'He Slid Into Her DMs' Ending Explained: Bernie and her mother face consequences they didn't anticipate
Contains spoilers for 'He Slid Into Her DMs'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Lifetime's latest release 'He Slid Into Her DMs' is a chilling tale of social media obsession. Starring Courtney Thorne-Smith and Stella Gregg, the film takes inspiration from a true story. It follows the journey of Bernie, a 17-year-old teenager, whose life revolves around her social media presence. Her mother supports her passion as online fame brings brand deals, which means more money.
To support her mother financially, Bernie (Stella Gregg) started to sell her private photos to her social media fans without mother's (Courtney Thorne-Smith) knowledge. In this process, she gets in touch with Mason, who claims to be her number one fan and wants to get closer to her. As Mason's obsession with Bernie grows, he chases her. When Bernie refuses to entertain him, he points a gun at her. A violent altercation follows and Bernie's mom ends up shooting Mason in self-defense. However, the mother-daughter duo lies to the police about Bernie knowing Mason before the incident. This begins the duo's constant attempt at hiding their secret and maintaining their reputation while people raise questions about the incident.
Does the truth behind Mason's death come out in 'He Slid Into Her DMs'?
Bernie, on the suggestion of her mother, goes LIVE on social media and even appears on a TV show to control the narrative. She believes that things are under control and tries to return to her normal life. On the prom night, Mason's mother lashes out at her in front of Zac (Kane Parks) and her other friends. She mentions the letter that Mason wrote to Bernie, which contains details of the messages and pictures she sent to him.
Mason's mother reveals that although his phone was destroyed, she was able to retrieve the images through the cloud, which implies that Bernie wasn't truthful about the entire incident.
The video of Mason and Bernie having a conversation is also leaked, making it clear that Bernie knew him before the shooting incident. As her truth is finally out in the open, her image on social media is tarnished. Bernie's admission to NYU is revoked and the authorities come knocking at their door for further interrogation.
What happens between Zac and Bernie in 'He Slid Into Her DMs'?
As Bernie's truth comes out, Zac (Kane Parks) breaks up with her. During interrogation at the police station, Bernie finally speaks the truth that she only hid the truth because she feared that she would lose her fame if everyone came to know that she was selling objectionable pictures to Mason.
Since Bernie didn't commit any crime and only lied under the influence of her mother, she is allowed to walk away freely. However, she realizes her mistakes and goes LIVE on social media, opening up about her feelings. Upon seeing her livestream, Zac forgives Bernie and they reconnect.
How does 'He Slid Into Her DM' end for Bernie and her mother?
While Bernie isn't charged for the incident, her mother is booked for tempering the evidence and obstruction of justice. Even Bernie blames her for not being truthful since the beginning. Had her mother not asked her to lie, they may haven't been subjected to the consequences.
The mother spends a year in jail and then starts a women's resource center where she and Bernie help out women in need and become an advocate for women facing issues like cyberstalking.
Bernie has learned her lesson that one shouldn't believe everything you see on the internet as there's always more to the story. She apologizes to her followers for lying as she feared losing everything but lost it anyway- including her friends, her boyfriend, her college admission, and her fame.
Later, she visits Hannah (Sierra Fujita) and confronts that she was the one who gave her phone number and address to Mason. Hannah admits that she was jealous of Bernie's fame.
Things eventually fall into place for Bernie as she has learned a life lesson, and her boyfriend Zac forgives her, she even gets a call from NYU that the admission offer still stands.
'He Slid Into Her DMs' is now streaming on Lifetime.