Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
If you haven’t been keeping up with the l’affaire Kristen Stewart, let me get you up to speed: the young and beautiful star of Twilight had been dating the other young and beautiful star of Twilight (Robert Pattinson) for, probably, the last three or four years, until very recently when Stewart started having an affair with Rupert Sanders, the director of the film she she starred in Snow White and the Huntsman (which came out in June). The news broke in July and pretty immediately after the initial wave of media coverage, Stewart issued a pretty stark, public, and impressive apology: ”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.”
The reason I know all of this is because the media frenzy, focused almost exclusively on Stewart, is inescapable. Just the other day, Jodie Foster, Stewart’s former co-star in Panic Room, stepped in over at The Daily Beast to say enough already, leave Kristen Stewart alone!
To which I say, amen.
Stewart is a young girl in her twenties. Young people in their twenties make mistakes, especially when it comes to serious relationships, which we are just learning to have in these formative years of young adulthood. Stewart made a mistake and bravely apologized–can’t she move on with her life?
This isn’t to deny that what she did was seriously wrong, but the fall out from it is falling disproportionately on the young actress, whose career is already suffering setbacks because of it. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stewart has been dropped from any sequel that may emerge from Snow White and the Huntsman:
The move comes in the wake of Stewart, 22, and the married Sanders, 41, apologizing publicly for a romantic affair after compromising photos of the duo were published in July. (Stewart was dating her Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson.) While it might have been awkward for Stewart and Sanders to reunite for a sequel, it is not clear why the decision to move forward without Stewart was made.
It is highly unusual for Hollywood studios to drop stars of franchises between the first and second installments. The original plan, according to sources, was to make two films featuring the Snow White character and a third film spinning off the Huntsman, similar to how Fox’s X-Men series has spun off Wolverine.
Meanwhile, no one is talking about Sanders, who likely will return as the director of the movie.
According to TMZ, the 22-year-old Stewart is “furious” that she’s taking the blame for the affair. I would be too! Sanders, 41, is an older married man who has children and was in a position of authority over Stewart as her director. Why isn’t he bearing any of the public weight of the affair? Is this just another instance of the double standard in our culture when it comes not only to sex, but also to our media, which judges women far more harshly than men? It would seem so.
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Comments:
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
Really, really good point.
Apr '11
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
I couldn't disagree more. Not to overstate things but isn't the distorted reaction to her indiscretion a prime example of what is wrong with our post-modern culture and the immoral tide we as conservatives are swimming against?
Her sin, as I believe the culture views it and I see it is one of possible repentance. She claimed she is sorry and apologized publicly for her actions, this being a no-no to the MSM.
The distorted world-views behind this example of castigation and the unapologetic smears we are witnessing daily in this election is exactly what needs to be talked about here at Ricochet.
Apr '11
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
Emily Esfahani Smith
Really, really good point. · 5 minutes ago
The courageous thing could have been for them to stand behind her if she was repentant but we're talking Hollywood here, so cover is better.
Not to be to cynical but if a script could surface where she gets hers from the jilted lover then........socko baby, socko!
Apr '11
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
1967mustangman
Paul A. Rahe: Why would anyone care that an unmarried actress who was sleeping with her co-star has also been sleeping with her director? They were all cruising for a bruising, and they got it. The only persons deserving any sympathy are the wife of the director and their children.
It would be news if a Hollywood actress were not involved in a sordid affair. · 21 minutes ago
My thoughts exactly. Why are we even calling this an affair? If you are sleeping with someone out of the commitment of marriage should you be surprised when they "step out" on you. · 42 minutes ago
Come on, she took her vows at the holy altar of our media driven culture. Her commitment to him if they were living together or what, is stronger then an act of marriage. You can get a divorce for that and no one blinks, but if your cheating on the person your having sex with, especially if he is a popular female worshiped hunk then that is the "unforgivable sin."
It's funny that in Hollywood, where all hints of a religious moral code are rejected and squelched, one does seem to emerge.
Sep '10
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
Stop the cultural conspiracy theory, and answer these questions with a simple two question poll of 100 people:
1. Do you know who Kristen Stewart is?
2. Do you know who Rupert Sanders is?
You might get 75% answering "Yes" to the first question, and 15% answering "Yes" to the second question.
