So much for taking the high road. When it comes to tabloid rumors, stars are starting to talk back.
Usually, celebrities ignore gossipy stories–often from anonymous sources–or have their publicists make denials. But recently, some stars have responded personally to dispute hurtful gossip, USA Today reports.
– Kate Hudson spoke briefly with an Us Weekly reporter and landed on the cover of a recent issue dispelling a report in Star that her marriage to Chris Robinson was in trouble.
– Cameron Diaz phoned Us to declare her undying love for Justin Timberlake days after the magazine published a cover story about rumors the couple had split. She proclaimed as bogus British tabloid reports that he was cheating on her with a model.
– Jennifer Aniston took a moment in June to inform a pack of paparazzi, “By the way, I am not pregnant!” By then, rumors of impending motherhood had become international headlines.
There’s no better way for a star to end a rumor than to address it directly, says Janice Min, editor in chief at Us.
“For a long time, celebrities took the stand that they would not dignify a rumor” by talking about it, she said. Now, with the rumor mill moving so fast thanks to the Internet, the 24-hour news cycle and weekly celeb magazines including Us and In Touch, they have to put an end to rumors swiftly.
“These stories die quickly when celebrities come out to set it straight,” Min says.
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale ([email protected]) and Kris Karnopp ([email protected])