After a five-month whirlwind romance, Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson broke headlines when they called off their engagement on Oct. 15. While there has been a great outpouring of sympathy for the two, more notably is the continued criticism towards their relationship and lack of shock about the announcement.
Since making their engagement public in early May 2018, the media has been relentlessly criticizing the relationship. Just hours after the engagement was published, numerous media outlets verbally bombarded the couple, sharing their irrelevant opinions on how the relationship would never last, and it was too soon for them to be engaged. Such a lack of support overwhelmed both Grande and Davidson’s Instagrams to the point where both individuals decided to temporarily disable comments on their accounts.
Neither star has shied away from their very public relationship, with both Grande and Davidson commenting on their sudden engagement. In early August, when Grande appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” she explained how she knew she was going to marry Davidson after she finished writing sketches for her upcoming SNL appearance. Alongside Grande’s comment, Davidson’s recent appearance on “Saturday Night Live’s” “Weekend Update” segment focused on his engagement to Grande, most notably joking around on how he feels like Superman. While both stars have been very open about their fairytale romance the past few months, now it is incredibly important to respect both stars’ privacy.
The media can easily distort the audience’s perception of celebrities. While celebrities live very public lives, they are also granted a sense of privacy behind closed doors. Therefore, the media may see a smiling couple strolling down the streets of New York, but not the reported fights and breakdowns. Ultimately, the constant scrutiny and attention on Grande and Davidson’s relationship may have impacted the ending of their engagement, yet both stars have experienced nothing less of tragedy in their lives.
Ariana has had one of the most mentally devastating years imaginable. Not only has Grande survived a terrorist attack where 22 of her fans were killed, she also recently lost her ex-boyfriend, famed music producer and rapper Mac Miller in September. Now, with 2018 nearing an end, Ariana has also ended her engagement. Regardless of one’s personal feelings towards Grande, she deserves to be treated with decency and respect. Rather than being harrassed for her relationship, she should be treated with a kindness that all humans deserve.
At the same time, Davidson has been open about his struggles with mental illness including borderline personality disorder, and this past May he even commented back at fans, who were saying that it is unreasonable for him to be in a relationship. Davidson has also been very vocal about his father’s passing in the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers. While Davidson typically uses humor as a coping mechanism when addressing such topics, this does not take away the pain he may feel when cameras are off and doors are closed.
The public tends to dehumanize celebrities by subjecting them to hurtful rumors, stalking them for the purpose of a picture and constantly criticizing their every actions. The media treats celebrities as their own puppets by creating hurtful headlines, regardless of the information’s trustworthiness. Rather than shaming and criticizing celebrities for ending a relationship, the media should react with empathy. If you would not treat you friend this way, why should you treat a celebrity as such? At the end of the day, regardless of how well-known someone is, we are all humans, and we all deserve basic human kindness.
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