If you’re reading this, then we’re guessing you probably like celebrity gossip — and you’re in a safe space! Here at Us, not only do we love celebrity gossip, but we know there’s no shame in it either. In fact, there is actual scientific, anthropological and psychological evidence proving that keeping up with all things showbiz and chatting about it with our peers can make us happier, healthier and more productive. And that’s one wellness trend we can get on board with in 2025.
Last year, the world’s smartest man,Younghoon Kim — with his staggeringly high IQ of 276 — revealed that he is obsessed with celebrity news, is a huge K-Pop fan and always keeps up to date with what’s going on with Taylor and Travis. As Kim himself put it in his exclusive interview with Us‘ Editor-in-Chief Dan Wakeford, “I love news and stories from the celebrity and entertainment worlds, because it helps a lot with my anxiety.”
But using gossip as a calming antidote to the stresses of everyday life and work isn’t the only reason it’s good for you — even if your IQ isn’t quite as high as Kim’s…
It Gives You Social Currency
Anyone who’s ever pretended to be familiar with a movie, band or podcast they’ve actually never heard of just to fit in and keep the conversation going, will relate to this one: entertainment and celebrity news are the glue that holds social groups together. But while asking who watched Love Is Blind last night might seem like mere small-talk, it can have tangible benefits in the workplace and beyond.
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A study by researchers at Stanford and the University of Maryland showed that talking casually with other people for around an hour a day resulted in more cooperative, team-driven behavior at work. And it all comes down to trust. According to Yuval Noah Harari’s groundbreaking book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, we are such social animals that gossip is key to our survival. Chatting casually about breakups, feuds and romances — whether the subjects are Hollywood superstars or the company marketing department — puts you in the inner circle when it comes to hearing about the more important stuff: lay-offs, or lions lurking nearby!
It Boosts Your Creative Confidence
Celebrities might appear to go about their business in an extreme way, but following their lives and taking even a tiny nugget of inspiration from their actions and creative endeavors can pay off.
If you’re feeling down about the way your career is going, there’s always a celebrity to look up to who’s had the courage to evolve and grow. Worried you’re too old to get promoted? Look at Demi Moore winning her first big award — a Golden Globe for her groundbreaking role in The Substance — at 62. Scared you were too wild in your youth to be taken seriously? Look at Drew Barrymore or Lindsay Lohan now, both hugely successful stars and entrepreneurs who found calm and contentment after years of making scandalous headlines in their youth. Feeling uninspired by your current career and contemplating a big change? Look at Kate Hudson, who released her debut studio album in her forties after decades of acting, or Dwayne Johnson, who unexpectedly went from wrestler to blockbuster star. Suddenly that language course you’d been considering signing up for doesn’t seem quite so silly, right?
“They [celebrities] are artists so I think, in a way, learning about their lives is a form of art experience,” says Kim. “It’s an escape for me as well, but also a source of inspiration. Not only are the celebrities really creative, they’re also helping us think of new ideas and new ways to express ourselves. And it helps us become more motivated to become better versions of ourselves.”
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It Deepens Your Understanding of the World
What might start out as a passing interest in a pop star or TV show can quickly have you going fully forensic on a topic you previously knew nothing about — perhaps a true crime story that a beloved actor has appeared in on Netflix, or a health issue, like menopause or cancer, that a big star has raised awareness of. And how many of us have hugely enhanced our knowledge of specific religions and cultures by binging on shows like The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives? That’s right, you’re not just vegging out in front of the TV, you’re doing important cultural research!
Those who opt out of celebrity gossip because they think it’s shallow are missing out on gaining a wider world view. If even the smartest man in the world isn’t blinkered by academia, it’s OK for the rest of us to consume a wide range of media too. Plus, it makes us dynamite at a trivia night — who else can name every single one of Nick Cannon’s kids, or all the American Idol winners in chronological order?
It Normalizes The Tougher Parts of Life
If you’re going through something challenging — perhaps a big breakup, infertility or mental health issues — you’re sure to find a celebrity who’s been there, talked about it or even written whole albums about it. Yes, there’s a reason Taylor Swift is beloved by multiple generations of Swifties — she expresses the things we all feel way more eloquently than we ever could and makes us feel less alone in the process.
But it’s not just Swift: tons of celebrities are very emotionally open, whether it’s via their song lyrics, Instagram posts or on reality TV. Before the rise of social media and the internet in general, many stars seemed untouchable and more like characters than real human beings — but having a direct line to their daily lives can be a real boost in our darkest times.
If you struggle with anxiety, you know that Selena Gomez gets it. And if you got back with your ex despite all your friends telling you it was a bad idea, Jennifer Lopez can relate.
All of this can help you better relate to other people’s problems too, increasing your emotional intelligence. Those who gossip are often thought of as “good listeners” with “good people skills” — both of which are hugely important so-called soft skills in work and life.
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It’s Just Fun!
Is celebrity gossip shallow? Sometimes! Does that matter? No! As Kim said, gossip helps him feel less anxious — and that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Life is stressful, things get heavy, and you don’t always want to get home from a tough day and watch the news or read an 800 page historical novel. Sitting down to Real Housewives while texting your friends about the unfolding drama, or sharing yet another hilarious Wicked meme on social media can boost your wellbeing and make you feel calmer.
In fact, the word gossip came from an old English term “godsibb” which described women who supported other women during childbirth. Over the years, it evolved and took on different, and sometimes negative, connotations. Sure, it sometimes feels like there’s a fine line between gossip and judgment, but keeping it fun, frivolous and frothy is nothing to be ashamed of.
And we don’t like to gossip (ahem…), but guess what: everyone does it — they just don’t know it. While gossip is often thought of, and dismissed as, a female pastime, men indulge just as much as women, they just frame it differently. 2022 research published by the BBC showed that while a woman might return from vacation and ask her colleagues “what’s the gossip?”, men instead say “what’s been going on?” or “what did I miss?”. They will also suggest “post-meeting debriefs” and “corridor conversations” which are actually, yup, gossip. Spread it!
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We thought actor Morgan Spector put it brilliantly when he told The Cut that gossip is key to understanding strangers. “If someone has a juicy tidbit, what’s better?” said the star of HBO’s The Gilded Age. “Talking about other people is one of life’s great pleasures. I think gossip is underrated. It usually gives you an atypical insight into someone else’s life, into how they live, into their character. It’s not just the scandal or the surprise; it’s also that you go, Oh, that’s who they are, and then you get to unpack that — at length, ideally.”
Here at Us, we love nothing better than a lengthy unpacking. Let’s take the shame out of gossip!
