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Kylie Kelce praises Drew Afualo for handling online criticism

Kylie Kelce praises Drew Afualo for handling online criticism

Kylie Kelce is impressed by the way Drew Afalo handled online criticism with grace.

In the last episode of I’m not going to lie podcast On January 2, the expectant mother of four, 32, praised the TikTok star, 29, for the “eloquent and articulate way” in which she has applauded online critics over the years.

“There’s something so iconic about the way we can laugh together. Like, every time you laugh in your clapbacks, I’m like, ‘That’s absolute gold,'” Kelce said. “I still remember the first two times I saw you on TikTok and (seeing) how you completely tore people limb from limb. Like you completely destroyed them.”

Kylie Kelce and Drew Afualo.

Kevin Mazur/Getty; PresleyAnn/Getty


Kelce then added that she was also “very impressed” with how Afualo “stands up” for herself and “for others” in her videos as well.

“(As) someone who is about to have their fourth daughterIt’s such a breath of fresh air to see the generation of women coming up right now who are ready to say fuck you.”

During the episode, Kelce also talked about some of the backlash she’s faced since starting the podcast in Novembersharing that “the most common questions recently associated with I’m not going to lie was: ‘Who is Kylie Kelce?'”

“I can’t believe you actually typed this on Twitter when you could have typed it on Google?” she said, referring to her online reviews. “You typed in my name too, so now you know what you’re going to get is more Kylie Kelce content.”

She added that another common comment she receives from critics is that she is an “amateur” podcaster, to which she joked: “I was f—— saying about the mine.”

Afualo added to this sentiment and noted that “every podcaster in the history of time is an amateur when they start because there is no school of podcasting and there is no license” to start a podcast. “Obviously, because we have the worst men in the world buying microphones and saying things on them that everyone has been hearing for centuries,” she continued.

Afualo — who is best known for her sharp comebacks against misogynistic creators online — also told Kelce that she felt “overwhelmed” when her first red flag video went viral on TikTok.

“I grew up on the internet for the most part (and) I remember the days of YouTubers and Vine and all that,” Afualo explained. “So I had no idea how to deal with this because I was so aggressively normal before this happened to me.”

The TikToker added that she “had no way of knowing what this was going to become” after it went viral and that she was “just having a good time” with it.

“I was having a silly time,” she continued. “And it seemed like everyone was having a good time with me, so it worked out.”

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Since going viral in 2020, Afualo has amassed over 8 million followers online and launched her own podcast. The comments sectionand the bestseller STRONG: Accept nothing less than the life you deserve.

Drew Afulalo.

Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty


On December 9, 2024, she announced his break from TikTok amidst his continued struggle with his mental health and being “violently ill.”

“I don’t want it to be any more dramatic than that. I’m not disappearing forever. I will not delete my account,” she explained in her message TikTok. “I just need a break.”

She noted that although “my build on TikTok has been very difficult and sometimes very violent, for my very particular niche,” she is not quitting “because of the hate I get from bigots or misogynists or very many people who don’t do it.” I don’t like myself on the app because of what I do, which is obviously trying to fight for other marginalized groups.

She talked about going to therapy over the past year and realized that validation of herself had to come from within and not just from her accomplishments. She also promised her followers that she would return and that she had no plans to walk away from TikTok completely.

“I think spending time away from this app will give me the opportunity to remind myself that I am a good person and that I know that I am a good person so that I can fully introduce myself to all of you.”