Ex-Big Brother star accuses ‘party girl influencers’ of secretly struggling with substance abuse while glamorizing lifestyle

A viral societal media large wind has erupted aft Perth-raised podcaster and erstwhile Big Brother prima Julia Rangiheuea, 31, accused immoderate of nan astir celebrated “party woman influencers” of secretly struggling pinch constituent maltreatment issues, while glamorizing nan very manner that astir ruined her ain life.

Rangiheuea, who shares her sobriety travel as @recoveringpartygirl on societal media and hosts nan podcast “Soberly Speaking,” says she was “deep successful addiction” until January 2023, when, pinch conscionable $29 to her name, she made nan determination to spell sober.

She now uses her level to shed ray connected nan harsh reality of addiction, and successful her latest video, which has amassed complete 2.1 cardinal views, she pulled nary punches.

“PSA, your favourite statement woman influencers each person crazy constituent maltreatment problems,” she claimed, later repeating for emphasis, “Crazy substance maltreatment problems.”

She added that these influencers “use their fat paychecks wholly connected partying” and therefore, are often broke.

The ex-reality prima besides suggested that nan “doing it for nan plot” aliases “Brat Summer Party Girl 365” communicative popularized online and promoted by these influencers isn’t conscionable harmless fun, but perchance dangerous.

As personification who couldn’t socialize for 15 years without nan usage of intoxicant aliases drugs, she said siren bells are often raised for her erstwhile she hears really immoderate of these influencers speak astir alcohol.

“I conscionable want you to deliberation astir nan measurement these group talk astir socializing without intoxicant and really negatively they talk astir it, aliases really their life, if you really look astatine it, does revolve astir substances,” she says.

Anticipating backlash, she admitted, “I’m sorry to beryllium that girl, but I had to bring it up.”

The consequence was immediate.

Many users chimed successful to support her, pinch 1 noting, “It rather virtually is nan early 2000s each complete again.”

Another added, “A batch of group are really alcoholics and don’t realise it, because it’s truthful normalised.”

Some commenters besides criticized influencers much broadly, particularly wellness aliases wellness ones, for promoting an aspirational manner while drinking heavy down nan scenes.

Meanwhile, immoderate deed backmost astatine Rangiheuea, saying she was overreacting and that not everyone who drinks has a problem.

“God forbid a woman has nosy – not everyone is an addict,” quipped one.

“Just because nan poster had an summation problem, doesn’t mean each girls who for illustration to statement do,” replied different user.

As nan video gained traction, followers began tagging high-profile group specified arsenic American contented creator Alix Earle, vocalist Charli XCX, and business owners Lucy Jackson and Nikki Westcott, who co-host nan podcast “Happy Hour pinch Lucy and Nikki.”

News.com.au is not suggesting that immoderate of these women person constituent maltreatment issues.

Jackson, 1 of those tagged, quickly addressed nan business successful her own video.

“(Rangiheuea) is saying that your favourite statement woman influencers each person monolithic constituent maltreatment problems,” she said. “Firstly, (that) is simply a immense presumption and, secondly, a immense projection.

“Obviously, she struggled pinch immoderate really large addiction problems, which is awful. But that’s your journey, not everyone else’s.”

Jackson, who co-owns nan manner explanation Jagger & Stone pinch Westcott, past defended her lifestyle, insisting that she and her pal don’t person constituent maltreatment problems and are “not broke.”

“We tally successful businesses. We person a very well-balanced life,” she insisted.

She past urged her followers to deliberation doubly earlier commenting connected others’ videos, perchance defaming personification without immoderate evidence.

“As women, we are truthful speedy to onslaught each other,” she said. “We request to beryllium truthful observant pinch nan contented we are consuming to make judge that we are only taking successful genuine facts of information.”

Her video received a batch of praise, astir notably from chap influencer Abbie Chatfield, who commented: “It’s truthful exhausting group making mendacious narratives because they THINK they cognize you from nan contented you post!

“It’s besides chaotic to maine that group spot different group tag you successful comments and past they deliberation it’s existent …? Because personification other tagged it…?”

For her part, Rangiheuea told news.com.au her extremity was to spark a broader conversation, not to azygous retired individual people.

“My volition was ne'er to onslaught a circumstantial person, but to commencement a speech astir a broader rumor I spot again and again online,” she said.

“Party influencers will broadcast (and truthful monetize) binge drinking aggregate nights a week. They’ll openly glamorize benders, which often involves staying up each night, taking narcotics for illustration cocaine.

“When personification is consistently utilizing substances for illustration this, it’s worthy asking if they’re successful power of it, aliases if it’s controling them.”

She believes that for galore people, seeing excessive drinking and supplier usage glamorized online creates “huge pressure” to support up aliases consequence emotion near out.

“Normalizing harmful behaviors for illustration this tin lead group into addiction earlier they moreover recognize what’s happening. Personally, that changeless ceremony of nan statement manner made it truthful overmuch harder for maine to admit my ain addiction.

“As a society, we won’t make meaningful advancement connected nan supplier and intoxicant crisis, aliases its devastating effects, unless we honestly bespeak connected our ain narration pinch substances.

“The 2nd we make these conversations astir individual attacks, we derail nan opportunity for existent progress.”