4chan has been responsible for a lot of what is now considered canon internet memes, like the classic "Don’t Worry, He Knows" green text story from 2013.

The meme has been around for more than a decade on the internet and is written from the perspective of a teenage boy whose love interest, referred to as his "pseudo-girlfriend," ends up sleeping with his friend's older cousin. But where did it originate and how did it grow as a popular copypasta meme on Reddit and Twitter / X? Here's what we know.

Where Is The 'Don't Worry, He Knows' Meme From?

Back in January 2013, an anonymous 4chan user posted a story claiming that a girl he knew "since kindergarten" who he had developed strong feelings for ended up sleeping with his friend Eric's older, married cousin. At the end of the story, the girl ends up passionately kissing the man in front of him, saying "Don't worry, he knows."

For those who love overstimulation videos, TikToker @greentextgamer posted the full "Don't Worry, He Knows" accompanied by Grand Theft Auto gameplay (seen below).

@greentextgamer “Don’t worry, he knows” – Classic Greentext Repost #greentext #story #tts #sad #lovestory #dating #teenagelove #abuse #abuseawareness #heartbreak #dontworryheknows #4chan #redditreadings #4chantiktok #gaming #retrogaming #fyp ♬ original sound – greentextgamer

How Did 'Don't Worry, He Knows' 4Chan's Post Became A Viral Meme?

It wasn't until June 2015 that the "Don't Worry, He Knows" story started to grow popular online after Redditor going by the handle of /u/Reapus1 posted a screenshot of an infidelity revenge story on 4chan titled "Don't worry, he knows" to /r/4chan. (seen below)

A couple of years later, in April 2017, the meme was introduced to a wider audience when the story was shared by the meme page ShitpostBot 5000 on X, who uploaded a picture of the girl from the original 4chan thread with the caption "When your little cousin says he's better than you at Smash Bros" (shown below)

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For the full history of "Don't Worry, He Knows," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.