Jessi Draper has had enough of parasocial relationships.
“I’m so grateful for the love and support, but the weird thing about the internet is people get so eerily involved in your life that they think they know you,” Draper, 34, said via socia media on Thursday, June 4. “It’s so unhealthy. It’s so weird, but it’s also what gives us jobs, views, and love and support. You kind of have to love it as well.”
To try and help her followers understand, Draper described it like “walking through a hallway.”
“You get to read the mind of every person passing you and you get to see what they’re thinking about you,” she explained. “‘You’re ugly, you’re a clout chaser, you’re fake crying, you’re dramatic, you’re not a girl’s girl, you’re a fake friend.’ Imagine they’re all thinking this about you while you’re walking by. That would be so overwhelming, right?”
Draper admitted that she knows getting hate comments is part of the job, but she said it’s “not normal to have people this invested in your life.”
“I know this drama is all our fault and we take it online,” she said of the ongoing drama surrounding The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. “I’m done. I’m not gonna be taking my drama online anymore,” she added. “I’m creating strict boundaries.”
Draper went on to say that she “barely” scrolls through social media nowadays to avoid seeing what others are saying about her and her castmates.
What’s “worth it” to Draper is when she sees the positive impact she has on her fans’ lives at meet-and-greets. “That’s why I love what I do because you can genuinely connect with humans that you wouldn’t have otherwise.”
“The other side of it, where people think they know you and they think they have a right to say whatever the hell they want to you, is crazy,” she said.
“6 minute rant if you have time 😂🫶🏼 let’s bring back positivity!!” Draper captioned the post. Her celebrity friends and fans were quick to support her in the comments section.
“YESSSSSS LOVE THIS FOR YOU!” Marciano Brunette, who Draper is dating, commented. Influencer Jena Frumes added, “No one ‘signs up’ for online abuse .. you are so graceful but no you did not sign up to be abused. Glad you are choosing peace 💕.” A fan commented, “Hate can be so loud, I’m sorry Jessi. I love you and you’re DEFINITELY a girls girl in my eyes 🫶🏻.”
