Tributes have poured in for ‘the internet’s favourite granny’, influencer Baddie Winkle, who has passed away aged 97.
‘Baddie’, real name Helen Van Winkle, was known for her bright and often outrageous outfits, and slogans including: ‘Stealing your man since 1928.’
The socialite, originally from Kentucky, had become universally beloved on the internet, racking up three million followers on Instagram alone.
Her family announced news of her death to Instagram last night, sharing a photo of Baddie wearing bedazzled glasses and red lipstick, alongside a shirt reading ‘Bad Mother F***er’
Above in bold text read the dates July 18, 1928 to September 4, 2025, with a caption describing her as ‘joy, rebellion and tenderness’.
The family wrote: ‘Yesterday, an era ended and a star ascended. My great grandmother Helen Ruth Elam Vanwinkle danced her way to heaven.
‘She was joy, rebellion, and tenderness wrapped in one. The crown is eternal, & her love on many realms will live forever. This isn’t a goodbye, this is a See ya later my superstar.’
Celebrities were quick to offer their condolences, with Paris Hilton writing: ‘She was iconic. Sending love.’
The internet has been left heartbroken after it was revealed influencer Baddie Winkle has passed away aged 97
Sophie Hannah said: ‘I’m so sorry. A true icon ✨ Baddie will be so so missed.’
Nails by Dev wrote: ‘I cannot take this. She inspired me to not give a f what people think and wear what I want, even when I’m 97.’
Melissa Brooks added: ‘Been following for 10 years, you will be missed but NEVER forgotten baddie winkle.’
Baddie was known as the internet’s ‘favourite and most flamboyant Granny’, and only gave up water-skiing at the age of 80.
Her celebrity pals included the likes of Rihanna, Miley Cyrus and Khloé Kardashian, while her captions on social media often read: ‘Yup..Way Too Sexi For Mah Own Good.’
Baddie also caused a storm when she joined country singer Kacey Musgraves on stage at Coachella in 2019, wearing a typically bold ensemble.
‘Baddie’, which is derived from the slang term ‘badass’, was known for wearing cheeky swimsuits and had previously revealed she was a proponent of marijuana.
Her book, Baddiewinkle’s Guide To Life, helped cement her status as a pop culture phenomenon.
Her family announced the news last night, alongside a photograph of Baddie in bedazzled glasses and red lipstick
The family accompanied the photograph with her personal message, describing Baddie as ‘joy, rebellion and tenderness’
Baddie, from Kentucky , had become universally beloved on the internet, racking up three million followers on Instagram alone
She was known for her bright and bold and – often outrageous – outfits
The beloved socialite’s last Instagram post was just six weeks ago to celebrate her 97th birthday.
Baddie was seen sitting in her pyjamas in her car, alongside a couple of the viral ‘Labubu’ dolls.
In another snap, she looked ecstatic as she blew out the candles on her birthday cake, wearing a vibrant spotted dress.
She captioned the post: ‘I Turned 97 on Friday, I <3 my Pajamas’.
This year, however, she has only shared a handful of her usually frequent posts.
To mark the new year, she posed in a hot pink denim dress but sent a more serious note to her followers, writing: ‘2024 flew by way too fast. Cheers to 2025 & I hope it feels a bit slower. Happy New Year to everyone.’
Baddie’s great-granddaughter Kennedy, then a high school student in Tennessee, originally launched her social media career in 2014 by accident.
During one visit to her great-grandmother, she noted her bold outfit – a tie-dye T-shirt and denim cut-offs – and decided to post it to social media.
Tributes have poured in from Baddie’s fellow influencers and celebrity pals including Paris Hilton
She added a pair of socks emblazoned with a cannabis leaf, and within 24 hours, the picture had gone viral on Twitter.
Kennedy then helped Baddie buy her own smart phone and set up her social media accounts.
Baddie previously spoke to the Daily Mail’s YOU Magazine about the secrets to her long life and success on social media.
Revealing that she gave up tanning beds age 50, she said: ‘I’ve always loved make-up and had pretty good skin. I was fortunate. I just used soap and water – I never avoided the sun’
‘I love my cigarettes,’ she added. ‘But I don’t inhale. I just kinda puff. It’s something to do with your hands.’
Baddie was also a proponent for legalising marajuana, but never smoked it herself.
She said: ‘I’ve tried smoking it. It choked me to death. I’ve tried the cookies – I was out for a day and a half – and I did take the oil before I had my hip operation. It helped with the pain. I don’t shy away from trying new things. I’ve always gone where others feared to tread.’
After high school, Baddie moved to Dayton in Ohio, looking for work.
Baddie’s final post was just weeks ago for her 97th birthday
There she met her husband Earl and married him at 19. They raised two children, Earl working as a mechanic and Baddie with a job in a factory. Earl was killed by a truck just before their 35th wedding anniversary, and their son David died of bone cancer at 46.
Baddie said: ‘You never get over something like that, but you learn to live with it. What I do now, it changed my life. I reinvented myself. I’m very thankful and humble, that this could happen to little ol’ me, from the hills of Kentucky.’
She may not have earned her fame until her 80s, but her late start to influencing didn’t stop her attracting millions of followers.
Her fabulous style and fun personality earned her plenty of fans, which have equaled lucrative partnerships.
Past sponsorships have included Amazon Echo Show 8, Svedka vodka, LG, Canada Dry, Aussie Hair, My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream, Jack in the Box, Fashion Nova, Lisa Frank, INC.redible Cosmetics, and more.
And according to research by TopRatedCasinos.co.uk via Daily Front Row, she can earn up to $9,815 per sponsored post.
While many people might feel self-conscious in front of the camera, Baddie’s philosophy was to enjoy your moment in the spotlight.
‘Take several shots as it can take a while to get one you like, just embrace it and give yourself a full on photo shoot,’ she said.
Baddie even joined country singer Kacey Musgraves on stage at Coachella in 2019
‘You’ve also got to really enjoy it and feel confident in yourself. Be true to yourself and authentic. Then just snap it.’
Perhaps unsurprisingly for someone who is renowned for her style and who has fronted international fashion campaigns, clothing is of utmost importance to Baddie.
She explained: ‘Wear clothes that you feel happy in and reflect your personality, try not to worry about what others think.’
Describing her style, she said it was ‘rainbow-licious, darling,’ adding: ‘I’m always very modern and bright with lots of different colours. You’d rarely see me in head to toe black.’
And while many might turn to Baddie for style inspiration, she revealed that she does not take tips from anyone, although she does admire her ‘good friend’ Miley Cyrus’ wardrobe.
She added: ‘We met at the VMAs and I think she dresses amazingly… Her style is great and she’s definitely bad*** too but maybe a little more so than me – there is some things she wears that I don’t think I can quite pull off.’
