5 TikTok Creators Talking About Grief

While grief can be an often isolating experience, in social media, grieving influencers are openly sharing their experiences and finding healing and connection. These influencers have gone viral with stories that resonated with others online. 

Grief is a popular topic on TikTok with the hashtag #grieftok racking up 40 million views and hashtags like #griefjourney and #grief receiving 338 million and 1.4 billion views, respectively.

Here are five who captured the attention of those who wanted to travel along on their grief journeys.

Laura Murphy, @murphs_up

Twenty-eight-year-old Laura Murphy’s 31-year-old fiancé died unexpectedly before they were to take their honeymoon last summer. Murphy decided to go ahead and travel anyway and document the journey as a tool to help her through the grief. She told The Times that the trip was a necessary part of her healing. “I actually just felt like I had to go; I had to remove myself from our house. I just really felt like the only way to survive was to get out and try something else.” Murphy says that she decided to document her trip as a way of pushing through her grief and getting out of her room. She found an audience across every demographic from all over the world, receiving thousands of messages, and was quickly followed by 50,000 people. She found comfort in the response, “(It) has made me feel less alone, like I’m not the only person going through this.”

Alex Madison & Jon Bouffard, @alexandramadison_

“There are no words that can truly capture the depth of this pain. Nothing can prepare you for this,” posted social media influencer Alex Madison about the loss of the couple’s baby boy at 26 weeks. Known for their comedy sketches, Alex and John posted a viral video that was watched by 9 million people. The video used their signature dark comedy to reference their inability to quit their DINK (dual income, no kids) status. "There are ups and downs, and along the way, I've discovered that a little (sometimes dark) humor brings moments of relief,” Madson explained.

Kait Granger, @kaitgrange

After her father murdered her mother and took his own life in 2019, Kait Granger took those devastating events and turned them into a story of healing. “I hope I can encourage and empower other people who are experiencing similar forms of grief, fear, abuse, invalidation and domestic violence,” Granger told the New York Post. “Healing comes from vulnerability and I hope that my story will inspire life-changing vulnerability from others.” Granger called her series of posts #letsnotrot and told the Post, “A big aspect of this was to motivate me to do things and talk about grief in a way that is more real.”

Kirsten & Jason Clawson, @kirstenclawson

Kirsten and Jason Clawson met and married after both losing their spouses to cancer. They blended their families and now share their wisdom about grief (Kirsten is a grief coach, Jason a therapist) online. The pair first met on Facebook and later on a dating app. They welcomed a daughter the year they were married. "We're very open about our experiences because we really want to give others hope in the darkest time of their lives," Kirsten told People Magazine. "Grief can be so isolating and lonely; we want others to know that we've been there, we understand, and yet joy can still be found in life."

Hannah Rains, @hannahrains

After the loss of her grandmother, New York social media creator Hannah Rains created a ritual of using her makeup to cope with grief. “It has been the hardest experience of my life. But I’m trying to remember her every day and honor her every day and find beauty in my grief journey,” she said. Rains says she “hopes to live a life every day that she is proud of.” Rains told People Magazine she was surprised at how many people connected with her after her posts. “When you are experiencing something like this, it feels so isolating. But as the comments began to pour in, what brought me the most comfort was the way people spoke about their own loved ones ... it showed me beauty and love in a way I had never experienced, and I am forever grateful for all the loving sentiments shared with me by strangers." 

Learn more about how social media has changed mourning and how to build a community online after loss, and find more advice and support from our complete grief guide.