“Behind the Meme: ‘Side-Eyeing Chloe’s’ Mother Opens Up About Guilt and the Untold Impact of Viral Fame”
“It was insane. She had billboards all over São Paulo,” she said.
Chloe’s popularity changed her family’s life forever, as they were able to improve their financial situation beyond what they could’ve imagined
Image credits: chloeclem
Despite the pressure they experienced, with fame also came riches. The family was able to monetize the famous picture of their daughter for commercial use, changing their lives.
“That money literally helped us survive for a decade,” Katie said. “Every ounce of the money, aside from saving it and putting it away, was helping us get through our life. Rent, bills, food.”
Image credits: chloeclem
The Clem’s started receiving multiple sponsorships, going as far as to make deals with Google. They finally sold the rights to the image as a non-fungible token in 2021 for an enviable sum of $74,000.
“10 years ago, we were so poor. This happened to us, and we’re like, ‘What? We can pay bills. We can upgrade our tiny apartment for the four of us.’ It was real-world issues,” Katie added, stating that now that many of their needs are covered, they’ve been able to save for Chloe’s future education.
Image credits: chloeclem
Now, 12 years later, Chloe is 14 and in the middle of her adolescence. Her features have matured to the point where people rarely recognize her, much to the family’s relief.
“It’s pretty weird,” Chloe said about the overwhelming fame of her toddler self compared to her current relative anonymity. “Sometimes it’s funny, but other times it’s just kind of strange.”
Post Comment