Should Celebrity Divorces Be Off-Limits to the Media?
December 9, 2014
There are two dramatic separations stealing headlines in Hollywood right now. Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon have officially filed for divorce while Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Baskett seem to be teetering on the edge. Both high profile couples have small children and it begs to question whether we should be hearing anything about their struggles at all.
When Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon first got together, they faced a lot of skepticism. She’s substantially older than him and the pairing simply surprised fans. All the doubt melted away after they got married since they seemed to be so committed to each other. They renewed their vows every year, battled infertility to welcome twins, Moroccan and Monroe, and Carey seemed to be a rock of support for Cannon when he was hospitalized for exhaustion and kidney failure. It was surprising, therefore, when news of their separation hit the internet.
Here’s where things get tricky for this couple. Carey is known for being private and Cannon seems happy with sharing every detail imaginable. In fact, it was he who confirmed that there was “trouble in paradise.” Now, more details and rumors about infidelity, emotional instability and more continue to trickle into the media and, again, Cannon continues to overshare details about how they are coping. He recently sat down with Good Morning America and discussed their plans for making the holiday special for the kids in light of all of the changes.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have Kendra Wilkinson who has made a name for herself on reality television shows such as The Girls Next Door (with former boyfriend, Hugh Hefner) and Kendra on Top. So much of her adult life has been made public, including the problems she’s having with her husband, Hank Baskett. While she was pregnant with her second child, he reportedly cheated with transsexual model, Ava Sabrina London. Wilkinson has gone back and forth about ending her marriage and even flushed her ring down the toilet. During a recent episode of her show, she even admitted that, had she not breastfeeding her infant daughter, she probably would have committed suicide.
On the one hand, it’s great that the ups and downs of divorce are being discussed so that people do not feel alone. On the other hand, there are small children involved who have to live with what their parents reveal to the press. Anyone who has been separated or divorced will know that the process is gut wrenching and often very confusing. One minute you’re devastated to watch your spouse packing to leave and the next you’re counting the seconds until they are gone.
While some celebrities seem willing to share the details of their lives, others are hounded for information. It’s such a personal time and feelings can change so much from one moment to the next. Should this topic be off-limits during interviews? What happens if one partner is okay with sharing and the other is extremely private? Who protects the children? Weigh in!
