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Casey Anthony on TikTok? The Internet Is Losing It!

Disclaimer/TW: This blog post discusses the true crime case of Caylee Anthony - the daughter of Casey Anthony who was "allegedly" murdered by Casey Anthony. Child ab*se and murder are discussed in this post. Reader's discretion is advised.


If this post is not for you, I recommend checking out something more light-hearted such as any of my posts under the "lifestyle" category.



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Casey Anthony on TikTok? The Internet Is Losing It!


Recently, I saw a few YouTubers (the likes of HannahTheHorrible, KallMeKris, & Michelle McDaniel) make videos about Casey Anthony on TikTok, who is using TikTok to promote herself as a "legal advocate" and encourage people to subscribe to her paid subscription service on Substack. And I felt like I had to share my thoughts too.







Caylee Marie Anthony's Murder + The Trial


For context, Casey Anthony was acquitted of murdering her own daughter (i.e., found not guilty). However, it is strongly speculated that Casey in fact was the one who murdered her own daughter Caylee.


Caylee Marie Anthony (9th August 2005 - June 2008) - was an American toddler who lived with her mum Casey Anthony and her grandparents (Casey's parents) in Orlando, Florida. The grandparents' names are Cindy and George Anthony. On the 15th of July, 2008, Cindy called 911 to report Caylee missing. Cindy claimed that she had not seen Caylee for 31 days. Apparently, Casey called the 911 dispatcher later on and said that Caylee had been kidnapped by her nanny on the 9th of June. It's already getting messy I know.


On the 16th of June 2008, Casey told her mum Cindy that she was taking Caylee to her nanny called Zanny (a nickname), and the following day, Caylee told her mum that the 3 of them were heading to Tampa on a work trip. 30 days later, Casey's car was found abandoned and towed away. Cindy and George were called to confirm and when they saw the car, they noted that it smelt like human remains. When the trunk was opened, it only contained a bag of trash and this was the day that Cindy called 911 and reported Caylee missing. Cindy did say that the car smelt of human remains but she retracted that statement later on (I don't know why).


In October 2008, Casey Anthony was charged with first-degree murder of Caylee Anthony and pleaded not guilty.


On the 11th of December 2008, Caylee's remains were found inside a laundry bag in a forest/woodlands area near the Anthony household. There were conflicting reports that there was duct tape found either near Caylee's mouth or head. And the autopsy revealed that the cause of death was "homicide by undetermined means."


The State of Florida wanted to give the death penalty to Casey Anthony and they relied on a lot of circumstantial evidence with the prosecution suggesting that Casey wanted to free herself from parental duties (remember this detail for later on) and murdered her own daughter with chloroform and applying duct tape to her nose and mouth to stop her from breathing. Casey's defense attorney (who Casey was allegedly sleeping with), claimed that Caylee had drowned accidentally and that George was the one who disposed of Caylee's body. On the 5th of July 2011, a jury found Casey Anthony "not guilty" of first-degree murder, child ab*se, and manslaughter of a child. BUT they did find her guilty of 4 counts of a misdemeanor of giving false information to authorities. As Casey had time served, she was released on the 17th 2011.







Some more facts about the case


  • The jury didn't necessarily believe that Casey Anthony wasn't at fault. They just couldn't prove without a doubt that she did commit the murder (and would obviously be worried about the death penalty).

  • The nanny (Zanny)'s apartment where Casey said Caylee had gone had been abandoned for at least 140 days. Casey had told authorities that Zanny was working at Universal Studios at the time. However, when the police went to check out Zanny's office, she told them that she no longer worked (and hadn't been since she took maternity leave 3 years earlier).

  • Casey claimed her dad George had been SA'ing her and Caylee. There was no evidence of this. I do think it's important to believe SA victims. However, this claim feels odd considering the circumstances.

  • On Casey Anthony's search history (the computer at her family home), chloroform had been searched for 84 times. However, this was an error in the program used and it had only been searched for once. Also, apparently Cindy said she had searched this as she was trying to look up chlorophyll and couldn't remember the word. I don't really know if I believe this - but maybe she did or maybe she was trying to protect her daughter but it's just all weird.

  • A small amount of chloroform had been found in Casey's car.

  • Allegedly, Casey didn't want to raise her child and when she became pregnant with Caylee she wanted to give her up for adoption but her parents forced her to keep the baby.

  • Casey's parents have done a lie detector test which suggests they weren't involved in the case.

  • Zanny sued Casey for defamation of character. I am a bit confused whether Zanny won this or not.

  • Casey's attorney denied any claims that he was sleeping with Casey.

  • Casey's pregnancy was allegedly from SA at a house party where she was drugged. Casey told people the pregnancy was from her ex-boyfriend Jesse. However, a paternity test suggested otherwise. It is not clear who Caylee's dad actually is.


Following all this craziness, Casey Anthony basically disappeared from the public eye as she was getting a lot of death threats and felt that her life was in danger (I mean, if we're going to Occam's Razor it, she most likely murdered her own child which is so disgusting).






