Lili Reinhart Is Speaking Out Against Being Called "Cole Sprouse's Girlfriend"
If I can't be Lili Reinhart when I grow up, I'd at least like her to be my best friend, please. She is the voice of reason we all need, and at just 22 years old she exudes more wisdom and confidence than many people in Hollywood (and everywhere) who are much older than her. Take Lili Reinhart's comments about being called "Cole Sprouse's girlfriend," for example. She is here to remind all of us that her relationship status is not and should not be her defining characteristic. Instead of referring to her as "Lili Reinhart, Cole Sprouse's girlfriend," you could call her things like "Lili Reinhart, successful professional," "Lili Reinhart, talented actor," "Lili Reinhart, women's advocate, friend, and cheerleader," or just, y'know, Lili Reinhart. Better yet, call her whatever she wants you to call her, let's just leave her boyfriend out of it. K?
Reinhart drove this point home in a recent interview with Vogue. She spoke about the relentless pressures of living in the public eye and the weirdness of reading news stories about herself. This frustration is only heightened when outlets bring her boyfriend and Riverdale costar, Cole Sprouse, into the mix. Reinhart told Vogue she recently saw a story about her, but the headline very prominently featured Sprouse's name. She explained, "There is still a problem here if you feel the need to say a man’s name, or someone who is more famous that is connected to me, in order to get someone to read an article about me... I’m not a boring person. I don’t need someone else’s name on a headline to make me sound more interesting."
Yes, yes, and yes.
In reading Reinhart's interview, it's clear the struggle to live authentically as a young celebrity while staying above the noise is a never-ending battle. "The mean comments, lack of privacy, people wanting to know everything, being in stressful situations, having to be a public speaker even when you don’t feel like it, having to be ‘on’ 24-7... If you hate me so much, don’t f*cking talk about me," she said.
Reinhart continued,
I don’t have any sympathy for people who go online and attack people for no other reason than to get attention, or to start an army of hate against a celebrity. You need to find something better to do with your time.
Of course, Reinhart is practicing what she's preaching. Right now, she's spending her time gearing up for Glamour’s Women of the Year Summit, something Reinhart says she's "honored" to be a part of. "I feel inspired by all the recognition women in Hollywood are getting," she said. "I think it is well earned and about time."
She can say that again (and again).
Reinhart is also deep into filming Riverdale's 22-episode third season, an opportunity she knows is rare and special. “I know that I will never have another opportunity like this again to work with the people I’m closest with,” she said. “They make working in a job that is not very easy, manageable.”
Well, Lili. You make my day-to-day more manageable. Thanks for the inspo (and the great TV).
