“Am I The [Jerk] For Posting A Picture Of My Vegan Sister In Leather Boots?”

The vegan movement has gone from strength to strength over the last decade or so. Proof? Try ordering a coffee without being asked if you’d like it with almond, soy, coconut, oat, or rice milk. What a time to be alive, right?

One woman, whose vegan influencer sister snaked her out of a pair of suede boots, decided to expose her hypocrisy by posting a pic of her wearing them on IG. What followed was a mini scandal, so she’s asked an online community if it was a jerk move.  

More info: Reddit

There’s not much worse than a hypocrite, especially when they’re in the habit of acting morally superior

Image credits: benzoix / Freepik (not the actual photo)

One woman and her vegan sister were going through their grandmother’s closets when she found some boots she really liked, including a pair of vintage suede thigh highs

Image credits: unique-vintage (not the actual photo)

When she asked her grandmother if she could have them, her sister begged to try them on, and they were a perfect fit

Image credits: pressmaster / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Her sister sneakily persuaded their grandmother that she should be the one to have them instead, so she posted a pic of her modeling them on IG and tagged her 

Image credits: eugeneshemyakin9 / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The post kind of caused a scandal, losing her sister hundreds of followers and putting her sponsorships at risk

Image credits: mysisisannoying

Her sister exploded, accusing her of sabotaging her, so she turned to an online community to ask if exposing her had been a jerk move

Two sisters stumbled upon a treasure trove of vintage clothes while helping their grandmother sort through her collection. The 22-year-old, a vegan influencer with around 10k IG followers, fell in love with some retro leather boots that the original poster (OP), 19, had originally claimed. 

The influencer begged to keep the boots, saying she’d actually wear and cherish them, while OP admitted she wanted to sell them online. After some lobbying, their grandma gave the boots to OP’s sister, who joyfully started styling them into different looks. That’s when OP saw a mischievous opportunity.

OP took pics of her sister’s outfits, posted one on IG, and tagged her, noting the leather boots. Her caption ignited outrage among her sister’s vegan followers, sparking accusations of hypocrisy. Hundreds unfollowed, leaving her sister scrambling to explain why wearing secondhand leather was “different” from buying it new.

As the drama snowballed, OP’s sister accused her of sabotage, insisting the post could cost her sponsorships. OP clapped back, pointing out the money she lost when her grandma gave the prized footwear away. Still, she admitted she hadn’t expected the mini scandal it caused and turned to netizens to ask if she’d made a jerk move.

Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Netizens were pretty brutal with their responses to OP’s post, slamming her for doing something she basically knew would sabotage her sister. Just what are the pitfalls of being a social media influencer, though? We went looking for answers.

According to Jumper Media, the influencer path may seem enviable at first, but there are several drawbacks aspiring influencers should carefully consider before choosing to livestream their whole life.

First off, there’s the lack of privacy. Influencers often find themselves approached by fans in public, strangers who feel intimately familiar with them through their online presence. There’s also the pressure to maintain a certain image, unpredictable income, burnout, trolls, and a whole landscape of ethical dilemmas to navigate. Far from the glamorous lifestyle influencers like to portray, isn’t it?

Then there’s the problem of virtue signaling, defined as “An attempt to show other people that you are a good person, for example by expressing opinions that will be acceptable to them, especially on social media.” Vegans often get a bad rap for coming across as morally superior already, so it’s no surprise OP’s sister’s following plummeted when her double standards were revealed.

Sure, OP’s post was below the belt, but her sister wasn’t exactly blameless either. It just goes to show the risks of putting yourself in the social media spotlight and the backlash you can face if you don’t live up to the hype.

What do you think? Did OP cross a line by exposing her sister, or was it just a case of sibling rivalry gone wrong? Share your thoughts in the comments!

In the comments, readers all agreed that the original poster was definitely a jerk for outing her sister and slammed her for acting on her jealousy