Gossiping about people is never kind. But when it’s about a friend? Really, really not cool.
Still, we all know it happens anyway — even to publicist-controlledcelebrities, as was the case this week for Gwen Stefani. During a recently recorded interview with Live Nation, her friend and artistic collaborator Eve spilled the beans on Stefani’s pregnancy, which had been reported but not yet confirmed by the mama-to-be.
“She’s preggers! She’s preggers,” Eve said after being asked if Stefani would be a surprise guest during her then-upcoming performance in New York City. She added, “I think she’s chilling.”
After the admission, as reported by TooFab and Us Weekly, tweets called the rapper out on her faux pas, calling it an “interview slip-up,” in which she “outed” her pal and “accidentally spilled the beans.” Representatives for both Stefani and Eve did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
. But Eve is certainly not alone in dishing news that wasn’t hers to share. In July, the lawyer Chris Gossage admitted he was behind the revelation that pseudonymous author Robert Galbraith was actually J.K. Rowling; he told his wife’s best friend, and she posted it on Twitter. "To say that I am disappointed is an understatement,” Rowling responded
Jack Black infamously blabbed that his “Kung Fu Panda” costar Angelina Jolie was expecting twins during that film’s press tour. Beyoncé has been burned several times by those she should have been able to trust — by pal Kelly Rowland, who revealed the gender of her friend's in-utero baby at the Cosmopolitan Awards in London, and by her uncle Larry Beyince, who recently divulged personal secrets to Celebuzz. Kate Middleton was the victim of a similarly gossipy uncle, while a man claiming to be Tyler Perry’s former “best friend” told the world that he was gay.
So what compels people to reveal news that isn’t theirs to share, often stealing their friend or relative’s thunder (or causing them harm) while they’re at it?
“Celebs are no different than ordinary people in that everyone loves to gossip, to feel important, because they have the inside track on information,” Irene Levine, PhD, friendship expert, and professor of psychiatry at NYU-Langone School of Medicine, told Yahoo Shine. “Gossip — especially when it reaches the magnitude of breaking news — can enhance the status and reputation of the person who broke the news and spilled a big secret.”
In the case of Eve, Levine added, she may have simply wanted the world to know how close she and Stefani are — or else she was just super-excited about her friend’s pregnancy. “Sometimes close friends forget the boundaries between them,” she explained. “Eve may have felt so overjoyed by the news of the pregnancy that she mistakenly thought it was her secret to share, as well.”
Some individuals, noted Sherry Blake, a “therapist to the stars” in private practice in Atlanta, just can’t seem to control themselves when they have been told a secret. “I think those people are impulsive, and don’t think before they speak,” she told Yahoo Shine. “The knowledge is like something burning on the inside, and they just have to get it out. Then, when they do, they’re regretful.”
Though these issues are human, she added, “I think they’re more pronounced when talking aboutcelebrities, because so many celebrities would like to be in control of their privacy.” When stars have big news — especially pregnancy, which may affect things like contracts to stay in shape and the amount of physical scrutiny they’ll receive from the media — they will often want to wait as long as possible before disclosing, Blake said, adding, “They’re already under enough scrutiny, and don’t need that extra pressure.”
Her advice to blabbers is, simply, “Stop and think before you talk.” And to the friends of those who can’t keep secrets? “I think that before you even consider telling something to this person, you need to have an honest conversation,” Blake suggested. “Say, ‘I have a hard time sharing information with you because you can’t keep a secret, and it’s disappointing and painful when you share information about me. So if I don’t tell you something, don’t take it personally.”
Might want to take note of that, Gwen.
Gwen Stefani Is Prgnant With Third Child
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