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

How do you know that she had a friend staying with her? I thought it was her Dad who found her?

LucaFritz The last person any of my dates would be meeting would be my parents.

@nosharon

The newspaper articles all say she had a friend staying with her

@LucaFritz

The age gap was extremely creepy IMO

What has been reported is that the friend popped to the shops then called Caroline's dad when she couldn't get back in.

Given she had no previous convictions and the alleged victim was adamant he didn't want to press charges they should have let it go

I can't believe I'm reading things like this in 2020.

I'd never heard of her before seeing all the threads on MN.

Her death hasn't moved me any more than anyone else's that I didn't know. Sad for the people that knew her.

How do you know that she had a friend staying with her? I thought it was her Dad who found her?
Apparently the friend popped to the shops, was locked out and rang her dad to come round. They both found her.
I only watched her on n strictly but one about her from the press. I think it's because she v was so young and then all the stuff afterwards about how the press mocked her makes it all the more sad thinking about what she must have been going through.

I think suicide is also just so horrific to comprehend. I am always reminded of that gut wrenching scene at the end of Shawshank Redemption.

I can't imagine going through the motions of ending your own life with deliberate purpose. It's utterly heartbreaking.

Does anyone read up on things before posting anymore? It states in every article that her friend stayed with her but popped out to the shops briefly. Why do people argue without facts to back them up?

How long had the friend gone to the shops for?

@BusterGonad I could say the same for you.
I've not seen mention of a friend with her anywhere.

Link

The age gap was extremely creepy IMO
I have a friend who is just attracted to young men. She just is. She's 50 now and has given up on relationships because she isnt attracted to anyone over about 35. I do suspect it's just because she likes her own company and never really wanted a long term relationship. I know it would be creepy if a 50 year old man said that, but maybe it's not just because there untrue traditional power dynamic there. I'm any case, the boyfriend wasn't a child. He decided to be with her.

@shatnerswig why? It is long known that the appropriate response to DV is never one size fits all - prosecute and criminalise without thought. You can see the result here of that approach.

Are you saying the prosecution should have gone ahead at all costs even if this results in a tragic death and a bereaved partner and family? Better to get a successful prosecution even though all parties involved are decimated by the outcome?

It is clear in this case that a different type of intervention would have been more suitable.

@Noodlenosefraggle

17 is a child though in this context, for me anyway. Certainly not an adult and I don’t think a relationship with 30+ is appropriate.

Caroline Flack is always perceived in the media as a young woman but actually she is 40 which is not “young” and some of her behaviour has been shocking. Anyone’s death is sad though, and these circumstances are unpleasant and show she was deeply troubled.

@NoSharon

Her friend being there has been mentioned in literally every single article I have read about it.

Are you saying the prosecution should have gone ahead at all costs even if this results in a tragic death and a bereaved partner and family?

So no crimes should be prosecuted in case the perpetrator harms themselves? Would you feel like this about a rapist? Dangerous precedent to set; which is exactly why CPS must prosecute once the train is on the track.

@crispysausagerolls

I didn't say that at all. This type of concrete black and white thinking is not helpful.

NoSharon well God knows where you've read about this then. I suggest you get better sources for your information then, or just stop bothering to get involved with threads like this as you'll just end up with egg on your face. 🍳😂

As Someone going through my
Own MH issues and also having occasional suicidal ideation this has shocked me and upset me enormously

I keep thinking of her family , her siblings and the poor friend that ‘popped to the shops’

She was so pretty and so loved

And her exes . Fuck me I hope they really get some proper help , medication and therapy to get them though this as they are going to be doubly suffering . Some things are hard to fix

I think I need to stop reading about it as it really upsetting me to be honest

It is clear in this case that a different type of intervention would have been more suitable

And you know this how? You do know many abusive husbands will use the threat to kill themselves to get their battered wives to retract their statements or support for prosecution. How many of them are genuinely mentally ill or vulnerable and how many are using it as a form of coercive control?

And hindsight is a wonderful thing of course.

Given she had no previous convictions and the alleged victim was adamant he didn't want to press charges they should have let it go - no doubt the CPS thought they would get savaged in the press if they didn't proceed - as the victim is male and the defendant famous.
Alleged victims often drop cases and, in the past, the police have been powerless to prevent this, despite knowing the alleged victim is at risk of being harmed.
I agree the CPS/police should not have dropped the case as we need to protect victims and help protect them from themselves.

I think, once Caroline was charged with a crime and the press reported that fact, the press should have backed off until such time as they reported on the trial.The fault probably lies with the press for keeping it in the public arena.

I agree, even if her boyfriend had said he did not want to press charges, the sad reality is that many victims will want to say the same thing to protect their partner or because they are scared of what their partner could do to them next if they don't.
It was alleged he shouted, "I was normal until I met her" when leaving the crime scene.
That said the media should have completely backed off before the trial took place.

@shatnerswig I have worked in this area with a domestic violence refuge, legally and academically. DV is incredibly complicated - of course prosecution is imperative in many cases but a nuanced, considered approach is required.

I don't want to get into an argument about it, we all have our own views and I think it's very unlikely we would ever agree with each other. Not minimising DV at all but the outcome here was obviously terrible for all involved, surely as a society we can hope to do better than this.

@FlamingoBob

It is often impossible for the law to take any sort of nuanced approach - it’s one of the reasons I stopped practicing law. The scope of cases dealt with and the way in which loopholes can be exploited are behind blanket laws (the best examples being things like regulatory laws - speeding and such). If you allow a more nuanced approach re pressing charges for DV and other, you open the floodgates for victims to get trodden on and disregarded!

Here are some links for those questioning why it has been stated that a friend was staying with Caroline:

www.google.com/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/10976695/caroline-flack-pal-stayed-over-before-death/amp/

www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8007677/amp/Caroline-Flack-dead.html

www.google.com/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/caroline-flacks-body-found-dad-21506443.amp