Social media can be mean and so can the tabloids -- kinda like that catty girlfriend you had in high school who couldn’t wait to tell you'd gained weight or who relished in letting you know a guy you liked told her he didn’t find you attractive. I hope fair-minded people will do their best to interpret information with discretion; whether it's a photo or story.

Mere mortals and celebrities alike can be plagued by photographs and features that paint a false picture of the facts. This happened to the incredibly talented and transparent singer Pink. I’ve been a huge fan of Pink since I heard her haunting version of Kris Kristofferson’s enormous hit originally made popular by the late amazing Janis Joplin, Me and Bobby McGee.

The Pink sings with an honesty, a vulnerability, that is hard to duplicate.  I believe she’s a ‘singer’s singer’ with enormous stage presence.

But three time Grammy Award winner Pink found herself in the middle of a social media mess. The raspy-voiced 38-year-old singer cancelled a Friday, August 3rd concert date in Sydney, Australia which is part of her worldwide tour. She said it was due to illness. The cancellation caused flack in the Australian tabloids because paparrazzi found the star lounging on the beach in Byron Bay with her 7 year old daughter Willow standing over her. Do I think she was faking sickness? No, absolutely not.

This is a woman who is brutally honest about herself and her appreciation of her fans. Pink commented on her Instagram, “what these parasite paparazzi don’t show you is two doctor visits in Byron on two consecutive days, antibiotics, steroids, Vick’s, nose spray, throat spray, more steroids, NyQuil, a screaming baby in the middle of the night, every night, while mama gives him warm baths and tells her daughter everything is fine."

Let’s give Pink a break. She is a working Mom, and from everyone I’ve ever talked with who has toured as a musician, the schedule is grueling and irregular. Plus, she has a 7 year old and 1 year old to think of, too, along with time differences and the physical demands of concerts.

People just seem to assume the worst. At least megastar Justin Timberlake came to her defense with this kind comment, "I'm here to tell you that you won't find a harder working, more authentically talented, and more thankful for her place on that stage and her fans than this woman," calling her "the REALEST."

Timberlake went on to say that as a Dad and singer on tour, he understands the rigors of the road. He has worked with Pink so knows her work ethic and dedication to fans firsthand.

Pink promised to reschedule the cancelled Sydney date and is carrying on with her Beautiful Trauma World Tour.

Assuming the worst of others is getting to be an epidemic. Let’s try to apply the adage ‘giving you the benefit of the doubt.'