Four For Friday - Starlight Lovers

At one point in time, the subject of this blind was A list. In some circles, she still is, and I think that in her niche, she probably still deserves that designation. Anyway, let's just call her a former A list entertainer from back in the day, who if you're a certain age, you'd be familiar with. I'll call her Ms. C. During the height of her fame, Ms. C was not only very, very famous but also got a lot of attention just because of her unusual role as an entertainer and also because of her attitude. She had lots of attitude that was appealing in a bad-girl sort of way.

Ms. C's trajectory to fame was not an easy one though. Her family background was very unstable and included abuse. Not a very happy situation to grow up in at all. As a result of all that, Ms. C was an awkward misfit who had a lot of problems as a kid. Music and acting provided healthy escapes for her, and in particular she was very classically talented in music at a young age. No one would have ever guessed she'd end up as famous as she was, especially in her particular genre, but she did. Many of her talents were self taught and were distinctive and unique.

Ms. C's rise to fame was actually the result of a bunch of lucky breaks and connections for her. She was in the right places at the right times and made connections with like-minded people who understood her quirks and saw her potential. Once she'd made those connections, the fame for her and the others in her circle happened fairly quickly. Probably too quickly. This was one of those moments in time that special and talented people are often able to step into. Once she was on board the fame train, it took off- way, way too fast.

The problem with Ms. C is that she was fundamentally uncomfortable being a public figure. She hated being interviewed, hating doing promotional work, hated all of the schmoozing that often is required when you become a famous person. To cope with these situations, as is the case a lot, she began using drugs and alcohol to calm her anxiety. Her fellow entertainers were very tolerant about this, since they understood her true nature and they put up with Ms. C's using because they understood it helped her deal with the demands that were being placed on her. They probably did that for longer than they should have though, but they were all pretty young at the time too and were all trying to cope with the crazy stuff that comes with being famous themselves.
During this time period, Ms. C also became close to another famous person who was in her sphere. They discovered that they had similar backgrounds and struggled with some of the same social anxieties. I wouldn't call this a romantic relationship, but they were very, very close. I'll call him Mr. B. - he and Ms. C. spent a lot of time writing letters to one another (this was before the Internet). They were able to connect since both were basically introverts who had become famous and were uneasy being in the public eye. They would try to meet whenever they were in the same city and shared a passion for stargazing and also poetry and art.

As time went on, Ms. C's substance abuse problems became worse and she was also physically run down from too much work. Stress, substances and overwork had taken a toll. Her fame had also started to wane and it became necessary for her to quit her career for a while because her health was totally breaking down. Mr. B was instrumental in encouraging her to do this, since he was also struggling with some of the same issues himself.

When Ms. C left the entertainment business, the break was meant to be temporary, but it pretty much became permanent. She became a recluse with no desire to return to the spotlight. She had also developed some more serious health problems as a result of overwork, and it took a long time to recover from those things. And there was also the ongoing struggle to get off drugs and alcohol. Ms. C was eventually able to get a lot of her health back, but struggled with the addiction issues on and off for years before finally getting sober. Meanwhile, Ms. C and Mr. B had drifted apart and only kept in contact sporadically. She considered him a part of her old life, and because of how ill-suited she was to being famous, she had distanced herself from a lot of her old friends who were still in the public eye. Mr. B had also struggled with sobriety and other issues as well, while his fame continued to grow.

Fast forward to a couple of years ago. Ms. C and Mr. B crossed paths at an industry event. Ms. C had only agreed to attend the event because she was invited by old friends and also because her children urged her to go. She still struggled with anxiety, so she was hesitant to attend and only decided to go at the last minute. Ms. C had also recently been receiving therapy for trauma related to a sexual assault by someone in the business in the early part of her career. She had been repressing the memory for years and finally was able to confront it as a trigger for the substance abuse. She was nervous she might see the abuser at this event, so because of that, it was pretty brave for her to decide to go at all. Her old friends were really happy to see her there. Mr. B was also at this event, and Ms. C was able to re-connect with him there. The connection was immediate and it was as if no time had passed at all, even though it had been many years since they'd been pen pals and confidantes.
Ms. C and Mr B. stayed in close contact after this event. Since they were both older and wiser now, their friendship deepened and began to turn into something romantic, which was a surprise for both of them. The biggest problem though, was that Mr. B was still struggling with sobriety issues himself- and Ms. C was very serious about her own sobriety. She did not ever want to return to the days of using again. She now had kids to think of and also had built a life away from the business that was happy. Mr. B came to see Ms. C in her city and they had a long talk about their relationship.

Although she genuinely loved Mr. B, she had to make it clear that the dealbreaker for her was that he must be sober if they were to have any future together. They made a pact that he would do what was necessary to get his life in order and successfully get clean. Things were looking really good for both of them when something happened that made any future for them as a couple no longer possible. Because of this, Ms. C. is terrified she will be thrust back into the spotlight and will be forced to discuss her relationship with Mr. B. She is very worried that the sexual assault she experienced many years ago could also be exposed as a result.