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Screengrabs via @ThatPlainGirl on TikTok

‘What happened to Sarah Joy?’: The rise and fall of the ‘Amish’ TikToker, explained

The mystery behind TikTok's favorite “plain” creator.

TikTok exposes us to an endless variety of people from backgrounds that we may know nothing about. It can be very educational and wholesome in that sense, allowing people to share their lives, ask each other questions, and learn from one another. TikTok creator Sarah Joy is one of many people who have opened their unique lives up to the internet.

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Sarah Joy first went viral to share the struggles and differences of a person who may be a part of a “plain” community, which may refer to Amish, Mennonite, Conservative Quaker, or other communities who eschew modern dress, makeup, and some technology, often including social media, on religious grounds.

@pinkisforbaddies

#stitch with @Sarahjoy idk why this made me start hysterically crying I just woke up

♬ Your Best American Girl – Mitski
People sympathized with her pain and created a community around her page, a community that was largely out of concern for her and her lifestyle. That is until she posted a now-deleted video saying that it would be her last post on TikTok.

Understandably, fans are wildly speculating as to why the creator has chosen to leave the app. Some people think that authorities in her community may have found out about her use of the app and she got in trouble for posting. Many are worried about her safety and well-being amidst her abrupt departure from the internet.

@xrobinx91

Honestly @Sarahjoy, we just hope you are okay. And to whoever is checking in on her account – please know we mean well and respect your beliefs. #fyp #fypシ #foryourpage #sarahjoy #whathappened #whathappenedtosarahjoy? #wheressarah #mennonite #amish #amishtiktok #news #whereissarahjoy #foryoupage #freesarahjoy

♬ original sound – Robin w/ an I 😞😎😏

Some have even pleaded with the community to allow her to come back, saying that they respect the culture, Sarah Joy isn’t harming anyone, and they think most recent videos of hers have someone else behind them.

Others did some internet digging and have been posting photos and videos seemingly proving that Sarah Joy is not actually from an Amish, Mennonite or other plain community, and is faking it for likes and views. These people chalk her disappearance up to being discovered as a poser, and have posted pictures of her in makeup and modern clothing that they found online. They even claim to have found photos of her family at the church where her father is the pastor.

https://www.tiktok.com/@daddimaddii/video/7351135428549954859?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

TikToker and comedian Heather Shaw even hopped online to say that Sarah Joy had followed her back after announcing her departure from the app.

Sarah Joy hopped back on the app to address rumors that she was faking her lifestyle for views, saying that converted later in life and made the choice to join the plain community and people are, well, confused.

However, due to the controversy, Sarah Joy has taken down her account entirely, but that hasn’t stopped the speculation. People are obsessed with figuring out whether or not she’s telling the truth, why she would be faking it, and where she has gone now.

Unfortunately, as long as Sarah Joy is off the internet there may not be definitive answers, especially if she’s committed to painting that she is in fact a member of am Amish, Mennonite or other similar religious community who adhere to plain dress and simple living. As it goes on the internet, even if she is telling the truth, people aren’t apt to believe her.


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Author
Image of Jensen Bird
Jensen Bird
Jensen is a Freelance Writer at We Got This Covered. She specializes in TikTok and social media content. She is currently pursuing her M.S. in Journalism at Columbia University and has a degree in Foreign Language & Communications Media. Jensen spends way too much time scrolling on TikTok and is grateful for a position that lets her write about it.