When Pop Punk and Influencers Collide: 2000s Edition

Today, it is that influencers want a rockstar boyfriend, with everyone from Machine Gun Kelly  and Megan Fox to Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker. Along with this, rappers like MGK are finding more emo and 2000’s pop punk influences to be inspired by. Before there was TikTok and e-girls, pop punk front men and reality-show celebrities were making it big! Even 20 years ago, there was tons of tea to be spilled like why Bert McCracken and Kelly Osbourne broke up, as well as Paris Hilton’s dating history.  

Let’s start with the queen herself: Miss Paris Hilton. Back during her Simple Life days, she dated Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley. However it wasn’t that long of a period, Deryck described it as them hanging out, as it only lasted a total of 6 months in 2003. I was shocked when I found this out as because it feels like my two worlds are colliding–pop punk, and 2000s nostalgia. But that’s not the only rocker Paris has dated. She has also dated Benji Madden of Good Charlotte. But, like with Deryck Whibley, it only lasted a few months in 2008, this time being eight months in total. Fittingly, Paris’s Simple Life co-star, Nicole Richie, dated the other Madden twin, also in Good Charlotte.  

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden seemed to have a better chance at love. They started their relationship in December of 2006. Not too much later, they welcomed their daughter, and then their son, into the world in 2009. They finally got engaged in 2010, getting married in December. From what I found, it seems that they are still together. This 2000’s princess has found herself a pop-punk prince! 

I left my favorite emo rockstar for last! Kelly Osbourne and Bert McCracken seemed to be a controversial couple back in  2002. For context, Kelly Osbourne was on the reality TV show The Osbournes, and had a serious emo phase! The relationship was considered controversial because the family did not approve of him. There was even an episode that starred Bert in the second season of the show. However, due to being a reality show, the editors made Bert look really impolite and not boyfriend material. The worst part of it all is how they broke up. Bert remembered breaking up with her over the phone on Valentine’s Day and felt bad about it after because he knew that wasn’t the right way to do it. His reason for doing so was that he felt that being with her ruined his image with the fans of his band and how the media sees them. Bert Mccracken is one of my celebrity crushes because of how cute he looked back then at the ages 20 to 22 years old and how intelligent he seemed aside from his silly, on stage personality.  

Rockstar boyfriends is not a new concept. Even twenty years ago, the pop punk leaders were colliding with the tabloid queens of the 2000s. With history repeating itself these days with the return of 2000’s pop punk and 2000s nostalgia, it seems that this trend isn’t going away any time soon!