It’s been a trying few months for Robert Pattinson. The actor and musician has found himself at the center of one of the most heated celebrity custody battles in modern history, battling wife-cheating allegations, paparazzi invasion, and most recently, alcoholism. Despite these hardships, Pattinson has maintained his stunning good looks, and now finds himself back in the spotlight as the leading man in the new James Bond movie, Spectre. It’s been a tough road, but can he keep his fame and continue moving forward? Read on to find out more about the man nicknamed the ‘English Robert Pattinson’
The Good
Let’s get the bad out of the way first. Despite this being one of the most well-publicized celebrity custody cases ever, there have been a number of allegations made against Robert Pattinson, primarily focused around his wife, Emma. In June of 2016, the couple had their first child, a daughter named Mia Elizabeth. It was initially reported that Pattinson had abandoned his family for a week, but the truth was far more sinister. According to reports, on June 9th Emma found Pattinson’s phone and discovered numerous text messages from a woman named Kate, detailing violent fantasies about strangling and killing her. As well as these texts, Kate also sent a half-naked photo of herself that same day.
While we know now that these allegations were false and part of a media-fueled conspiracy to undermine Emma’s marriage and gain custody of their daughter, the damage was already done. After initially remaining silent, Pattinson has since revealed that he did in fact visit a rehab facility in Arizona in the wake of these false allegations. According to the actor, Kate and her co-conspirators were responsible for his relapse. However, these are only allegations and the 53-year-old has yet to be officially charged with a crime. If and when he is, we hope that he takes responsibility for his actions and seeks the help that he so desperately needs.
The Bad
Even before Robert Pattinson’s cheating scandal, Emma was already battling depression and anxiety. After discovering her husband’s affair with Kate, she reached out for help, and was subsequently prescribed medication to assist with her mental health. At the same time, the media circus that is always following her husband was taking its toll. With reporters camping out in front of their home, Emma found the whole situation highly stressful, especially as her husband remained silent about the entire ordeal. Sadly, Emma took her own life on March 18th, 2016, just a few months after giving birth to their daughter. Although her death was a tragic accident, it was yet another blow to the already burdened actor.
Robert was left heartbroken and didn’t speak to the press for nearly a year, only occasionally sharing personal quotes and photos of Emma on social media. In addition to his wife’s untimely passing, the actor has also had to overcome the suicide of his friend Tim Hockley, who he introduced to Kate. The two were reportedly on their first date when Hockley died by overdose on May 19, 2016. Just over a month later, on June 19th, Robert confirmed his engagement to Kate and announced that he would be taking a long break from his job as an actor. He also revealed that he would be seeking help to deal with his wife’s death, and the subsequent impact it had on him personally. “I want to be the best father I can be, and I know I can’t do that if I’m in a state of constant grief. That’s not productive in any way,” he said at the time.
It was a rough patch for the actor, but he took his time in the wake of his wife’s tragic death. Now, almost two years later, Robert is back in the spotlight as one of the most prominent faces in Hollywood, starring in the upcoming James Bond film, Spectre. Can he continue to stay strong, and play the role of James Bond for many more years? Let’s take a look.
The Ugly
Besides the fact that he’s been through a very public divorce and custody battle, it’s been a tough ride for Robert Pattinson. The 53-year-old actor has been dogged by rumors of drug use and mental illness since the start of his career in the 90s. These rumors never quite went away, and were revived when he reportedly overdosed on benzodiazepines in 2012. Since then, the Englishman has been trying to navigate his way through addiction, and his attempts at staying clean have not been particularly successful. Rumors of his erratic behavior and substance abuse continued to swirl around him, and ultimately contributed to his very public breakup with Emma, whom he wed in 2014. The actor has now been arrested for driving under the influence of drugs six times, though he has always denied any wrongdoing.
It was after his ex-wife’s death that Robert Pattinson’s problems really started to pile up. Almost a year after Emma’s passing, the singer Kristen Bell said that she feared for her personal safety following the news of his affair, and that she didn’t feel comfortable staying at home by herself anymore. “I was in such a vulnerable place,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more ashamed of my body than I was at that point. I had just given birth. I felt so weak, and so stupid. I didn’t think he would do that to me. After that, it was hard to trust anyone, even my loved ones.”
The public’s perception of Robert Pattinson was irrevocably changed after this point. Gone were the days of charming Hollywood good-looks. In their place was an image of a man who was clearly struggling with his mental health. While it’s still no secret that Robert Pattinson is incredibly handsome and has a bright smile, it’s also become clear that he doesn’t quite have it all together. According to one of his ex-wives, the pressures of acting and high-profile personal life led the Englishman to abuse alcohol and drugs. In February of 2015, he was arrested for the seventh time in the past few years after getting drunk and disorderly at a nightclub.
The rumors of drug use and mental illness surrounding Robert Pattinson are well-documented. The pressures of acting and seeking success can undoubtedly be stressful, and it’s clear that the 53-year-old has had some serious issues to work through. However, while we wait to see if he’s able to stay clean of drugs and maintain his incredible looks, it’s important to remember that this is a man who is simply trying to find his way, and fight his way back to being the best father he can be. While his road has not been easy, he’s still out there, trying to do the right thing, and make a difference in the world.