Celebrities are steadily in the public eye, therefore making it inescapable to hide their most traumatic or celebratory experiences from the critical media. If celebrities don’t share with the public, conflicting rumors and allegations spread like wildfires. However, if stars do share those moments, they risk receiving backlash and criticism from that same populace they willingly confided in.
These are dilemmas that two celebrity mothers faced last week as triple platinum rapper, Nicki Minaj, welcomed her newborn into the world, and American model, Chrissy Teigen, unfortunately, mourned the loss of her son. These two heartfelt stories stimulated much controversy on both mothers’ parenthood as having a screen instead of in-person interaction seemingly brings out the worst in people.
“The celebrity world is so strange to me … why would a picture be taken at this moment,” tweeted @jnsbaby, on a post in reference to Chrissy Teign’s post about her miscarriage.
Seemingly unmindful that celebrities are indeed humans too, many view the married couple – John Legend and Chrissy Teigen – as oversharers who shouldn’t have disclosed the loss of their child so soon or at all. Experiencing one of the most unimaginable tragic events a mother can go through and then sharing that vulnerability with the world should be viewed more as heroism than a lack of censorship.
The couple, having had two children ages one and four already, used this tragic event to identify with many of those mothers and families who have experienced miscarriages as well in the past. Despite the renowned mother’s parent-shaming, many sent their heartfelt messages to the family and even shared their own miscarriage experiences on social media.
Chrissy I’m so sorry. I lost a baby girl at 21 weeks and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through in my life. Please make sure to take care of yourself pic.twitter.com/tiw6NEAxov
— babyrose91 (@ThorntonAbigail) October 1, 2020
“Absolutely heartbroken for you and your family. You’re brave to share your story with other families who have had to endure this heartache, too. We suffered two miscarriages, and I know firsthand the toll it can take. Sending you all a lot of love in these dark times,” tweeted the Youtube star, Ryan Wyatt.
Momentarily before, Nicki Minaj’s newborn baby arrived on Sept. 30 with many fans and celebrities congratulating the ‘Queen’ rapper. However, all good things must come to an end as Twitter users were ready to comment on the star’s potential parenting skills and her husband Kenneth Petty. Since Nicki hasn’t publicly released her post-pregnancy announcement yet, many Twitter users expressed their commentary of the star’s parenting and public image on social media outlets.
“Good luck explaining that wig, then heels, and then fake body parts when the baby grows up and asks questions,” tweeted @sixfootslim13, when Nicki first released her pregnancy on social media.
At the time, Nicki’s pregnancy-reveal photos stirred a lot of controversy in the media based on her choice of attire. Yet, pre-judging any motherhood from photos or rumors isn’t how one should justify a mother being a shameful parent. Many people are also taking to account that her husband and child’s father is a registered sex offender and served jail time for manslaughter. Although Nicki has defended her relationship in the past, her words apparently aren’t satisfactory to the public.
“I hope she’ll protect her child better than she did her niece,” tweeted @Rosa_taxdriver.
These aren’t the only two celebrity moms who are constantly judged for their motherhood. Kim Kardashian, Christina Aguilera, Kehlani and many more have also been criticized in the past and present for their parenting.
Many people have experienced successful pregnancies, and many have experienced unfortunate miscarriages. Being a well-known celebrity does not change that feeling or emotion those mothers experience, because they are human. Tweeting or expressing derogatory comments about stars on their parenting is not the appropriate way to deal with the situation, especially if it’s fresh and disheartening news.
It’s the celebrity lifestyle to be in the public eye and be judged, but celebrities have human emotions too. Celebrities who are willing to share their heartfelt stories have the right to do so. Twitter fingers should be more mindful and cautious of what they say to celebrity mothers, especially regarding their children, who they carried for seven to nine months.