Chrissy Teigen, Kylie Jenner among celebrities facing backlash for jet-setting during pandemic
This holiday season has been the most difficult yet for countless families across the country who have suffered great losses at the expense of the coronavirus. But it seems that celebrities haven’t let the raging pandemic get in the way of their vacations as many were photographed in tropical destinations. Now, people want to hold them accountable.
“So celebrities have special genes that are exempt from stay at home orders and spreading the virus?” one person commented on a photo of Amy Schumer posted to Just Jared’s Instagram account showing the actress on a vacation in St. Barths. “So rules and guidelines be damned for these celebs???” questioned another.
The photos of Schumer and husband Chris Fischer were one of a handful shared by the entertainment outlet as the two were “soaking up the sunny weather on their Christmas vacation.” Schumer also posted a photo of herself to ring in the new year. On her own Instagram account, however, she left the location and key details out, obscuring when and where the photo was taken.
The photo was posted days after Schumer had been re-tweeting information about the coronavirus vaccine on Dec 22. The actress also previously donated money to a hospital to ensure that its healthcare workers got the necessary PPE and protective face coverings to deal with an influx of coronavirus cases. She even spoke to The New York Times in May about laying low for the foreseeable future.
“I’m not going to go to the Comedy Cellar for a year at least. It’s the biggest risk. If I didn’t have a baby, I might be a little more chill. You care if you die less if you don’t. But now, I’m like, I better stay alive, I guess,” she said at the time, eight months before her recent travels. Schumer’s rep didn’t immediately respond to Yahoo Entertainment’s request for comment.
Chrissy Teigen, John Legend and their children, Luna, 4, and Miles, 2, were also visiting St. Barths, although they were somewhat less cautious when it came to posting about it.
Without tagging St. Barths as her location in her nearly 40 Instagram posts from the vacation spot, Teigen still managed to be called “tone deaf” for a lengthy caption about her love for airplanes and the opportunity to watch planes arrived on the island. “Miles asked for an airplane for Christmas and boyyyy did he get one,” Teigen wrote. “Will never forget this.”
A follower responded, “Life of privilege during a pandemic. Completely out of touch with the reality of the rest of the country.”
Teigen’s other posts captured her family and friends, hairstylist Jen Atkin and photographer Mike Rosenthal, on the beach, by the pool and even on a private yacht.
Still, it wouldn’t be the first vacation that the Cravings author shared during the pandemic. In fact, back in July she was told: “check your privilege” after posting from a similarly tropical locale.
Members of the Kardashian-Jenner family also flaunted two trips over the holiday season, starting with a larger group trip to Lake Tahoe as Kim Kardashian posted on Instagram just days before Christmas.
By New Year’s Eve, Kendall and Kris Jenner had made their way to Aspen, Colorado, with Kylie and her 2-year-old daughter, Stormi.
”What a way to start the year,” Kylie captioned her fourth post from the getaway, showing off parts of the home where they stayed. “By traveling?” a commenter questioned. “In a pandemic?”
Beyond the Instagram comments section, critics took to Twitter to condemn the celebrities who have traveled during this unprecedented time and those who found it necessary to post about it.
I have to stop following “celebrities” on Instagram - their vacations during a Pandemic make me feel crazy.
this cult of personality is over in 2021; buhbye— Rodrigo (@edrmeetsworld) January 3, 2021
i feel like if I was a celebrity going on lavish vacations right now I wouldn’t post about it. so out of touch with the world
— 🐡 ? 🍕 ? 🎨 (@AUBBZZ) December 31, 2020
I’m always confused when I check my Instagram. There are tons of pictures of celebrities on island vacations like there’s no pandemic.
— uché blackstock, md (@uche_blackstock) January 2, 2021
Other celebrities, like Bella Hadid, Dakota Johnson and Chris Martin, stayed tight-lipped about their trips to Aspen on their own feeds. However, paparazzi captured photos of them as they enjoyed their vacations and sold them to news outlets. While not hitting the slopes, singer Dua Lipa, who is vacationing in Mexico, was also snapped during her stay. Regardless of how safe or incognito they attempted to be, people aren’t happy with these celebrities’ behavior.
One of my 1st acts of 2021 is unfollowing celebrities who have travelled out-of-country for vacations during this holiday season. I don’t care how “safe” you are or how difficult this year has been for you. It is embarrassing & disrespectful 😒
— Dr. Genevieve Eastabrook MD FRCSC (@placentadoc) January 3, 2021
I’m trying to work out how so many people are locked down, yet so many celebrities are having amazing vacations on the world’s beaches.#COVIDSecondWave
— Chris Matyszczyk (@ChrisMatyszczyk) January 4, 2021
It’s really cool that Covid ended for celebrities just in time for their holiday vacations. So happy for them.
— claire. (@castout3391) January 1, 2021
While most of the celebrities hadn’t publicly responded to the criticism, Teigen took to Twitter while on vacation to share a New Year’s resolution: “not explaining S*** to you people.”
For years I have been CONSUMED by the overwhelming need to explain why I’m doing what I’m doing, why I did why I did. NO MORE. I’m gonna doooooo the shit I doooooo and youuuuuu can go bonkers about it.
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2020
“I I I I can’t believe she...” WELL BELIEVE IT CAUSE I DID IT
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2020
As of returning to Los Angeles, Teigen shared a photo of herself getting a COVID-19 test on her Instagram stories. “Home sweet home,” she wrote. Yahoo Entertainment reached out to Teigen’s rep for comment.
The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 350,000 this week.
For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC’s and WHO’s resource guides.
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