In our hearts, we knew something was up. Ever since the first Twilight movie came out in 2009, we’ve known that Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart were more than just colleagues. They were and are so much more. It was only a matter of time before their professional and personal relationship made headlines. Sadly, the tabloids had their way and before we knew it, the happy couple was splashed across the front pages as tabloid fodder.
It’s not like they were trying to keep their romance a secret. The paparazzi were camped outside their home waiting for any signs of their engagement. When they were spotted entering a London restaurant holding hands, the tabloids had a field day. It seemed like the perfect PR opportunity to keep the spotlight off their relationship and to promote their new film, On the Road.
The story didn’t end there. It was soon revealed that part of the reason why they didn’t want to be publicly identified as a couple is because they’re both struggling with mental health issues. This was especially heartbreaking for Kristen, who openly talks about her anxiety issues. Her parents even stepped in and helped coordinate a celebrity-studded benefit to raise awareness about mental health issues. It was a beautiful gesture and showed how much these two genuinely care for and respect one another. We shouldn’t be fooled by their PR stunts, they’ve been working hard to build an authentic relationship.
Back to Reality
The media played a huge role in helping to shape our opinions about these two before we even knew who they really were. Even now, many of us are skeptical about their relationship because of all the tabloid speculation. Just like with any other celebrity couple, we’re only interested in what the media tells us about them. It’s only when they open up about their mental health issues that we realize just how wonderful and relatable they really are. That’s not to say that their mental health problems haven’t affected them, as we’ve seen with their other projects, they’re quite capable of showing their vulnerabilities. It’s just that we never really got the chance to see that side of them until now.
It wasn’t just tabloids that made this a public issue. Even their close friends and family had to weigh in. When Robert heard that a magazine was planning to run a story about their relationship, he had enough. He sent the magazine a highly personal letter, detailing all of the hurt that the article was going to cause him and Kristen. If anything, he wanted to keep their relationship private, to protect them from the public eye. Unfortunately, there were plenty of insensitive people in the world who saw this as a public fight and jumped on board with the story. This is something that they’ll have to deal with, because even their loved ones can’t be around them 24/7.
Even now, I find myself thinking about this letter from Robert when I read anything about the couple. They’ve both stuck to their guns and refused to give in to the press. They’ve continued to work closely with their mental health professionals to ensure that they’re taking the right steps to be at peace with themselves. There’s still a lot more to learn about these two, but at least we know that they’re worth taking the time to get to know. It’s not like anyone ever had to choose between being famous and being with the person you love, but for a while, it kind of felt that way. Hopefully, after this, they’ll be able to find the peace that they deserve. I for one, am rooting for them.