Filipinos are a naturally curious bunch. We’re known for being chismosos/chismosas/maritesses, a.k.a. folks who will jump at every opportunity to get on the latest bit of juicy gossip. We’ve made it a pastime to speculate about the lives of people who don’t personally know us. Case in point: The recent slew of celebrity breakups that pushed showbiz reporters into overdrive. It’s high time we realize we must respect celebrities’ privacy.

Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla’s split after 11 years of being in a relationship was marred by hearsay about third parties. Everyone from entertainment reporter and talent manager Ogie Diaz to internet personality Xian Gaza just had to weigh in and add to the narrative.

More recently, there’s the recent media frenzy about Bea Alonzo and Dominique Roque’s break-up. The ex-couple even expressed disappointment about others breaking the news “without [their] consent.”

These instances highlight the ongoing struggle between public interest and personal privacy in celebrities’ lives. While their careers place them in the spotlight, the rest of the world has to remember that they’re people, too. They deserve respect and privacy, too. Here’s why we need to respect celebrities’ privacy.

It’s basic human decency

It’s easy to think of celebrities as characters in a show. After all, that’s how we see them most of the time, acting out various roles that make us laugh and cry. But celebrities are humans, too. They deserve some modicum of privacy, and their personal lives should not be exploited for public consumption.

Allow them to control their narrative

It’s also basic human decency to wait until the people involved in the rumors themselves share the news on their terms. Especially if it’s about sensitive matters like breakups, relationship problems, or illnesses. It goes without saying that sharing unconfirmed reports and contributing to the rumor mill can cause unnecessary pain and speculation. Being the one to break the news on social media might feel exciting, but if it’s at the expense of another person’s emotional health, you might want to think twice.

We should support responsible journalism

Responsible publications and reporters will only report on facts and not hearsay. Find ones who respect public personalities’ boundaries and prioritize accurate reporting. Support those who focus on celebrities’ work and talents rather than their personal lives.

We shouldn’t be encouraging misinformation and rumors

Pinoys love to speculate about celebrities’ personal lives. There’s a ‘maritess’ inside of all of us, a.k.a an instinct to seek out juicy rumors and make sure the whole community knows about it. But when the public starts listing their theories about why specific couples don’t post about each other anymore, it can lead to the spread of misinformation and harmful rumors. You don’t need us to tell you that spreading baseless gossip can hurt people.

We should be keeping tabs on our media consumption

It’s natural to be curious about the lives of public figures, but spending too much time speculating about someone else’s life gets a bit weird, don’t you think? Maybe it’s time to reflect on your own media habits. Do you tend to seek out content that invades celebrities’ privacy? If the media isn’t respecting the boundaries of these public figures, you should challenge yourself to do so and only focus on their art and not their personal lives.

At the end of the day, celebrities shouldn’t be collateral damage in the news sites and showbiz pages’ quest for scoops. Sure, it can drive up likes and shares and will get people talking, but if the trade-off is hurting someone else, it isn’t worth it.

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