Annie Bonelli (@wtmab), otherwise known as “Scar Girl” on TikTok, has recently been accused of faking her scar.
Bonelli has amassed a following of over 690,000 followers on TikTok with her image of being a pretty creator with a scar on her right cheek.
But TikTok users are now accusing Bonnelli of lying about the scar and drawing it on her face to gain online fame — claiming that the wound often changes in size, color, and location on her cheek.
Why it matters: With YouTubers like The Liver King being exposed for using steroids and the worrying trend of TikTokers faking illnesses for followers, social media users are more suspicious than ever about influencers and their claims. The debate over Scar Girl is shaping up to be the most talked about TikTok scandal of 2023 so far.
@wtmab It’s amazing how people choose to waste their time #forreal #fypp ♬ original sound – danica
Context
- In March 2021, Bonelli first uploaded a video that showed a small, pink scar on her face. The clip now has over 1.6 million views.
- Bonelli continued to post lip sync videos with her scar on Tikok and viewers began to speculate if her wound was real as it allegedly changed size and “moved” around her face in the clips. Some joked about Bonneli faking her famous scar for money: “Get your bag girly.”
- However, the social media debate intensified this month when @livelaughwhor3 made a viral video to compare Annie’s scar from 2021 to the present. The clip purportedly shows how the mark on her cheek goes from being pink and small to dark, pigmented. The angle of her scar also appears to change and became curved. The video has 15.8 million views
@livelaughwhor3 scars don’t change angles scar girl #scargirl #scarfacegirl ♬ Cricket Sound – Sound Effects
Scar Girl’s Response
- On January 1, Bonelli posted a response video claiming that she actually has two scars, which is why previous videos show her with a lighter, shorter scar. She also says she received a chemical burn on top of her original scar, causing it to darken. Bonelli also shows how she can not wipe off her scar with a baby wipe.
- On January 11, Bonelli posted another video in which she uses make-up wipes to try to wipe the scar off, showing that nothing comes off her skin. The clip has 26.7 million views.
@wtmab hey guys, originally in March of 2020 when I was injured and realized that this would be a permanent mark on my face forever I was embarrassed. I was so upset that I thought my face was ruined as insecure as I was already at 15 navigating highschool. I felt like the opportunity to look at myself in the mirror and smile was taken away from me because of a cruel situation. It was until one day that I realized that covering my scar and openly hating it was a disservice to those close to me and myself suffering from insecurities. While I decided not to cover it for those reasons it never fully went away and neither did my insecurities because when I looked in the mirror I saw the reason behind why it was there. Unfortunately I had a poor reaction to the first topical I tried in an attempt to fade it. I was sloppy applying it as well and this led to a longer injury. I was in a dark place knowing that it was now even worse. I had to wait til that fully healed to start a second treatment which I began in august. Since then, this treatment has been super invasive and I cannot emphasize the pain directed around that injury. It’s at a point where it genuinely does look gross, it has risen and it’s scabbed over. I also did not think about how tanner would get in the scabbed area when I did it. It should get better with time but unfortunately all of my scars do still heal brown. While I don’t think it’s right that people mindlessly comment hate for whatever reason it is, I do make a decision to put myself out on the internet. My account was made to show those out there, they’re more than their scars. Not to have a comment section showing those same people they should hate themselves because of their scars. I’ll never stop using my platform for DV awareness and body positivity. I hope this video is what y’all need to move on or at least understand. No one should make a comment on someone’s scars, especially not knowing the history behind that scar or the person on the screen. If anyone ever needs to talk my dms are open, I would love to listen to your stories and hype y’all up. I promise I hear u and I see u. Thank you and I hope y’all will move with grace in the future.
TikTok is Not Convinced
- On January 11, @annettejohnstonaesthetic posted a video claiming that some of Bonelli’s scar come off when she wipes it. It has over 7.1 million views.
- Other TikTokers like @shelbytweten and @tonguehockeyqueen also uploaded viral videos alleging that Bonelli’s scar was fake and showing that wounds lighten and fade over time.
What’s next?
- Bonelli continues to defend herself on TikTok and even asked her dad to corroborate that her scar is real.
- This week, Bonelli started doing interviews in which she doubled-down on the authenticity of her scar. This included an appearance on BFFs Podcast and an interview with NBC News.
- The scandal continues to fascinate TikTok users who believe Bonelli is committed to her allegedly fake scar. One viewer writes: “Y’all realize she’ll probably never reveal that it isn’t real because then she’ll stop getting views and making money.”
Read more: Bonelli publicly denied that her scar was fake but the internet is still not convinced.
Update 01/29/2023 by Pesala Bandara: Information on Bonelli’s new interviews added.
