To ask if you've ever felt like this about a celebrity's death

[twelveminutespast]

I didn't know Caroline and she didn't know me, but I can't shake this feeling of sadness about her death. It's really stopped me in my tracks.

To know that someone else felt like life wasn't worth living is just the most horrendous and awful thing to me. I do believe she would have made it through the court case the other side. I'm wondering what she was thinking during her final moments.

I feel so saddened.

Has anyone else ever felt like this about a celebrity when they've passed? If so, who? It probably sounds really pathetic as I didn't know her, but I can't stop thinking about it

Thismummyruns I feel exactly the same.

Seems to have struck a chord with a lot of people I know by looking at my Facebook page.

Anyone in Northern Ireland will know about Stephen Clements, a Radio Ulster presenter. I listen to Radio Ulster in work and one day he just wasn't on air anymore, he'd killed himself. They still haven't renamed his show or got a permanent replacement in for him and I think of him every day.

The media reported the facts.

I think the tabloid press and other media sources often twist the facts and just indulge in wild, scurrilous speculation about a celebrity's private life. They whip up salacious interest by publishing juicy stories which may not represent 'facts' but are more or less malicious gossip.

Unfortunately some celebrities depend on these same media channels to keep them in the public eye, newsworthy and employable so it's a double-edged sword.

In no way do I think Caroline Flack deserved the treatment she had by the worst sort of media interest. I think the public had mixed opinions about her so it would not be fair to say she was vilified and tormented by people generally. There will always be sick trolls unfortunately.

Robin Williams & Chester Bennington got me the most. Still can’t think about/see them/hear them without feeling sad 😭

The media reported the facts.

I respectfully disagree @NoSharon, they don't report the facts at all, they report what they like whether it's true or not. They are often careful with their wording, using 'allegedly' often. There is so little legislation to what they print or put online it's quite appalling. Unfortunately, I know this first hand.

Caroline Flack was completely skewered by the media and, yes, some members of the public but I genuinely believe that the British media are the worst in the world. They don't seem to care that a real person is watching them tear them down.

The only celebrity that made upset when dying was Robin Williams. I still miss him.

Robin William's.

Also not a Leicester fan but the death of their owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha..think more so you see the helicopter take off on the programme and then that was it. Normal event with such a tragic ending. Seeing the work he done for the club and the impact he made and his family after. Sad.

Caroline defied the patriarchy and got destroyed

Folk are entitled to their opinions but I'm never gonna understand that one. CF presented a shallow programme where people were encouraged into casual shallow relationships. She bashed her boyfriend causing blood loss. He forgave her but the law couldn't. I don't know where the patriarchy reveals itself in that picture ... in the bed-hopping antics of the Love Island contestants, maybe? Except females & males equally at it. I thought 'The Patriarchy' had something to do with men having majority power, not casual sex that females like to earn lots of money doing.

@LetsGoFlyAKiteee I remember that too, extremely tragic. Should have been a routine journey but it ended up like that

Kobe and Gianna Bryant was awful. I cant watch the videos without tearing up. Awful to imagine knowing theres nothing you can do to protect your baby! Heartbreaking. Theres a video of someone's CCTV and you hear the crash its horrific

People will be affected in different ways, depending on how much they invested in her. Some may have had a crush, some may avidly watch her programmes, some might even be a similar age with similar problems, or have a daughter of a similar age. Some won’t be affected at all, perhaps beyond a residual sadness for her family.

The media of all types will be all over it, because that’s what media is all about. Every page click, every post, every paper sold, every news update, it all feeds the mill.

I wonder whether there would be the same outcry if this was a male celebrity who was due in court for domestic violence against female partner.

Also a male celebrity who in their 30s dated a star struck 17 yr old child who they knew had a 'thing' for them.

I am finding it difficult to get my head around this. I am
Shocked that she took her life but am a bit at some possible double standards here.

I miss Victoria Wood and Linda Smith really badly. I don't even know who half the people being mentioned are.

Whitney Houston and Princess Di for me. For Caroline it just seems such a waste of a young life. I just can’t get my head around the fact that someone sits there and feels absolutely so mentally down that they choose death over life. And thinking that possibly if she had fought through those thoughts and woke up this morning, things might not have felt quite so bleak for her.

