Tragic Details About Social Media Star Alix Earle
Renowned for her "Get Ready with Me" TikTok videos, influencer Alix Earle appears to have it all. The New Jersey native has made it onto Forbes' prestigious 30 Under 30 list, can make up to $70,000 for just a single sponsored post, and launched a podcast that ended the two-year reign of "The Joe Rogan Experience" atop the Spotify charts. And she's a smart cookie, too, having graduated from the University of Miami with a marketing degree. The effect she had on her followers was even studied in the Harvard Business Review.
But not everything in Earle's world has always turned to gold. She's had not just one, but two failed relationships with American sports stars. And then there are the various hardships she's had to deal with in her family life and throughout her teenage years and social media career. Despite being one of the internet's dominant It girls, she's dealt with everything from homewrecker accusations and vacation scams to eating disorders and panic attacks.
Alix Earle was left devastated by father's betrayal
Alix Earle's family became headline news in 2008 when an affair between her dad Thomas 'TJ' Earle and former call girl Ashley Dupre became public knowledge. Her family suddenly found themselves swarmed by paparazzi, but the future influencer, only 8 years old at the time, was kept in the dark about the reason for all the press intrusion. In fact, it was two years later that she discovered the truth.
During an appearance on Alex Cooper's podcast "Call Her Daddy," Earle explained, "It was in like fourth grade. I started to kind of hear commentary from people and I had an iPad at the time. I'm Googling my family and all of a sudden, I see that the past two years of my life had been a lie." The University of Miami graduate then remarked how it "felt like my world crashed down in that moment."
Although the news of her father's extra-marital relationship came as a huge shock, Earle is glad that her mother Alisa decided not to divulge any details at the time: "I didn't know the severity of what had happened between my parents because my mom was super, super mature about it and didn't speak to us about it and didn't put that stress that she was going through onto us. I kind of figured it out myself and then I proceeded to deal with it myself."
Alix Earle was once humiliated by a teacher
You might expect that a high school teacher would be sensitive to a student if their family's private life had suddenly been plastered all over the media. Unfortunately for Alix Earle, she had the misfortune to be taught by one teacher who appeared determined to call attention to the scandal as much as the tabloids.
While appearing on "Call Her Daddy," the influencer recalled one of the most mortifying days in her life: "My teacher in high school was talking about this governor's affair and said exactly what had happened — who it had happened with — and like looked me in the eyes while this was going on in class." The teacher who should have known better was, of course, referring to the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal which involved Ashley Alexandre Dupre, the woman Earle's father left her mother for.
The TikToker went on to add, "I remember my classmates looking at me and like, laughing because this was about my family. And this was something he was literally teaching in history class. I left school bawling my eyes out. I was so embarrassed."
Alix Earle developed eating disorders in high school
One of the most emotional moments of the podcast "Hot Mess with Alix Earle" came when its host candidly discussed the eating disorders she struggled with in her sophomore year of high school. As with many teenagers, peer pressure was a contributing factor.
Discussing how her friends would spend thousands of dollars on the latest fad diet, Earle recalled, "... I knew that this wasn't normal at first but after watching their habits and watching them lose weight and watching them be so satisfied over this, it became more normalized for me. It was a very, very toxic environment when it came to girls' relationship with food. I went from someone who had a very healthy relationship with food very quickly to someone who did not."
Earle first began significantly cutting down on her portion sizes, before developing bulimia: "All I wanted to do was get those thoughts out of my head that were making me feel so guilty about the food that I just ate," she told listeners. Thankfully, the TikToker eventually stopped binging and purging, and thanks to her supportive friends at the University of Miami, now has a much healthier relationship with food. "I eat what I want to eat, and that has me in such a better place and in such better shape. And my body is so much healthier than it ever was."
If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).
Alix Earle struggled with acne
Alix Earle is renowned for being one of TikTok's most transparent 'Get Ready with Me' stars — and nowhere is that more apparent than in the 2022 clip she uploaded after experiencing the kind of acne breakout she'd suffered from throughout her college years.
At the same time Earle was dealing with a significant cyst, she was told by her manager that she needed to film a sponsored video for the platform. Speaking to Elle about how she felt at the time, the influencer remarked, "I didn't want to post anymore because my skin got so bad, and I was like, 'Well, now I feel disgusting. I don't want to be on camera.'"
