Court Condemns Fake News About Aaradhya Bachchan: Can We Leave Celebrity Kids Alone?

Aaradhya Bachchan, the 11-year-old daughter of actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, filed a case in the Delhi High Court against YouTube channels for reporting fake news about her health. In her petition, the youngest member of the Bachchan family has asked to "de-list and deactivate all videos" about her.

Justice C. Harishankar granted an order of injunction against the infringers and uploaders of any such content that infringes on privacy and gives false news about Aaradhya Bachchan. The Delhi High Court also directed Google and YouTube to submit the contact details of the infringers.

The YouTube channels in question had reported that Aaradhya’s health was in poor condition, and one of them claimed that she had passed away. Other reports said that the Bachchan family was not taking "adequate care to ensure that Aaradhya got the necessary medical attention."

Aaradhya Bachchan Files Lawsuit

This is the first order of its kind protecting the rights of a minor celebrity child and definitely needs to be applauded. Celebrity kids, right from the minute their birth is announced, come under the public's radar. Just because their parents are celebrities doesn’t mean that their children should be devoid of a normal childhood. The public's obsession over celebrity children might seem like curiosity, but we need to realise the negative impact this might have on the kids!

Paparazzi literally stalk celebrity kids and report everything about them, right from what they wear, where they go, what they speak, what they eat, how they walk, and how they talk. It’s like the minute celebrity children step out of their homes, they come under media scrutiny. What about respecting boundaries and consent? Just because they are children, don’t they have agency over their lives? Why are media people stooping so low like that neighbourhood aunty or uncle who spreads rumours and passes unsolicited comments?

The scrutiny just doesn’t end with knowing what’s happening in these kids’ lives. People go to the extent of catching them off-guard, bombarding them, trolling them, and spreading rumours. Doesn’t this sound problematic? Even when celebrities make it very clear that they don’t want their child’s photo clicked, the paparazzi just don’t listen. None of the celebrities or their children have given their lifelong consent to being photographed and caught off guard. So can we let them have their privacy?

In a way, it’s the collective fault of society because when media channels post these kinds of content, they trend high. When media channels notice that a certain type of content increases their traffic, they will obviously try to make similar content. How is it fair for us to be entertained at the cost of someone losing their right to privacy? Isn't it sadistic to troll children just because they were born to celebrities?

Abhishek Bachchan, while answering a question about his daughter Aradhya being trolled, said, "It’s completely unacceptable and something that I will not tolerate. I’m a public figure, and that’s fine; my daughter is out of bounds. If you have anything to say, come and say it to my face." As he said, celebrities signed up to be public figures, which unfortunately comes at the cost of public scrutiny. But their children didn’t. The obsession over celebrity kids is sickening, so can we please get over it?

Aaradhya Bachchan is an 11-year-old child. Let her wear her hair however she wants; let her wear the dress she likes; let her mother, Aishwarya Rai, hold her close in public; let them just live their lives! Aaradhya is old enough to understand what people are saying about her. Can we be considerate about the negative impact all this trolling and rumour-mongering will have on that kid and leave her alone?

Today it’s Aaradhya Bachchan, and tomorrow it could be another celebrity child. They are children too, just like the ones in our families. Won’t it hurt us if random people comment on our children? Is it too much to ask for people to be empathetic and sensitive towards others, at least children? Can people stop feeling entitled to comment on everything celebrity kids do?

Suggested Reading: Aaradhya Bachchan Filed Case Against A YouTube Channel, Why?

Views expressed by the author are their own