Is Kylie Jenner Ruining Timothee Chalamet?

Timothee Chalamet is… cool, I guess? I’m not a huge fan of him or anything, but he seemed to pick some interesting projects. He gives off a kind of classy intellectual vibe while still seeming grounded thanks to how awkward he is in interviews - I can’t imagine anyone choosing to come off as such an idiot, so it lends him a sense of authenticity. Overall, he seemed set to be the next Hollywood heartthrob, and it looked like audiences were finally choosing something more refined for once.

And then he started dating Kylie Jenner.

Now, no offense to the Kardashians, but, well, we all know their reputation. They’re not exactly the kind of people you’d describe as classy or intellectual, so it’s no surprise that the relationship reveal was met with first confusion and then disgust. Rather than making Kylie seem more complex than her public image, it just wiped away a lot of Chalamet’s shine.

Is it possible that Kylie is different from her public image? Sure, but from what I’ve read online, most of Chalamet’s fans aren’t taking that perspective. Instead, I saw complaints that Kylie was DESTROYING Chalamet, turning him into an evil snob like her because he… didn’t greet his fans one day? It seems a little extreme to not only accuse Chalamet of changing entirely but also blame Kylie for it after one incident.

In fact, the more I think about it, the less I think Kylie has anything to do with what’s going on. Sure, everyone is changed by the relationships their in, but really the issue that the fans are having is that Chalamet isn’t living up to their expectations of him. Somewhere, deep in their hearts, they think he should fall in love with a wounded poetic soul (maybe like theirs?), not some vapid influencer - and of course, a woman like Kylie Jenner couldn’t have any inner pain or anguish, because she’s an influencer, not a human.

In my opinion, the real root of the problem is celebrity culture, though it would better be called idol culture as Chalamet’s fans are treating him less like a famous person and more like a borderline religious symbol. Put yourself in Chalamet’s shoes - you’re a 28-year-old man, you meet an attractive woman, you hit it off, and start dating. It should be a cause for celebration, but for Chalamet, his personal life is public discourse, and the celebration quickly turns into a PR disaster with hordes of unhappy fans.

It would feel pretty isolating, no? You’re just trying to live your life but suddenly, because a bunch of people you’ve never met don’t like your girlfriend, you’re getting harassed online and your career is possibly threatened. It’s no surprise, then, that Chalamet would act differently towards his fans - as far as I know, it’s his first major PR incident, so it’s probably the first time he’s realising that his fans aren’t his friends, too.

If anything, I worry that this is just what happens to young Hollywood darlings. I didn’t follow DiCaprio’s career - I was barely alive when he was Hollywood’s it-boy - but I can’t help but wonder if he went through kind of the same thing. When you become famous at a young age, you lose a lot of your youth trying to please the world’s eyes. Despite your best efforts, though, you’ll slip up sooner or later, especially since you’re just a stupid child. Maybe you’ll date the wrong girl, or maybe your friend group will be dubbed the “pussy posse” and you’ll make a film like Don’s Plum. When you go from being an idol to a pariah, there’s no real reason to keep trying to stay in the world’s good graces. So why not try to get back the years you lost? Why not date the girls you always wanted to, even if they’re half your age?

To put it more bluntly, I hope the sudden and brutal rejection of his fans won’t turn Chalamet into the next slimeball like DiCaprio.

It’s not a one-to-one comparison. Chalamet may learn from his experience and work to detach himself from his obsessive fans and try to build himself as a respectable actor rather than Hollywood’s new heartthrob. Regardless, though, it’s worth reflecting on the whole situation to reflect on how we interact with our favourite celebrities and whether it might be more harmful than it is helpful - it might just be the only way for them live healthy, well-adjusted lives.