Like other fans of super-famous folks, Sebastian Stan's were happy to find out that he'd found love. At the same time, critics were at the ready waiting to tear down his new lady and the actor himself when the news first broke.
Fans think that potential backlash is one of the reasons why Sebastian chose to keep his relationship private, and it turns out they were right about some folks' motivations. Just like Sebastian's relationship with his ex Leighton Meester, his most recent romantic endeavor earned plenty of attention, especially on social media.
Sebastian Wasn't Really Canceled... Not Quite
Fans took to Reddit to discuss how Sebastian Stan was almost canceled, and some confessed they were in the dark about why Stan was in hot water in the first place. While there were plenty of accusations being thrown around, and lots of drama, nothing seemed to happen to Sebastian's career after things died down.
But what caused the hubbub, and why would anyone want to cancel Sebastian Stan?
Sebastian's Girlfriend's Past Was Uncovered
Though Sebastian Stan kept his current girlfriend, Alejandra Onieva, under wraps for quite some time, eventually, he let the news slip that they were dating. But when news first broke about their pairing, a few months ago, it was all new to Stan's followers.
So of course, social media followers started digging to find out more about Alejandra. As one commenter explained, "his more obsessed fans went trawling" through Onieva's social media history to see what they could uncover.
When they couldn't find much, they turned to Onieva's friends' social media accounts, too. So finally they found something and decided to make a huge deal about it.
Some say that a photograph of Alejandra at an 'Asian night' event drew speculation, with fans of Stan claiming that his Spanish girlfriend was appropriating Asian culture. It really seemed like a case of making a mountain out of a molehill, neutral parties noted, because European commenters stated that appropriation isn't really a "thing" in Europe, whereas it's a significant issue in the US.
Then, another image reportedly showed Alejandra dressed as a Native American, which other commenters saw as severely problematic.
The thing is, both instances were years ago, say Redditors, and neither was enough reason to cancel Stan's career, especially as it was his girlfriend who was in the hot seat, not him.
Are Fans Abormally Obsessed With Stan?
Another explanation for why Sebastian Stan was almost canceled extends beyond his relationship and his girlfriend's perceived bad behavior. After some fans tried to intervene in Sebastian's relationship, he went on to share a happy birthday video for his leading lady and even made some comments about having toxic fans.
Later, some groups of fans were even more upset that Sebastian had seemingly shaded them for 'canceling' him, which sort of extended the whole merry-go-round. It's all a result of one very strange yet common phenomenon: when fans "have an abnormal feeling of possession" over celebrities.
It happens with a lot of celebs, especially very attractive ones who aren't in long-term relationships, where fans are defensive about who their favorite famous folks decide to date. In some cases, the celebrities' partners have come under fire, very similarly to the way that Sebastian's girlfriend did. Not every rabid fan digs deep into significant others' social media histories, though.
Was Sebastian Stan Really Canceled?
Fortunately for the actor, it doesn't seem that he was ever really "canceled." Instead, it seemed that he had inadvertently angered a subset of fans that then blew things out of proportion when it came to picking apart his relationship.
Meanwhile, Sebastian continued chilling with his leading lady, nabbing headlining roles, and raking in the dough. It seems that he wasn't really canceled, even if he did acknowledge the drama with a few well-placed comments.
So although some people thought Sebastian's girlfriend was the problem, maybe they were the real issue. Because some celebrities have committed far worse "offenses" that didn't get them canceled. More level-headed fans of Stan are willing to overlook his girlfriend's possibly somewhat offensive behavior in the past, if Sebastian himself is willing to.
Why Did Fans Think Sebastian Stan Was Racist?
While most of the events surrounding Sebastian's requested cancelation had to do with some fans thinking his girlfriend was being culturally insensitive. But others said that it might have been a specific behavior of Stan's that got him on the maybe-cancel list; he liked a video where someone was talking about their inability to use the "n" word as a white person.
The thing is, Stan not only apologized for that offense, but when fans broke down the video in question, it wasn't nearly the caustic clip that trolls made it out to be. Which just proves that sometimes, a bit of research is necessary before demanding that a celebrity be canceled.
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