When you think of “Christian Girl Autumn,” you’d be forgiven for thinking it originated from Caitlin Covington, an influencer who takes elaborate autumnal-themed photoshoots every year and was recently interviewed by the New York Times as the face of the now-iconic meme. Every year, the “Christian Girl Autumn” meme experiences a resurgence, and every year, the 22-year-old who originated the term, Isabella, is overlooked.
In a previous conversation with Insider, Isabella explained how the meme exploded in 2019 after she posted a picture of Covington and a friend after googling “fall 2012 outfits” and added the caption: “Hot Girl Summer is coming to an end. Get ready for Christian Girl Autumn.”
After the term became a widespread meme, lifestyle influencer Covington continued the annual autumnal photoshoots in tribute to it. However, with the meme experiencing its annual resurgence in October 2022, Isabella, who posts under the handle Blizzy McGuire (@blizzy_mcguire), tweeted along with a link to her Venmo: “These ‘Christian Girl Autumn’ articles coming out while I’m struggling to find work and make ends meet… we didn’t do it, Joe.”
Speaking with Passionfruit, Isabella said: “I am also an influencer and creator on TikTok and Twitter, but I do not get the brand deals, media coverage, or opportunities that most influencers get. Maybe it’s because of my content or simply because I am trans and not marketable enough. I have this huge platform on TikTok and people recognize me on the streets and tell me I’m a star, yet my bank account didn’t reflect that.”
On TikTok, wherein she built a fanbase through posting comedy content, Isabella has 226,600 followers and 21.6 million cumulative likes. Still, she told Passionfruit she is experiencing financial trouble in 2022.
“Seeing articles, jokes, and viral tweets about ‘Christian Girl Autumn’ come out and people asking me for interviews made me think, ‘Why am I not making anything from this?’” she added. “I don’t know if I deserve to be paid for creating a meme, but I think it’s frustrating knowing that I have impacted pop culture in many ways, yet I never reaped any financial benefits from it.”
Fortunately, one person who seems to be fighting Isabella’s corner is Covington herself. Isabella said Covington is a “genuinely kind person.” In 2020, when Isabella started a GoFundMe for gender-affirming medical treatment, Insider reported that and shared the link. Covington also donated $500 to the cause at the time.
Amid Isabella’s recent tweet about her financial issues, in November 2022 Covington also retweeted her Venmo link and added Isabella was the “creator of the Christian Girl Autumn meme.”
“I think crediting creators is always important in any kind of art form,” Isabella added.
Covington did not immediately respond to Passionfruit’s request for comment via Instagram direct message.
