In her twenties, Rachel* spent her weekends rubbing shoulders with famous pop stars at exclusive New York City parties, attending awards shows and jetting off on luxury holidays. Rachel wasn’t famous herself — nor was she aspiring to be — she got this kind of access because she was the best friend of a famous TV star, a former child actor at the height of their career.
The perks were intoxicating: free dinners, parties, taxis, vacations and front-row access to a glamorous world for VIPs only. “At a certain point you get used to it because you’re in the inner circle — I learned how to be chill in these spaces, how to dress, how to take care of my appearance better,” says Rachel, who is speaking anonymously and doesn’t want to name the celebrity for privacy reasons. “I got to do really fun and exciting things that would have probably cost thousands of dollars.”
