Can we continue to support celebrities who break lockdown rules?

England has been plunged into its third national lockdown. It is unclear when we will see our family and friends again, with holidays even further afield. Yet for celebrities, these rules and uncertainties do not seem to apply.

Take the example of Rita Ora. As far as we are aware, the pop star has breached lockdown restrictions twice. After returning from Egypt where she performed a private gig, she failed to comply with travel quarantine rules and did not self-isolate. To make matters worse, she threw a 30th birthday party in West London during her quarantine period.

“the rule-breaking seems more than just a little tone-deaf.”

Ora is certainly not the only celebrity who feels that she can bend the rules: back in June, Kylie Jenner broke California’s shelter-in-home order to attend a friend’s birthday party. From the photos that appeared on social media, it was clear that neither Jenner nor her friends were wearing masks at any time. There has also recently been a lot of discussion around influencers jetting-off abroad to work, which has led to the suspension of flights from Dubai to the UK.

Given the severity of current cases in England and beyond, as well as the sheer amount of time that the public has spent under lockdown, the rule-breaking seems more than just a little tone-deaf.

Let’s be clear: we cannot act as if everyone has obeyed the restrictions. At this point, we all know at least one person who has bent the rules in one way or another. Celebrity rule-breaking, however, is different. Whether they like it or not, they have a social responsibility. With a large platform, comes a large amount of influence. This social responsibility is part and parcel of being a celebrity, not a subtle term and condition written in small font. If someone cannot handle the responsibility that comes with fame and fortune, they should not be able to have it.

Celebrities must understand that, even if they want to act as ‘normal’ people, they have a significant amount of influence. Clearly, the stars breaking lockdown rules do not care for either these things; if they wanted to act like ‘normal’ people, they would have stayed inside with the majority of us. Their fans will be watching how they act during these lockdowns. They may possibly even using celebrities’ actions as a justification to break the rules themselves.

The continual rule-breaking appears even worse when we consider the wealth that many of these personalities have acquired. Having money is not the be-all and end-all, obviously; celebrities will also be missing their loves ones, social engagements, and sense of normality, as we all are. Nevertheless, it must be that little bit easier to stay inside when you live in a huge house in West London rather than being crammed into a shared flat with five other people.

“it would be unfair to lump every famous person in the same category.”

Part of the problem may come from the lack of consequences for these stars. Aside from some harsh words on social media that will die down eventually, what consequences exist? Fines do not solve the issue, especially for rich celebrities like Kylie Jenner. In England, fines have increased to £800 for house parties of more than 15 people. As long as fines remain the same for everyone regardless of their income, the problem will persist; the consequences are simply not that bad for the richest among us.

However, it would be unfair to lump every famous person in the same category. Not every celebrity has broken the rules. At the same time, it seems ridiculous to applaud those who are following the rules when they are simply doing the bare minimum. This is what celebrities should be doing; not only staying inside, but supporting, helping, and reaching out to their fan bases that have supported their careers for so long.

These types of problems bring to light deeper and more difficult questions. Can we separate the art from the artist? In continuing to listen to and buy the music from a singer that has broken the rules, we are still allowing them to be successful. Their success means their continued influence. How far should we go? As long as the rich are fined the same as someone with an average, it seems as if it is down to the public to decide what the real consequences are for rule-breaking celebrities. So far, they have not been very harsh.

Hannah Drew
Tweet to @hannahxdrew

Featured image courtesy of Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes have been made to this image.