In the ever-expanding collision between influencer culture and anonymous internet gossip, few incidents land quite as neatly as a self-own.
Elena Taber, a New York City lifestyle creator with over 300,000 Instagram followers, is back in the digital crosshairs after a fresh Reddit thread rehashing her alleged burner-account activity went viral and was subsequently deleted. The removal only accelerated the spread, with screenshots flooding X and TikTok over the past day.
Taber was allegedly caught posting about herself on a Reddit thread under a pseudonym, exposing her true identity through a TikTok link she shared in the post. The slip happened on r/NYCinfluencerSnark, a community with more than 47,000 members revolving around "discussion and snark about NYC Influencers." According to reporting from the New York Post in early April, the post went on for two lengthy paragraphs subtly singing Taber's praises. Reddit users then dug into the account's history.
The account in question had also been caught snarking on other influencers, including some of Taber's own friends. That detail turned an embarrassing gaffe into something stranger, painting a picture of an influencer allegedly working both sides of the gossip machine. Taber is well known for her creative videos about living in New York City, travel, and sustainable fashion.
Her relationship with Jamie Campbell Bower added a celebrity dimension to the whole mess. Bower played major villain Vecna/Henry Creel in Seasons 4 and 5 of the popular Netflix show Stranger Things. Their relationship is believed to have begun in early 2025, with the couple first spotted together in April of that year before making things social media official. Bower has since concluded his time on the series, with the Season 5 finale wrapping up on New Year's Eve.
By May, Slate's ICYMI podcast had devoted an episode to the saga. Host Kate Lindsay discussed the drama with Vic Whitley Berry, exploring how snarkers came to believe Taber had been posting under a secret account. Neither Taber nor Bower has addressed the allegations publicly, and no definitive proof has been confirmed by either party.
The episode sits at a peculiar intersection of internet subcultures. Snark subreddits have been criticized as a form of cyberbullying and as invasive of their subjects. They have also been commended by some for their analysis of deceptive practices by influencers. Taber's alleged participation in the very forum dedicated to scrutinizing people like her complicates both arguments.
Bower, an actor and musician with roles in major franchises like Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Mortal Instruments, has kept his focus on upcoming projects as the post-Stranger Things chapter of his career takes shape. For Taber, the silence may be strategic. But the internet, as usual, has a longer memory than anyone would like.
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