Celebrities can have real influence over their fans, for better or for worse, but they don’t always practice what they preach when it comes to the environment.
In the r/BollyBlindsNGossip subreddit, a user shared a screenshot of an Instagram story by Alia Bhatt, who reposted a video for World Environment Day that detailed “50 ways to save the planet.”
Photo Credit: Reddit
The Redditor took issue with this and captioned their post: “How about 1. Stop using private jets?”
Bhatt is one of Bollywood’s most famous and highest-paid actors. She lives a luxurious life and shares snippets on social media of extravagant vacations, magazine photoshoots, and A-list parties.
Commenters largely agreed with the poster and voiced their own frustrations with the rich and famous.
“That’s what I hate about celebrities. They travel with private jets; they wear leathers and fur. Then they’ll urge us to contribute for the environment and people in need,” one user said.
“Meanwhile, I’m recycling, reusing, becoming a minimalist, and feeling guilty about plastic straws,” another commenter said.
Someone else wrote: “I used to save water before shower and water the plants with it. Reused almost everything until it was beyond using. Walked or biked when going near. Made conscious choices when buying plastic products, etc. But then found out that the gov just allows these big corporations to pollute our rivers, our skies and only giving them a small fine.”
Bhatt’s intentions behind the “save the planet” post may have been good, but she missed the mark with her audience. It’s apparent to everyone that the ultra-wealthy travel by private jets, superyachts, and fancy cars, making their posts about climate advocacy ring hollow.
Jets and yachts are some of the worst polluters of the environment, and people are increasingly calling out celebrities for their hypocrisy. Lists that rank public figures by their private jet usage frequently make the rounds on social media.
However, private jets are spiking in popularity because of a new U.S. tax break on the planes. Buyers can write off the entire cost of their purchases upfront instead of spreading out the deductions over time, making them more accessible.
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