Statutory rape is defined as “sexual activity in which at least one person is below the age required to legally consent to the behavior”. Even if the people involved are both fully consenting of the activity, it is still punishable by law. The crime can be considered sexual assault, rape of a child, corruption of a minor, unlawful sex with a minor, carnal knowledge of a minor or sexual battery. The age of consent varies state to state, but remains between the ages of 16 and 18 in America.
In pop culture, we often see relationships between very young and older celebrities. While we can’t always trust the tabloids, and can’t always know for sure if the relationships are sexual, many of them have been proven to be. So, why is it that in Hollywood, where the age of consent is 18, many of these relationships are looked past?
Recently, tabloids and social media sources have said that Kylie Jenner, age 17, and rapper Tyga, age 24, are in some sort of relationship, and many sources call it hooking up. Even though Kylie is known as a celebrity across the world, she is still a child in the state of California which she resides. While we don’t know for sure if this is happening, it should not be looked past as just something that happens in Hollywood. Statutory rape is a law like any other that is in place for a reason.
This isn’t the first inkling of statutory rape occurring in Hollywood. Even Kylie’s sister Khloe revealed in her book that she lost her virginity at 14 to a much older man whom she was having an intimate relationship with. Sean Combs (aka P. Diddy) lost his virginity at 13, but has been quoted saying, “I tried to lose my virginity when I was seven years old. I was on top of a girl who was nine or 10, but it didn’t happen – so everybody doesn’t have to bug out.” (Because 13 is so much better than 7 … Still illegal Diddy!) Other celebs such as Britney Spears, Angelina Jolie, Demi Moore, Paris Hilton, Megan Fox, and Johnny Depp have revealed losing their virginity as legal children.
Chris Brown said in an interview with the U.K.’s Guardian, “It’s different in the country. By that point, we were already kind of like hot to trot, you know what I’m saying? Like, girls, we weren’t afraid to talk to them; I wasn’t afraid. So, at 8, being able to do it, it kind of preps you for the long run, so you can be a beast at it. You can be the best at it.”
This is not to say that only people in Hollywood have sex as minors. It certainly does happen everywhere, but the point is that it is illegal no matter what. The fact that many celebrities have admitted to consensual sex as minors glamorizes it. Would it still be glamorized if the average 14 year old were to have the type of relationship Khloe Kardashian did at that age?
Again, everyone makes mistakes and does things they may regret. But when it comes to the law, Hollywood celebrities should not be exempt.