Princess Kate tabloid photo, video fuel speculation: Why the gossip is harmful

Video has emerged showing Princess Kate in public amid her recovery from surgery, but conspiracy theories about the royal's health continue to swirl all the same.

On Monday, TMZ obtained video showing the Princess of Wales, who underwent abdominal surgery in January, shopping in Windsor alongside Prince William over the weekend. The video came after The Sun reported on the public outing and announced that Princess Kate looked "happy, relaxed and healthy," citing onlookers.

This also followed weeks of speculation about Princess Kate's health, which only increased after it was revealed that a photo of her with her children, which she shared on March 10, had been manipulated. Princess Kate apologized "for any confusion," saying that "like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing." Today, Getty said another image the princess took of the queen had also been "digitally enhanced."

But while Kensington Palace may have hoped Kate's public appearance in Windsor would put conspiracy theories to rest, social media on Monday remained flooded with posts analyzing her physical appearance. Some even floated wild theories that the woman in the video was not Princess Kate.

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The palace, in January, notified the public Kate was stepping away from public duties "until after Easter." She asked for privacy at the time. Her wish, it seems, hasn't been granted.

Amy Morin, psychotherapist, author of "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do" and the host of a podcast, previously told USA TODAY if public figures "want to keep their crisis private, it's important to respect that. They may need space to process their feelings without outside opinions. They may also be trying to respect the privacy of a loved one by not sharing details."

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While the public often insists it is entitled to details of celebrities' lives, Laura Petiford, a licensed marriage and family therapist, previously told USA TODAY, "If we put ourselves in their shoes, we would want to be able to have a private life especially when dealing with sensitive or difficult issues."

Morin added celebrities "need privacy to cope, heal, and develop a strategy to move forward just like everyone else," as "working through issues privately can give them space to manage their emotions and strategize how to move forward without the distraction of outside opinions."

Kensington Palace pushed back against theories about Princess Kate's health in February, with a spokesperson for the royal saying she is "doing well" in a statement to People and ABC News.

"We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant," the statement added.

Petiford suggests fans remember that celebrities, at the end of the day, are people too. "Yes, they have chosen to lead a life that is more in the public eye but they have not forfeited their human need to draw a distinct line between themselves and those who are interested in them."

Contributing: David Oliver, Jay Stahl