10 Reasons NOT To Hate Kristen Stewart For Cheating On Rob
She cheated on Robert Pattinson, but here are some things to consider in her defense.
Getty The romance between Twilight's beloved power couple Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson crumbled overnight in the most dramatic fashion after photos emerged of Kristen, 22, canoodling with married Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders, 41. Kristen released a statement confirming the scandal, stunning fans around the globe and ironically confirming her relationship with Rob, 26, for the first time.
"I'm deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I've caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected," she said. "This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I'm so sorry."
Rob has yet to comment, but the actor has already left the Los Angeles home he shared with Stewart and gone into isolation.
Fans have since turned to Twitter, YouTube and Facebook to express their disappointment and outrage, condemning Kristen and asking the same question: "HOW COULD SHE?!" But, before we put Kristen in the same category as Tiger Woods, Jesse James or John Edwards, let's keep in mind the reasons why we shouldn't be so quick to judge her for cheating:
1. Her heart is broken, too. Whether it's Kristen's fault or not, Rob isn't the only one who's devastated. The fact that the super private starlet chose to make such a heart-wrenching, public apology speaks volumes about how desperate and remorseful she must be feeling – and it's pretty hard to hate on someone who's heartbroken.
2. No one knows what really happened. Kristen and Rupert were photographed kissing and cuddling – no one really knows what (if anything) transpired beyond that. Period.
3. Rupert was her BOSS. An inappropriate relationship between a boss and his/her subordinate is prohibited for a reason: it poses a threat of conflict and takes advantage of the imbalance of power in the workplace. Often, an employee may give in to sexual advances out of fear of losing his/her job, or simply out of hope that the tryst may score him/her a promotion. Rupert was Kristen's boss and held a position of power over her. He should have known better.
4. She's young and naïve. Everyone knows cheating is wrong, but Kristen is only 22 and has been with Rob since she was a teenager (they reportedly first started dating when the first Twilight film was released in 2008). We all make mistakes, especially in our first adult relationship. It's in these situations of immaturity that we learn lessons we can carry throughout a lifetime – lessons that will teach us how to make our next relationship healthier and long-lasting.
5) It happened in Hollywood. Tinsletown is notorious for its sexual dalliances, with many actresses rumored to have slept their way to the top to snag a film role. Producer Chris Hanley (American Psycho, The Virgin Suicides, etc.) reportedly once said, "Almost every leading actress in all of my 24 films has slept with a director or producer or a leading actor to get the part that launched her career." It doesn't excuse the behavior, but Kristen is far from the first actress in Hollywood to kiss the man behind the camera.
6. We don't know the pressure she faces. Kristen carried on her affair in broad daylight, a seemingly stupid thing to do – unless she wanted to get caught. In an interview with Elle magazine last month, Kristen said, "You can learn so much from bad things. I feel boring. I feel like, 'Why is everything so easy for me?' I can't wait for something crazy to f–king happen to me." Perhaps Kristen was pushing the envelope and acting rebellious because she was unhappy in her life and didn't know how to get out of it.
7. She's not a politician. The only people Kristen Stewart really hurt are herself, Rob, Rupert and his wife and two children. Though she let her fans down, she didn't actually hurt the public. She didn't use tax dollars, misappropriate campaign funds or hide in the oval office to carry on her affair.
8. She's going to have to pay the consequences. While some celebs have managed to avoid the stigma of being a cheater (i.e. Madonna, Britney Spears), others have struggled and never quite reclaimed their fame (i.e. LeAnn Rimes, Meg Ryan). There's no telling how this will affect Kristen's career ... or a rumored sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman.
9. Kristen has always stayed true to herself. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." While Kristen is known for her grumpy, grungy, alternative image, she is her own person. No matter what your opinion is, you have to admire her for that.
10. We're projecting our fantasies on her. Part of our outrage over Kristen's cheating stems from the fact that we look to celebrities for proof that true love exists. Scandals like this often stir up anger and fear resulting from our own personal, painful experiences with infidelity. We want Rob and Kristen to make it and be the perfect couple because we want to believe in the fairytale, and the storyline we've seen in their movies, instead of reality.
Tell us: who do you think is to blame in this cheating scandal?