their bounds.

takes Jason Kelsey. The suave former NFL player shocked his loyal followers in November 2024 when He used f-slur during a heated confrontation With one of the hecklers who was following him and used the same words to insult his brother, Travis Kelsey.

The father of three, 37, isn't the only star to lose his temper when provoked. In June 2024, footage was circulated of Lana Del Rey She clashes with a group of people following her and her family in Paris. (She later claimed on social media that they were “stalkers” who told her they would try to “make me look bad.”)

There is no argument that — to borrow From Jason's subsequent apology “Receiving hate with hate” is completely unacceptable. However, these events have inspired important discussion about the expectations of public figures' responses when their personal space is violated.

With fan culture (and criticism) reaching new heights in today's social media-driven society, it's no wonder stars are tired of keeping up appearances.

“[A fan]may see a public figure as not being human in the same way – they may view them as larger than life, not ‘real’, and not sympathetic to being violated.” Gail SaltzAn associate professor of psychiatry at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College said: we. Instead, “their envy of celebrities who seem to have it all can lead them to be aggressive and feel entitled to act in any way they choose.”

Feeling entitled to a star's attention is not only misguided, it can also lead to negative interactions. “Sometimes a celebrity is pushed to assert boundaries because others are threatening, disrespectful, hurtful, attacking or dangerous,” Saltz said. This may be what the person doing the teasing is hoping for: “Negative attention is better than no attention at all for someone who craves attention.”

It's easy to dismiss celebrities who publicly criticize them as selfish or difficult, but sometimes, they go to the extreme. “This tends to happen when there is a combination of emotional, psychological and situational factors at play,” says a licensed professional clinical counselor Anne M. Abel He said weCiting stress, exhaustion and fatigue as factors. “Ideally, they will respond in a calm and composed way – but, just like all people, they can be pushed to a ‘breaking point’ and may react in a less-than-ideal way publicly.”

This might explain the April 2024 video of Alec Baldwin Allegedly knocking a cell phone out of a stranger's hand. In fact, this person was berating him for several moments, even going so far as to ask him an offensive question Victim of the killer 2021 Rust Shooting – Before he reacts.

Appel says setting boundaries is “totally reasonable,” and encourages celebrities to communicate their expectations “clearly and directly.”

But is it bad business for a family name to show its less glamorous sides, like Matthew? Chapel Rowan received mixed reactions to Confront the photographers in public On two separate occasions? according to Robbie Vorhousefounder of public relations and media firm Vorhaus Communications, Inc., it depends on the context.

“The issue of celebrities crossing their boundaries is complicated because appearing in public is inherently part of their profession,” he said. we. “However, this does not justify harassment or invasion of personal space.”

Paparazzi are known to invade celebrities' personal space. For example, Tom Holland He was filmed pushing away a photographer who got too close to his now fiancée. Zendayain October 2024 – but the incident is unlikely to resonate when it comes to his impeccable reputation.

“If a celebrity's reaction seems justified, it rarely causes permanent damage to their career,” Vorhaus explained. However, “we advise clients to set clear boundaries while maintaining professionalism, as a recorded outburst can overshadow the initial provocation.”

Chris Vlastoco-founder of crisis communications firm Haven Strategies, agrees that these incidents have no long-term effects, noting that for those who have had public altercations with paparazzi, “All instances are repeated for decades but in the end, their audience doesn't care. The fights don't It makes sense and the fans are sympathetic.”

Takeaway? The golden rule—do unto others what you would have them do unto you—still applies when dealing with those in the spotlight. A little empathy goes a long way, so remember that there's always more to the story, and that stars really are just the same we: They have good days and bad days too.