Celebs Are Not Obligated to Share Their Business

In her column at Essence, The Root's contributing editor Demetria L. Lucas praises Raven-Symoné for her response to the rumors about her sexuality.

Last week, the National Enquirer -- not exactly the standard of quality reporting -- decided to get all up in actress Raven-Symoné’s business. The tabloid alleged that the child star (The Cosby Show) turned millionaire entertainment mogul has a girlfriend ...

Somewhere along the way, many of us picked up the idea that we have a right to know everything about the private lives of celebrities -- from where they shop to what -- and apparently even who -- they do. I’ve heard Beyoncé, notoriously private, get called out for not leaking pictures of her exposed pregnant belly, or not uncovering baby Blue when she’s being carried in public. I’ve read an article about Jay-Z’s so-called obligation to reveal pictures of him doting on his new daughter to send a message to young Black men about the importance of fatherhood. Tyra caught hell for not speaking about her then-boyfriend of three years and the Smiths -- Will and Jada -- still catch heat for not doing more to dispel rumors that their marriage is intact.

Don’t get me wrong, I like a lil’ celeb juice as much as the next bored-at-work woman. But what I’d like to know and what celebs are obligated to expose are two different things. Their private lives deserve to remain, well, private. The job of an entertainer is to entertain with their talent, not with the juicy details of what goes on between consenting adults behind closed doors.

Read Demetria L. Lucas' entire piece at Essence.

The Root aims to foster and advance conversations about issues relevant to the black Diaspora by presenting a variety of opinions from all perspectives, whether or not those opinions are shared by our editorial staff.

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