I hired a PI after Tattle Life trolls outed my pregnancy – it left me heartbroken, says Jeremy Clarkson's daughter Emily
But since its anonymous owner was outed in a Northern Irish court last month, victims of the forums have finally spoken out against the abuse they've endured, including Emily Clarkson.
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Speaking on her podcast Should I Delete That? with co-host Alex Light, Jeremy Clarkson 's eldest daughter has shared the lengths she went to in an attempt to uncover the trolls targeting her and her family.
Englishman, Sebastian Bond, lost his right to anonymity in the courts after he was successfully sued for defamation as the website's founder.
The site which attracted 12 million visitors a month was launched seven years ago and supposedly aimed at exposing disingenuous influencers, but has earned the name of a 'troll site; to abuse anyone they see fit.'
And Emily was one of thousands of celebrities targeted by people hiding under anonymous accounts to spread hate and abuse.
Speaking on the podcast, Emily said: "Tattle has been the biggest thorn in our sides.
"You and I, Al, have genuinely been heartbroken by this; it's affected me to the point where I've had to block it on all devices.
Emily revealed she has to get those close to her to check the site every few weeks just to ensure images of her kids and her home address wasn't leaked.
"I was so broken by it, I haven't been able to check it since Arlo was born, if they say anything bad about my kids I'm gonna die" she continued.
The 30-year-old also revealed that her pregnancy with her second child, Xanthe was ruined by trolls on the site who leaked details of her pregnancy.
Emily revealed that the cyberbullying got so bad she ended up hiring a private investigator (PI) to find the trolls who were not just harassing her online but stalking her in real life too.
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Ireland AM guest recalls harrowing online harassment from tattle website
"I need to stress, I've found these people, I've hired a PI and I'm incredibly good at finding people on the internet," she continued.
Emily's clever detective skills led her to find one Tattle Life user who referred to Emily as 'thrush' as she was 'annoying', but on Instagram would DM Emily being nice as pie.
To show her she knew who she was, Emily decided to send her a picture of thrush medication on Instagram and was swiftly left alone by the troll.
"She saw it and never replied," Emily chuckled.
Tattle Life Timeline
Creation of Tattle Life: The online forum Tattle Life was established as a platform for commentary and critiques of influencers and celebrities.
Harassment of Neil and Donna Sands: A 45-page thread targeting Neil and Donna Sands appeared on Tattle Life, leading to a campaign of harassment, invasion of privacy, defamation, and breach of data rights against the couple.
Legal Action by the Sands: Neil and Donna Sands filed a lawsuit against Tattle Life, seeking justice for the harm caused by the forum's content.
Outcome of the Lawsuit: The Sands won £300,000 in damages, marking a significant victory in their legal battle.
Unmasking of Tattle Life Owner: The legal action revealed the identity of the website's owner, Sebastian Bond, also known as the vegan cooking influencer Bastian Durward.
Repercussions for Tattle Life: Following the lawsuit, many users of Tattle Life began deleting their accounts due to fears of exposure. Other individuals who have been targeted by the site are now considering legal action, including applying for Norwich Pharmacal orders to unmask anonymous trolls.
After her pregnancy was leaked on the site, Emily got a PI to track down who it was.
"It felt really nice to know they could be found, and if you push me too far, I know who you are," she continued.
"If I read my thread, I'd think I'm the worst person in the world," she added.
Emily made the point that not only did the comments hurt her but could also affect future work partnerships and relationships, and the platform never gave those targeted a chance to defend themselves.
Since it was created in 2017, the founder of Tattle Life was anonymous, but it was found out after fashion brand owner Donna Sands and her husband Neil took the owner to court in Northern Ireland, Sebastian's identity was lifted.
Thanks to The Sands, who were targeted by those on the site, Sebastian was found to be the anonymous founder and they have been awarded £150,000 each.
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