Men are sharing their vulnerabilities on Twitter after a video of “heartbroken” Michael B Jordan sitting courtside at a basketball game went viral.
Earlier this week, People reported that the actor had parted ways with his model girlfriend, Lori Harvey, after more than a year of dating.
Harvey’s father later confirmed the rumours during an episode of The Steve Harvey Morning Show on 6 June.
“I’ve heard about it. I wish him well. I’m Team Lori 1000 per cent,” he said. “Things happen, it’s hard to be young and in the limelight and have a successful relationship.”
His comments come after Jordan was seen smiling and clapping at an NBA Finals game in San Francisco, California, where he watched the Boston Celtics take on the Golden State Warriors.
A video of the Creed actor, shared by the Chase Center, quickly went viral after Twitter users noted that Jordan looked like he was struggling to conceal his heartbreak.
Shortly after, Twitter user @In_A_YamChele called on the men of social media to share their own experiences of dealing with their emotions in public after the end of a relationship.
“Men this is a safe space. Tell us about a time you went out in public after a breakup and you had to fight back tears the entire time,” she tweeted. The post has received more than 10,000 responses.
One man recalled being broken up with one morning and having to go to his job at US-bakery chain Panera afterward.
The man said he was sent home early by his manager after he started crying, and a teardrop fell in the soup.
“Drove to her spot at 7am sharp (she worked overnight at the time) but she [wasn’t] there, called her [about] 20 times and she texted back ‘let it go’,” he wrote.
“I was working at Panera at the time, fighting back tears and lost. My boss sent me home because a tear dropped into the soup.”
Another shared the time he received a break-up message while grocery shopping.
“As I read the texts my legs gave out from under me. A shop assistant thought I had a stroke and called 911,” he said.
One man was broken up with in the middle of a gym session.
“She sent a paragraph long text and I’m sitting in the gym reading it, passed out and came back to with half the gym around me fanning me and head soaking wet from somebody pouring water on me - I was stumbling [trying to] walk out.”
Some men talked about how they struggled to contain their emotions in public when they were reminded of an ex-partner.
“I was in a relationship for four years. Me and my ex would grocery shop together and we always sang to each other while shopping and were just playing,” one person wrote.
“I saw a couple one time in the store acting like we used to l, I [sat] in the parking lot and sobbed for like 30 minutes.”
Another user said he had tried to hide being heartbroken while out for dinner with his family.
“I went to the bathroom and started crying in one of the stalls. I listened to evanescence the whole car ride home looking out the window, crying [and] trying to not draw attention to myself.”
Some Twitter users have praised men for sharing their experiences and being vulnerable with their emotions.
“Thank you to all the guys brave enough to be vulnerable in this space,” one person said. “I pray that all of you have found healing or are on your road to healing so you can be healthy and whole enough for the right partner.”