Caylee Marie Anthony Joins TikTok & Substack in 2025


13 years later, Casey Anthony has joined TikTok AND no, she's not dancing but honestly, I feel like that would be better right? Anyway, on the 1st of March 2025, Casey made her TikTok debut. Why so long after the trial? Why now? Casey has joined TikTok to tackle legal issues in a new way. In one TikTok video, she said "I am a legal advocate. I am a researcher. I've been in the legal field since 2011 and in this capacity, I feel that it's necessary if I'm going to continue to operate appropriately as a legal advocate, that I start to advocate for myself and also advocate for my daughter." Casey is using her TikTok account to promote her Substack where people have to pay a fee to access her content.


Some of the things Casey had said on TikTok are:


  • That she would be "a proponent for the LGBTQ community and women's rights" - please say the whole acronym (and what does she have to do with the LGBTQIA+ community?)

  • That her videos aren't going to be edited (I watched some so you don't have to but I don't wanna put them here, it doesn't feel right). Does this mean people watching need to listen to her ums and uhss all the time?

  • That she wants to give resources to people who need legal help or have been "wrongly" accused and become this whole legal advocate.


And now, yes, we are going to get to my biased opinion. It probably has been sprinkled a bit throughout this post BUT like wtf?


I get joining TikTok BUT I don't get why she is using it to promote her Substack? Many YouTubers have suggested that she's doing it because she needs money and probably can't get a job (no surprises there) but why do it that way? Why not use a platform to tell her story? Why claim you are a legal advocate when you actually don't have any expertise other than your own trial? And if you are a researcher, show us the research.


I have so many questions - like yes, she probably most likely did murder Caylee but why is she being so narcissistic and weird? Is she so invested in her own lies that she believes she didn't do it? I have to say it's possible that it wasn't her, but also very unlikely. Like to me, if it wasn't her, she would come out and say "I didn't do it" - I think a classic rule to tell when someone is lying is if they don't deny it. And I don't really have any other suspects. It's awful.


But what are people on the internet saying about Casey Anthony joining social media? Let's take a look at some quotes:


  • "Some folks just don’t know when to keep their mouths shut & lead a quiet, uneventful remainder of life on this earth!"

  • "A desperate attempt to stay relevant" & "She needs to go right back to the hole she crawled out of" #justiceforcayleeanthony

  • “Legal advocate, legal advocate? My rear end"

  • "We don't want anything from Casey Anthony short of an obituary"

  • "She wants to be a law advocate someone said that was like Jeffrey Dahmer opening a restaurant"


So as you can see, the internet is not happy.







Let's look at it from a Sociological Lens


What about from a sociological lens? Why would someone like Casey Anthony want to join TikTok and Substack for reasons other than money, clout and to rebrand herself as a legal advocate?


  1. Stigma Management (Erving Goffman) - Given Casey Anthony's infamous murder trial in 2011, she has been one of the most stigmatised individuals in American (and even global) media. By joining social media platforms, Casey Anthony may be attempting to reframe her identity in the public eye (i.e., she doesn't want to just be defined by the past). Platforms such as TikTok and Substack allow her to control her own narrative without gatekeepers (as in mainstream media).

  2. The Cult of Infamy & Digital Celebrity - Contemporary social media often blurs the line between notoriety and fame. Figures with high-profile criminal associates (think OJ Simpson, Monica Lewinsky, Amanda Knox) have found ways to reconnect themselves to public life through social media. Casey Anthony may be leveraging what is known as "cancel culture fatigue" - recognising that over time, the public/audiences become less emotionally reactive to scandals. Additionally, there is something called the "influencer economy rewards controversy" which is where many creators gain massive followings due to their controversial reputations. For example, Trisha Paytas. If Casey can cultivate an audience, even if it's a hate following, she may be able to monetise it.

  3. Platform Capitalism & Monetising Infamy - a factor similar to the above. Substack and TikTok are two platforms that thrive on engagement, regards of morality. If a figure is more controversial, they are likely going to get more clicks, comments, and shares. In an era of algorithmic amplification, infamy can be a business model. Even if many people despise Casey Anthony, their attention is still profitable. Substack, in particular, offers her an unfiltered space to present her thoughts without editorial interference—something traditional media would never allow. She can cultivate a "redemption arc" on her own terms.

  4. True Crime Obsession (with the Villain "Appeal") - True crime is ALWAYS going to be popular and a lot of audiences remain fascinated by infamous criminal cases. Casey's presence on these platforms may tap into the same morbid curiosity that fuels crime documentaries and podcasts. Some may follow her out of morbid interest, others to keep tabs on her, and some because they believe in her innocence. Additionally, there's a segment of social media that is drawn to anti-heroes and misunderstood figures, especially those who claim they were unfairly vilified by the media. She may be positioning herself in this vein, hoping to attract a mix of curiosity, sympathy, and debate.


As for me, well I am definitely a curious person and like to know about all things true crime - maybe that's so I can keep myself safe as a woman in society or maybe I am just a weirdo.


Thanks so much for reading. I hope this post wasn't too horrible to get through and stay safe friends.


Ash x





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