Internet Furious as Judge Orders Aubreigh Wyatt's Mom Heather to Shut Down All Social Media Accounts
"HEATHER WYATT HAS BEEN SILENCED FOR NO REASON," a popular message on social media states.
Jul. 10 2024, Published 11:05 a.m. ET
Content warning: This article mentions suicide.
The story of Mississippi teen Aubreigh Wyatt, who tragically died by suicide in 2023, has become a hot topic of conversation on social media. Aubreigh's mother, Heather Wyatt, has been leading the conversation, sharing her daughter's story and promoting conversations around mental health — up until a series of lawsuits filed against her by the parents of her daughter's alleged bullies forced her to stop posting.
Though Heather has not named any names, the internet has begun to share the bullies' information, from their identities to their addresses. Now, following the lawsuits, a judge has reportedly ordered Heather to take down her social media accounts in an effort to protect the minors who have been accused of bullying Aubreigh. Of course, Heather's supporters are furious.
Here's what we know.
A judge has "silenced" Heather Wyatt by ordering her to take down all social media accounts.
Just as Heather's presence on TikTok was reaching its peak at almost 1 million followers, Chancery Court Judge Mark Maples ordered her to shut down all of her social media accounts, according to the Biloxi Sun Herald. Judge Maples claimed that he was trying to "protect the minors accused of bullying Aubreigh." Reportedly, there will be a hearing held on July 18 to determine whether the order needs to stay in place.
Following the injunction, upset supporters created a campaign on social media to spread the word about Heather's situation. On almost any video on the platform having to do with Aubreigh's death, you'll find this message in the comments: "Y'ALL! HEATHER WYATT HAS BEEN SILENCED FOR NO REASON! SHE WAS ORDERED BY COURT TO DELETE ALL SOCIALS! SPREAD THIS MESSAGE, DON'T KEEP QUIET!"
Other large creators have come out in support of Heather and Aubreigh. A beloved Alabama TikToker known affectionately as MamaTot posted a video to her 12 million followers regarding the situation: "Since Aubreigh's mama can't speak for her ... I suppose we will. Right, Tatertots? When their voice is silenced, use yours." The caption includes the popular hashtag #JusticeForAubreighWyatt.
Her message has 10 million views at the time of writing.