Credit: Getty

Jools Lebron is taking a break from TikTok.

The 33-year-old TikTok influencer with over 2 million followers, best known for starting the “Very Demure” trend, has announced she is stepping away from the social media platform after being met with outrage and backlash for initially launching, and then deleting, a GoFundMe fundraiser for dental surgery.

I think I have to officially let TikTok go. I think that I am fooling myself that this algorithm will ever favor me. I think I’m fooling myself. If I ever think that I will make back the momentum that I had during Very Demure and I think that I’m fooling myself if I think that being an influencer and chasing this dream is healthy for me in my mind, I’m clearly having some kind of mental break and I’m clearly not in a good space and I’m clearly not doing well and I think that when I think about it more and more it all just steps back to me trying to chase the same fame and recognition and momentum that Very Demure had and I have to move it’s time – Jools Lebron

@joolieannie

I think I have to officially let TikTok go. I think that I am fooling myself that this algorithm will ever favor me. I think I’m fooling myself. If I ever think that I will make back the momentum that I had during Very Demure and I think that I’m fooling myself if I think that being an influencer and chasing this dream is healthy for me in my mind, I’m clearly having some kind of mental break and I’m clearly not in a good space and I’m clearly not doing well and I think that when I think about it more and more it all just steps back to me trying to chase the same fame and recognition and momentum that Very Demure had and I have to move it’s time ? #verydemure

? original sound – Jools Lebron

Over the weekend, Jools launched a GoFundMe called “Jools Needs Dental Surgery to End Pain,” seeking $45,000 for dental surgery and claiming that her teeth are rotting following her addiction battles, which she has spoken about.

“My teeth are severely destroyed…every time I go to the dentist, it’s made clear to me I’m fighting an uphill battle,” she explained.

She added: “I’ve already spent $6,000 on this. I don’t know what else to do. I don’t want to ask my community for help, but I feel like I have no other choice at this point. I would love to go get a regular job…but even then, I don’t think that’s going to help my situation.”

Almost immediately, Jools was met with backlash, with viewers calling her out for being a seemingly successful influencer asking followers for money for a procedure. The claim that she couldn’t work a normal job outside of being an influencer also sparked outrage.

Jools had previously disclosed on the Tamron Hall Show that she was getting $45,000 to $80,000 offers for videos following her viral success. She also previously said that she invested her viral money in helping out her family.

The debacle has also prompted thousands of videos examining the situation and debating the ethics of asking followers for money. Others defended Jools, explaining that TikTok fame and virality is not all that it seems online, and that she may not in fact be earning enough to afford the procedure.

See some examples inside…

Posted To:Influencers Jools Lebron TikTok