This is always the case when famous people die (mostly) they become legends and people forget anything they did wrong.One thing I struggle with in this case is the general message that it sends about suicide. I worked with a lot of people in mental health crisis as a nurse, although I would by no means consider myself an expert.
When Thirteen Reasons Why came out a few years ago, and Hannah was pictured using her suicide in part to get 'revenge' on those around her, there was UPROAR. Everyone seemed to be talking about the terrible message this was sending to young people, that suicide was in any way a solution to your problems and that you could use it to take control of the narrative about yourself. There was a girl at my school who killed herself aged about 15, and after an initial sadness the whole case just faded from most people's minds. I remember thinking that the fact everyone was still so focussed on Hannah so long after she had died was completely unrealistic.
That seems to be exactly what has happened with Caroline. By ending her life when she did, she has become a tragic figure and garnered all of the sympathy. Before she died, she was a pariah: a domestic abuser, her career over. Now she is seen as the victim of a predatory court case (whether or not that is true I don't know) and remembered far more for the positive things that she did in the spotlight. Episodes of shows are being dedicated to her, and numerous celebrities have voiced their sympathy. I cannot imagine that if she had lived and been tried for domestic assault that she would have ever come back to the point of being seen so positively in the media.
I worry about the message this sends to vulnerable individuals, that suicide is a 'solution' to your problems and can avoid bringing shame on your family and loved ones. No one seems to be talking about this when it comes to Caroline.
Take Naya Rivera for example - she wasn’t a particularly nice person, she was a domestic abuser and her husband only dropped the case because she paid him and gave him a lot of money in the divorce. She had anger issues and lashed out at her exes and did damage to their property etc... if you read her book she is no angel, far from it yet people are acting like she was perfect person.
It’s a strange thing people do with celebrities and I don’t know why!