In the Age of the Internet, More Celebrities Are Living Out Illnesses In Secret

Credit: Flickr CC User Marc Wathieu

In 2016, it’s hard to imagine anyone keeping a secret for long, let alone a big one like a cancer diagnosis. Nearly everyone is on social media, posting about everything from a job they just snagged to trivial details about their lives, such as what they had for breakfast this morning.

In the age of the Internet, they’re shying away from the public eye to grieve in peace.

It would seem like celebrities would want to take advantage of this technology even more than the average person, connecting with fans like never before and gaining new ones in the process. But more celebrities are choosing to keep their fans in the dark about the biggest events in their lives, including their impending deaths. In the age of the Internet, they’re shying away from the public eye to grieve in peace.

David Bowie’s death last week came as a shock to most people, even those inside the music industry. This was by design; according to his representative, Bowie wanted to finish his last album, “Blackstar,” without distractions. Many of the musicians who performed on the album had no idea that Bowie had cancer or that he had only months to live. The number of people who were aware of the real reason behind his short bouts of rest was exceedingly small, mainly limited to those who were closest to the singer. Needless to say, Bowie’s fans were entirely in the dark until the moment news outlets announced his death.

By no means was Bowie the first celebrity to hide an illness from the press. According to The Guardian, Jackie Collins underwent treatments for breast cancer for more than six years before her death in September 2015, only telling her three children and a few close family members and friends about her illness. The press was not involved at any stage before her death.

Credit: timesfreepress.com

Actor Alan Rickman, who died from pancreatic cancer on January 14, also kept his illness a secret from all but his closest friends. Rickman learned of his diagnosis following a stroke in August 2015. Yet, according to The Telegraph, friends who saw him as recently as Christmas said he gave no sign of how ill he actually was. Fans were shocked and dismayed when they learned about his death.

Going through a terminal illness is a stressful and deeply emotional process that many only want to share with the people they love.

For anyone who has gone through a serious illness or who knows someone who died from cancer, it’s easy to see why these celebrities preferred to keep their illnesses under wraps. Going through a terminal illness is a stressful and deeply emotional process that many only want to share with the people they love. Informing the press of their illnesses could add more stress, as fans and media outlets press for more information.

This was especially true for Bowie, Collins and Rickman, who were well-known for their work ethic and dedication to their crafts. It makes sense that they would want their fans to focus on their work more than their personal lives. Like many celebrities, they wished to continue to produce quality work right up to the very end.

Credit: Marie-Lan Nguyen

Like all people with cancer, these beloved celebrities were almost certainly shielding their loved ones from the public eye as well. The last thing family members want when they are dealing with a loved one’s impending death is to field hundreds of questions about the person’s illness. They also want to avoid the inevitable questions about how much longer the person has to live, which can take away from actually living what is left of their lives.

Not informing the world of a serious illness is not an act of selfishness, but a necessary step for many people who want to live life fully without concern over an expiration date. They want to celebrate their accomplishments rather than witnessing an early mourning of their death.