>>658, >>660 From the examples I've seen, it feels as though his relationship with the truth started out as a tendency to exaggerate. Then it moved to what he probably excused as fibs or little white lies, done for good reasons ("some things are sacred").

But even if you believe that last summer's relationship was real (questionable), it still would have caused massive cognitive dissonance for him. For someone who has always claimed to be honest and authentic in what he shares in public to be slammed as a fake from every side had to have been traumatic -- and the GQ article brought it all up again rather than laying it to rest. (And if he was lying through his teeth in that interview, all the worse for him psychologically.)

"Fragile soul" is a good description. (I want to come back to the vanity, but this is enough for tonight.)