AOC Complains About Being Famous: 'Sometimes I Just Want to Be a Human Being'
Ocasio-Cortez compares her 'troubles' to those of British royal Meghan Markle
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Celebrity congresswoman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is complaining about the "stresses" of being famous, saying, "sometimes I just want to be a human being."
Ocasio-Cortez, or "AOC" as she's branded herself across her popular social media channels, also compares her "troubles" to those of American-born jet-setting British Royal Family member Meghan Markle.
Despite her own wealth and success, after rising from nowhere to be one of the most vocal members of Congress, AOC describes sudden fame as "a very dehumanizing experience."
Even though Ocasio-Cortez has been accused of putting her fame on social media over meaningful policies, the New York Democrat says her celebrity status is "one of the most stressful experiences ever."
Ocasio-Cortez made the comments during an interview with Huff Post last week, saying that she relates to Meghan Markle and feels "empathy" for the US-born Duchess of Sussex's "struggles."
Recently, Markle complained about the trauma of her new lifestyle, since becoming royalty, during an emotional TV appearance.
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Responding to Markle's comments in a tweet, the freshman congresswoman said: "Sudden prominence is a very dehumanizing experience.
"There's a part of your life that you lose, & it later dawns on you that you'll never get it back.
"The people who treat you like a human make all the difference."
During her interview with the Huffington Post, AOC said that she just doesn't "get to be a human."
"Sometimes I just want to be a human being," said Ocasio-Cortez, who turned 30 on October 13.
"And you don't get to be a human anymore."
"Everything you do from wearing sweatpants to the bodega to getting a haircut ― every personal decision you make for yourself is never going to be yours anymore."
“I feel an enormous amount of empathy for [Markle]," she continued, "because it requires an enormous amount of tools to be resilient ― and also to stay human in that."
Ocasio-Cortez described her own rise to prominence was "one of the most stressful experiences ever."
“You kind of grieve for [your old life]," she insisted.
"It has its highs and it has its lows.
"A lot of people look at the highs, but sometimes it feels like you got a tattoo on your face that you didn't ask for. It's hard. It's very hard.
"Sometimes you just want to get a drink or eat a hamburger."
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'My job is to love people'
Despite her "traumas" brought on by instant fame, Ocasio-Cortez said that she isn't going to hide herself away and fail "her constituents."
"In order for me to do my job, I need to be connected to people," she said.
“My job is to love people. And that's very difficult sometimes given the amount of barriers."
Ocasio-Cortez added that she enjoys spending time with the friends she made before she skyrocketed to political fame.
"[T]hey knew me when no one cared who I was," she said.
“They let me know if they think I'm wrong or if they want to ask me a question."
