From beloved icons to controversial figures, the transformations of today’s celebrities have left us questioning, what happened to the stars we once adored?

An example of this phenomenon is former “Dance Moms” star, JoJo Siwa, who has recently become unrecognizable. Siwa grew popular with her music and her popularity has continued ever since. Siwa is known for being colorful and bright, even continuing the childish act through her teenage years. Now, she has started to receive backlash as all the people telling her what to do her whole life have made it hard for Siwa to find herself.

“I think people forget that my whole life has been criticized, judged, and watched…” Siwa said.

Siwa hasn’t been the only popular singer to go through this predicament. 30-year-old Canadian singer, Justin Bieber took the world by storm when he was just twelve years old when he released his debut song, “One Time.” After that, Bieber was thrust into the spotlight and started his walk towards fame and success. When Bieber was fifteen, he started being sexualized by the public and was often asked inappropriate questions in interviews. What he went through as a kid had lasting effects on him.

“I started doing pretty heavy drugs at 19 and abused all my relationships… I became resentful, disrespectful to women, and angry,” Bieber lamented. “ I became distant from everyone who loved me… By 20, I made every bad decision you could have thought of and went from one of the most loved and adored people in the world to the most ridiculed, judged, and hated person in the world.”

Britney Spears is known as the “Princess of Pop” because of her lively stage presence. People have speculated on her wellbeing today because of her strange behavior for the past few years. Spears, like Siwa and Bieber, became famous at a young age and has been around fame for so long that it has altered her whole life.

On October 24, 2023, Spears published a memoir called “The Woman in Me” about the struggles of being on stage. Spears was always scrutinized and pressured by many to keep producing music. There should be no shame or judgment in whatever she decides to do with her life because her entire livelihood up until this point was always controlled by the media.

Now we see what happens to our favorite stars when they undergo profound changes due to the pressure of society. It is a bittersweet reminder that fame can be transformative positively and negatively. Through all the admiration, we still have to remember that they are still human beings with struggles even with the big fan base they may have. Let’s remain human with these stars and their struggles and learn how to support them and understand the complexities of fame together.