The Fatal Bullying of Heather Armstrong: Trolls on GOMI mocked blogger before and after her death
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH: Friends of Heather Armstrong, a pioneering 'mommy blogger' who died by suicide, are keen to point out that her suicide was a long time coming and was a result of mental health concerns. Armstrong strangely seemed to lead a charmed existence despite her personal struggles, which drew a lot of haters—most of whom were present on the forums of GOMIBLOG.
The 47-year-old, who went by 'Dooce' online, was candid about her years of battles with clinical depression and alcoholism, which were so severe that she underwent invasive brain studies to attempt to find relief. Even when Armstrong was open about her struggles, her haters condemned her, calling her a "bigger bully" and asserting that "her suicide was just one more way of selfishly lashing out to those who loved her," according to New York Post.
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Who is the creator of GOMI?
Alice Wright, a 48-year-old New Yorker, created the alleged "anti-fan" website Get Off My Internets (GOMIBLOG). The website was created in response to the popularity of mommy bloggers and provided haters with a platform to recklessly and anonymously slander every facet of these women's lives. Today, there are various forums devoted to dissing social media royalty, influencers, and bloggers from the food, fashion, and even fundamentalist religious industries.
'She had an empire she built on living her truth'
Friends and other mommy bloggers claimed that Armstrong's already shaky mental health took a hit as a result of the snark that was let out on the GOMIBLOG site. Deborah Cruz, a blogger, and Armstrong's friend since 2009, claimed that she "does the same kind of vulnerable blogging as Heather" and has also experienced abuse from haters on GOMI, according to New York Post.
Cruz, a writer on The TRUTH About Motherhood, said, "I've been told my children should die. But Heather got it really bad and she was more fragile than the rest of us. But she was more successful too. People are jealous. She had an empire she built on living her truth and, as it grew, some people were like, 'Why should she have that?'"
'It was like your worst lizard brain coming at you from the Internet'
A friend of Armstrong's who wished to only be known by her first name, Elizabeth, claimed that Armstrong tried to brush the haters off but they had a grave impact on her, according to New York Post. Elizabeth, a lawyer, and mother of three, said, "The comments were very painful. And we are talking about someone who was so much more than a mommy blogger."
Elizabeth continued, "She broke the ice in terms of realizing that you didn't have to go through the initiation alone as hard as it may be. She spoke those truths. She saved my life. I wish I could say that she got past how painful some of those comments were but it was hard. It was like your worst lizard brain coming at you from the Internet."
How did GOMI users react to Heather Armstrong's death?
The GOMI comment section erupted shortly after Armstrong's death was announced on Tuesday, May 9. A poster who went by the moniker Stay in Your Lane wrote, "If this ends up being fake, it would be the sickest, most twisted scheme she could ever concoct," according to New York Post.
Site administrator Wright, also known by the moniker Nycaw, didn't hold back when it became apparent that Armstrong's suicide was not a fake, according to New York Post. "[Armstrong] was a bigger bully than I am, was, or ever will be, and hasn't been relevant since she refused to accept online monetizing and celebrity was changing like 10 years ago," she wrote.
Nycaw added, "But for some reason, people who hated her a month ago are acting like she's some light-shining saint and was some major force in creator culture... But she's dead so hush hush! we can't say anything other than good things. GMAFB."
Pontica Tottos, a poster, replied, "Good riddance... [Armstrong] wasn't a nice person and the whole world finally saw that. She caused more harm than good to the people in her life and her suicide was just one more way of selfishly lashing out to those who loved her. Her memory will never be a blessing," according to New York Post.