Q & A on Celebrity and Civilian Relationships

Q: Do celebrities keep in touch with “civilian” friends, or do they only hang out with other celebrities?

A: Celebrities absolutely DO associate with civilians — it’s just that paparazzi and celebrity journalists aren’t very interested in covering these people, so the relationships don’t get the same publicity as celeb-celeb relationships.

In addition, most civilians aren’t interested in press, so they tend to shy from the limelight. Celeb friends are not so camera shy and often welcome the press.

The reason that celebs hang with other celebs is the support of shared experience. Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears have been working in the entertainment industry since they were children. Few others of their age group can say that — and those that can all tend to know each other. Lohan, Spears and Paris Hilton all know how important press can be to their careers — in fact Hilton’s career is built solely on press. This is something civilians don’t understand firsthand, and being around other people who “get it” is comforting.

It’s a lot like a support group for any other special interest whether it’s alcoholism and seeking the support of AA friends, having a high IQ and seeking the support of Mensa friends or working in a particular high-driving industry, like finance, and having the support of similar friends. In fact, even new mothers seek out the support of other new mothers in much the same way.

It’s also important for celebs to stay grounded because their audience is less like them than other celebs are, so non-celeb family and friends help celebs keep their perspective — and their ability to connect with their audience.