Photo: Instagram / buzzfeednews.com
A Nashville-based lifestyle influencer is coming under heavy fire after an older story about a motorcycle accident she had 3 weeks ago went back into rotation. She would never stage an event like that for the ‘Gram, she says.
At the end of last month, while on a ride out with friends, Mitchell crashed her bike when she “misjudged” a curb. The bike hit the ground but she slid on the pavement, suffering bruises and scrapes. The injuries were only minor, which is why one of the friends she was with, a professional photographer, snapped pictures of Mitchell lying on the side of the road while she was being tended to.
Days after the crash, Mitchell posted the photos to her Instagram, and BuzzFeed caught on the controversy that the pics seemed staged, almost as if she’s faked the crash to get likes and followers on social media. Adding to this impression was the fact that her bike was upright in the photos, there were no visible injuries, the helmet next to her wasn’t the one she’d been photographed with one hour before the supposed accident, and there was a bottle of water carefully placed at the forefront, with the label in plain sight.
As the discussion picked up, Mitchell was flooded with negative comments and even threatening emails. She was accused of everything from glamorizing vehicular tragedies to being a poseur who sells out for a sponcon with SmartWater. In her latest Insta Story, she defends herself from all these accusations, including additional footage of her injuries and of the damage to her BMW bike as evidence.
“Having a moment that was that intense documented, I appreciate that. Not everyone has to, but I do and I think a lot of other people do,” Mitchell says. “This was a heavy moment for me that was scary and that meant a lot, and I had this treasure of having these images from it. Nothing about it was staged. Nothing about it was a sponsorship.”
Because of the intense negativity that came with the photos of the crash, Mitchell has deleted the post. It’s not because they’re fake in any way, she explains, but because she doesn’t want to put something out there that prompts this type of reaction.
Days after the crash, Mitchell posted the photos to her Instagram, and BuzzFeed caught on the controversy that the pics seemed staged, almost as if she’s faked the crash to get likes and followers on social media. Adding to this impression was the fact that her bike was upright in the photos, there were no visible injuries, the helmet next to her wasn’t the one she’d been photographed with one hour before the supposed accident, and there was a bottle of water carefully placed at the forefront, with the label in plain sight.
As the discussion picked up, Mitchell was flooded with negative comments and even threatening emails. She was accused of everything from glamorizing vehicular tragedies to being a poseur who sells out for a sponcon with SmartWater. In her latest Insta Story, she defends herself from all these accusations, including additional footage of her injuries and of the damage to her BMW bike as evidence.
“Having a moment that was that intense documented, I appreciate that. Not everyone has to, but I do and I think a lot of other people do,” Mitchell says. “This was a heavy moment for me that was scary and that meant a lot, and I had this treasure of having these images from it. Nothing about it was staged. Nothing about it was a sponsorship.”
Because of the intense negativity that came with the photos of the crash, Mitchell has deleted the post. It’s not because they’re fake in any way, she explains, but because she doesn’t want to put something out there that prompts this type of reaction.
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