How many days have we been quarantining? I stopped counting weeks ago—it got too depressing—but it’s officially been long enough for a public figure to be canceled, take a few weeks off of social media, then make their PR-approved reappearance into the public sphere. You love to see it. Or do you? I don’t know anymore. Of course, I’m talking about Arielle Charnas, the fashion influencer who was universally dragged last month for her bizarre choices after testing positive for COVID-19.
After a couple weeks of confusing posts, sh*t hit the fan for Arielle when a Twitter thread breaking down the timeline of her actions went viral. The issues centered around her decision to travel with her family from New York City to a rented home in the Hamptons while she was likely still contagious. There’s a lot more to the story, and I recommend reading this article for a full refresher, but none of it made her look great.
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After the backlash became too much to ignore, she took to Instagram on April 2nd, with a written apology post so long that I still can’t force myself to make it to the end. Actually, I’m not sure “apology” is the right word, because it reads more like an extended justification, but I think that’s what the intent was. Along with that post, she addressed the controversy in a series of Instagram stories of her hysterically crying.
Anyway, since those posts on the 2nd, it’s been radio silence from Arielle Charnas, which was probably a smart move. To her credit, she didn’t turn off comments on her “apology” post, and some of them are… intense. Arielle definitely made some dumb decisions, but I think anyone would need a break from social media after that.
On Friday afternoon, the three-week drought came to an end when Charnas posted a photo with her two kids. For the record, it is very cute, and I would expect nothing less. In the caption, she thanks her followers for “letting me take time to reflect”, which is a classic celebrity apology go-to. I love when celebrities say sh*t like this because it’s like, what’s the alternative—her followers go to her house and demand that she post something? Don’t get me wrong, I would be hiding out after getting virally shamed too, I just love that it’s always rebranded as if it’s done by choice.
She continues, saying this time “has opened my eyes in so many ways both personally and professionally and it is this growth that I am extremely grateful for.” Ah yes, the textbook sentiments of eyes being opened and painful growth and, above all, gratitude. Arielle finishes by saying that she “can’t wait to reconnect” with her audience, and I don’t doubt that at all. Imagine being a professional Instagram personality stuck inside your house, and for three weeks you can’t even post on Instagram? That sounds like absolute torture.
It’s pretty clear that this relatively short Instagram caption was crafted within an inch of its life by a PR team, and that’s pretty much what I would expect. It’ll be more interesting to see, in the coming weeks and months, if Arielle Charnas actually seems to change anything about her content, or how she lives her life, or if she’s just saying what a publicist told her to. It will be equally interesting to see if this scandal will continue to put her future actions under a microscope, or if our collective memory span is too short to hold people accountable for prolonged periods of time. Only time will tell, and at this point, it’s not like I have anything else to pay attention to.
Images: Ben Gabbe/Getty Images for Fossil; ariellecharnas / Instagram (2)
As we’ve seen time and time again, celebrities and influencers don’t really know what to do with themselves right now. Most of them are just losing their minds with boredom in their palatial homes, but some of them just can’t get their sh*t together. Most of us have now been social distancing for well over a month, but certain public figures have still traveled major distances during that time. Some of them have had good reasons, while others have been more questionable, but all I know is that I would not want to get on a plane right now.
For some, it’s a matter of staying on vacation a liiiiiittle too long. I mean, we all remember how Kristin Cavallari and her family were chilling in the Bahamas for nearly a month. And this week, Tom Brady was spotted working out in a closed public park in Tampa—despite the fact that he was in Costa Rica with his family when the CDC started tightening guidelines.
But while those travel decisions are certainly questionable in the current climate, we need to talk about some influencers who have done exactly what we’re not supposed to do right now. Of course, the most-dragged public figure during all of this has probably been Arielle Charnas, who famously left NYC to go to the Hamptons after testing positive for COVID-19. From her attempt to cover up the actual timeline, to her comically bad apology, she’s the worst offender here. But she’s not the only influencer who’s f*cked up in the past month.
On March 28th, Naomi Davis (aka Love Taza), an NYC-based blogger and mother of five with almost half a million Instagram followers, posted this picture of an RV. In the lengthy caption, she explained that her family had left NYC the day before to head “out west so we can have a little more space.” Okay, hmm. She further explained that the family had been “diligent about self-quarantining”, and by choosing an RV, they would be able to cook and sleep there, so they wouldn’t be exposing anyone else.
