Hollywood starlet Jenna Ortega has received massive online criticism after renewed interest in her supposed affair with Danish singer Elias Ronsonfelt. The scandal that has been going viral on social media is not about Ortega per se, but concerns previous charges against Ronnenfelt.
Theories regarding the duo started to form several months ago when Ortega was featured in a music video of the band Iceage by Elias Ronsonfelt, and were then further fueled by several publicity sightings, such as a viral video of the two in Dublin and previous ones at Copenhagen Airport. Though this has not been confirmed to be the case, their recurring visits together have created much controversy online.
The central theme of the backlash is historical scandals against Ronsonfelt and his band. Iceage has in the past been criticised for the use of imagery and symbolism related to far-right and neo-Nazi ideologies in their youthful years.
Ronnethfelt addressed the problem later, saying that some of his paintings made as a teenager even contained such symbols and were a mistake. He said the imagery was the inspiration for a film in the 1980s, and he did not even fully comprehend what it had meant at the time.
More criticism is informed by the fact that in the past, the band was associated with a music act that had a racially offensive name, which was a part of a festival that was arranged by Iceage. Ronnenfeld has since shown remorse in the decision, saying there was no way of justifying the incident and has said he was embarrassed by the situation.
Other accusations, mostly spread by social media and forums, involve claims of violent behaviour at concerts and condoning of abusive audience chants. Nonetheless, such allegations are still less proven and continue to be discussed among the fans on the Internet.
The scandal has made Ortega the centre of attention, with some of her fans complaining that she is linked with a person who is associated with such past acts.
The actress has been defended by others, citing the fact that Ronnenfelt has been acting for years prior and has made a public apology and dissociated himself with extremist views.
The case has also rekindled the debate on relationships between celebrities, age differences, and how far individuals in society can be judged, using their personal connections. Whereas critics have recommended that Ortega should deal with the problem, others have demanded an appreciation of her privacy.
Ortega has not so far made any comment on the controversy or affirmed that he had any association with Ronnenfelt. As the social media debate is still on, the state of events is dynamic, which signifies how much previous scandals can be recreated in the digital era.