Caitlin Klutz
Reporter
Warning: This article contains discussions around topics such as sexual assault, emotional abuse, and racial discrimination and harassment.
You would think that in 2021, the hardships of women in the entertainment industry would be lessened. Given the spotlight they’ve experienced with fame and fortune–along with the new-wave feminist movement that cures every misogynistic aspect of the modern-day and age–there must be some improvement right?
Or, perhaps these instances are just filmed and recorded better. And women are feeling safer to speak out against it.
Unfortunately, even after the #MeToo movement in 2017, sexism is still rampant in entertainment environments. Women in this kind of industry–Hollywood, music, television, media outlets–are still very vulnerable to abuse and harassment of all kinds. Whether from coworkers, bosses, agents, or family members, not only is this still a regular occurrence but if we’ve learned anything from the #MeToo movement it’s that these problems run deep. One recent wave doesn’t automatically cure decades of hardship.
Over the last few months in 2021, including women’s history month, many women in all corners of the entertainment industry have been stepping forward in their careers, revealing horrific stories of abuse, misconduct, and fighting for control over their image and well-being. Notable experiences and stories over the first few months of 2021 include celebrities like Demi Lavato, Meghan Markle, Britney Spears, and even Taylor Swift.
Demi Lovato
Demi shares her stories and struggles with mental health and drug addiction in her docuseries, “Dancing with the Devil.” The series provides details of her story and perspective leading up to her near-lethal 2018 overdose. Lovato reveals the traumas she faced as a child actor that hadn’t been shared with the public before, including rape and abuse. Lovato blamed herself for the incident, internalized shame and guilt led to a rocky path in her teenage years and beyond.
Meghan Markle
The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, spills her experience and details about the torments that she faced from the British Tabloids and her horrific experiences faced by the members of the royal family themselves. The interview aired on March 7th, with Oprah Winfrey interviewing her. Opening up about the expectation and struggles she went through, Meghan revealed that she was feeling suicidal. When she sought help from a mental institution while pregnant, royal officials told her it wouldn’t be a good idea and refused to get her the help she needed. Meghan also revealed that (unnamed) royal members were concerned about the color of her then-unborn child, Archie.
Britney Spears
The documentary “Framing Britney Spears,” was released on February 5th. The film highlights the way media had treated Britney Spears over the years, with invasive and inappropriate questions, including her highly publicized breakdown with tabloid papers and magazines in 2007. It also dove deeper into Britney’s conservatorship with her father, James Spears. Britney Spears is at odds with her father in that she no longer wants her father to be a part of her conservatorship. he had been in control of her life since 2008. The film tells audiences with lawyers, close friends of Britney, and other sources that Britney has been trying to get her father out of her conservatorship for many years.
Taylor Swift
In summer 2019, Taylor Swift revealed that Scooter Braun–who at the time, gained the rights to her masters and all of her music content from Big Machine Label–accused Braun of incessant and manipulative bullying. This led her to start re-recording her first 5 albums, now that they are owned by the label. Taylor Swift finally released her re-recorded album “Fearless” after the end of her contract in November 2020 with Big Machine Label. “Fearless: Taylor’s Version,” came out this year on April 9th, 2021. This is after her music subsequently doesn’t earn her revenue anymore, and it’s even known that the record label owes Swift almost $8 million in unpaid royalties.
Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen revealed that she is leaving Twitter after facing relentless criticism and bullying, on March 23rd. In late 2017, she and her husband John Legend were targeted by the QAnon conspiracy group, claiming the couple was part of a secret Hollywood pedophile and cannibalistic ring. More recently, she was under fire after posting that she had a traumatic miscarriage, criticizing for photographing her experience. However, other celebrities and users jumped to her defense–even Meghan Markle reached out to Teigen after her son Jack’s death. Teigan recently came back to Twitter after a 23-day hiatus.
While perhaps one of the lesser monumental pieces of information on this list, I think it’s worth noting that Teigan has dealt with a lot of harassment over the years and that women endure an exhausting amount of online harassment on social media sites like Twitter.
Even if you aren’t a fan of celebrities, I think people online forget to think about how they are still human beings. You don’t have to view them as influential or put them on pedestals to remember that they still deserve a basis of respect. Imagine if we were to suddenly be watched constantly and asked various questions from strangers around the world–I feel like I wouldn’t be a good role model for millions of 14-year-olds on social and digital media.
If there is anything to take away from these women and their stories it’s that no one deserves the treatment that these women have gone through. Take away the glitz, glamour, riches, royalty–everyone deserves to be treated with respect and safety. You can critique someone for their views while still having a basic understanding of the difference between bullying and disagreeing or thinking differently. You can comment without harassing.