While I totally understand what Davis says in her caption about mental health, the situation we’re dealing with right now is bigger than any one person. Of course her family wanted “a little change of apartment scenery,” and guess what? SO DO I!!! But the thing is, if you’re carrying the virus, no matter how careful you try to be, there’s simply no way to travel across the country without potentially exposing other people. Does the RV not need gas sometimes? Will the family of seven never need to stop for groceries? I get that their intentions are good, but as tough as it is, right now is the time when you just need to stay in your apartment.
Many of the comments on Davis’ post were critical of her family’s decision to leave the city, with people begging her to listen to government advice against traveling. Interestingly enough, the family has yet to return to NYC, but they haven’t been in their RV, either. According to comments on Davis’ post from Easter, it looks like the family is in Utah, and they’re definitely inside someone’s house. Good job, you officially failed at quarantining!
Another influencer who didn’t quite get the point of quarantining is Alissandra Maffucci, aka Inspiralized. On March 30th, just a few days after Naomi Davis left New York City, Maffucci also got sick of being stuck at home in New Jersey. She peaced out to Florida with her husband and two kids, two days after the CDC specifically told people in the tristate area to refrain from nonessential travel. Needless to say, her decision (and her detailed posts about it) sparked backlash, and she ultimately spoke to The New York Post about her family’s decision to head south.
She told the Post that, because her family lives in a high-rise building with “hundreds of people,” they “felt like lives were at risk.” Okay, yes, as someone who is also quarantining in an apartment building in an urban area, I can agree that this is stressful. Maffucci talks about how even things like getting deliveries and taking out the trash are potentially exposing them, and that’s true. But that doesn’t mean leaving is risk-free.
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She continued digging herself deeper, telling the Post that “I think our decision is actually saving lives.” Okay girl, I’m just not buying that, and I’m not the only one. On her posts about her family’s move, the negative comments started pouring in, ultimately causing her to limit comments on some of her posts. Referencing this decision, Maffucci told the Post, “I do not welcome negativity. I got a lot of criticism from people saying I am promoting something that the government is saying don’t do. What I say is that we are all individual adults.” Wow. That’s basically the same line spouted by anti-vaxxers and people attending these social distancing protests, and I can’t wait to see how that works out for them.
But mommy bloggers aren’t the only notable people who have broken quarantine protocols on social media. Late last month, Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent went on a “quarantine road trip” for her fiancé Randall Emmett’s birthday. Emmett shared lots of pictures of the the RV he rented as a birthday present to himself, saying that he was “gonna drive it out into the wilderness”. I don’t have a complete itinerary of where they went, but he posted from an RV campsite in Malibu, which I’m pretty sure doesn’t fit any definition of “wilderness.” As we saw with Naomi Davis, some people seem to think that renting an RV is the perfect solution to traveling during the pandemic. But like I said before, there’s just no way to drive across the country without making potentially harmful contact with others. You just can’t, and at a time like this, why would you even try?
Unsurprisingly, some of the bigger names in Bachelor Nation have also made some very questionable travel decisions of late. Remember at the beginning of all this, when we couldn’t go an hour without hearing from Tyler Cameron and Hannah Brown’s Florida-based Quarantine Crew? That was fun while it lasted (though I’m not sure it ever technically counted as quarantining), but Hannah left a few weeks ago. Matt James shared on his Instagram story that Hannah and her friend Marshall drove home to Tuscaloosa on April 1st, in order to “ride this thing out with their families.” Like I said before, this is an understandable desire, but the timing seems less than ideal.
But other Bachelor stars have made even more questionable decisions. As we’ve discussed, Peter Weber has been with Kelley Flanagan in Chicago since late March. He flew there from California around March 27th. If this had been some sort of emergency, or essential travel, that would be one thing, but considering that Pete was texting another woman two days before, I think he could’ve just stayed with his family in LA. And then, last week, Reality Steve reported that Victoria Fuller had traveled to Iowa to spend the week with Chris Soules. Flying across the country to hang out with a dude?? In this pandemic??? Look, I have guys I DM with that I’d love to see right now too, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to put myself and others at risk!
Obviously, there’s nothing fun about the situation we’re in right now, but things aren’t going to get any better if we don’t do what we’re supposed to do. Of course I’d rather be on the beach right now, but I’m not about to go to Florida and potentially harm a million other people just because. Also, I don’t want to go to Florida because like, Florida, but that’s a whole separate issue. For now, just stay at home, and try to stay as sane as possible.
