Dating in celebrity world

Ever since the rise of Hollywood in the early twentieth century, lesser mortals than the screen gods and goddesses have been curious about the private lives of the stars. There was the obvious chemistry between Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in the 1940s, the scandals involving the silent movie star Fatty Arbuckle, and later that of film director Roman Polanski. We seem to have an insatiable curiosity about the lives of the rich and famous, and this may have been the cause of the tragic death of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed. Whatever the case, our curiosity has not diminished. Now however there are so many celebrities that it is difficult to keep track of who is actually with whom and who has split up with whom and of course we all want to know the reason for the split. What may be true today is not always going to be true in a few weeks time.

At the moment newspapers are buzzing about the split between actress Keira Knightley and actor Rupert Friend who have been together since they made the 2005 film, “Pride and Prejudice.” Of course news of the couple’s off-screen relationship added to the enjoyment of the film, and no doubt increased box office numbers. She bought a house in the South of France, and he stayed in their London home which overlooks Hyde Park. Maybe she just needed to get away from the British weather.

Other news is that Owen Wilson, the blond actor, has just become a father and his girlfriend, Jade Buel is the proud mother of a son. The next question is will they marry or not? With so many Hollywood marriages ending in divorce, (how many wives and girlfriends has Tom Cruise had?) perhaps they would be wise not to tie the knot if they are happy as they are. Times have changed since the Forties when it was a scandal if a child was born to anyone out of wedlock.

Kellie Pickler (model) was recently married to the Nashville songwriter Kyle Jacobs, having previously dated Kid Rock among others. She was honest enough to say that her wedding which was to have been a huge Nashville event had got out of hand. If you saw the film of “Sex and the City” you will remember that Carrie and Big’s wedding was a disaster because the event had taken over from the relationship between them and had become the most important thing. Luckily for Kellie and Kyle they realized what was happening. She said “It’s not about the glamour. It’s about the bride and groom and God.”

All too often, the pressure of being in the public eye means that celebrity couples do things because their public expects them to, which is sad. They have to live their lives in the glare of the spotlights and flashlights of the paparazzi because we, the public have an interest in what should be their private lives. That is a sad fact of life.