Heather Armstrong, founder of mommy blog Dooce, dies at 47

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Heather Armstrong, founding father of one of many first mommy blogs, Dooce.com, has died, in response to an Instagram put up on her account. She was 47.

“Heather Brooke Hamilton aka Heather B. Armstrong aka dooce aka love of my life. July 19, 1975 — Might 9, 2023. ‘It takes an ocean to not break.’ Maintain your family members shut and love everybody else,” the put up on Instagram reads.

She is survived by daughters Leta, 19, and Marlo, 14; her ex-husband, Jon Armstrong, and her boyfriend, Pete Ashdown.

A request for remark despatched to Jon Armstrong was not instantly returned. In response to an Instagram remark expressing disbelief that the information was true, he wrote, “Afraid so.”

Armstrong died by suicide, Ashdown instructed The Related Press. He didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

As soon as deemed “Queen of the Mommy Bloggers,” Armstrong rose to prominence within the early days of the web, turning into one of many first “momfluencers” and blazing a path for a wealth of different ladies to observe with the appearance of Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and different social media.

Her weblog launched in 2001 and he or she rapidly grew in recognition for her candor. She shared her experiences with leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with intercourse and mentioned the highs and lows of elevating her daughters.

In 2009, Forbes named Armstrong probably the most influential ladies in media, noting her weblog averaged 300,000 followers on the time.

In an April 15, 2012 interview with TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie, Armstrong mentioned she was “actually scared” to share the information of her divorce from her husband.

“Lots of people convey their very own perspective and expertise to one thing like this and I didn’t know if speaking about it was going to destroy all the pieces,” Armstrong mentioned on the time. “I believed I needed to speak about it, as a result of I felt inauthentic to not share what was occurring, as a result of I’ve been so open about my life for nearly 11 years.”

Armstrong was additionally open about her psychological well being, notably her struggles with despair.

She revealed a number of books, together with a e book of essays entitled “Issues I Realized About My Dad (in Remedy): Essays”; a memoir entitled “It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Child, a Breakdown, and a A lot Wanted Margarita”; and a e book about her wrestle with suicidal despair titled “The Valedictorian of Being Useless: The True Story of Dying Ten Instances to Stay.”

After information of Armstrong’s dying broke on social media, many mirrored on what her weblog had meant to them.

“It’s surprising to listen to Heather Armstrong died yesterday,” writer Roxane Homosexual wrote in a tweet. “It’s exhausting to place into phrases simply how influential she was to the blogosphere. I hope she is at peace, and that her kids and family members are discovering solace the place they will.”

Creator Lyz Lens tweeted that Armstrong confirmed her that she may self-publish on the web and write on her personal phrases with out a writer.

“I used to be an avid dooce reader and her second and my first child are related ages and her writing received me via some very tough instances of motherhood and made me really feel sane and seen and chortle via tears,” Lens wrote.

Some on-line mentioned they have been saddened by the information, regardless of having combined emotions towards Armstrong’s weblog after a 2022 put up, wherein she made feedback about transgender those that critics described as transphobic.

“I’m hit in so some ways listening to of Heather’s dying,” one individual tweeted. “I began studying dooce whereas I used to be nonetheless Mormon, I used to be a parenting blogger whereas she was the most important, and just lately I unfollowed her as she expressed transphobic views. It’s like my entire relationship with the web.”

“I was an enormous Dooce fan; her writing about psychological well being did loads for me again then,” one other individual tweeted. “She misplaced me years in the past, however I’d test in to see how the children have been doing, and I hoped she’d get assist. I’m heartbroken for her children.”

If you happen to or somebody you understand is in disaster, name 988 to achieve the Suicide and Disaster Lifeline. You can too name the community, beforehand generally known as the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, textual content HOME to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/sources for added sources.

Kait Hanson, TODAY contributed.

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