Celebrity Tragedies: Sad Lessons For My Kids.

Yesterday I was shocked and saddened to learn that yet another young celebrity had died. When I read the news about Cory Monteith, I was heartbroken. Was it because my 17 year old and I had been huge fans of GLEE the first two seasons and even saw him and the rest of the gang at their LIVE tour a couple of years ago? Certainly. Is it because I’m a faithful reader of People and Us Magazine and usually see his face weekly so I feel like I kind of know him? That to, but it’s so much more than that. I’m sad, but I’m also angry. 

When will young celebrities learn that they’re not invincible? Granted, there isn’t any kind of report out yet that confirms that Cory Monteith died of an overdose - accidental or intentional - but there’s nothing out to deny it yet, either. And come on, his battle with addiction had been well publicized, as had his recent 30 day stay in rehab. Sure, based on photos and tweets from the past few months, it would seem that he was doing fine, living clean and was happy in life and in his supportive relationship with Lea Michelle. But I can’t help but assume his death was self-inflicted, even without intent, and that’s what pisses me off. 

I can’t imagine he wanted to die. In fact, I’m sure if you told him on Friday morning that he’d be dead in 24 hours because of a few stupid mistakes, he’d be just as grief-stricken about it as millions of teenage girls are today, and would re-think his decisions and vow to once again get help.  But as is the case with many celebrities (and non-celebrities) who are struggling with demons disguised as addictions, they think they’re indestructible. And for some reason that I don’t presume to understand, too many of them cannot stop that certain path that leads to tragedy. 

I was 23 when River Phoenix died. We were about the same age. And just like today, I was shocked. Sad at the loss of young talent.  Angry. 

Heath Ledger, Kurt Cobain, Chris Farley, Brittany Murphy....the list could go on and on in its senselessness. 

It shouldn’t surprise me, yet it does, every time it happens. Celebrities seemingly have it all, yet we find out time and time again, that many of them aren't quite as invincible as they appear. 

I hope my kids learn something from this. Obviously they’re, too, shocked and saddened and confused at how someone who seemed inhuman merely by the fact that he lived so largely on their television screens and in their magazines can so suddenly cease to exist. But, unlike when I was a kid, because of the inundation of information via Twitter and Facebook, they’re subjected to the excessive, sad and dangerous details of the lives of celebrities they once admired and were fans of — namely Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes, who despite their choices, are surprisingly still hanging on. And because it’s hard to shield them from this, I hope they look at the destruction and the mistakes and see evidence that bad things can happen as a result of such misguided choices. Because despite how it ended and how out of control Cory Monteith's life ultimately got, that's how it started — with one bad choice. And because of the horribly sad fact that there can’t be value in that lesson for him anymore, I hope there can be for my kids. 

*Update*

Sadly (and not surprisingly), the results are in.