Lana Del Rey, More Take A Stand When Their Limits Are Crossed

For decades, it’s been an unspoken rule that celebrities are expected to be friendly and approachable in public – but recently, we’ve seen a shift in stars dropping the facade when their boundaries are crossed.

Take it Jason Kelce. The typically affable former NFL player shocked his loyal following in November 2024 when he used the f-slur during a heated confrontation with a heckler who followed him and had used the same slur to insult his brother, Travis Kelce.

The father of three, 37, is not the only star who has lost their cool when being teased. In June 2024, a film of Lana Del Rey clash with a group of people who follow her and her family in Paris. (She later claimed on social media that they were “stealers” who told her they would try to “make me look bad.”)

There’s no arguing that — borrowing from Jason a subsequent apology — “greeting hate with hate” is completely unacceptable. Still, these events have inspired an important conversation about the expected responses of public figures when their personal space is violated.

With fan culture (and criticism) reaching new heights in today’s social media-driven society, it’s no wonder that stars tire of keeping up appearances.

“(A fan) may see a public figure as not being human in the same way they are – perhaps rather they see them as larger than life, not ‘real’, and do not sympathize with being violated,” said Dr. Gail Saltzassociate professor of psychiatry at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical School, ret Us. Otherwise, “Their jealousy of the celebrity who seems to have it all could drive them to be aggressive and feel entitled to act in whatever way they want.”

Feeling entitled to a star’s attention is not only misguided but can also lead to negative interactions. “Sometimes a celebrity is pushed to assert boundaries because others are threatening, disrespectful, hurtful, aggressive or dangerous,” Saltz shared. Maybe that’s exactly what the person doing the teasing is hoping for: “Negative attention is considered better than no attention at all to someone who craves the attention.”

It’s easy to dismiss a celebrity who cheats in public as selfish or difficult, but sometimes they’ve reached their limit. “This tends to happen when there is a combination of emotional, psychological and situational factors at play,” licensed clinical professional counselor Anne M. Appel say Usreferring to stress, exhaustion and fatigue as factors. “Ideally, they would react in a calm and composed way – however, just like everyone, they can be pushed to ‘breaking point’ and can react in a less than ideal way in public.”

This could explain the April 2024 video of Alec Baldwin allegedly knocking a mobile phone out of a stranger’s hand. In fact, the individual had been insulting him for several seconds – going so far as to ask an insulting question about victim of the fatal 2021 Rust shootg – before he reacts.

Setting limits is “totally reasonable,” says Appel, who encourages celebrities to communicate their expectations “clearly and directly.”

But is it bad business for a household name to show their less than shiny side, like when Chappell Roan received mixed responses for confront photographers in public on two different occasions? Back Robbie Vorhausfounder of PR/media firm Vorhaus Communications, Inc., it depends on the context.

“The issue of celebrity crossing borders is complicated because public visibility is inherently part of their profession,” he told Us. “However, this does not justify harassment or invasion of personal space.”

Paparazzi are known to invade the personal space of celebrities. For example, Tom Holland was filmed allegedly pushing away a photographer who got a little too close to his now fiancee, Zendayain October 2024 – but the event is unlikely to resonate when it comes to his impeccable reputation.

“If a celebrity’s reaction seems justified, it rarely causes lasting damage to their career,” Vorhaus explained. Still, “We advise clients to establish clear boundaries while remaining professional, as a recorded outburst can overshadow the initial provocation.”

Chris Vlastoco-founder of the crisis communications company Haven Strategies, agrees that these events do not have long-term effects, noting for those who have had public problems with paparazzi, “All of the cases are replayed for decades but in the end, their audiences don’t matter. The battles are meaningless and the fans sympathize.”

The takeaway? The Golden Rule – do unto others as you would have them do unto you – still applies when dealing with those in the spotlight. A little empathy goes a long way, so remember there’s always more to the story, and that stars are just like Us: They have good days and bad days too.