Having fans who want their picture taken with you comes with the territory of landing a role on a successful TV show. However, as Riverdale star Lili Reinhart reminds us in her new interview with W, the fan attention can be incredibly overwhelming.
The actress, who has been candid about her struggles with mental health issues, admitted to W that as much as she appreciates all of the attention she has received since the Archie Comics adaptation hit The CW, it hasn't always been easy to navigate her newfound fame. That's especially true when fans don't adhere to her personal space, as the real-life Betty Cooper admits often happens when they run into the TV star.
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"Fans feel like they know who we are, and they feel entitled to touch us or ask us personal questions, which people have. You would never walk up to a stranger and hug them. You would never walk up to a stranger and ask them who are they dating," Reinhart told W.
That doesn't mean the actress won't interact with fans — though she does worry that she will disappoint them by not being like the often-bubbly character she plays on The CW series. She told the outlet:
"[When] people come up and ask for pictures, it's like, of course. And sometimes I am in a terrible mood, but I’ll still do it, and then I do feel like, 'What if that fan experience was a let down for them and I wasn’t as exciting in person?' But I am not Betty Cooper. I’m always going to try to be as happy and grateful to fans, but I’m also just trying to live my life. I don’t have an on switch all of the time."
The actress made it clear that she won't tolerate fans who overstep boundaries after one Riverdale viewer tweeted how "rude" the star's rumored boyfriend and co-star Cole Sprouse was when the fan ran into the cast in Vancouver.
"i just wanna say F--K RUDE PEOPLE, don't become a celeb if u want privacy, u get paid for having fans so respect them or be nice at least," the fan reportedly wrote in a since-deleted tweet.
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Reinhart, however, clapped back, writing in a series of tweets:
"You do not have the right to approach STRANGERS and throw your arms around us like you know us. What you did was not cool and inappropriate."
"Cole's response to you was 'do I know you?' After you rudely invaded our space and got in our faces."
"It's easy to make us look like the bad guys because you think there's no chance in hell we would ever call you out on it. Here you go."
You do not have the right to approach STRANGERS and throw your arms around us like you know us. What you did was not cool and inappropriate
— Lili Reinhart (@lilireinhart) September 4, 2017
Cole's response to you was "do I know you?" After you rudely invaded our space and got in our faces.
— Lili Reinhart (@lilireinhart) September 4, 2017
It's easy to make us look like the bad guys because you think there's no chance in hell we would ever call you out on it. Here you go ?
— Lili Reinhart (@lilireinhart) September 4, 2017
It's easy to get excited about meeting your TV icon, but remember: Everyone is entitled to their own space, regardless of how many billboards they're on.