Though we might care to imagine that life as a celebrity is entirely without problems, merely a dazzling collocation of beach front locales and endless frozen margaritas, the reality is obviously less idealistic.
Sure, there's the bonus of having more money than you can ever spend and access to the kinds of amenities and lifestyle benefits that the rest of us can only dream of, but there are downsides to being rich and famous, too.
The most obvious of these downsides is surely the incessant scrutiny from the media and members of the public. Those of a certain level of fame can barely sneeze in public without fans going into meltdown and celebrity gossip columns shifting into overdrive to sate the voracious appetite of the general public.
Just over the last couple of days we've witnessed this, when a photograph of Sophie Turner crying in New York city went viral. The actress later explained, with admirable candour, that she was suffering from period cramps, but the incident neatly sums up our point on the intense scrutiny that comes arm in arm with life as a celebrity.
Now, American talk show host and actress Kelly Ripa has been forced to defend herself from fans' claims that she got a nose job and veneers, after she posted a throwback picture alongside an up-to-date comparison shot.
Ripa wrote "Double #fbf before i discovered that i needed a stylist and had a GOOD side."
All in all, a sweet couple of photos and a relatable caption: so far, so good.
Unfortunately, though, some commenters took the opportunity to snipe at Rippa, with one writing "And a new nose" and another adding "nose job and veneers".
Not one to take such accusations lying down, Ripa responded perfectly, writing "I’m gonna tell you right now. No nose job, and no veneers. I wouldn’t be sleeping in a retainer every night if I had. You guys do know how to make a girl feel special."
Ripa's husband also waded into the fray, backing up his wife's comment; "I can attest… same nose. No veneers…and fierce retainer," he wrote.
It is absolutely ridiculous that famous women are still forced to justify changes to their bodies to trolls and 'fans'. It is not anyone else's business what another human being chooses to do with their body, and making apparently false accusations about another woman's appearance is not doing anything to further a sensible dialogue on body positivity.
Hopefully, as our society makes strides in some aspects, the remaining few who insist on criticising and bringing down everyone else to their level will learn that such behaviour is no longer acceptable.
