Whether your professors won’t stop assigning busy work or your Slack notifications keep sounding off when you’re trying to concentrate, sometimes, you’ve simply had enough. You can only tolerate nonsense for so long, and in the “Leave Me Alone” TikTok trend, creators have definitely reached their limits. The trend was born when Hailey Bieber posted this video on TikTok begging haters to “leave her alone” — which is definitely not a joke — and now, the rest of TikTok wants to be left alone, too.
Although Hailey’s original video was quite serious, creators immediately used the background audio as inspiration for a funny viral trend. From school and work woes to random bothersome events, TikTokers are highlighting the funny-yet-frustrating times where they need to draw a boundary. Whether it’s the fact that you keep getting spam calls or that people won’t stop asking what you’re planning to major in, the trend makes it OK to say, “No more.” Here’s how the viral moment began, and how you can replicate the trend yourself.
How did the “Leave Me Alone” TikTok trend start?
When Hailey recently posted this video on TikTok, it was a noticeable contrast to the bright “getting ready” clips that typically fill her page. The video was meant to call out the many haters (read: “Jelena” fans) who harass Hailey on the internet and in her comments sections. In the video, she says in an earnest, yet direct tone:
“Leave me alone at this point. I am minding my business. I don’t do anything, I don’t say anything. Leave me alone, please. Enough time has gone by where it is valid to leave me alone. I beg of you, truly. That’s my only request. Leave me alone. Be miserable somewhere else, please.”
The caption reads: “This is for you guys in my comments every single time I post.” Hailey’s video is anything but petty; in fact, her poise is impressive given the way internet trolls have relentlessly harassed her and criticized her marriage in recent years.
For context, Justin Bieber proposed to Hailey in 2018 and their dating timeline has been a topic of conversation for years. Today, the couple appears to be doing wonderfully, attending award shows, cozying up with PDA on the red carpet, and slaying the fashion world as usual (can we please discuss their Grammys look?!). Despite the couple appearing perfectly content without others’ unsolicited opinions, many Jelena fans cannot get over the past and continue to comment mean things on Hailey’s videos. Sadly, they haven’t gotten over Selena and Justin’s breakup, and reportedly harassed Hailey in IRL at the Met Gala, chanting Selena’s name.
Hailey originally posted her TikTok plea on April 12, and within hours, the clip instantly racked up millions of views — currently, it has over 25 million and counting. So, when her video popped up on my FYP, I was instantly struck by her candid, raw plea to the haters — but also, how universally relatable her dialogue is. Let’s just say that TikTokers have also had enough and want people to stop bugging them ASAP; in less than 24 hours, a viral trend was born.
TikTokers are using the audio to highlight moments when they, too, want to be left alone.
The “Leave Me Alone” TikTok trend is for those up-to-here moments when you simply can’t be bothered anymore. Maybe your friend repeatedly says you should stop drinking coffee because it’s “not good” for you (respectfully, no), or when your coworker messages you at EOD saying, “Got a sec?” Also no! Maybe your phone is on “Do Not Disturb” but people keep hitting you up anyway, or your bestie brings up cringe memories from the past and you need to shut that down immediately. Some TikTokers are feeling antisocial and can’t be bothered, and others simply want to enjoy a day off without thinking about their final exams.
Whether your neighbor won’t stop asking about your college plans or your ex just tried to slide in your DMs during Ramadan again, this Hailey Bieber-inspired TikTok trend will give you the perfect excuse to say, “Leave me alone.”
Here’s how to try the “Leave Me Alone” TikTok trend.
Fortunately, this viral trend is fairly straightforward to try. All you have to do is think of a time when you could no longer tolerate something — whether it’s incessant emails cluttering your inbox, random bouts of anxiety, or your boss asking you to do literally anything. Then, watch Hailey’s original video to get a sense of pacing, and bookmark the original sound here to use in the background of your video. Then, describe your situation via text overlay and pretend to say Hailey’s dialogue while thinking about your frustrating situation.
If you need some inspiration, there are plenty of examples on TikTok to choose from. The goal is to think of a legitimately annoying situation, whether it’s generic, niche, funny, or serious, and put out a Hailey-style call for that thing to just…end. Your version can be about virtually anything, from fielding obnoxious questions about your dating life to dealing with the credit card company after you splurged on skincare. Then, sync your video footage with the trending sound, add a witty caption, and that’s it!
At the end of the day, I love keeping up with Hailey’s videos, and I hope she finds the peace she deserves. I’m patiently waiting for her to drop her amazing skincare line, Rhode, so I can attempt to achieve the “dolphin skin” glow she embodies so well. Like anyone else, Hailey deserves to live her life without the opinions of randos on the internet. I genuinely hope the haters listen to her message and leave her alone. She deserves all of the happiness, and bestie, you do, too.