The Era of Playing Nice Is Over-Stars Taking a Stand Are

Proceed with caution: Public figures are lifting the veil when it comes to intrusive fans, strangers and haters

- LEANNE ACIZ STANTON

For decades, it's been an unspoken rule that celebrities are expected to be friendly and approachable in public - but lately, we've seen a shift in stars dropping the facade when their boundaries are crossed. Take Jason Kelce. The affable former NFL player shocked his loyal following in November when he used the f-slur during a heated confrontation with a heckler who had taunted his brother, Travis. He isn't the only star who lost their cool when provoked: In June, footage circulated of Lana Del Rey clashing with a group of people following her in Paris. (She later claimed on social media that they were "stalkers" who told her they'd try to "make me look bad.") There's no argument that to borrow from Kelce's subsequent apology to "greet hate with hate" is entirely unacceptable. Still, these incidents have inspired an important conversation about the expectations of public figures' reactions when their personal space is violated.