July 29, 200421 yr Story Eating disorder may humanize Mary-Kate for young fans BY ANTHONY BREZNICAN AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES -- There are two Mary-Kates in crisis. One is the fragile 18-year-old who was released this week from treatment for an eating disorder. The other is Mary-Kate the product, half of the multimedia Olsen twins empire that has been shaken by her personal troubles. As Ashley Olsen shoulders the burden of doing international publicity for their twins-in-the-city comedy "New York Minute" all by herself, Mary-Kate is trying to return to a healthy weight and restore her spirits by hanging out with friends and family in Los Angeles, their publicist said. What does this mean for their billion-dollar business? It may ultimately help Mary-Kate's image by humanizing it. Instead of rejecting their fallen teen idol, many of Mary-Kate's young fans have embraced her vulnerability, forging an even deeper bond with the star they know from direct-to-video movies, her clothing line and merchandise including toothpaste and dolls. Apart from jokesters who mock her ailment, many of Mary-Kate and Ashley's young fan base have defended her from cruel barbs, organizing mass "Get Well" card signings and counseling each other over the sadness and worry they feel for the actress. "It feels like celebrities never get sick and are always perfect but this makes us realize Mary-Kate and Ashley are like us too," said Monica, a 15-year-old fan from Canada. The twins are grateful for their fans understanding, said Michael Pagnotta, their longtime publicist. "What (Mary-Kate and Ashley) have always said is they're normal kids and lead normal lives," Pagnotta said. "This is something she's been dealing with. I don't want to say that it's normal, but it is certainly REAL. ... What we've seen is people are not just sympathetic. They feel closer to her " Some fans have even come forward to talk about their own experiences with anorexia and bulimia. Pagnotta said opening up discussion has been "a wonderful unintended consequence" of Mary-Kate's rehabilitation. "Not only have the fans been supportive, but all of the business colleagues, the retail partners and so on -- who certainly can make judgments based on things other than pure sympathy -- all of them have been incredibly supportive," Pagnotta said.
July 29, 200421 yr and counseling each other over the sadness and worry they feel for the actress. wtf?
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