- TikTok was banned in the US on January 19
- TikTokers confessed to viewers their secrets in a trend amid the ban
- The app came back thanks to President Trump’s pledge to save it
TikTok’s US ban lasted just a few hours, although many TikTokers and influencers mourned it.
The reactions from users and TikTokers would make you think that something tragic had happened, even though the app returned hours later.
Read more: TikTok users share reactions to app going dark
President Trump pledged to save the app, resulting in TikTok resuming service in the US hours after the ban on January 19.
However, before any hope for the ban to be lifted was about, in a goodbye trend with the audio “We’re all gonna die”, TikTokers spilt their secrets to viewers in a final peace out to the social media app.
The viral audio came from season 4, episode 27 of Family Guy where Peter Griffin confesses he didn’t “care for The Godfather” amid thinking he would die.
In the trend, influencers spilt their secrets about viral moments online and things their viewers didn’t know. Some were lighthearted, poking fun at the assumptions viewers made about their favorite influencers but some were more shocking to fans.
Read More: Could TikTok Come Back After a Ban in the US?
While the app is back up online, that doesn’t mean that the tea has stopped being spilt. So, from TikTokers across the USA, here are the best Tiktoks from the “since we’re going to die” trend.
1. Haley Kalil – Was Never Dating William
Haley Kalil or @haleyybaylee is one of the app’s biggest TikTokers, boasting 11 million followers. The 32-year-old has gone viral many times, whether it is because of her stunning award-show glambots or her Marie-Antoinette “let them eat cake” controversy, (which is another subject she confessed about in the trend). But her most shocking confession was that her billionaire William dating series was never real.
For those who don’t know, the TikToker posted a series of videos (seemingly satirical ones) mentioning a billionaire boyfriend named Wiliam, although she never showed the man. The TikToker did a series of day-in-the-life videos as a “stay-at-home-girlfriend”.
Now the confession that William isn’t real shocked fans, but anyone could’ve seen this coming. Kalil’s videos were purely for laughs, and a billionaire boyfriend does seem too good to be true. However, that doesn’t mean that users weren’t crushed that William doesn’t exist.
2. Mark was in the Duo Lingo Bird Costume
Duolingo is one of the highlights of American TikTok, you can’t help but love that green bird. However, the mystery of who is in the bird costume has plagued viewers for years. It’s the same level of mystery as who is in the mascot costume when you’re at a football game – but this revelation was bigger.
In their confession video, Duolingo revealed the identity of the green birdy, confessing that Mark, one of their employees, was in the costume this whole time.
Users in the comments joked about Mark’s reveal, which is iconic because in the Duo universe, Mark isn’t a main character. And now the reveal was for nothing because the app is back! But you can’t blame Duo Lingo for wanting their Hannah Montana moment.
3. Kaeli Mae Never Used Her Ice Cubes
Kaeli Mae is a lifestyle TikToker known for her aesthetic videos and well… special ice cubes. In some of her videos, Mae would use funky-looking ice cubes to add to her drinks. She became known for her ice restock videos, which users branded as excessive and fascinating, and it turns out… she never used them! If that wasn’t shocking enough, she confessed she didn’t like ice in her drinks – only in her coffee.
Considering that the ice videos are some of the TikToker’s most viral videos, some users felt duped. Some fans accused her of wasting fruit, since some ice cubes were fruit-flavored, and one fan asked “What was the reason?” An appropriate reaction, for sure.
Maybe a lot of those restock videos are lies, then.
4. Frank Mele Faked His New York Accent
Frank Mele is one TikToker who is known for one thing: his voice. His virality came from his strong New York accent, which inspired hundreds of videos on his son, Joe’s account. For users, this video was shocking because Mele’s viral moments were for his pronunciation of simple words. His words were emphasized thanks to the strong New York twang.
These videos built up a social media profile for Joe Mele, who now has 30 million followers on the app.
The Girlfriend Rates My Dad’s Accent videos received millions of likes, and it appears it’s all been a lie.
Or has it? It’s unclear whether Mele’s accent is real or not, or if that video was made for engagement. Either way, what a betrayal.
5. Meredith Duxbury’s 10 Pump Makeup Videos Weren’t All Real
MakeupTok is a space where users come to watch their fave creators do stunning makeup looks, do tutorials, and play around with cosplays. Meredith Duxbury’s fans would stay to watch her cake herself in makeup.
The TikToker went viral for her 10 pounds of foundation videos as well as her makeup tutorials. Duxbury claimed her method of applying foundation was by using 10 pumps, which horrified users. However, she just confessed some of it was fake and that she’d wipe some of those pumps off off-camera. Or did she, because that’s what she captioned the confession video with…
Many commentators felt betrayed in the comments. Duxbury replied to one comment claiming she was “joking”, but how can we trust her now?!
6. Carter Ordered Squishmellows Online
Every TikToker seems to be coming out and saying the things they went viral for were fake. Carter Kench is no exception. He confessed in a video he ordered most of his Squishmellows online rather than searching for them as his videos portrayed.
In his defence, Kench said it was “only for a few of them” and followed up in another video saying he did this only when he ran out of Squishmellows to find. If you’re confused, Kench gained followers on the app for his love of Squishmellow plush toys, and his Squishmellow hunt videos. The TikToker would go to stores and search for viral or rare Squishmellows. He continued the series into 2024, but now it appears those toys may have come from online and NOT in-store.
Well, our favorite TikTokers have been lying to us, be still our beating hearts.
