Why Do We Grieve Celebrity Deaths? (& 3 Ways to Cope)
You might remember exactly where you were when you found out that celebrities like Betty White, Alan Rickman, and Matthew Perry had passed away.
We develop strong attachments to celebrities we love, the art they create, and the roles they play.
But we don’t know them personally - so why is it so hard to lose them?
Here at KMA Therapy, we’re passionate about helping you understand and process your emotions. For over 14 years, we’ve helped our clients and community cope with life’s difficult times.
After reading this article, you’ll know why we grieve when celebrities die and three ways to process grief.
Is it Normal to Feel Grief about the Death of a Celebrity?
When you find out that a celebrity dies, you can feel the same feelings of shock, sadness and grief that you have when someone close to you dies.
Signs you’re experiencing grief include:
- Headaches
- Trouble sleeping
- An upset stomach
- Changes in appetite
- Having a lack of energy
- Feeling tired and drained
- Intense feelings of sadness
- Difficulty accepting the death as true
While this may feel really weird to you because you didn't actually know them, personally
Why Do We Feel So Sad When Celebrities Die?
As human beings, it's normal to feel sad when anyone dies. But why do we feel this deeper connection to celebrities?
1. Their lives become part of our lives
A lot of the time it can feel like pieces of their lives are woven into ours - they sing the song that got you through your worst breakup, or they played the character that was your biggest comfort and a really hard time.
Celebrities can become a really big source of support and it can feel really hard to lose.
2. We feel connected to them
When you feel connected to particular celebrities, it can be because you share a similar story to them. While your lives might be different, you’ve experienced similar hardships and heartbreaks.
Connection is such a powerful tool, and sharing your stories with someone who's been through something similar can be one of the best ways to heal.
It's okay and it's normal to feel sad when you feel like there's one less person in the world who understands you.
When exploring your feelings about celebrities, you might hear about parasocial relationships - which have very mixed reputations depending on who you talk to.
What’s a Parasocial Relationship?
A parasocial relationship is a one-sided attachment you have to a celebrity, public figure, or character. You have a lot of feelings and care for them, but these feelings aren’t reciprocated.
Parasocial relationships can get a bad reputation, but they’re much more common (and harmless) than you might think.
In fact, over half of people are estimated to have been in a parasocial relationship at some point - and they can actually be a great source of support.
Benefits of parasocial relationships include:
- Decreased feelings of loneliness
- Developing your sense of identity
- Feeling a sense of comfort and security
- Building connections in your real life through shared experiences
Whether your connection to a celebrity who passed away was a parasocial relationship or not, it’s normal to have feelings of grief.
3 Ways to Cope with Grieving a Celebrity
While these feelings of grief can be healthy, it can also be helpful to find ways to move through them.
1. Take time to grieve without judgement
Give yourself some time to process the loss.
It's easy to judge yourself when grieving a celebrity - you didn't know this person personally, and they have friends and family members who are experiencing this loss first hand.
Still, this person meant something to you too, and it's okay for you to feel really sad that they're gone.
Explore how you’re feeling by:
- Taking time to sit with your emotions
- Talking to friends and family
- Writing about it in a journal
2. Acknowledge how they impacted you
You’re feeling this sense of loss for a reason, and it's because this person impacted your life.
Expressing how they impacted you by writing a private letter saying how thankful you are, or even sharing your thoughts on social media, can be a great way to acknowledge and appreciate their impact on your life.
3. Explore how to have an ongoing connection to them
A lot of the time the celebrities you might be grieving are artists. You can continue connecting with them through their music, acting, and words.
They also might have personal projects that they were really passionate about. Getting involved with a charity or a cause that they advocated for is a great way to feel connected to them while contributing to the impact of their legacy.
Next Steps for Coping with Grief
After reading this article, you know three ways to deal with grief after the loss of a celebrity.
Here at KMA Therapy, we’re here whenever you feel like you need some extra support.
Download our free Therapy 101 Guide to learn how therapy could work for you or register online if you’re ready to get started.
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