Lionize - verb

lionize

: to treat as an object of great interest or importance (Merriam Webster)

: to look on or treat (a person) as a celebrity.

: give a lot of public attention and approval to (someone); treat as a celebrity.

First Known Use: 1809

examples:

Conservatives may lionize Edward Snowden now, says Michael Tomasky, but ultimately his actions are going to tear apart the GOP.

As seen in a review about the film Hidden Figures from The Guardian.

" It tries to be a feel-good movie about a historical period in which black people were often brutally denied their civil rights, and it lionizes a problematic technological proxy war."