Influencer Tieghan Gerard is firing off at the haters.
“I feel like it has been so long since I have talked face-to-face to the camera. I have definitely taken a little bit of a step back from social media,” Gerard, 32, said in a Thursday, May 7, video shared via her Instagram Stories. “I, obviously, have still been on, but I haven’t been sharing quite as much.”
She continued, “You know what, you guys? There’s a lot of haters out there, and it was just becoming a lot for me.”
Gerard primarily shares “quick and cozy” recipes via her “Half Baked Harvest” account, which has amassed 5.4 million Instagram followers at the time of publication.
“I just had to take a step back, but I’m back, you guys,” she said on Thursday. “I feel so excited, I feel so good. I am here in Miami right now, just soaking up the sunshine, I’m working [and] all things. Everything is so, so good, and at the end of the day, I am just here to share beautiful things with you guys. I’m here to share my beautiful recipes with you guys [and] beautiful ways to present those recipes.”
Gerard’s uploads have sparked controversy regarding claims of cultural appropriation, intellectual property, privilege and body shaming. She denied any intentional harm, stressing her appreciation for other cultures in her creation.
The influencer further stressed on Thursday that she wanted to be able to “share [her] life” with her followers.
“It’s so special to me, and you know I love it so much,” she added, offering a life update since her online hiatus. “I’m in Miami. I’m renting here for a year. I needed to get away from the cold, I needed to get away from Colorado, be in a very big, warm, sunshine place. You know I love it here.”
Gerard continued, “I love being able to work here and actually being able to see my family so much more. It’s been so special, and I’m so excited to spend some time here and share it with you guys because I have so much to share. We’re working on so many things behind the scenes.”
While Gerard has admittedly been “proud” of her upcoming Half Baked Harvest launches, she also felt “sad” that she couldn’t say much on social media.
“Finally today, I was like, ‘You know what? I don’t want to do that anymore,’” she quipped. “I don’t want to be quiet. You can take it, you can leave it, you can criticize me all you want, but I love doing this. I’m only here to share a little bit of good and happiness, and that’s all I really care about at the end of the day.”
