The "Leave Britney Alone" Creator Is Living Her Truth

Back in 2007, a 19-year-old who went by the name Chris Crocker uploaded a video to YouTube called "Leave Britney Alone," insisting that the tabloids stop harassing singer Britney Spears. The video went viral, and was credited with being one of YouTube's first big videos.

Today, the internet personality goes by Cara Cunningham, and she's still creating content online. On TikTok, you can find her trying out and reviewing new foods; she also has a link to her Cameo page in her bio. It also looks like she has continued to put out music, having released her first EP back in 2011.

In August 2021, Cara announced she was transitioning, and was undergoing hormone replacement therapy. "I have put my identity and personal happiness aside for so long, out of fear of rejection or me not wanting to embarrass my family," she wrote on Instagram at the time (per Out).

Earlier that year, before transitioning, the content creator was able to sell the "Leave Britney Alone" video as an NFT (it was purchased for $41,000), telling Business Insider that the money would go toward her grandmother, with any money left over afterward used toward transitioning.

Sadly, Cara's beloved grandmother passed away in November 2023. Cara had been raised by both grandparents, who were married for nearly 60 years. Today, she often visits with her grandpa to keep him company and help take care of him.

As for Cara's last name, she told fans in an April 2024 TikTok video that her last name was actually always Cunningham, not Crocker.

"Before I transitioned and I legally changed my name to Cara, my legal name was always Christopher Cunningham," she said. ".... Chris Crocker was a stage name that was born out of fear, because when I did 'Leave Britney Alone,' I was getting a lot of anonymous calls to my grandparents' house. I was a teenager at the time, and I realized really quickly when my videos were going viral that I needed to have a stage name for when I'm doing all these interviews and stuff."

Cara said she before she did "Leave Britney Alone," she posted a video where she burnt a pizza. "And in that video I said, 'I'm not Betty Crocker.' So when I needed a stage name, I was like, oh, I'm not Betty Crocker, but I could be Chis Crocker."

"So Crocker was never my real last name, and I thought now that I'm transitioning, stepping into my truth, why would I carry over a fake stage name — Crocker — that was born out of fear and safety concerns?"

Thankfully, it looks like many of Cara's fans are cheering her on, and are grateful to get to keep up with the star.

"It’s a pleasure to get a glimpse into your life," wrote a user under one of Cara's videos about spending time with her grandfather.

"Honestly, something about you has become so calming and happy to watch," said another.

"I think you’re my favorite person on TikTok," another person wrote.

And one fan summed it up nicely with this: "You're good people, Cara."