It’s been a while since we’ve heard from the king of pop stars. Last we heard, he was co-hosting the MTV Movie Awards with Emily, and they were both celebrating in style after accepting the Cecil B. DeMille award together. Now, it’s been reported that he may take a bit of a break from making people laugh and make a serious comeback. Is it too little, too late for the once-great king of pop?
If you’ve been paying attention to celebrity news over the last year, you’ll no doubt heard countless stories of how Robert Pattinson has struggled with drug addiction and mental health problems. It seems that the 27-year-old has learned nothing from the negative experiences of his past, because he’s decided to make a serious comeback in the face of almost certain failure. If you want to know if he’s got what it takes to succeed in Hollywood, the answer is probably not. Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane to revisit some of the most notable problems that Pattinson has had to deal with…
Health Problems
Back in 2014, Pattinson was forced to leave the set of the romantic film he was acting in due to ill health. We’re not exactly sure what was the matter with him, but he complained of feeling dizzy and unable to perform. Sadly, he wasn’t able to return to the set until months later, after enduring a rigorous training regime and trying to make things work with his doctors. It was a bout of depression that he eventually overcame, and it seems that he’d finally found the right combination of medication and therapy to lead a happy life.
It was only a few short years later that he found himself struggling with addiction once again. Back in 2018, he revealed in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine that he’d been “heavily drugged” at some point during the last year, and that he sometimes craves the feeling of being “unconscious and away from everything.” Needless to say, this is a pretty scary thing for a celebrity to admit, and it raises all kinds of questions about whether or not he’s prepared to take on Hollywood again. Fortunately, it seems that he is. In the same interview, Pattinson states:
“I’m feeling so happy and grateful that everything I’ve been going through has made me stronger and brought me back to where I want to be. I don’t know if it’s the work or the attention to detail or the feeling of accomplishment that is helping me feel like this. I feel like I can finally start putting all this negativity behind me and focus on the good things in my life.”
On the subject of trying to put his addiction issues behind him, Pattinson went on to explain:
“I think about it a lot, and in a way it was a gift. Because you realize that your addiction is a thing, and it has made you who you are, but it doesn’t define you. I didn’t realize that I could learn to love myself again, and it really scares you because you don’t want to lose that connection to your addiction. But then you start to see that your addiction is not your whole identity. You can still be happy and care-free without intoxicants. It’s something that I think a lot about. Because I don’t want to go through that experience again.”
Misconduct Allegations
In an age where celebrities are expected to be transparent about their work-life balance, it’s not difficult to find out about Pattinson’s misconduct allegations, which surfaced in 2015. Back then, the English actor was accused by two sex workers of having sex with them while on camera. After he turned over a video to the police, the actors filed a lawsuit against him, claiming that he’d violated their privacy by filming and distributing their images without their consent. Thankfully, the case was settled out of court, and the two women received a confidential financial settlement from Pattinson’s legal team.
The allegations shocked and saddened the industry, and while they may not have been true, it’s important to remember that the entire matter was deeply distressing for Pattinson. It was another blow to his already-troubled reputation after he was involved in a high-profile sex tape leak in 2013. That same year, he was also accused of domestic violence by his ex-girlfriend Bella Sheppard, who suffered a broken nose as a result of an altercation they had while filming The Twilight Zone: Twilight. Thankfully, Sheppard later withdrew the allegation and admitted that she’d “made up” the story. (Twilight star Taylor Lautner also came to Pattinson’s defense, saying that he never laid a hand on Sheppard.)
Legal Troubles
Like many wealthy and privileged individuals, the actor has more than his fair share of legal issues. As well as the aforementioned misconduct allegations, he’s had multiple cases of driving under the influence, drug possession, and disturbing the peace. To make matters worse, he’s also been involved in a number of fender benders. Not exactly the sort of thing you want on your CV. (Forbes has a completely made up but entirely plausible-sounding list of Pattinson’s legal troubles, which you can check out here.)
Personal Problems
Before we move on, let’s just stop and appreciate how unbelievably handsome the actor is. Like many attractive public figures, Pattinson is frequently the subject of rumors and speculative commentary about his private life. Here, we’ll look at some of the more outrageous stories that have been whispered about the actor.
In November 2016, the actor was photographed kissing his co-star from The Twilight Saga: The Fall of Twilight, Elizabeth Taylor, on the mouth. While the two have undeniable chemistry on screen, it appears that they may have played around a bit after filming, prompting Taylor to comment on the photo, “I don’t know who took this picture, but it would be nice if it wasn’t published. I’m not trying to be mean, but hopefully the writers’ strike will keep this fantasy world intact.” Sadly, it was only a matter of time before this photo of “innocence” and “joy” went viral, and it did indeed get published. (While we’re on the subject of rumors about L. Taylor, she did indeed comment on the photo-op, “I hope the people voting for Donald Trump are smart enough to see that this is no time for politics. Everyone deserves a chance at happiness.”)
In August 2017, the actor was arrested for suspicion of domestic violence. According to TMZ, a police source said that “two different women… called the cops separately after getting into physical fights with Pattinson.” One of the alleged victims was the actress Amber Heard, with whom he has a daughter, Skyla. He was released later that day after posting bail. No charges were filed. (Heard has since filed for divorce, accusing Pattinson of being “physically aggressive” and “verbally abusive.”)
Making A Comeback
So, is Robert Pattinson fit to lead Hollywood? Well, it’s a bit like asking if LeBron James is fit to lead basketball. Sure, they’re both attractive men, and they’re both used to getting their own way. But can they co-exist peacefully in the same office? Can one of them even be trusted in a subordinate role?
It’s not like these questions haven’t been asked about James before. Back in April 2010, James decided to come back and play for the Cleveland Cavaliers after being swept out of his home town in the NBA Finals. At the time, most people thought that he was making a huge mistake, but James was determined to prove them wrong. (While James struggled with the Cavs, he did go on to lead the league in scoring in 2011-12 and has since gone on to win several more titles.)
While it’s always tempting to compare James and Pattinson, the truth is that they’re very different athletes. One is an introvert who needs time to himself, while the other is a socialite whose hobbies include drinking and partying. (Pattinson did admit in the RS article that he hasn’t been to a party in a while, but he also said that he’d “rather go to jail than give up drinking.”)