10 Celebs Who Got Candid on the Difficulties of Being Famous

Following our favorite celebrities’ every step, may make it look like they are living a perfect life: they do the job they like and get admiration from hundreds of thousands of people. However, even though they enjoy fans’ love, excessive popularity may make stars feel alienated and depressed, psychologists say. The heroes of our article worked up the courage to speak out about the flaws of a lifestyle most people believe is flawless.

Inspired by these celebrities’ strengths, we at Bright Side want to share their stories with our readers.

1. Daniel Radcliffe

Ironically, depicting The Boy Who Lived on-screen, Daniel Redcliffe faced popularity quite early. Viewers observed Harry Potter on-screen and Daniel in real life growing up. Many fans loved Redcliffe for bringing their favorite character to life. However, some acted derogatory, even though Daniel was just a child.

“If you just hear people booing and shouting stuff at you and about you, that, as a kid, sucked,” recalled Daniel, speaking about his experience with autographs and so-called autograph-hunters — people who make money selling celebrities’ signatures. “I do remember that being very disheartening,” he said.

2. Gigi Hadid

Popularity may boost a career drastically, but at the same time bust up someone’s personal life. This happened with Gigi Hadid. In one of her interviews, she spoke about friendship being influenced by her career and how she copes with it. “I’ve lost a lot of friends because I’ll get busy for a short period of time, and they’re not reaching out, but if I don’t reach out, then it’s like I’ve changed,” she said.

“In a way, it’s good because you learn that it’s better to have a few really good friends than tons of friends you aren’t really sure about,” she revealed.

3. Megan Fox

As much as fans can be generous and loving, they also can be harsh and firm. Meghan Fox opened up about what it feels like to face not just people’s love but their disfavor. “I don’t think people understand,” she said. “They all think we should shut up and stop complaining because you live in a big house or you drive a Bentley. So your life must be so great.”

However, she thinks people don’t realize that being a subject of public hate is like “when you were being bullied by those 10 kids in high school. Fame is that, but on a global scale, where you’re being bullied by millions of people constantly,” she said.

4. Robert Pattinson

Ironically, always being in the spotlight did not keep Robert Pattinson away from a sense of loneliness. “It’s strange, you don’t have a normal life anymore,” he said. “People don’t realize how lonely you are.” However, he is grateful that “success didn’t reach me very young,” so he had the opportunity to have a normal childhood and have a life away from the spotlight.

5. Julia Roberts

Being famous also means constantly fighting rumors and gossip popping out from nowhere. Julia Roberts, just like many other actors, faced misinformation and speculation earlier in her career and had to deal with it. “It’s so absurd and frustrating,” she said in one of her interviews. “Why should I have to explain something that’s never been an issue in my life?”

6. Brad Pitt

All this media popularity shifts the focus from what actually matters in terms of what job actors do. Brad Pitt, speaking about press tours that are an inalienable part of the movie releases, said: “It’s everything we didn’t sign up for. There’s this whole other entity that you get sucked into. You have to go and sell your wares,” he said.

“Somehow, you’re not supporting your film if you don’t get out on a show and talk about your personal life. It has nothing to do with why I do this,” he added.

7. Lady Gaga

Sometimes, fame ends up bringing something one was not expecting it to bring. Lady Gaga spoke out about the time she couldn’t be her true self because of how huge her persona became in the media space. “I used to wake up in the morning, and I would realize I was ’Lady Gaga,’” she said. “And then I became very depressed and sad, and I didn’t want to be myself.”

“I felt threatened by the things my career brought into my life and the pace of my life,” she revealed.

8. Jennifer Lawrence

It doesn’t matter how long celebrities are in the spotlight, it seems impossible to get used to the fame. Even after starring in The Hunger Games and gaining worldwide recognition, Jennifer Lawrence could not reconcile with her fame. “I am just not OK with it,” she said. “It’s as simple as that. I am just a normal girl and a human being, and I haven’t been in this long enough to feel like this is my new normal.”

“I’m not going to find peace with it,” added Lawrence.

9. Harrison Ford

When seeking popularity, one should be ready to sacrifice privacy, as most celebrities probably find it impossible to preserve their private space, and so does Harrison Ford. “There’s nothing good about being famous,” said Ford. “You always think, ’If I’m successful, then I’ll have opportunities.’ You never figure the cost of fame will be a total loss of privacy. That’s incalculable.”

Ford sees popularity as a “burden” to a human and shared that he personally never enjoyed it. “You can get the table you want in a restaurant. It gets you doctor’s appointments. But what’s that worth? Nothing,” he said.

10. Kristen Stewart

Popularity can be used as a tool to bring change, though Kristen Stewart, in one of her interviews, spoke about popularity without positive intentions being pointless. “Fame is the worst thing in the world,” she said. “Especially if it’s pointless. When people say, ’I want to be famous’ — why?”

Have you ever thought about the disadvantages that fame brings? Would you still like to be famous despite any of troubles it may bring?