Sometimes, it really is that simple.
Apr '11
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
This brings to mind another similar situation: Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. He was married, a father and President of the United States. She was a silly girl in her young twenties. He is now lionized. Her life was pretty much ruined, her name a joke.
May '10
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
Emily Esfahani Smith
Really, really good point. · 34 minutes ago
I agree, very good point. Also, you have to take the ratings game into account. News stories about the young attractive woman are going to get more people to read than stories about the director no one's heard of.
I don't think our media always judges women more harshly. Look how bad they treated Tiger Woods when he cheated, and a lot of people read those stories. It's about how much ratings the story will generate.
Apr '12
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
The Cosmo magazine idea that women can have it all does not seem to be so true in reality. Helen Gurley Brown may have thought she gave a few ground rules about staying away from married men, but this point does not seem to have filtered into society. Ms. Stewart did not think about consequences. It is women who give the green light to a physical relationship and young girls need to be educated about their responsibilities and the consequences. Yes, Monica is the case study to use..<p> Older men in positions of seniority are attractive to some women.<p> I mentor women in business. If I catch a glimpse of a Monica type, I will not work with that woman. <p> France must be hell where women do not know if a woman will sleep with her husband. Hollywood is the same set of shark and Cosmo values. Keeps the tabloids fed.
Nov '10
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
Paul A. Rahe: Why would anyone care that an unmarried actress who was sleeping with her co-star has also been sleeping with her director? They were all cruising for a bruising, and they got it. The only persons deserving any sympathy are the wife of the director and their children.
It would be news if a Hollywood actress were not involved in a sordid affair. · 1 hour ago
:-)
Sep '10
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
Did anyone here read what Jodie Foster said about having a career in Hollywood today?
Ms. Stewart is 22 years old and in the performing arts is paid for emotional highs and lows that most of us can escape in more mundane roles. My neanderthal instinct is to slug the director.
Mar '12
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
While this seems like the proverbial Hollywood tempest in a teapot, my opinions are;
1) Sanders should get as much or more heat than Stewart. A 41 year old married man should be the one to say NO. His age and marital status puts the onus of restraint on him.
2) The media is going after Stewart only because she is a more public figure and she loused up what the entertainment media saw as an iconic relationship, i.e. two co-stars in love. All the media wants is headlines.
3) Stewart should take Foster's advice and get out of the hellhole that is Hollywood.
Jun '10
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
I am rarely cynical. It is not my nature. In this case, however, I cannot help think this is a pr stunt gone wrong. The Twilight series is winding down. Stephanie Meyer is not reproducing anything near its success with her new books. What an attention getter this would be... Kristen/Bella in love with two guys.
It would have been series suicide for Pattinson to stray because Edward would never do that but Kristin could because Bella did.
May '10
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
My wife calls all celebrities "plumbers." In saying this, she is saying, "would you care what these people think, do, say if they were plumbers? Why is it any different if they are overpaid fakers pretending to be something they are not?"
My wife has great wisdom...
May '12
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
Normally, I would have expected the greater disdain to be cast on the cheating husband.
Aug '12
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
A common note in the story of the woman caught in adutery is that the man should have been caught too, but wasn't, which doubled the already high levels of hypocray involved.
And who says the Bible doesn't speak to today's world?
Regardless, this is not Camelot, Robert Pattinson is not King Arthur. It is not my concern. Let them repair their relationship as best they can -all of them, RP, KS, Sanders and his family -and wish that they go and sin no more.
Mar '12
Re: Forget Kristen Stewart. What About Rupert Sanders’ Role in the Affair?
I read Ms. Foster's well written piece, because I've been impressed with her talent, and was curious about her writing skills. Never having heard of the people she mentioned, my attention was drawn to her broader focus. Her article may well be the only good thing to come out of the mess these two (or their studio) have created for others. But you have me curious, Ms. Smith. Why in the world would you infantilize Ms. Stewart by calling her a young girl? A young girl is 10, 12, 14. She is a young woman. Is this how we morph into making a LAW that keeps adults on their parents' health insurance to the age of 26? Now, there's a topic worthy of discussion.