What @sandalsandsocks said. And all the hashtags “be kind” crap that’s going round too? Talk is cheap. No one will actually change their behaviour or viewing habits or SM use will they? If you live your life in the spotlight and make a living out of fame then you can’t expect your life not to be scrutinised and judged.

For everyone blaming the media, you do realise that it isn't just the media yeah? It is all of us. Making a snide comment to someone on mumsnet when they are already feeling low. Participating in office gossip about someone. Making rude offhand comments to colleagues. I've noticed that a lot, there is one or two colleagues of mine that don't quite fit in and people speak to them...just slightly differently than they speak to others. Angry gestures and impatience towards someone who isn't moving as quickly as you'd like in the car in front. That call centre worker that you didn't quite shout at but were quite sharp with.
Everyone has stuff going on. And any of the little examples above that people do all the time can really exacerbate how shit a person feels, a person who is already struggling on the inside.

So yes it's the media. But it isn't just the media. It's all of us.

Amy winehouse and Peaches Geldof.
Any death of someone so young ( whatever the circumstances ) is very sad and having had a close relative that committed suicide it brings it back and I just feel for the family and friends who knew them. They will have to live with it.

@lljkk

It’s more that the MSM hate women who don’t settle down with a nice man and have a child. See Jennifer Aniston for another example.

Caroline was 40, childfree/less (I don’t recall her going public with any fertility problems) and independently financially stable. Until the last year or so, seemed to be enjoying life. She also had younger boyfriends. All of these things are defying the patriarchy.

Avicii. So sad to think people see no way out and take their own lives. They must feel so desperately sad. Awful 😞

I feel shocked and saddened at the death of people who may have had their own demons but we're, ultimately, 'good' people.

Heath Ledger, Peaches Geldof, Robin Williams, Amy Winehouse, Corey Monteith and so on.

While her death will be sad for her family and friends Caroline would not have been put in this position if she hadn't abused her partner (and don't play the MH card, plenty of people with MH issues do not abuse others). Yes, innocent until proven guilty but the CPS decided there was enough evidence despite her ex/boyfriend not wanting to press charges in the end (like a lot of DV victims). Her committing suicide doesn't excuse or change those facts.

Many people seem to have changed the rules based on the fact she was a woman - don't judge until we know,she must have been pushed in to doing it and so on. If this was a male being tried for the same I don't think there would be as much sympathy.

Wickedwoo agree re Avicii. My kids were big fans and I got to know his music through them., On the surface, a really talented young guy who seemed to have everything to live for, but sadly behind the public persona, it was obviously a different story.

You mean like Helen Mirren? I mean, "main stream media" hate her. For her "No maternal instinct" whatsoever.

Oprah Winfrey, Betty White, Liza Minelli, Ellen Degeneres, Renee Zellweger, Katherine Hepburn, Condaoleeza Rice, Kylie Minogue, Stevie Nicks, Cameron Diaz, Anjelica Huston. Jennifer Lawrence thinks she might happily joint the ranks of child free too.

All failed so badly to appeal to anybody because 'main stream media' didn't like them for their lack of husband/kids. Obviously... NOT

I could Add Dolly Parton to the list but she gushes about her lovely husband, tbf.

Caroline was 40, childfree/less (I don’t recall her going public with any fertility problems) and independently financially stable. Until the last year or so, seemed to be enjoying life. She also had younger boyfriends. All of these things are defying the patriarchy.

FFS. Was a series of allegations of DV, culminating with her assaulting her boyfriend with a lamp in his sleep, leading to a gash that needed stitches and 'blood everywhere' defying the patriarchy too? Because if that's what it looks like, I ain't interested.

What's gets me is that no one has the nerve (including me ) to publicity point out the issues of DV that she allegedly committed and dating of a child.

Anyone who does so publicly will be shot down in flames.

I don’t know why but it’s Caroline and peaches Geldof’s deaths that made me feel pure shock and made my stomach drop when I read the headlines that they’d died.. both times I had to reread over because I couldn’t contemplate it.