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Unlike the untouchable Hollywood stars of old, today’s famous figures are constantly professing how down-to-earth and authentic they are. Yet their insincerity has been laid bare by the latest trend of “statusmaxxing”, which has seen a host of A-listers desperately attempting to show off their star power or enhance their social status in ways that are more tone-deaf than ever.
From Taylor Swift hosting a ludicrously over-the-top “private” wedding at Madison Square Garden to Jennifer Lopez wearing a hat the size of a satellite dish to Wimbledon, such behaviour is infuriating fans. Celebrities want to have it both ways – to connect with the public by “keeping it real” (since that helps sell their products and projects) while also exhibiting diva behaviour towards fans, and acting in a way that suggests they are above us mere mortals.
It’s the opposite of true class, which means treating everyone with respect – not coded or outright contempt. Here are some of the main offenders...
‘Jenny from the Block’ doesn’t care about Royal Box rules
Clearly, the Wimbledon dress code doesn’t apply to celebrities – or so Lopez believes. She ignored the Royal Box rule stating ladies should not wear hats “as they tend to obscure the vision of those seated behind them”, and donned a whopping 17-inch-wide Ralph Lauren hat. It was so huge that it draped over her shoulders and almost landed on her neighbour, Tom Hiddleston.
Irate social media users called Lopez “inappropriate” and “inconsiderate”. Instead of respecting this hallowed sporting venue and her fellow attendees, Lopez made herself the centre of attention.
It’s ironic given the lengths Lopez has gone to seem relatable. “Don’t be fooled by the rocks that I got / I’m still, I’m still Jenny from the Block”, the Bronx native claimed in her much-mocked 2002 single. She also has songs thuddingly titled I’m Real and Same Girl.
But it doesn’t work, says Rachel Richardson, who writes the culture and trends newsletter, Highly Flammable. “No one falls for it. This is the least relatable woman in the world. She lives in an incredibly jet-set, very privileged celebrity bubble.”
In 2024, a scene from Lopez’s film, This is Me… Now: A Love Story, went viral for all the wrong reasons. While working out in the gym, she lets down her scruffy workout hair and gazes at the mirror while musing that it reminds her of “when I was 16 in the Bronx running up and down the block”.
Viewers criticised the obvious staginess, and an actual Bronx resident commented: “We did not run up and down the block looking like that. Even as a kid.”
Kim Kardashian turns into an ice queen at F1 Monaco
While supporting her boyfriend, Lewis Hamilton, at the F1 Monaco Grand Prix in June, Kim Kardashian refused to mix with the other Wags, an insider told RadarOnline – they found her “snooty and fake”. She then had a horridly awkward encounter with Martin Brundle, Sky Sports’ iconic F1 interviewer.
During his usual pre-race grid walk, Brundle asked Kardashian perfectly innocuous questions, but the ice queen blanked him and muttered something to her bodyguard. The 67-year-old presenter then protested to another security man: “No, you don’t need to push me, mate.”
One social media user wrote: “Kim Kardashian is not too good to talk to Martin Brundle. What a complete lack of class.” Richardson observes that “she came off so badly – she looked miserable. She was like a rabbit in the headlights”.
The clueless Kardashian has made ham-fisted attempts to connect with the public. In 2012, she notoriously likened the life lessons she took from her disastrous 72-day marriage to Kris Humphries to the experience of a young cancer patient. “How are people this self-absorbed?” wondered one Reddit user, while others blasted her “tone-deafness” and “narcissism”.
Kardashian also “surprised” her adoring fans on Ellen DeGeneres’s TV show. One cringe-worthy example in 2017 featured a young vlogger raving about Kardashian’s “very, very successful” make-up line before the lady herself appeared. “So cute,” Kardashian said tonelessly as she finished what was clearly a promotional opportunity.
Richardson thinks Kardashian was “desperate to be famous at the beginning – she would do whatever it takes. But now she’s a billionaire, she doesn’t need to do that anymore”.
Taylor Swift shamelessly shuts down Manhattan for her wedding
Swift went full Bridezilla with her star-studded wedding to Travis Kelce at the 20,000-capacity Madison Square Garden, smack in the middle of Manhattan. It was billed as “private” – guests signed NDAs and surrendered their phones – but this blatant display shut down 11 New York streets, and a giant billboard proclaimed “JUST&T MARRIED”. It was a mighty display of celebrity power – and wealth.
