Where Are They Now? Here's What Neekolul, AKA The 'OK Boomer' Girl, Has Been Up To Since She Went Viral In 2020
Nicole Sanchez, also known as Neekolul or Neeko, skyrocketed to internet fame in early 2020 after posting a TikTok in which she danced to YouTuber Senzawa's song "Oki Doki Boomer" while dressed in a Bernie Sanders crop top.
Her play on the viral OK Boomer meme, paired with her Sanders endorsement and her cutesy appearance, made her an instant hit on TikTok and other platforms around the internet, with thousands of users (or "simps" as some labeled them) around the globe pledging their fealty to her almost immediately.
But like all internet celebrities, many people have tried to milkshake duck Neekolul over the years. Whether it's accusations of her copying notorious e-girl Belle Delphine or jokes about how a so-called "tax the rich" advocate could possibly live in a $2 million apartment, Neekolul has been no stranger to controversy ever since she expanded her content and audience beyond her TikTok roots.
Despite some ups and downs in her relatively short internet career so far, Neekolul is still streaming on Twitch more than ever before and has garnered a sizable fan base across multiple platforms. Still, it's hard for anyone to top the fame she experienced in 2020.
Here's a look at how Nicole "Neeko" Sanchez became an internet sensation and what she's been up to since her viral peak in 2020.
Who Is Neekolul and How Did She First Go Viral Online?
Before her meteoric rise as the "OK Boomer Girl," Neekolul, real name Nicole Sanchez, was grinding away in the content creation trenches like any aspiring internet personality.
She began streaming on Twitch in 2017, primarily focusing on games like Call of Duty and League of Legends. While she wasn’t exactly breaking viewership records, Neekolul carved out a small but loyal following, thanks to her mix of soft-spoken charm and her gamer cred.
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6728872720722824454
Neekolul’s "Oki Doki Boomer" video dropped in March 2020, smack in the middle of a politically charged moment in the U.S. In the TikTok, she sports a blue Bernie Sanders crop top and a playful smile, dancing to the song "Oki Doki Boomer."
The video’s release coincided with a high-stakes Democratic primary, during which Sanders’ progressive platform had energized a youth-driven, meme-savvy base. Against this backdrop, Neekolul’s cutesy delivery and wholesome vibe made her an overnight internet darling.
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6799735510970551557
The backing music itself came from a viral track that VTuber Senzawa released three months prior. The song played on the catchphrase, "OK Boomer," a meme tagline that was popularized among young internet-savvy kids in 2019.
Why Did The 'OK Boomer' Video Go Viral, And How Did People React To It?
The internet’s reaction to Neekolul’s "Oki Doki Boomer" video was nothing short of explosive. On Twitter, the post racked up millions of views, with some fans praising her for being the embodiment of cute but politically conscious.
Neekolul quickly came to be known as the "Queen of Simps" by many online, gathering an adoring and largely male audience in just a few short weeks. Despite the negative associations of the term at the time, Neekolul spoke with Kotaku about leaning into the simp narrative wholeheartedly, and said, "When I’m saying these things like 'Simping is king s---,' it’s like, I’m an entertainer. I have to entertain people." And entertain she did, despite minor hiccups like losing over 60,000 followers the day she did a boyfriend reveal.
Left-leaning social media users adopted the video as a rallying cry, sharing it with captions like, “This is the future liberals want,” or pledging allegiance to Bernie with ironic thirst.
On the flip side, the backlash was equally loud and swift. Platforms like 4chan wasted no time accusing her of being a manufactured e-girl cashing in on political clout. Critics also questioned her sincerity, with some calling her out for leaning on looks and meme culture to push an agenda. Others dismissed the viral video as cringe or claimed it infantilized important issues.
What Did Neekolul Think Of Her Viral Fame In 2020?
In an interview with Know Your Meme soon after the "Oki Doki Boomer" video first dropped and went viral, Neekolul talked about how impromptu the TikTok was and how surprised she was by the strong reactions people had to it, telling us that she wanted to make a joke about the "OK Boomer" meme and just happened to receive her Bernie shirt the same day.
