Influencer Acacia Kersey Quits Social Media After 'Immense Amount of Damage'

Acacia Kersey revealed she is quitting social media after enduing an "immense amount of damage" from her role as an influencer.

On Tuesday, the 23-year-old online star -- who started racking up fans in seventh grade on Tumblr -- resurfaced on Instagram after a brief absence to announce she is moving on indefinitely.

"There are a plethora of reasons that have lead me to this decision," she began her message, alongside a photo of her husband Jairus Kersey and their three young children, Brinley, Rosie and Cali.

"This role has done an immense amount of damage to me, my relationships, my financial stability and my view of the world. Fear has been keeping me here for longer than I can even admit. Fear of what would happen if I stopped bringing in money, fear of what I could even offer the world, fear of who I am without this beacause [sic] it's all I've ever known."

She went on to say she was "exhausted on all fronts" and felt like she was running on empty. "I could not operate like that for long," she added. "I lived a majority of my life in a place I didn't want to be in and made a lot of decisions that I probably wouldn't make again."

As a teenager, Acacia used her Tumblr fame to find success on YouTube and Instagram where she gained 800,000 subscribers and 2 million fans, respectively. Throughout her online career, she found her fair share of haters as well, with many calling her out as fame-hungry for dating and quickly dumping fellow social media stars.

Controversy followed too, as she apologized in 2020 for past racist tweets and was accused of animal abuse for rehoming multiple pets over the years. Acacia had defended herself in previous posts, saying her allergies and the special needs of the pets were why she gave them away.

Now, Acacia said she wants to focus on her family and finding a more stable job. After moving back to Oregon, she has even started a "tiny side business just to be creative." "Our lifestyle, relationships, spending habits, goals, practically everything we once knew has changed," she added.

While calling the decision to unplug one of the "hardest and easiest" she ever had to make, Acacia didn't rule out returning to social media.

"Maybe one day I’ll make my way back here but I will not rely on social media for my family's survival. It just created too much of unhealthy pressure & privilege. It's time to move on. Lots of love. Signing off. - ❤️"