“It felt like one big tease,” says Richardson. “It was the most public ‘private’ wedding I’ve ever seen. They could have done it in so many other places that wouldn’t have created a whole circus, or kept it completely under wraps. The billboard felt to me like a confession – we know people are there watching this spectacle.” Richardson wonders if the first time we see a wedding picture “is on the cover of Taylor’s next album”.
As for the actual event, one guest, speaking to the Daily Mail, claimed it was “tacky” and “chaotic”, with champagne running out early, long queues for the buffet and a naff raffle, with tickets won via slot machines. There was also reportedly a shortage of chairs – a cruel oversight considering guests included the likes of 79-year-old Steven Spielberg.
Swift is the queen of ostentatious relatability. It’s a smart business model – write about growing up, friendship, falling in love and heartbreak, and millions of people will feel like you’re speaking directly to them. The singer also hides “Easter egg” clues for eager Swifties to find.
But the most glaring example of desperate fan-courting is her “Secret Sessions”. Swift hand-picks fans and invites them to her home to listen to her new album just before launching it – an event that handily doubles as “personal” interaction while galvanising superfans to extol the virtues of a new release. Plus, they’re also not actually secret, as Swift has filmed the events and released clips on YouTube.
Security reduced Chappell Roan’s young fan to tears
Fan attention surely comes with the pop star territory, but Chappell Roan seems to refuse to accept it. The singer has repeatedly complained on social media about “creepy” behaviour and how she must “set boundaries”. She insists that if she’s not performing, she’s off the clock and won’t acknowledge fans “just because they’re expressing admiration”.
“I admire her in a way, but it’s naïve for her to think she can just have the life she wants – that’s not how modern celebrity and fandom works,” says Richardson. “If she wanted a quieter life, maybe she should have pursued a different career path that’s more suited to her personality.”
The nadir came in March when 11-year-old Ada – daughter of Jude Law and stepdaughter of Jorginho, a football player – simply walked past Roan’s table at a hotel to confirm it was her. A security guard then berated Ada, reducing her to tears. Roan later apologised (it transpired the third-party security guard acted alone), but it was still a damaging incident.
As Richardson notes: “It’s telling that people readily believed Chappell made a child cry.”
Though Roan is apparently all about “boundaries”, she also makes a great show of being candid. She used her Grammy speech in 2025 to demand music labels give artists “a liveable wage and healthcare”, after sharing stories about her label dropping her and being reduced to working in a doughnut shop.
She has also spoken at length about her bipolar disorder and depression, and how it’s necessary to have an onstage “drag queen” persona (Roan is queer). She told Polyester in 2024 that her shows were all about wanting “my audience to feel like they’re in on it”. How puzzling that she should prize such togetherness while ignoring fans in public.
Timothée Chalamet is a man-of-the-people sports nut, but dating a billionaire
While accepting a Screen Actors Guild award in 2025 for playing Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, Chalamet proclaimed: “I’m really in pursuit of greatness.” He then went on to compare himself to Daniel Day-Lewis and Marlon Brando.
How bizarre, then, that this wannabe serious actor – who came close to bagging an Oscar this year for Marty Supreme – has shacked up with a member of America’s tackiest family.
He’s been dating Kylie Jenner since 2023, bringing this pouting plus-one to various awards shows – where she duly flaunts her voluptuous figure – and doing promotional stunts like wearing matching leather outfits in Marty Supreme’s signature orange. It certainly gets attention, but risks making him look like a crass sell-out.
Yet Chalamet is also desperate to be seen as a man-of-the-people sports nut. He sat courtside during the New York Knicks’ victorious run this year, and loves showing off his sporting knowledge on popular podcasts like College GameDay. Rather than a Hollywood poser, “he wants to be a bro on those podcasts”, says Richardson.
He also makes a point of laughing at his youthful YouTube channel, ModdedController360 (while mentioning the relatable fact that he was an Xbox obsessive), or, while doing a 60 Minutes interview in January, chuckling at his teenage self performing bad rap as “Lil’ Timmy Tim”.
Stars, they’re just like us – apart from the awards, the fame, the money and a Kardashian on their arm.
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