Images: Sean Zanni / Contributor / Getty Images; taza, inspiralized, randallemmettfilms / Instagram
By now, we’re all deeply aware of the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, and hopefully we’re all taking precautions to stop the spread of this deadly illness. While many celebrities and influencers have used their platforms to spread awareness and contribute financially during this time, there are others who just don’t seem to get it. Of course, there have been tone-deaf posts, and some social distancing failures, but no one’s recent behavior is as baffling as that of Arielle Charnas, also known as Something Navy.
Normally known for her Nordstrom clothing brand and her huge social media following, Charnas is often a lightning rod for controversy, and especially so in the last two weeks. The backlash began on March 16th, when she shared her experience of getting tested for COVID-19, despite acknowledging that she did not meet the standard criteria to receive a test. From there, things have gotten pretty complicated, and everyone is trying to figure out WTF Arielle is doing.
In a meticulously documented Twitter thread, writer Sophie Ross called into question Charnas’ “dangerous and bizarre behavior surrounding her COVID-19 diagnosis.” Let’s go through some of the most important questions, and then I’ll try to piece this all together into some kind of coherent timeline.
From the beginning, people took issue with Arielle getting tested, and for how she documented the experience. She shared on Instagram that she was feeling sick, but her symptoms seemed mild, and not all of them even lined up with COVID-19. She also said that her doctor had told her to “quarantine herself” and stay home rather than seeking treatment (which she obviously did not listen to). The CDC also states that most people with mild illness “are able to recover at home” and don’t need to be tested. But instead of following that advice, Arielle Charnas posted that she “called up a doctor friend” who agreed to test her at his urgent care facility—without her even getting out of her car. She documented the whole process on her Instagram story, and also tagged the doctor who gave her the test.
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In the Twitter thread, Sophie Ross notes that Charnas got dragged for all of this, including a New York Post headline “Influencer Uses Personal Connections To Get Coronavirus Test.” Well, they’re not wrong. Along with angry tweets and comments, she was also called out by outlets like Diet Prada and The Daily Mail for flaunting her privilege and “cutting the line” for a COVID-19 test. While Arielle later claimed she did not use her privilege and paid for her test like everyone else, the fact remains that most people in the U.S. are not able to call up their doctor friend and get a COVID-19 test despite showing mild symptoms, at worst.
As you probably know by now, Arielle tested positive for COVID-19 a couple days later, but that’s not where this story ends. There are approximately one million questions surrounding Arielle’s behavior in the two weeks since her diagnosis, mostly involving her questionable quarantine/isolation period. On her posts in the past couple weeks, she’s gotten tons of comments with genuine questions and concerns about her behavior, and she’s mostly ignored all of them. Now, she’s turned off the comments on most of her recent posts, but Ross’ Twitter thread has tons of screenshots, and there’s a lot to at least call into question.
In the past week, the biggest questions about this whole situation regarding the Charnas family’s move from their New York City apartment to their Hamptons house. While traveling isn’t advisable right now even if you’re showing no symptoms of COVID-19, it’s especially problematic if you know for a fact you have coronavirus. The timeline is important here, so let’s break down what’s actually been going on.
Saturday 3/7
Arielle hosts her daughter Ruby’s fourth birthday party at the Museum of Ice Cream in New York City. In a blog post about the party, she writes that guests “were able to play on swing sets, climb monkey bars, play basketball, and mingle with Disney princesses,” and that they also “dove into the sprinkle pool.” Sounds sanitary! Pay attention to this date, it will be important later.
Monday 3/16
Arielle posts on her Instagram story that she’s felt sick for the “past two days,” and shares her symptoms. She also says that her doctor advised her to “quarantine herself” and not come in for treatment. She says that she doesn’t meet the New York requirements to get a coronavirus test.
Later that day, she says that her friend, Dr. Deutsch (whom she tags), says that he’ll test her at his urgent care clinic. She documents the whole experience, as she gets swabbed without getting out of her car. She says that she tested negative for the flu.
When BuzzFeed reaches out for comment later that day, Arielle says “We aren’t commenting further on Covid … but appreciate the note. Stay safe!!” She shares on Instagram that night that her fever has gone down and she’s feeling better, but she won’t have test results for a few days.
Wednesday 3/18
Despite telling BuzzFeed that she won’t be “commenting further on Covid,” Arielle shares on Instagram on Wednesday morning that she has tested positive for COVID-19. In a lengthy Notes app post, she says that she is “following the guidelines of the CDC,” and that in addition to continuing to “quarantine/self-isolate”, she will “get in touch with the family and friends that I’ve been in close contact with over the past 2 weeks.” That better include everyone from the Museum of Ice Cream, because Arielle was there just nine days before she got tested.
