She's Back! YouTube's First Controversial Viral Star Lonelygirl15 Resurfaces After 8 Year Absence
YouTube's original viral star, Lonelygirl15, returned to the Internet on Thursday after a nearly eight year absence.
The reincarnation comes 10 years to the day after Lonelygirl15's first video, which gained her channel hundred and thousands of followers, making it one of YouTube's earliest viral sensations.
**The Rise and Mystery of Lonelygirl15: A YouTube Phenomenon**
Back in the early days of YouTube, a seemingly ordinary vlog series featuring a 16-year-old girl named Bree captivated the internet. Bree’s vlogs were relatable—she talked about her home life, complained about being home-schooled, and laughed about the struggles of homework. Occasionally, she would gush about her friend Daniel or simply goof around on camera. At first glance, it appeared to be just another personal vlog, but *Lonelygirl15* would soon become something much larger.
The character Bree, played by actress Jessica Lee Rose, became a sensation. Her Myspace page was swamped with friend requests, and soon fan sites and forums began popping up. The popularity of *Lonelygirl15* spread so quickly that even *The New York Times* wrote a recurring blog about her. Meanwhile, her co-stars, including Daniel, developed their own channels, further building an expansive community of devoted fans.
As the series progressed, Bree’s life took a darker turn. She began revealing details about her highly-religious family, mysterious rituals, and the increasing strangeness of her world. At one point, her parents disappeared, forcing Bree and Daniel to go on the run. Fans were hooked on the mystery, eagerly tuning in for each new episode.
Then came the bombshell: the story was entirely fictional. Bree wasn’t a real person, but a character created by filmmakers Miles Beckett, Mesh Flinders, Greg Goodfried, and actress Jessica Lee Rose. The revelation sparked controversy, as many fans had believed Bree’s story to be real. This exposure, however, didn’t harm the show’s popularity. Instead, it solidified *Lonelygirl15*’s place in internet history, making it one of the first YouTube phenomena to break into mainstream media.
Despite the hoax, *Lonelygirl15* continued for over two years, maintaining a massive following. Jessica Lee Rose's performance as Bree earned her a Webby Award for Best Actress, and *Forbes* named her 2007’s top web celebrity. The series not only revolutionized how creators used YouTube but also highlighted the platform’s potential for storytelling.
Years later, *Lonelygirl15* briefly resurfaced. In a new video, Bree appeared once again, though this time in a more cryptic, sci-fi context, reminiscent of dystopian franchises like *The Hunger Games* or *Divergent*. The video begins with a computer screen showing someone typing mysterious code, followed by the title "What to do if you're selected?"—a nod to the strange religious rituals that marked Bree’s early YouTube career.
Bree herself appears on a glitchy, hacked feed, delivering cryptic lines: "Did you think that because they were quiet this was over? Isn’t that when you're supposed to worry?" Her words suggested that the mysterious forces she once feared never left. "They didn’t go anywhere, kids," she adds. "You did. The world doesn’t just freeze when you close your eyes."
While the direction of this new *Lonelygirl15* content remains unclear, one thing is certain: Bree still has questions to answer. "Questions deserve answers," she states. "It’s the only thing that satisfies them, and I have many. But are you here, or am I talking to myself?"
Once again, Bree left viewers on edge, wondering what would come next in the continuing mystery of *Lonelygirl15*. And in many ways, Bree remains the "lonely girl" who first captured the curiosity of millions.
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