Teen Accused Of Using Her Mother’s Death For Clout After Posting Uncomfortable Video Right After Finding Her
Despite her unusual reaction, there is no right way to process grief.
Drazen Zigic / Shutterstock In a time when social media is a primary outlet for personal expression and public communication, a recent incident involving a teenager’s response to her mom’s death has sparked some debate over the boundaries of online sharing and grief.
The teenager was accused of using her mother's death for clout after posting a TikTok just hours after finding her mom deceased.
The teen, who goes by Mad Marissa, casually began the short video by saying, “Hey guys, just got back from the Melanie Martinez concert — my mom’s dead.”
She was still dressed in her concert outfit and appeared to have been crying. She explained that she had found her mom unconscious on the floor of their bathroom, and paramedics had just pronounced her dead.
“What is my life? Like genuinely, I’m actually in shock right now,” she said. “‘Cause, like what?”
Despite the severity of the situation, she publicly posted her reaction to her mom’s death with laughter and disbelief. While these are common reactions to the sudden news of a loved one’s death, it feels too intimate to be shared with strangers on social media.
The video has since gained nearly six million views. While most commenters offered sympathy and support, others questioned her reasoning for posting about such a personal experience online.
Many felt unsettled by her initial reaction, advising her to take some time for herself and process the matter.
The next day, Marissa posted an updated video answering questions and explaining the situation in more detail.
The teen said she is doing okay for now but is shocked and unsure how to process the situation. She admitted she didn’t even want to attend the concert and had been trying to sell her ticket for months.
“I wasn’t even planning on going, so that just makes me more angry because I’m like, bro, I literally could have been home,” she shared honestly.
She added that she received a call from her mom asking where she was. She told her she was almost home, and they ended the call by saying they loved each other, but nothing seemed worrisome.
When Marissa arrived home, she revealed the intimate experience of finding her mom in medical distress, followed by a laugh.
“A lot of people are asking why am I smiling, joking about this,” she said. “I don’t know, like, it’s just every time I think about it, I'm just like, bro, like, what?”
While some felt disturbed by her callousness, others recognized her turning to social media as a need for support.
“TikTok is a platform where [you] share things,” one person commented. “She doesn’t have anyone to talk to right now, so she reaches out to an audience of people online.”
Additionally, her laughter put many off, but laughing is actually a common response to processing unexpected loss.
Most commenters assured her that her dissociative response and unexplainable laughter to such tragic news is normal, as grief looks different for everyone.
Her lack of emotion is a natural reaction to grief, but is sharing the unsettling news on TikTok the right approach?
Several viewers of the video argued her posting so soon after the traumatic event was in poor taste, suggesting it may be a ploy for attention rather than a genuine expression of grief.
“If my parent was gone, my phone will be the last thing I will think of, but go off, I guess,” someone argued. “Instead of taking time away, she thought filming a TikTok — knowing it would get noticed — was a better idea,” someone else commented.
“Social media is making life so dystopian,” another person shared. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
In fact, some speculated she is using the event to gain more media attention as an aspiring music artist.
Despite the critics, most TikTokers have flooded her comments with support and understanding.
“Make sure you get some support and take care of yourself, love. I’m sending you so much love,” someone expressed. “One day at a time baby. Give yourself grace. Praying for you,” another commented.
Many may not agree with Marissa’s decision to post about such a delicate issue with insensitivity, but regardless of her motivation, she has received an outpouring of love and kindness.
There’s no right way to respond to grief.
For some, the weight of the pain hits them immediately, and for others, it can take months until they process the loss.
Overall, it’s no one’s place to judge someone for how they process their grief. While Marissa’s decision to post about the event points to a strange new culture of social media, the teen may not have many people in her life who can offer immediate support.
“The one person she’d probably tell is gone. [People] who post on social media like this often have no one,” one person pointed out in the comments. “When [you’re] going [through] a massive trauma like this, [you’re] not [really] focused on what’s healthy, just what helps.”
Nowadays, many young people use social media platforms as their primary means of connection. When dealing with intensely stressful situations, they'll likely utilize their platform as an outlet, a digital shoulder to cry on.
Three days before the news of her mom’s death, Marissa had shared an appreciation post for Mother’s Day, featuring some of her mom's old modeling photos from when she was younger. TikTokers flooded the comments with their condolences and admiration for her mom’s beauty.
Social media has certainly changed communication and interaction, and that includes interaction through trauma. While some have criticized Marissa’s unorthodox response, it doesn't negate her pain.
Francesca Duarte is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team based in Orlando, FL. She covers lifestyle, human interest, adventure, and spirituality topics.