Back on March 18, Arielle Charnas, an American fashion blogger with 1.3 million followers, and the founder of the brand Something Navy, posted on her social media about how she had tested positive for COVID-19. The post sparked initial curiosity and outrage about how Charnas could access a test when a worryingly low amount are being provided in New York City.
11 days later – so three days less than the recommended two-week period of self-isolation for coronavirus – Charnas posted another picture, outdoors, from The Hamptons.
Charnas quickly came under fire again from her followers and other Instagram users, who recognised that she had moved from New York to the Hamptons and had not quarantined for long enough. The original post has since been deleted, but comments pointed out Charnas’s privilege and called her irresponsible.
Her husband Brandon Charnas then waded in, firing back at commenters with insults like “you’re irrelevant”, according to screengrabs on Twitter. In a direct message seen by Page Six, he also called a former Something Navy fan by the name of Andrea Rodríguez “a loser” after she labelled Arielle Charnas “reckless” and “selfish”. He told her to “get a life”. Brandon also has the virus, as does the Charnas’ kids nanny, who is staying with them in The Hamptons.
On Thursday, Arielle Charnas posted an apology message on her Instagram Stories. Crying, she explained: “I’m sorry for anyone that I’ve offended or hurt over the last couple of weeks. We’re just trying to navigate through this difficult time, as I’m sure so many people are," she said. "I’m just sorry if I let down my community in any way.”
In a written post, she elaborated on the details, claiming that she actually followed the CDC guidelines on quarantining for 14 days from the onset of symptoms, rather than from the day of her test results, which came around a week later. “We are and have always been committed to taking proper precautions, again through our ongoing conversations with medical professionals, to leave Manhattan without coming into contact with any individual from point A to point B,” she wrote.
Over the last month, this isn’t the only time there’s been conflict over the disparity between celebrities or politicians who can seemingly access tests and others, who often can’t. Boris Johnson is one prime example. Meanwhile, other celebrities have made or promised significant contributions to organisations fighting the virus, including Rihanna, Cardi B, and most recently Pink – who just declared a $1 million donation after testing positive for the virus and recovering. Taylor Swift, Megan Thee Stallion, and Lil Nas X have all sent money to help support fans hit by the virus economically.