Celebrity Instagram Casket Photo Sparks Controversy

Originally Posted on Opposing Views

“Dancing With The Stars” alumnus Julianne Hough sparked controversy for what many believe was an inappropriate Instagram photo.

Hough posted a photo on Instagram of her brother, Derek Hough, with his back turned, standing at their grandfather’s open casket funeral. The casket was covered in an American flag.

The photo received more than 67,000 likes, though most of the 1,019 comments were negative. Many commenters criticized Hough for using “poor judgement” in posting a photo they felt was “morbid,” Yahoo Celebrity reported.

“Why would you post such a personal family moment on social media,” Instagram user geriferrara wrote. “Poor choice.”

“What’s wrong with you @juleshough This is morbid. Why you ever think this is proper?” another user asked.

“Why do we have to post everything on social media?? When I’m at a funeral of someone I love I’m too overcome with Grief to do something like this just so others can see it??” user cynthiaboyd92 added.

Hough’s grandfather was Idaho radio host Robert Virgil Hough. Though Hough had made several tributes to her grandfather on social media, many felt the casket photo was over the line.

Lifestyles and etiquette expert Elaine Swann said she believes the photo wasn’t necessarily too far for the entertainer.

“Social media has got us in an oversharing stage. It really does,” Swann told Yahoo Celebrity. “In my opinion, when we post, we really have to be concerned about those who are going to view it and how they might feel about what we have posted.”

“Etiquette is about putting people at ease,” she added.

“You should not post things that are going to make people uncomfortable. Not only intimate parts of your life but areas such as this — death. You don’t know what kinds of memories a post like this could trigger for someone else. It could be upsetting.”