Popular Bama Rush star announces she's stepping back from sorority recruitment due to 'mental health' issues
Darnell became the face of Alabama rush back in 2022, when girls showing off their rush outfits and documenting the process for the University first went viral on TikTok.
Darnell quickly became famous for her lavish ensembles and a cheery catchphrase: 'Have a great day, not just a good day!'
She previously told the Daily Mail that she spent almost $100,000 on outfits, fees and other expenses to be in Zeta Tau Alpha at Alabama.
This year, her little sister, Izzy, has been added to the mix as she's going through the recruitment process as a freshman.
But this week, right in the peak of rush, Darnell, who has 1.2 million followers on TikTok, shared in a video revealing that she was taking a step back.
'I have personally decided to take a mental health day these next three days and through this philanthropy round, because whenever I first came to The University of Alabama, I had no idea that life was gonna turn into what it has,' Darnell explained at the start of the video.
'I was just a girl that thought it was so neat what I was doing, 'cause being from Ohio I had no idea that you shouldn't post on social media, I had no idea that it was, like, frowned upon.'
This year, her little sister, Izzy, has been added to the mix as she's going through the recruitment process as a freshman. The sisters are seen together in May
'I had no idea the backlash or the positivity that I would get for it, I had no idea that I'd be sitting in the shoes I am today, with the voice I have today,' she shared.
She explained that she has loved sharing both sides of the sorority recruitment process with her followers, and loved being a member of ZTA throughout the past few years.
But she explained that she had 'grown' and needed to now 'protect her own peace.'
'There was a point in my life where my personality was sorority, but I've grown, and it's not really like that anymore,' Darnell continued.
'I've decided to take a couple steps back to protect my own peace... I'm in a mental health spot where I've been struggling and I can't go online this year.'
'I won't lie to you guys about it, I'm just not enjoying it, I've not been having fun, and I've noticed that my mental health is completely just down,' said the social media star.
Darnell added that she thinks there are a lot of untrue rumors going around about her and her family as well.
'It happens every year, but this year, I've noticed it's a lot worse, and gotten more amped up,' she explained.
She added that she was surrounded by her friends and family, and was going to help her little sister Izzy go through the process, as she thinks it will be 'really hard' for her due to the things people were saying online.
Darnell's decision comes just days after rush coach Brandis Bradley described the recruitment process as 'psychological warfare.'
'It's emotional boot camp. It's psychological warfare,' Bradley told People of the viral rush process.
'And their frontal lobes aren't even fully developed,' she added.
Back in 2021, a series of women who were trying to join the University of Alabama's Panhellenic community documented their road to being accepted into one of the 18 different sororities at the school, and uploaded it all to TikTok.
Their videos quickly exploded, and many people on the web became enthralled with watching the lengthy process play out.
Since then, every time August rolls around, #BamaRush goes viral once again, as a whole new set of freshmen hopefuls at University of Alabama and other Southern schools put their best foot forward to vie for the chance to get accepted into sororities on campus.
This year, there is even a special premiering on Lifetime about the process.
It's titled A Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush, and focuses on the recruitment process at The University of Alabama.
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