YouTuber Eugenia Cooney, who is battling an eating disorder, has caused widespread concern on social media with her recent video showcasing her extremely thin figure. The video has sparked an outcry of worry and compassion from viewers. This comes just days after Vegan raw food influencer Zhanna Samsonova died from starvation and exhaustion.
Cooney, 29, has been at the center of much controversy and concern. Her journey began in 2013 when she started sharing videos of her extremely thin body on the video-sharing platform, which initially upset many people. However, she also gained a dedicated fanbase through her beauty tutorials.
How Is Cooney?
Conney raised concerns about her health and well-being after she uploaded a video on July 21, which has garnered over 16.8 million views. In the clip, Cooney is seen dressed in a full hot pink outfit reminiscent of the character Barbie, showcasing her unique fashion style.
In the TikTok caption, Cooney, known for her fashion content on YouTube with over 2.13 million subscribers, playfully introduced herself as Barbie.
Internet personality Oli London reposted the clip on the platform X (formerly known as Twitter), and he expressed concern over Cooney's "worryingly thin figure" in his post.
However, some fans expressed concern about her extremely thin appearance in the comments section of the post.
One person wrote: "How is this extremely sick girl allowed to influence millions of kids? Her accounts should be shut down and she should be hospitalized."
"This is sad and scary," wrote another user.
"This is awful," wrote yet another person.
Another concerned follower said: "So sad. She's going to die if she doesn't get help soon. This is horrible. Who are the people filming, following and cheering this on?"
"That's worrying. I hope she's okay," added another person.
"As a lifelong anorexic that's currently in recovery, I am horrified that this is being promoted on her social media," another claimed. "This imagery is not healthy for any young women to view. It's very triggering."
"I am surprised she has the energy to stand, let alone walk," an X user wrote in response to London. "I hope she finds peace and help for her anorexia."
"She is literally knocking on death's door," a second X user typed. "This is exceptionally sad."
At the Cost of Her Own Health
In 2019, Cooney was featured in a documentary on YouTuber Shane Dawson's channel, following a period where she had taken a break from the internet to prioritize her health. In the documentary, she openly admitted to struggling with an eating disorder and shared her experience of seeking help by attending rehab, as reported by Metro.
In 2016, concerned fans pleaded with the YouTube star to seek help for what seemed to be an eating disorder.
A petition was initiated on Change.org by certain viewers who requested her removal from YouTube, stating that her thin appearance was "triggering to her fan base," as reported by Yahoo! Beauty at the time. However, the petition has since been deleted.
"She may not be intentionally influencing her viewers, but showing more than 50% of her body in her videos and pictures [is] not helping girls with Anorexia or any eating disorder," the petition read.
In 2019, the vlogger opened up about her personal journey in an interview with PAPER Magazine.
"I was never trying to cause any harm to anyone or asking them to lose weight," Cooney told the outlet, as she pointed out that she never spoke about her weight. "But you still see people judging you and not realizing that you don't have any bad intentions."
It's "not really something" that people who struggle with eating disorders or mental illnesses "choose" to have them, she continued.
"It would be great if the internet just tried to be positive to people," Cooney said. "If they're concerned, even if the person may not listen immediately, showing concern in a kinder way would be way better."
