The perks and pitfalls of being a celebrity superfan

Johnny Cyrus rang in his 21st birthday in Could by touring from his Milwaukee dwelling to San Francisco for Kylie Jenner’s pop-up store — the place the star greeted him with a $2,000 Louis Vuitton backpack. ‘I’d contemplate it now extra like a friendship’ “Isn’t it cool?” Cyrus instructed The Publish, utilizing the identical unaffected tone the Kardashian-Jenner clan employs when displaying off designer items on Snapchat. He’s a licensed superfan: an elite group of followers who show devotion to their idols through obsessive social-media posts and attendance at celebs’ public appearances. And plenty of of them, like Cyrus, are rewarded for his or her loyalty. However Cyrus, who has 9 Jenner-themed tattoos (together with a letter Ok with a crown), now not calls himself a superfan. “I’d contemplate it now extra like a friendship,” he stated. Whereas Jenner boasts some 111 million Instagram followers, she herself solely follows 136 folks — Cyrus is one of them, and the 2 direct-message one another nearly day by day. “Not too long ago, I instructed her that I missed her blond hair and she was like, ‘Don’t fear, it’s coming again quickly,’ ” Cyrus stated. “The subsequent day, she had blond hair.” His love of the reality-star-turned-cosmetics-mogul started in 2015 when Jenner launched her app, on which she would give paying customers a peek into her life. From there, Cyrus attended one of Jenner’s meet-and-greet occasions in Chicago. However he may solely see her, not meet her, as a result of he hadn’t bought the precise degree of entry. Lesson realized, he purchased a round-trip flight to Orlando, Fla., for a VIP occasion which value $250. (He pays for his journeys along with his wage as a licensed nursing assistant). One thing clicked after they met, and Jenner started replying to Cyrus’ tweets about her. She even launched him to her household when he attended the “Preserving Up With The Kardashians” 10th-anniversary taping in 2017 in Los Angeles. Myleeza Mingo (left) with Kim Kardashian on the Create and Domesticate magnificence summit in Los Angeles. However that’s not as excessive because the time Jenner’s sister Kim Kardashian invited her personal superfan Myleeza Mingo to look on the present in August 2015. The sequence’ govt producer Farnaz Farjam stated that Kardashian considers the 24-year-old girl from New Orleans her “alter ego” after recognizing her on Twitter, the place Mingo frequently posts concerning the star. Her obsession started in 2008, when Kardashian got here to Mingo’s hometown to find out about Hurricane Katrina’s devastation. “She placed on show how Louisiana . . . wanted assist,” Mingo stated. Kardashian started replying to Mingo’s posts, and the 2 met in 2013 at a fan occasion. Along with her deal with @MyleezaKardash, Mingo now has greater than 35,000 followers on Twitter. (Jenner has boosted Cyrus from 5,000 Instagram followers to 147,000.) Through the years, Kardashian has gifted Mingo tickets to Kanye West live shows, Yeezy sneakers, an Apple Watch and a regular provide of the star’s KKW Magnificence cosmetics. Taylor Swift superfan Stephanie Nastri has additionally acquired tons of swag from her idol. Again in 2014, the now 34-year-old nanny from East Haven, Conn., posted a story on Instagram about discovering solace within the pop star’s music. “I [talked] about how . . . [it] acquired me by means of some actually onerous occasions, one of which was my wrestle to conceive my son,” she stated of her little one Leyton, now 2 years previous. “[Swift] commented on it.” In October of that yr, Swift invited Nastri together with 88 others to Rhode Island to be one of the primary to listen to her “1989” album. A month later, the singer confirmed up on the superfan’s dwelling with a ride-on toy Mercedes, a piano flooring mat and a remote-control automotive for Leyton; and for Nastri, a diamond necklace which Swift had worn in a Weight loss program Coke business. However not all celebrity-fan interplay is constructive. Over the previous few years, Swift has needed to cope with a number of stalkers. In April, a man broke into her downtown Manhattan dwelling — for the second time — and was discovered sleeping within the singer’s mattress. Additionally in April, a second man was reportedly arrested at Swift’s Beverly Hills, Calif., mansion on suspicion of stalking. (Swift was not dwelling on the time of any of these incidents.) Taylor Swift performs with Stephanie Nastri’s son Leyton in a toy automotive she gave him. The identical month, a third man was sentenced to 10 years of probation and GPS monitoring after violating a protecting order; he reportedly adopted Swift to a 2016 Texas live performance and e-mailed threatening messages to her household. And in 2013, a man was arrested for trespassing after swimming as much as Swift’s Rhode Island dwelling. ”It’s actually disheartening to see folks disrespect her boundaries in such a approach,” stated Nastri. She clarifies that “a superfan . . . is a fan that actually loves an artist and is grateful for his or her work, however together with it . . . they respect and shield boundaries. A stalker is somebody who’s consumed by the artist — and typically with out rhyme or purpose. They have no idea or respect boundaries. So far as traces that followers/superfans don’t cross . . . guidelines would come with the seemingly apparent ‘don’t present up uninvited on the artist’s home,’ and ‘don’t comply with them round in case you see them in public.’ ” One celebrity publicist instructed The Publish that stars’ safety groups sometimes vet superfans earlier than they’re allowed private time. “It might not be a formal background test — possibly somebody simply will get on the telephone with them first or checks them out on-line,” the publicist stated. Meet-and-greet occasions are inclined to have lots of safety and, she added, are sometimes saved “contained” in an easy-to-patrol house. It’s not at all times straightforward carrying the torch for a celebrity. Mingo, who’s black, frequently stands up for Kardashian in opposition to critics who take the star to job for carrying her hair in boxer braids and cornrows. “Rather a lot of folks from the black group are like . . . ‘She steals from black tradition,’ ” stated Mingo, who works in publicity. “I’m extra like, ‘Look, y’all, possibly she is improper about this case, however she’s not making an attempt to harm folks.’ ” In the meantime, some superfans complain that their entry to A-listers is exploited by different followers. Trevor McMullan with Girl GagaTrevor McMullan Trevor McMullan, a 25-year-old trend stylist from New Jersey, made a particular reference to Girl Gaga in 2011. “[Gaga] would discover that I . . . simply [wanted] to speak to her,” stated McMullan. “When [most fans are] assembly a celebrity . . . it’s about getting one thing signed or a image, and it makes her really feel like a model.” His tactic landed him amongst an inside circle invited to unique occasions. However that additionally acquired him observed by different followers who, he says, used him to get nearer to the pop star. A Gaga insider confirmed that, a couple years in the past, “Twitter performed a main position [in driving competition]. That entire fanbase was at all times on [Twitter] and the superfans would get into fights. Tons of bullying.” McMullan was notably turned off by one who gained reputation on Twitter by posting about Gaga’s whereabouts, and “turned widespread on the again of her. It makes me upset that somebody that I genuinely simply wish to discuss to is being used that approach.” Share this: https://nypost.com/2018/07/21/the-perks-and-pitfalls-of-being-a-celebrity-superfan/ The post The perks and pitfalls of being a celebrity superfan appeared first on My style by Kartia.