Creepy traveler couple follow and mimic instagram blogger’s every pictures turns out to be a publicity stunt
- 7 years ago
INSTAGRAM — An Instagram star who claims another woman has been following her and producing near exact copies of her photos stands accused of staging an elaborate hoax.
23-year-old Australian Lauren Bullen and her photographer boyfriend Jack Morris produce advertisements for clients on Instagram.
Last week, Bullen claimed that she was being “stalked” by a copycat. The woman follows Bullen around the world, creating strikingly similar photos, down to the exact same outfits, locations and lighting.
Bullen’s story aroused suspicions because copying her posts would be extremely time-consuming and expensive.
Bullen profits from these trips because clients pay for the posts to advertise their products. Her stalker, who goes by the name “Diana,” does not seem to have any sponsors.
Business Insider dug into the story, and its senior graphics editor said the photos appear to have been taken around the same time, though not directly after the other. Also, “Diana” is taller than Bullen, and the outfits look much smaller on her.
Bullen, who already had more than 700,000 Instagram followers, gained 200,000 followers after the story about her “stalker” went viral. She said she has spoken with the copycat and forgiven her. But she won’t put prying journalists in touch with “Diana.” “Diana” made her account private, and she isn’t talking.
And then there’s what many are calling the “smoking gun,” a Google search that links Bullen’s Twitter account to “Diana.”
In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Bullen said she and her boyfriend are both established Instagram bloggers and that there is no way they would risk their fame for something like this.
The Cosmopolitan writer seems to believe her, noting that many — though not all — of
Bullen’s Instagram tags for her outfits and locations would have given her stalker all the information she needed.
What do you think? Was this an elaborate publicity stunt, or does Bullen have a really dedicated stalker?
23-year-old Australian Lauren Bullen and her photographer boyfriend Jack Morris produce advertisements for clients on Instagram.
Last week, Bullen claimed that she was being “stalked” by a copycat. The woman follows Bullen around the world, creating strikingly similar photos, down to the exact same outfits, locations and lighting.
Bullen’s story aroused suspicions because copying her posts would be extremely time-consuming and expensive.
Bullen profits from these trips because clients pay for the posts to advertise their products. Her stalker, who goes by the name “Diana,” does not seem to have any sponsors.
Business Insider dug into the story, and its senior graphics editor said the photos appear to have been taken around the same time, though not directly after the other. Also, “Diana” is taller than Bullen, and the outfits look much smaller on her.
Bullen, who already had more than 700,000 Instagram followers, gained 200,000 followers after the story about her “stalker” went viral. She said she has spoken with the copycat and forgiven her. But she won’t put prying journalists in touch with “Diana.” “Diana” made her account private, and she isn’t talking.
And then there’s what many are calling the “smoking gun,” a Google search that links Bullen’s Twitter account to “Diana.”
In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Bullen said she and her boyfriend are both established Instagram bloggers and that there is no way they would risk their fame for something like this.
The Cosmopolitan writer seems to believe her, noting that many — though not all — of
Bullen’s Instagram tags for her outfits and locations would have given her stalker all the information she needed.
What do you think? Was this an elaborate publicity stunt, or does Bullen have a really dedicated stalker?