A prominent British influencer is facing a storm of criticism from her own followers after deciding to celebrate her birthday at a large public event while knowingly suffering from a highly contagious eye infection.
‘Get Ready With Ol’ Pink Eye’
Madeleine White Fedyk, a 30-year-old model who grew up in Los Angeles but is British, took to TikTok last Saturday to share a ‘get ready with me’ vlog with a troubling twist. The influencer, who boasts 5.1 million followers, documented her preparation for her birthday party while visibly afflicted with pink eye in both eyes.
In the now-controversial clip, she donned a Powerpuff Girls t-shirt and displayed puffy, red eyes as she announced her diagnosis to her massive audience. ‘Alright, get ready with ol’ pink eye for my 30th birthday party! This is just my luck, this would happen to me,’ she said, revealing she was heading to the EDC rave in Orlando, an event she noted would be ‘with 100,000 other people.’
A Wave of Fan Backlash
Her followers were quick to condemn the decision, labelling her actions as gross and selfish on social media platforms. Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is known to spread easily through touch, shared items like towels, and via tear or discharge contact.
One incensed Reddit user wrote, ‘This post just pmo (pissed me off). Why would you just go out with a pink eye? It’s so gross, selfish and irresponsible.’ Another expressed disbelief, stating, ‘I can’t imagine publicly admitting this. This is so beyond foul.’
Many were further disturbed that White Fedyk proceeded to apply a full face of makeup, including neon pink winged eyeliner, mascara, and face jewels around her infected eyes. ‘Those brushes are now contaminated…,’ one commenter pointed out, while another warned, ‘Girl anything that even gets close to your eye has to go into the trash. Pink eye is SO contagious.’
The Source of the Infection and The Final Look
The influencer, who married her DJ husband Andrew Fedyk in July, placed the blame for her condition squarely on him. She explained that he had contracted the infection first from using ‘$2 green makeup from Spirit Halloween’ to dress as Princess Fiona.
‘I really didn't know it was that contagious,’ White admitted in the video, discussing how her husband's infection led to her own. ‘He got it from the makeup, I didn't know that I could get it. So I was definitely nowhere near as cautious as I should have been with him.’
To complete her rave outfit, she wore a sheer tank top, sparkly pink shorts, and finished with body glitter. She notably opted out of spraying glitter on her face, citing ‘obvious reasons,’ and instead hid her eyes behind massive sunglasses, quipping, ‘How will they know? They'll never know.’
The incident has sparked a significant conversation about personal responsibility and public health, particularly concerning influencers with large platforms.
