Instagram influencer whose account was deleted said she called the police because it felt like 'murder'

She previously said she is 'nothing without my following' 

Chelsea Ritschel
New York
Friday 12 April 2019 22:17 BST
Comments
Instagram star cries over the prospect of having to get a 9-5 job

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

A social media influencer who filmed a tearful video of herself after her Instagram was deleted reportedly called the police over the incident - because it felt like a “murder”.

Jessy Taylor, a 21-year-old from Tampa, Florida, uploaded the now-viral video titled “Stop reporting my Instagram account” to YouTube after her Instagram account with more than 100,000 followers was mysteriously deleted.

According to Taylor, in addition to posting the emotional plea, in which she said she is “nothing” without her following and doesn’t have the skills for a normal job, she also attempted to involve the police.

Speaking to Insider, Taylor said: “I felt like it was a homicide. Like somebody murdered me and then went online to say: ‘I murdered this girl.’

“I called the police actually and told them about this, and they said ‘you can’t compare a murder to this,’ and I was like, ‘no, that’s exactly what it felt like.’”

The influencer reportedly made $500,000 from her account before it was deleted, money she said “does not last”.

“You go to to the Gucci store a few times, you pay a couple of months of rent… I’m not rich like I used to be,” she said.

Despite her initial desperation, Taylor previously told The Independent her “life is changing” and that she “might be getting a Netflix show” following the attention from her video.

The Independent has contacted Netflix for comment.

Taylor’s original Instagram account has since been reinstated, after Instagram acknowledged the account had been removed “in error”.

According to Taylor, who made another account where she has since gained more than 15,000 followers, the incident was a “blessing in disguise”.

Since regaining access to her account, Taylor has received numerous comments from people reporting her - which she said in the video she believes was the initial reason her account was removed.

“Let’s all report her again,” one person wrote on a selfie of Taylor.

Others have criticised the influencer for refusing to get a job.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

“Get a real job,” another person commented.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in