The mainstream media seems to think beauty only comes from certain races or cultures, but I like to compare beauty to a rose. A rose is a beautiful flower that comes in many colours. A rose doesn’t grow in every garden but when it does grow it comes with thorns. I was having a conversation the other day about beauty, is it a gift or a curse? Or is it a simple cliche of beauty emanates from within? I have chosen to analyse the lives of 4 beautiful women in the media who have essentially thrown their lives away.
Denise Matthews AKA Vanity
Denise Matthews is a singer/actress who was well known for being the lead singer of the band Vanity 6. She was named Vanity by the late artist and performer Prince, with whom she had a brief relationship with. Although their relationship was together was short (they broke up after Vanity asked Prince to marry her and he said no) their love for each other stood the test of time. Even while Vanity was in several other relationships, Prince would call her, and every time he did it seemed to have a detrimental effect on her other relationship. Vanity married a famous American football player by the name of Anthony Smith. He heard Vanity talking to Prince on the phone and he physically abused her for it. He was physically abusive anyway and the marriage only lasted a year. After that, he was sent to prison for the murder of 3 people. After that relationship, Vanity was heavily abusing crack cocaine for 10 years, to the point where she overdosed and had to be hospitalised due to kidney damage. After this life-changing situation, she decided to give her life to the lord and become a born again Christian. She renounced the name Vanity and went back to her birth name Denise. Denise Matthews was on dialysis for the remainder of her life after the overdose and died aged 57 due to complications from dialysis.
Whitney Houston
One of the greatest singing legends to have ever lived grew up in the church. She was fortunate enough to have a successful performer in her family Dion Warrick which I’m sure she was influenced by. She met the upcoming popular performer Bobby Brown in 1989, he was 8 years younger than her. Their romance was a whirlwind from the beginning and they got married July 18th, 1992 and it lasted over ten years. Later on, they welcomed a daughter Bobbi Christina. It was no secret that somewhere down the line both Bobby and Whitney became substance abusers and both were heavily addicted to crack cocaine. Most people would say that it was Bobby Brown that corrupted a good girl, but I beg to differ. Whitney was strong-minded and she seemed to me like the kind of person that is not going to do anything she doesn’t want to. After Whitney and Bobby split up I think it was hard for her to love again, not because she couldn’t find love but I truly believe Bobby was the only man she ever loved. Whitney Houston died aged 48 in 2012 due to drowning and cocaine intoxication.
Gia Carangi
An American fashion model of the 70s and 80s. She has been coined one of the first supermodels. Featured on the front cover most of the leading fashion magazines such as Vogue and Cosmopolitan this Italian beauty had her life story turned into a film called Gia, starring Angelina Jolie. The film details her rise to stardom and her effortless talent in modelling. Gia knew how to work that camera, through her love of being photographed, she loved the camera and the camera loved her. Unfortunately, the industry monster took hold of her she became addicted to heroin. Shortly after this, she contracted AIDS (due to sharing needles) and her modelling career rapidly declined. During this time AIDS awareness was also starting to rise and she was one of the first female celebrity to die of this disease. She was just 26.
Maia Campbell
Maia Campbell is an American actress and model. She has starred in the drama series South Central, Moesha, Sister Sister and LL Cool Js TV sitcom In The House. Along side her TV appearances she has also acted in the film Poetic Justice. In recent years it has come to light that she suffers from bipolar disorder and started to show signs after she stopped taking her medication. Since then it has been a downward spiral as a life of drugs and multiple arrests have put her back in the limelight for the wrong reasons. Viral videos have been posted of her on Youtube looking dishevelled and acting insane. LL Cool J reached out to her but I think his help was rejected. Lots of people have her in their prayers and I really hope she can turn her life around before its too late.
I said all this to say there are many roses among us but it lets try our best to not let them be stung by their own thorns
piecesofme2016 