Surrounded by the vibrant atmosphere of High Point University in North Carolina, Annie Bonelli appears as a regular college freshman. With her long blonde hair tied up neatly, she exchanges greetings with fellow students at the on-campus bakery. However, within a span of just one year, Bonelli has become a minor celebrity, capturing the attention of many. In fact, during an interview with Rolling Stone, three excited girls interrupt the conversation to ask her to join their BeReal. Bonelli agrees and, before the camera clicks, reveals the feature that the girls are most curious about: the long, curved, dark brown scar on her right cheek.
Online, Bonelli, known as “Scar Girl” on TikTok with the handle @wtmab, has garnered a niche following after her scar transformed from a healing line to an unmistakable dark brown curve. This development sparked a heated debate on the app: is the scar real? With nearly 800 thousand followers, Bonelli explains that her TikTok following grew as a result of her initial scar. However, after attempting to treat it and accidentally creating a new scar in the process, she faced accusations of fabricating the entire story for attention. The hashtag #scargirl on TikTok has amassed over 448 million views, with users tirelessly discussing whether the mark is a genuine injury or a meticulously crafted ruse.
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Unlike many creators with a similar following, Bonelli’s content lacks a specific focus. Her account resembles that of any typical teenage girl, filled with lip-syncs, popular TikTok trends, dances, and viral songs. However, her comment section consistently centers around her scar, with some accusing her of using makeup to draw it on, medical professionals questioning the healing process, and others meticulously analyzing her videos frame by frame. Recently, some individuals have even resorted to mocking Bonelli by posting “get ready with me” videos, smearing dark makeup to imitate her scar on their own cheeks.
Bonelli has never publicly disclosed the cause of her original scar. Rolling Stone asked her about it, but she declined to share any details. However, on social media, Bonelli has mentioned receiving the injury in a “cruel” and “traumatic” situation that took away her smile. She has been vocal about wanting to bring awareness to domestic violence, a cause she believes her comment section undermines. Therefore, Rolling Stone sat down with Bonelli, not only to see her scar up-close but also to understand why people are so fixated on it in the first place.
“These past few months have been a little crazy,” Bonelli tells Rolling Stone. “My videos are averaging one to two million views each. While TikTok was always just something I used, becoming an influencer was never intentional. It just happened. I had two other accounts, but this one blew up two years ago.”
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Bonelli acknowledges that her scar contributed to her account’s growth. Despite being white, blonde, and conventionally attractive, her previous TikTok accounts never gained significant attention. However, she reveals that even though the scar brought her recognition, she was insecure about its appearance and what it symbolized. Attempting to lighten it, she used a topical treatment that didn’t go as planned, resulting in a severe chemical burn. She had to wait for it to heal, which only worsened the scar before it started getting better.
Reflecting on the incident, Bonelli recognizes that her actions were evidence of her discomfort with her own reflection. However, online viewers interpreted the new mark as a ploy to maintain the following she had gained as “Scar Girl.” To some extent, Bonelli understands why people doubt her authenticity.
“It’s hard not to pay attention to it,” she admits. “But the debate is strange to me because, at the end of the day, people are commenting on something on my body. It’s disheartening to see creators on big platforms almost tearing me down. I can’t remove my scar and hang it on a hook. I don’t feel compelled to cover it up.”
Almost a year ago, when the controversy surrounding Bonelli’s scar escalated from innocent curiosity to relentless accusations and mockery, she attempted to ignore it. She focused on moving forward after high school, spending time with friends, and preparing for college.
“I live near the water back home. Do you really think I wouldn’t go to the ocean every day with my friends?” she challenges, emphasizing that any makeup attempting to fake a scar would wash off. “I’m sorry, but I would’ve been caught in my hometown.”
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In the past month, Bonelli has posted several videos trying to prove that her scar is genuine. In one, she wipes at it with a makeup wipe, while in another, she describes the sensation of the burn. Yet, Bonelli confesses to Rolling Stone that she no longer cares whether people believe her or not. Instead, she challenges her detractors to consider why they crave proof so intensely.
“This is a personal matter,” she asserts. “Why do I owe that to people? I could 100 percent show my medical records on TikTok, but people would still claim it’s fake. So, it doesn’t matter what I do. I can’t control what people say. If anything, it only amplifies my platform. Hence, I’d rather take advantage of it than sit in a corner and cry about it.”
As Bonelli sits before us, her scar appears not only real but also painful. She is not wearing any makeup during the meeting, and the red irritation surrounding the long, dark mark is clearly visible. The scar itself displays flaky, scratched, and broken skin in certain areas, which moves in sync with her gestures as she speaks. Either Bonelli is wasting her time in college when she should be pursuing a career in costume makeup, or she is simply a teenager dealing with the unfortunate aftermath of a chemical burn. We lean towards the latter. However, the true issue lies elsewhere.
The way Bonelli is interrogated, both in her comment section and in tagged videos, implies that she has committed a serious and disturbing crime. Although she possesses a thick skin, she wishes people understood the potential harm caused by openly discussing another individual’s injuries or scars. Despite the hurtful comments, Bonelli still receives numerous messages and direct messages from people with their own scars, expressing how her account has boosted their confidence. Other girls who acquired facial scars subsequent to Bonelli’s viral fame have also dubbed themselves “scar girls,” creating a unique and extremely niche genre of content. If people insist on keeping Bonelli’s platform in the public eye, she is now determined to leverage her viral moment to aid others who share her experiences.
“I believe I’ve touched on it, and if people connect the dots, they might understand,” she reveals. “But it’s my story to tell. It’s my scar. Perhaps one day, I’ll decide that people need to know where I got it from. However, for now, what matters most is how I’m using it.”
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: Blog
