Molly-Mae and Tommy Fury's breakup became a viral joke – we need to do better

Social media went into overdrive on Wednesday (14 August) when Molly-Mae announced her split from Tommy Fury.

In a heartbreaking statement posted on her Instagram Story, Molly said she "never in a million years" thought she'd have to deliver the personal announcement. "I am extremely upset to announce that mine and Tommy's relationship has come to an end," she added.

The Filter founder and influencer went on to add that her priority is her daughter, Bambi, before thanking fans for their support over the last five years.

Tommy shared a similar, but shorter, sentiment later that day.

Despite the pair asking for privacy during the "difficult time," spectators and brands ran with it, posing the question of when enough is enough.

Before long, thousands of social media commentators and critics flooded platforms far and wide. Brands used the opportunity, in what some would describe, as a cheap form of self-promotion.

Ele Summers highlighted that if a brand needs to use someone's personal life and heartbreak to profit, celebrity or not, they "really need to reconsider [their] social media and marketing strategy."

Ele's social media, like thousands of others across the UK, was inundated with reactions off the back of the split. But, it wasn't just people empathising with Molly's heartbreak, brands soon jumped on the bandwagon for a quick "content opportunity."

"It's crazy to me," Ele said.

Molly Mae/Instagram

Responses to Ele's clip put a number of brands on blast, including fast fashion brand iKrush who accidentally dished out a discount code when the split was announced.

They later cleared up the confusion, writing: "We apologise for the discount code comment on our Molly Mae post – it was an auto-response mistake not intended for this post. We fully support Molly Mae during this difficult time and wish them both the best."

iKrush/Facebook

Domino's Pizza also chimed in on the action with an "important statement" that one TikToker called "pure exploitation."

"Domino's!!! It’s actually sick that they’re trying to make revenue off of someone’s family literally breaking apart," another wrote.

Dominos Pizza/X

Meanwhile, Ryanair – who are known for their witty social media content – was branded "too quick" and "shameless" for their viral TikTok.

"Soooon as I saw the Ryanair post I was thinking this is such poor taste," one viewer penned, while many more took the tongue-in-cheek clip in good humour.

While reactivity is a common practice in the social and marketing sphere, at what stage does it border on tasteless?

Senior social media manager Rachel Balmforth has worked in the industry for a decade with an intricate eye for what makes content perform successfully or completely flop.

Rachel believes that a family's breakdown should never "be treated as a viral moment or an opportunity for engagement."

"This is one situation where brands should know better than to insert themselves," she told Indy100. "It's a shame to see so many well-known and loved companies on social media exploiting this news for a quick boost in engagement."

While Rachel doesn't believe such posts are necessarily "distasteful," she does think the marketing is simply "lazy".

"If a company believes that leveraging such personal and painful news aligns with its brand, it's a clear sign that they need to revisit their values," she added.

Molly Mae/Instagram

It's not just brands poking their noses in, it's also regular folk – which is to be expected given the couple had their entire relationship played out in the public eye.

Dr Katherine Hertlein, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy and world-renowned sex therapist at Blueheart, described the heavy public involvement as potentially being a result of a "parasocial relationship," a one-sided attachment where people feel deeply connected to media figures with approximately 51 per cent of people having been in one.

Dr Hertlein believes these types of relationships do actually serve a purpose, especially for younger generations.

"Research shows these connections can be a way to explore their identities and try out new things without real-world consequences. It’s sort of like a rehearsal for real-life relationships and self-discovery," she explained.

It is also said that people with low self-esteem or avoidant attachment styles find celebrity relationships comforting, as they can "offer a sense of closeness they might struggle to find in real life."

Dr Hertlein told Indy100 that when reality star relationships hit a rough patch or break up completely, it "feels personal because of the emotional investment we've made."

"It’s like losing a part of a personal story in which we have been deeply involved," she said.

She calls the public's deep investment in Molly and Tommy's breakup "understandable" after the nation watched the pair fall in love on TV and then evolve as a couple on social media.

"When public figures openly share their personal lives, it creates a sense of intimacy and connection with their fans, which can lead to a sense of entitlement to more information," she added.

However, Dr Hertlein urged people to be mindful about being overly critical of the pair parting ways.

"We only see a tiny fraction of their lives. And their relationships are far more complex than what’s portrayed on screen. There’s a lot more going on behind the scenes that we don’t see," she concluded.

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.