The laundry list of celebrities checking in and out of rehabilitation facilities is growing. Are they checking into the facilities to face real problems, or are they checking out of their real lives to fix tarnished reputations?
For the average person, a stint in rehab is not a glamorous getaway they want publicized to the world. So, why do celebrities very publicly check into rehab after receiving bad publicity?
Britney Spears shaved her head. Her fans did not seem impressed. Next stop: Promises, a treatment center in Malibu, according to “Extra.”
Lindsay Lohan spends all night drinking after the Golden Globes. Celebrity news points out she is not of legal drinking age. Wonderland Center in Los Angeles here she comes, according to Us Weekly.
“Grey’s Anatomy” star Isaiah Washington uses a homophobic slur against a co-star. The media say he is anti-gay. Washington heads to rehab for psychological evaluation, according to ABC.
The list goes on: Mel Gibson, Donald Trump, Michael Richards, Miss USA Tara Conner, Eminem, Whitney Houston, Courtney Love, most of the Osbourne family, Kate Moss, Mary-Kate Olsen, Mike Tyson, Nicole Richie, Keith Urban, Robin Williams, Billy Joel, and you get the point. They have all spent time in rehab. It seems like just another “to do” on the list of making it big and staying in the spotlight.
Rehab provides a quick distraction from the faux pas that landed the star in the sticky situation, and their indiscretion quickly becomes a distant memory as gossip followers and fellow celebrities send messages of hope to the star trying to get his or her life back on track. Are all these sometimes short-lived visits genuine, or are they really fix-alls for celebrities worried that recent actions have damaged their careers?
Imagine: “Mom and Dad, I failed out of school because I never went to class, but don’t worry. I am going to rehab.” Even if the average person can foot the bill for the lavish centers, family members and employers are not likely to forget recent irresponsible actions when they check in.
Joe Blow does the deed and suffers the consequences. It should be no different for celebrities. Rehabilitation centers are for people suffering from real problems – not reputation problems. Some stars need and benefit from rehab centers, but gossip reader beware: others are merely entering spa-like getaways to escape from tarnished reputations.
About the writer:
Susan Carmody is a senior journalism major. She can be reached at [email protected].