In the post, Arielle also gives an update on the status of her family. She says her kids “aren’t showing any symptoms,” but that they’re “watching them super closely.” She says that her husband Brandon “is also unwell and resting with us.” This would suggest that the kids and husband are the only people around Arielle—remember that. As Sophie Ross points out on Twitter, “it seems strange that a COVID+ person wouldn’t completely self-isolate”, but during this entire period, Arielle Charnas clearly makes no effort not to be in close contact with her kids.
Thursday 3/26
In an Instagram story, Charnas announces that she and her husband are symptom-free, and have left their NYC apartment to spend some time at their Hamptons home. She says that they “felt better around the ninth or tenth day,” and “now at day 14 we feel perfect.” First of all, day 14 of what? This is only eight days after she was diagnosed with COVID-19, which means she could be contagious for another week, at least. And according to a study from the American Thoracic Society, half of patients “treated for mild COVID-19 infection still had coronavirus for up to eight days after symptoms disappeared.” The authors of the study urged that we should “treat the asymptomatic/recently recovered patients as carefully as symptomatic patients.” With this eight-day figure in mind, that means that if Arielle felt better on day nine, she should have waited until at least day 17 before leaving her apartment.
Friday 3/27
The next day, Charnas shares a photo of herself out for a walk in the Hamptons with one of her children. For someone without coronavirus, this wouldn’t really be a problem. But that’s the difference between social distancing and isolation. If you know you have the virus, you shouldn’t be leaving your house for any reason. Of course, that ship already sailed when she traveled from the city to the Hamptons, but even still. Even though Charnas hasn’t had symptoms for nearly a week, she could very well still be contagious!
Sunday 3/29
Another piece of this puzzle is Arielle’s nanny. On Saturday, Arielle went live on Instagram from her Hamptons house, and seemed to accidentally show her nanny in the shot. Naturally, this raised a lot of questions. Remember how, in Arielle’s initial announcement about her diagnosis, she specifically made it seem like she was only with her husband and kids? So when did the nanny show up?
Arielle attempts to clear this up on Sunday, responding to a comment saying, “my nanny and I got sick together unfortunately and she hasn’t left us since.” If this is true, I guess it’s good that she didn’t leave to go somewhere else, but how convenient for Arielle that her nanny has to work even while she has coronavirus! But then Arielle ends her comment by saying “but she’s perfect now too!” Which… no. If she and her nanny got sick “together,” it’s definitely been less than two weeks since their last symptoms, so no one here is “perfect.” Sure, the symptoms might have gone away, but that doesn’t mean Arielle and her nanny are not still contagious.
While there are a lot of questions here, it seems that, at best, Arielle Charnas has made some strange and careless choices in the past couple weeks. If I had to guess, she probably won’t address most of the specific questions that have been raised, and she’s already gone back to posting her normal lifestyle content. If you want a complete rundown of all the sketchiness that’s gone down, check out Sophie Ross’ Twitter thread—I literally couldn’t stop thinking about this last night. Stay safe everyone, and don’t go to your Hamptons house right now!
UPDATE: After receiving tons of backlash, Arielle finally responded to all the criticisms levied against her in a very lengthy Instagram post. It’s basically a Notes App screenshot apology, but using a slightly nicer-looking app. I’m not going to comment on every aspect of the apology, but here it is if you’d like to read the entire thing.
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Like, it’s good that Arielle is apologizing and attempting to clear up some of the ambiguities in her timeline and explain why she did some of the things that she did. However, there are still a couple of things that don’t quite add up.
In the seventh picture in the carousel, Arielle claims that she and her family self-quarantined in their Manhattan home for 14 days after the onset of symptoms on March 13. The only problem? According to Ross’s timeline and other outlets, the Charnas family left for the Hamptons on March 26. She even Instagrammed from a place that definitely doesn’t look like Manhattan on March 26th. Yes, it’s technically only one day short from Arielle’s 14-day claim, but it just shows that her timeline is not quite adding up.
Also unacknowledged in Arielle’s lengthy apology is the person who supposedly must have come to the house to set up their internet.
At the end of the day, we are all fully aware that information about COVID-19 is changing by the day, and humans make mistakes—but usually those mistakes don’t involve endangering the lives of others. When you base your livelihood around oversharing your lifestyle with millions of people, you should take extra care to act responsibly. And if you do willingly broadcast your own irresponsible actions and get called out on it, come with a proper apology, because rest assured everyone will have the receipts.
Images: Sean Zanni / Getty Images; diet_prada, ariellecharnas / Instagram