In the interview, Neeko also shared some regrets she had about her OK Boomer video. For one, she wished she had come up with a better caption than "KEKW" (a reference to the well-known Twitch emote) and also wished she had made the video before Bernie Sanders actually dropped out of the primary.
Neeko didn't express any delusions about how impactful her video was, she just seemed grateful to be able to contribute to a cause she believed in. By July 2020, Neekolul had signed a contract with gaming talent agency 100 Thieves and was well on her way to a successful career as an influencer.
What Happened To Neeko In The Years Following The 2020 Democratic Primary and Her Viral Video?
After Bernie Sanders dropped out of the 2020 Democratic primary, Neeko’s place in the cultural spotlight shifted from a politically charged meme icon to an internet personality under a microscope. She repeatedly found herself compared to Belle Delphine, the reigning queen of e-girl marketing at the time.
Critics argued Neeko was chasing Belle’s blueprint – cutesy aesthetic, flirtatious engagement and viral bait content – without the same satirical edge. Fans of both creators turned the comparison into a battleground, with Neeko often being dismissed as a "knockoff" despite carving her own niche through streaming and gaming-focused content.
By 2021, Neekolul reignited discourse when she wore a "Tax the Rich" shirt in support of AOC's reelection campaign. It wasn’t long before internet detectives dug deeper into her life and unearthed her $2 million luxury apartment tour, which subsequently garnered controversy.
https://t.co/8OwiKZ0csK https://t.co/0eOweqMIoQ
— Fã clube CaioVGC 🔜 LAIC 🌙 (@ericaikok) June 19, 2021
The perceived contradiction was fuel for critics who accused her of hypocrisy, arguing that her wealth clashed with her public advocacy for taxing the rich. The discourse spiraled quickly, with memes, debates and think pieces framing her as emblematic of the “performative left.” For many, it was less about her actual wealth and more about the optics of the situation.
Neeko addressed the backlash, pointing out that her wealth came from her work as a creator, not generational privilege, but the damage was done. The video highlighted the uncomfortable relationship between internet fame and political messaging, especially in a culture quick to criticize anyone they deem hypocritical.
While the controversy didn’t derail her career, it did signal the end of her “pure meme queen” era, with her focus shifting to consistent streaming rather than headline-worthy moments.
Story in three parts pic.twitter.com/LNsYelSeBT
— j aubrey 🤠 (@jaubreyYT) June 4, 2021
In 2021, discussions about Neekolul's past run-in with the law resurfaced online. People were talking about how she was supposedly arrested under a domestic violence charge, forcing Neekolul to address the issue and talk about her experience in a challenging and violent seven-year relationship.
The online community's response was divided, with fellow streamers like Pokimane expressing their support, acknowledging the complexities of such situations, while others such as Destiny criticized Neeko, questioning the narrative she presented.
What Is Neekolul Up To These Days, And Where Can You Find Her Online?
In June 2023, she parted ways with the gaming organization 100 Thieves, where she had been a content creator since 2020. Following her departure, Neekolul has focused more of her attention on independent content creation.
A second-generation Mexican immigrant, Neekolul streams in both English and Spanish, showing a versatility that no doubt factors into how much her following has grown in the early 2020s. Neeko has also slowly been amassing a dedicated following across her socials, more than doubling her followers since the peak of her fame in 2020 and plateauing in recent years.
Hatsune Mexiku 🇲🇽⚽️ pic.twitter.com/vODDhJqTAH
— neekolul •ᴗ• (@neekolul) October 31, 2024
Neeko still streams and posts cosplay photos, and she seems to have moved past the controversy her "Tax the Rich" shirt sparked years ago. Neekolul's streams these days revolve around the video games she plays, her personal life and the occasional cosplay video.
Her most recent gaming streams showed her playing the mascot horror game Poppy Playtime, although she still enjoys the occasional shoot-em-up.
But that doesn't mean that she doesn't continue to encourage her followers to be politically active. In the lead-up to the recent major political event earlier this month, Neekolul made it clear where her political affiliations lay, voicing her support for the Democratic party.
You can find Neekolul by the same name on her Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, and under @Neeko on Twitch.
For the full history of Neekolul, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information. To see the rest of our "Where Are They Now" series, you can find them all here. Stay tuned for next week's editorial!
