Rita Ora says intense scrutiny over 'all the relationships' 'doesn't sit right'

05 August 2023 , 16:37

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Rita Ora says intense scrutiny over 'all the relationships' 'doesn't sit right'

Rita Ora has admitted to feeling bothered by media scrutiny in the past, especially when it impacts her family and friends.

The British pop singer's personal life has been a headline maker ever since she rose to fame in 2012 with her hit song, Hot Right Now, and became the artist to hold the most number-ones on the UK Singles Chart in that same year. From her romance with reality star Rob Kardashian to her feud with DJ Calvin Harris, Rita's relationship history has arguably received as much – if not more – attention in the tabloids that her success in the music industry.

Over ten years on from her debut album, the Kosovo native has admittedly learned to deal with the scrutiny – but that doesn't mean it never affects her. "If my loved ones or those closest to me are reading something and it doesn’t sit right with them, it kind of hits me," she told Tatler in July.

Rita Ora has admitted the media scrutiny 'hits' her sometimes

Rita Ora in 2018 (Penske Media via Getty Images)

Rita, 32, is the middle child of three, having grown up in Notting Hill, West London, with her older sister Elena and younger brother, Don. While both of her siblings prefer to stay out of the spotlight, it's understood that she's always kept her family close by her side.

In fact, Elena has even been credited as Rita's driving force, with the 34-year-old apparently being a major source of creative direction on her VIP sister's third studio album, You & I. Rita also enjoys a special relationship with her mother, Vera, who works as a psychiatrist for the NHS in London.

Rita Ora performs in neon bridal veil and lace negligee after secret wedding

Rita Ora with her mother, Vera, in 2013 (Getty Images for Pandora)

Rita Ora with sister Elena in 2013 (Getty Images)

Despite being admittedly affected by the media's portrayal of her, Rita is determined to shake it off and stay focused on herself. "But I don’t [waste time thinking] about what people think of me because of that," she continued. "You can’t control what people think of you, especially when you’re in the public eye, but I’m waiting for a man to be dissected for all the girlfriends he’s had."

Rita, whose marriage to New Zealand director Taika Waititi was confirmed in January, also criticized the media for fixating on her personal life during a 2022 interview with Louis Theroux. "I’ve always been very adamant on focusing on me and my work," she told the British documentary maker. "Look, we are women. Men don’t get asked, ‘Oh, you’ve had 100 boyfriends or girlfriends’. Sometimes they do, but the majority of the time they don’t.

"It comes with the territory, it’s part of the world that you’re in."

Emma Dooney