In a recent interview with You magazine, former Love Island contestant Olivia Attwood spoke candidly about her experience supporting the late Caroline Flack during a tumultuous period leading up to Flack's tragic death in February 2020. The remarks come more than three years after Flack was charged with assault following an incident involving her boyfriend, Lewis Burton.
Attwood, who formed a close bond with Flack during her time on the reality show in 2017, publicly expressed her support for the presenter, stating on social media that she "loved" Flack and was "thinking of her." However, her support did not come without repercussions. In her recent account, Attwood revealed that she faced considerable backlash for defending Flack. She remarked, "the abuse I got was really vicious. 'You're disgusting'; 'She did this to her boyfriend' – then she took her own life and you saw the comments deleted."
Reflecting on society's evolving relationship with public figures, Attwood compared the modern phenomenon of social media scrutiny to historical practices of public punishment. "I heard a psychiatrist say that in medieval times people got a kick out of watching hangings in the village square," she noted, adding, "Civilisation has progressed, but now we do it differently. We love putting people on trial." Attwood observed that such public condemnation may have contributed to Flack's struggles: "Caroline's death was much more complex than being about social media, but her fear of that unkindness factored into it."
Flack, whose death occurred shortly before she was scheduled to stand trial for the assault charges, had been a prominent figure in the world of television, previously hosting popular shows such as Love Island and The X Factor. Her passing ignited conversations about mental health and the pressures faced by individuals in the public eye, particularly regarding their treatment on social media platforms.
In the course of her interview, Attwood also addressed a recent controversy involving another Love Island star, Maura Higgins, who was photographed kissing her married co-star Danny Jones at a Brit Awards after-party. Attwood seemed to take a swipe at Higgins without elaborating, adding a layer of intrigue to her commentary on personal relationships and public scrutiny within the realm of reality television.
The revelations from Attwood underscore the ongoing dialogue about the impact of social media on mental health and the public's role in shaping narratives surrounding individuals in the entertainment industry.
Source: Noah Wire Services