A massive controversy is going viral on TikTok after popular TikToker Sarah Joy posted a video announcing her departure from the "plain people" community. While her video initially sparked concerns over Joy's safety, the tides have now turned after rumors that she's pretending to be part of the Amish community went viral, resulting in her deleting her account. So are the rumors true? Here's what we know.

@p3xkz She literally lives in fort ashby and im in wiley ford. 🙈 #sarahjoy #fyp #amish #wv ♬ just a girl – marley

Who Is 'Sarah Joy' And Why Is TikTok Talking About Her?

Sarah Joy is an ex-TikToker who had over 500,000 followers at the time her account was deleted. Her content gave viewers an inside look into the "plain people" community, a Christian religious group encompassing certain sects of the Amish and Mennonites that, similarly to those groups, focuses on simple, traditional living.

On March 27th, 2024, Joy posted a video in which she thanked her viewers for watching and announced her departure from TikTok. In the video, she implied that she would no longer be part of the community soon, leading many to believe that her TikTok account was discovered, that it was against the plain people community's rules and that she was being forced out of the community. This lead to a lot of concern for Joy and inspired some to call for wellness checks on her, with her safety being confirmed shortly after the video was posted.

@reyahthelastdragon #greenscreenvideo #greenscreen #sarahjoy #thatplaingirl #amish #plainpeople #mennonites ♬ Very Sad – Enchan

Is 'Sarah Joy' Pretending To Be Amish?

Joy's initial video inspired a lot of support and concern for the beloved TikToker. Then, a few other TikTokers posted videos "exposing" Joy for purportedly lying about being Amish. One TikToker shared photos taken on an unknown date in which Joy is seen without her plain people clothes.

Another claimed to live near her, to see her around town, and says she's "not Amish." An image purportedly showing that Joy is a pastor's daughter also started going around, while another TikToker claimed Joy followed her back on TikTok after she announced her departure, suggesting this means Joy is still using the app.

Joy responded to the rumors by claiming she was not born into the lifestyle but converted to it later. She also claimed that she did not follow the TikToker back and that she did have the TikTok app deleted off her phone initially. Shortly after, Joy deleted her account as the rumors continued to spread around the app, with an old account of hers from 2022 also surfacing that showed her outside of the plain people community. Since then, there have been no further updates on the situation, with the truth remaining a little murky.

@reyahthelastdragon #greenscreenvideo #greenscreen #mennonite #sarahjoy #amish #plainpeople #thatplaingirl ♬ Lofi Hiphop Relax in a dream(861056) – NARU

@reyahthelastdragon #greenscreen #greenscreenvideo #sarahjoy #burneraccount #amish #thatplaingirl #mennonite ♬ original sound – Reyah the Last Dragon🐲

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For the full history of the Sarah Joy fake Amish rumors, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.