Kendra Hilty took TikTok by storm when she started sharing her “I fell in love with my psychiatrist” series, where she talked about developing feelings for her doctor, claiming that the medical professional manipulated her. Initially, her posts struck a chord with people, who expressed sympathy. However, the reactions shifted when she introduced her new therapist - a ChatGPT model called “Henry”. In a recent interview, she opened up about facing hate and receiving "violent" threats due to her content.
“I knew that people were going to say it happened to them, too,” Hilty told People in an interview. “I didn’t know that people were immediately going to start also being negative,” she added.
Also Read: Who is Kendra Hilty? TikToker's 'I fell in love with my psychiatrist' saga sparks debate on mental health and AI
Hilty claimed that the thing that came soon after her being viral was “nonstop bullying”. She alleged that she received comments where people told her to “kill herself" or said the world was better off “without her.”
She continued that this has also affected her personal life, as there are people around her who are “pulling away because they feel afraid” that they, too, will get tangled up in these online threats.
It’s not all negative:
Hilty said that despite receiving severe backlash and criticism, some thanked her for sharing her story.
{{/usCountry}}Hilty said that despite receiving severe backlash and criticism, some thanked her for sharing her story.
{{/usCountry}}“To everyone from the outside looking in, it just seems like I am talking into an echo chamber,” said Hilty, adding, “But the reality is that people are telling me that they appreciate me and that they believe me and that they are grateful for my courageousness of sharing my story.”
“There are people that I haven't heard from in years who are reaching out and asking to support me,” she continued. “It’s made it worth it to be the laughing stock of the internet.”
What’s next for Kendra Hilty?
Though her series on TikTok is ongoing, she has decided to cash in on her newfound fame and joined TikTok’s Creator Fund. On being asked how she would feel if her content was turned into a TV show or film, she said, “If a producer came to me and said, ‘I want to invite you to help us make a movie or a television series about this,’ I’d say yes, as long as it was something that valued and recognized me.”
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About the ‘I fell in love with my psychiatrist’ series:
Using this title, Hilty started sharing videos where she claimed that she went to the psychiatrist to seek treatment for ADHD. Eventually, she developed feelings for the person and shared about it openly. The TikTok user alleged that the psychiatrist failed to maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
In one of her unhinged and highly controversial videos, the 36-year-old said she had stopped going to the psychiatrist and selected ChatGPT as her therapist, which sparked concerns among some social media users.