If power corrupts, then when you throw celebrity-induced megalomania, paranoia and perhaps some party drugs into the mix, you get a lethally violent cocktail. At home and abroad, the papers are rife with instances of violence and domestic abuse by celebrities. Wives and girlfriends have played punching bag, usually mute after the fact to ‘protect’ their famous lovers.
The world was shocked and horrified when news broke out of Brazilian goal-keeper, Bruno Fernandez having killed his girlfriend and fed her body to his Rottweilers. While this is extreme, Mel Gibson, capping off a string of verbally abusive incidents, most recently knocked a couple of teeth out of the mouth of his former girlfriend and mother of his child, Oksana Grigorieva. Evidence of his verbal abuse is on tape as Oksana recorded his abusive rants. Star performer Rihanna and her boyfriend Chris Brown didn’t quite make it to their 2009 Grammy awards performances. The reason? When accused of having a relationship with an ex, Brown turned around and smashed Rihanna’s face to a pulp.
“What is really disturbing is that there are no deterrents in society,” says Dr Amay Tripathy, a practicing psychiatrist based in Kolkata. “Fernandez even went on record after giving himself up saying his conscience was clear and he would look back and laugh at the incident in the future. Even if brought to trial, high-flying lawyers twist and bend the law and get them out in no time.”
Flexible laws and clever lawyers got O.J. Simpson off the hook despite public conviction that he was guilty of murdering his wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman. While murder is an extreme thought, there is some speculation about what gives celebrity men the belief that they are unaccountable for their actions; that they are somehow above the normal code of ethics that dictates civilised society.
Dr Tripathy offers the opinion that even Tiger Woods’ serial cheating on his wife is tantamount to abuse. “And where is the guarantee that he will stop? Maybe when he’s old he will stop but not out of respect to his marriage or because his image took a beating,” agrees Dr ashit sheth, a psychiatrist with 35 years of practice behind him.
They suggest the trappings of a decadent lifestyle can exacerbate negative personality traits. “Drugs and alcohol remove inhibitions and someone quiet and subdued can become violent. In some cases, celebrities are extremely pampered which lowers their tolerance for frustration. They can’t bear it if someone is not abiding by their diktats. They also suspect that their girlfriends or partners may wash their proverbial dirty linen in public and this brings on even more violence,” says Dr Sheth.
While drug abuse is on the rise and can be blamed for some of the erratic behaviour, a look closer home will reveal even ‘regular’ supplements can have detrimental effects on people with a borderline tendency to anti-social behaviour. Dr Sheth cites the example of desi bad boy, Salman Khan, “Salman was accused of ill treating his girlfriends and getting violent in the past. At that time, Salman was allegedly on corticosteroids for his muscles. If you consume those regularly over long periods, they can make a person psychotic — one’s reasoning goes haywire, you become irrational, paranoid and violent. In some cases, celebrities already lack adequate social skills.”
And there’s no better impetus that thinking you’ll ‘get away with it’ says sheth, “Look at DCP Rathore (who allegedly molested 14-year-old Ruchika Girhotra and drove her to suicide) or Manu Sharma (who shot Jessica Lall): they believe their power will see them through. We have examples of this all around. So many of our politicians have violent, criminal parts but they are still elected. Public memory also is very short.”
Unlike the west, our desi celebrities almost never seek couselling or therapy. “It is the exception not the rule. You think Salman Khan will ever seek therapy? It’s very rare among the rich and famous. Having said that though, even with Western celebs who do seek help, I’m not so sure about it’s efficacy,” concludes Dr Sheth.