A British mother is facing online criticism after sharing photographs of herself at her teenage daughter’s funeral, the same daughter who took her own life following years of relentless trolling on the internet, according to The Metro. Sophie-May Dickson, a social media influencer from Essex, England, lost her 16-year-old daughter Princess last month. Princess had endured two years of targeted abuse on a British gossip website called Tattle Life, which ultimately took a severe toll on her mental health and wellbeing.
Sophie-May and her family first came into the public eye over a decade ago when they appeared on a Channel 5 television programme called Blinging up Baby. She had previously drawn criticism in 2014 for allowing her then four-year-old daughter to have a spray tan, as per the news report.
At first, it was Sophie-May herself who was the target of trolls on Tattle Life, with her posts attracting more than 10,000 comments. However, when she stepped away from social media, the abuse shifted towards Princess. Anonymous users created fake accounts to mock the teenager on TikTok, badly affecting her mental health and her attendance at school. Tragically, Princess took her own life last month.
At the funeral, Sophie-May was photographed resting her head against her daughter’s coffin. She had hired professional photographers to document the service. The images and videos were later shared with her 28,000 followers on Instagram, drawing fresh criticism from the public, who accused her of letting vanity overshadow grief.
Defending herself, Sophie-May explained that returning to the coffin was a deeply personal and emotional decision, one final moment with her daughter that she simply could not walk away from.
Even after Princess’s death, offensive remarks continued to appear on Tattle Life, with some users blaming Sophie-May for her daughter’s passing. When she reported the abuse to authorities, she was informed it was considered a civil matter.
Last month, Members of Parliament wrote to media regulator Ofcom calling for Tattle Life to be shut down, stating that the comments on the site amounted to persistent online stalking and harassment of a child by adults. The letter also noted that warnings had been raised about Princess’s inability to cope with the abuse, warnings that, tragically, went unheeded.
Tattle Life, in response, denied responsibility and said it was confident in its moderation processes. Princess’s death is currently being investigated by the Coroner.
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