Much like a few thousand other twitter and reddit gawkers, I’ve become entranced by the story of Caroline Calloway versus the twitterati, versus the trolls, versus the NYC media circlejerk.
Gone is actual Gawker which would surely covered Calloway in the same fevered way it covered the original digital influencer, Julia Alllison.
Once upon a time Julia was dating an original first wave Brooklyn tech hipster, and they shared a blog where they chronicled their relationship before it ended. Sometime before bitter end, Jakob had promised Julia a Macbook – a little over three months later Julia decided to go for it and ask for it anyways, after she had outed his mental health issues and medication in a Gawker live chat. Source
From: Julia Allison julia@juliaallison.com> Date: Wed, Mar 5, 2008 at 2:46 PM Subject: A thought To: Jakob Lodwick Chance to do the right thing! I’m going to the apple store tomorrow to buy a macbook air. It would be amazing if you lived up to your promise from this christmas. How about it, JL? On 3/5/08 3:54 PM, “Jakob” wrote: I took “Jakob is bipolar” to mean “all obligations are off” ————— Forwarded message ————— From: Julia Allison julia@juliaallison.com> Date: Wed, Mar 5, 2008 at 4:16 PM Subject: Re: Some thoughts To: Jakob I think it’s strange you’re still hung up on that! It was three months ago. No one cares about it!!
Yolanda Hadid sent this email to her now supermodel daughter, the non-genetically modified Bella. The former Real Housewife of Beverly Hills sent the email after the then 17 year old got a DUI, while her mother was filming in Spain with her housewives cast mates.
Bella, I just got your car back from the pond and I was looking for your purse as I stumbled on the most disastrous car I have ever seen in my entire life..... Now I am really in tears and really scared. Who are you? What were you thinking? You have literally turned into a spoiled, unthankful, unthoughtful, careless human being that is lucky to be alive. What an eye-opening experience to find beer cans, pink kittie bottles with vodka, bottles with Aderall, Vyvanse, rolling papers, and a car full of dirty clothes, dirty underwear with blood stains, tampax. I have honestly never seen anything like it. Was your life that terrible at home? I am at loss for words. You need to do some serious soul surging Bella to see how you got where you are and then get on your knees and thank god for still being alive!!! How can someone as kind, beautiful and smart as you end up in this kind of a mess? I have really failed as a mother and that is just the honest truth. How did I trust you were ok? Am I that stupid and naive? Or are you that good of a liar? WHY Bella? What have I done to deserve this? I am so freaked out. How are you going to survive? Why am I even working my ass off to get you in a beautiful apartment if you can not even keep your car clean? Is that how you are going to trash your home? If your car looks like the way you feel about yourself you really need professional help. I thought that together we were going to be able to work through this but now I am not sure anymore if I have the tools to help you unless you are really understanding what this has come too. I need answers and explanations answers and explanations Bella. Start writing and tell me what is going on inside of you because I need to understand. Where are you at and what are you going to do to change? Do you even want to move to NY? Maybe you should live in the dorm for the next year and see how real people live in order to appreciate the extraordinary life you have lived. I love you so much but if you could feel the pain I feel right now you would fall to the floor. I just don’t understand how little respect for life you have and how little you understand about how delicate it is. I know you know right from wrong, I know you know how to live a clean and conscious life because you saw me live it. I am not asking you to be perfect but I am asking you to respect the life I have given you. There is nobody and nothing more important for me to see you thrive and be happy. You have so much to give Bella, you are such a bright light. Everybody I meet that has only met you for a minute remembers you and compliments on what a extraordinary person you are. I literally can not live without you Bella, I am so attached to you in ways that you will never understand until the day you have your own Bella. I beg you to please change your life. If you love me, Gigi and Anwar you should think about how you conduct yourself. Do you want Anwar to take the same chances you have taken? Would you want your little brother to drive around with a car like you left behind? Are you an example of the life you want him to live? I cleaned your car and destroyed all the evidence of a chaos you created that I am ashamed off and truly hope to never see again. Life in my home has changed forever. Poor Anwar his life is going to be miserable.
Caroline Calloway signed a book deal based on her long Instagram captions and her fairytale life as an American abroad studying at Cambridge. She was signed by literary agent, Byrd Leavell who has also represented Cat Marnell, Tucker Max and the current president. She decided she couldn’t complete the book as sold and decided to sell annotated copies of her book proposal on Etsy. She fired off some choice emails and received one from her agent after this free spirited way of leaving a business deal.
Email to her publishers
Hi David, I just wanted to reach out personally to clear up any confusion about the Etsy shop. I was under the impression that all my publishers had pulled out of their deals. Which may be the best course of action - it's up to you to decide what's best for your team. My situation is this: I sold a proposal for a book that it turns out I don't want to ever write. I became a writer because I wanted to make art that's honest and SCHOOL GIRL just isn't true to who I am. I want to make a book that includes ~all~ the parts of me, good and bad, and maybe includes some other plot lines besides kissing boys ;) I'm happy to pay back the 7,200 American dollars that has been paid to me by Penguin Random House if you're not comfortable sticking around in a book deal for a book you didn't buy. That would make total sense and be a really reasonable course of action that I would support with all of my heart.
From her agent to her
Caroline, I spoke to Whitney this morning and their chief counsel is utterly livid about what is happening on etsy, and about the fact your story is now being picked up elsewhere. They feel they are being harmed by your portrayal of them and that is the last thing you want to happen right now. If the head of all Macmillan, [redacted], feels they have to come after you to protect their reputation, they will do it. I am sure a letter from them is forthcoming. For now, just some mentioning them. Ever. You are creating a worst case scenario outcome by doing so.