L’Wren Scott’s death: let’s pause – but not to gawp

The sudden death of the fashion designer L’Wren Scott was always going to be news, given the nature of it.

New York police report that she called her assistant asking her to come to the apartment.  Said assistant duly found her boss there, dead. Apparently she hanged herself.

That she is the partner of one Mick Jagger absolutely makes the story headline news.

But what this episode should do is simply make us pause. Pause not to gawp at the nature of celebrity; nor at Mr Jagger mercilessly papped on a moment of understandable grief, and not at the rescheduling of the related Australian concerts by the Rolling Stones.

No – these are distant matters which interest, but do not touch us.

What does touch us all is the simple secret of all human experience that is as true for catwalk celebs and A-listers as it is for us all.

It is this: everyone you will ever meet in your life is fighting secret battles you know nothing about. It might be wise for us to carry this truth more consciously in our heads than we do. It might make a difference.

L’Wren Scott herself recognised this and spoke of it, as the Guardian notes today:

“In an interview in 2011 with Harper’s Bazaar she mused about female celebrities: ‘You’ll see the most perfect person and you are like, God, she’s, like, perfect.

“‘And then she’ll tell you everything that’s not perfect. Everyone has their own special set of problems – in their own minds.'”

Let’s maybe keep this in our minds.

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