Hey celebs! Stop thinking you’re exempt from lockdown rules because you’re rich

The rich are once again proving that rules don’t apply to them


Rita Ora has recently issued a public apology after her 30th birthday gathering made front page news. Like millions of other people living in the UK, she had her birthday in lockdown however despite rules, she decided to celebrate it with her friends. Even though she said she was “deeply sorry for breaking the rules” I can’t help but think she’s only “deeply sorry” for getting caught. It’s not fair that celebrities and other rich people are being made exempt from following the rules of the pandemic just because they have the money to pay these fines. There isn’t any ‘error’ made here, Rita Ora deliberately broke the law and flashing her cash to pay the fine was the worst way to go about fixing it.

A £10,000 fine for people like Rita Ora isn’t an issue because it’ll barely make a dent in her bank balance but for someone like me – that’s a whole year of tuition fees or more than I’d earn working for one year in a minimum wage part-time job.

What is she actually “deeply sorry” about? She fully knew what she was doing – it’s no secret we’re in a national lockdown. She’s just another rich pop start who deliberately planned a 30th birthday party. If celebrities continue doing this and believing the rules the rules don’t apply to them, then what’s the point of having the rules set in the first place. If you are rich then that is a open door to go ahead and break all the rules until your bank account goes dry – it’s classist and disgusting.

The most ironic thing about it is back in March, Rita Ora launched a new clothing line with United Nations Foundation and WHO. It’s called Stop The Spread when it should be called, Let it Spread and just splash out 10 grand.

Her caption for the post literally said: “Play Your Part by getting this merch and helping the cause” – hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? Shame she didn’t play her part in stopping the spread and obeying lockdown rules like everyone else.

Via @ritaora on Instagram

I am sick and tired of seeing celebrities get away with stuff so easily because they have money. Just because you are rich doesn’t mean that everything instantly becomes legal. Rita Ora’s mother is a nurse for the NHS so she should know, more than most people, how hard they’re working on the front line to keep everyone safe. She threw the party on purpose and purely because she has money, she was able to get away without any problems. This is a perfect example of double fucking standards for people who have money and people who don’t.

On Friday, the day before her party,  Rita Ora posted a picture of her eating cake and she captioned it: “Me and cake and some trousers I couldn’t breathe in. Thank you for all the love it felt weird not doing anything for my bday so being me I dressed up and ate cake 🍰 also clock the hairspray on the table lol anyway thank you for everyone who showed me endless love on my born day I’m forever grateful you all know who you are. Today I’m going to finish the rest of my cake for breakfast lunch and dinner. Byeeeeeeeee.”

Can we just focus on this: “It felt weird not doing anything for my birthday so me being me I dressed up and ate cake.” It really didn’t age well for Rita. She dressed up and partied with 30 of her mates at the cost of an easy £10,000 in real life but when it comes to her followers – she only ate cake, nothing to see here. It’s cringe and gross that she’s trying to act relatable during all of this. Sorry Rita, but your blasé attitude to paying £10,000 fine and breaking lockdown rules isn’t cute and it’s not quirky – time to grow up.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Rita Ora isn’t black, she’s a blackfish and here are the receipts

• These are the celebs who have come out as anti-mask and anti-lockdown

• A reminder of what the Kardashians looked like before they started ‘blackfishing’