This is awful.
Being a Hollywood star, like most jobs, has both its advantages and drawbacks.
While having a celebrity status gives access, opportunity and luxury, there is also a lot of negativity that gets thrown at you, with people delighting in picking apart everything from your parenting skills and acting chops to your appearance.
This is something that Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey knows all too well, recently recounting just how rude people have been to her over the years.
While the 44-year-old appeared on Running Wild With Bear Grylls, she recounted a press junket where a reporter expressed his disappointment in her real-life appearance, compared to her look as Cercei Lannister on the HBO show.
Did we mention, she was seven months pregnant and definitely didn’t ask for his thoughts.
‘You have to do these things for all the awards and everything where loads of people interview you. I went in and was seven months pregnant and [there was] a whole room of journalists, and this guy stood up and he said, “Uh I just want to say that you’re really disappointing in real life,”’ Lena explained to a very shocked Bear.
We repeat - she was seven months pregnant and at no point asked this man for his opinion.
‘He went, “Is that your real hair?’”, she explained. ‘And I went “Yeah” and he said, “The wig is much better. I like you as a blonde.”’
She continued: ‘I was like, “OK.” I was just crushed. How is that alright to say?’
How is that alright to say? The truth is it’s not - whether seven months pregnant or not.
Lena’s celebrity status does not excuse her being picked apart with unfair and unprovoked criticism.
It is time that we start boosting each other up, not tearing each other down, and it is trailblazing people like Lena who are making change and opening conversation around it.
You go, girl.