However, Earle eventually realized that she could help others going through a similar situation by publicly sharing her problem: "I found a little community, and I loved answering everyone's questions and DMs." And because of her refreshing honesty about everything from concealing tips to dealing with Accutane side effects, the University of Miami graduate ended up accruing more than two million new followers by the end of the year.
Alix Earle suffers from panic attacks
In 2022, influencer Alix Earle documented her experiences attending the U.S. Open, one of the tennis world's four Grand Slam tournaments. But it wasn't her analysis on Novak Djokovic's backhand that got her followers talking.
Living up to her candid reputation, Earle posted a TikTok in which she revealed that she'd suffered a panic attack at the New York event: "I'm literally on the floor of the bathroom in the suite," she said. "I thought I was going to go home, I thought I was going to have to call 911, I felt like I couldn't breathe." Earle then offered her number one tip for anyone who's suffered a similar ordeal: "... I know this is super hard, but I like to tell someone that I don't feel good, that I'm having anxiety. For example, here I'm with my friend Christian. I was like 'Christian, I'm having really bad anxiety right now. We need to go to the bathroom.'"
Earle has often spoken about her anxiety in general, including the fact that she's been taking Lexapro since her high school years. As she explained to Hollywood Life: "I've shared the good, the bad and the ugly because that's just life and what makes us human — no matter what age you are."
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Alix Earle was stranded in Italy
Even TikTok superstars aren't completely immune to being scammed. In 2022, Alix Earle and a bunch of girlfriends headed to Italy's Amalfi Coast for what they hoped would be a relaxing vacation. But when they got to the Italian village of Positano, they found out the accommodation they'd booked was nowhere to be found.
"What do we do now?" Earle captioned a TikTokvideo detailing their travel woes. "We're stranded in Italy. The house we were supposed to stay at doesn't exist. Our car service canceled. It's midnight. We literally don't know where to go." The University of Miami graduate then revealed that the gang had been "so scared" when they reached their destination after initially believing that they may have been "kidnapped."
"Omg be safe please girls," one particular follower remarked, while another commented, "New fear unlocked." Luckily, Earle and her 11-strong group managed to find somewhere else to stay that night before going on to make alternative arrangements.
Alix Earle was labeled a homewrecker
In 2023, Alix Earle began dating Braxton Berrios of the NFL's Miami Dolphins. But instead of being congratulated on bagging herself a football star boyfriend, the influencer was accused by some of being a homewrecker. It was a label that left her in floods of tears.
Earle got tongues wagging due to the timing of her new relationship, with many questioning whether it had started before Berrios officially broke up with Sophia Culpo. But during an appearance on the podcast "Call Her Daddy," the influencer insisted that she had done nothing wrong: "It is so triggering to even hear you say that or when I was reading these comments, I was bawling my eyes out to my friends. I spent my childhood basically thinking that this is the worst thing you could do to another human, so why the f*** would I do that? No, they were not together."
The University of Miami graduate then posed the theory that Culpo's vague allegations of unfaithfulness emerged at the same time she was first spotted hanging out with Berrios. "... So everyone kind of just pointed fingers at me," she added. "You know I was asking for the receipts. I was probably more psycho than she was. I was like, 'There's just no f***ing way this happened.' I was checking everything." In the end, the drama didn't appear to be worth it, as Earle claimed that she and the sportsman never got serious before going their separate ways.
Alix Earle's privacy was invaded by several friends
While there are many pros to becoming a podcast chart-topping, footballer-dating, TikTok sensation, there are also several cons. And Alix Earle found out the hard way that a complete lack of privacy is one.
While hosting a 2024 episode of her hit podcast "Hot Mess with Alex Earle," the influencer revealed that she's had to cut several friends out of her life because they betrayed her trust. "I was going through a breakup and [my friend] knew all the details of everything," Earle remarked about a so-called pal following her split from MLB star Tyler Wade. "I had girls DM me saying she was at a bar saying, 'I'm Alix Earle's best friend,' and was telling them personal secrets about my breakup."
Earle also recalled the time another former pal sent nude pictures of her to others without her consent, including a future beau: "My friend and I came back from [a night out], I'm laying on my bed naked, butt cheeks were out and this person decides to take a picture of me. My legs are spread a little bit, my taco is out. This person then texts this picture to [Braxton Berrios] who's my boyfriend now but at the time he was not my boyfriend, I was just starting to hang out with him. I was like, 'Do not send that,' and this person hits send." The New Jersey native admitted she now keeps her friend group much smaller.