Many  celebrities have died this year, such as Hulk Hogan, Ozzy Osbourne and Diane Keaton. 

Many people knew and admired these celebrities; some even grew up with them. While some have never heard of or cared about them, it doesn’t matter whether they were longtime fans or barely familiar with the person. The moment a celebrity dies, social media becomes flooded with tributes.

Grief is natural when you lose someone you look up to and admire. But is the grief shown online performative? Maybe some people do it because it’s trendy, or they are just trying to fit in with everyone else sharing the news.

Every celebrity death seems to follow the same cycle. First, news outlets scramble to publish the story quickly as possible. Then, people rush to post about it on social media. Soon after, videos, clips of interviews, emotional montages and old performances surface. Finally, conspiracy theories begin to spread, often overshadowing the loss itself.

A prime example of this is when Liam Payne passed away on Oct. 16, 2024. Payne was a member of the band One Direction. The band went their separate ways in January 2016, and all five members started their solo careers. Immediately after Payne was pronounced dead, news sites from around the world rushed to publish the story, some even before his family and friends were notified.

As soon as people learned of Payne’s death, social media was filled with posts about it. Almost immediately after, people began making videos on TikTok of Payne, taking pieces from songs, interviews, and performances to create their own tributes. 

Then the conspiracy theories began pouring in. People demanded justice for Payne’s death and started to look  for someone to blame. Some believe he was murdered; others think it was suicide. Either way, it left millions heartbroken.

Before Payne passed, rumors about him caused him to receive a lot of hate on the internet. People claimed he was always their least favorite member of One Direction and said there was a reason no one liked him. After his death, many people immediately posted tributes in his honor.

Payne’s passing is just an example of this cycle.

People always try to follow trends and keep up with what’s new, even when it comes to grief. That mean going from hating someone (if society says so) to loving them (as long as society says so). I’m not saying people shouldn’t grieve celebrities, everyone processes loss differently, but I do wonder if some people do it just because everyone else is doing it.