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Isabella Thier, also known as “jaw surgery girl” or @bella.the.rat on TikTok, took the idea of a campus celebrity to a new level.

They had 1 million followers before setting foot on Syracuse University’s campus. When they posted a video during their freshman year, students flocked to popular college social media Yik Yak to post that the jaw surgery girl was at SU.

“She posted a TikTok that went viral about the mount steps, about freshman year. And I was like, ‘Wait, oh my God, no way, jaw surgery girl goes here,’” Thier’s friend Mia Font-Lorie said. “I was like, ‘Holy sh*t, what if I run into her one day and then we end up being in the same organization.’”

Thier is now in their sophomore year studying forensic science and psychology. Before coming to college, they gained her following on TikTok because of the transition before and after her jaw surgery. Now, years after the surgery, Thier posts videos and relatable content based on current trends.

Thier recalls her videos blowing up early in the COVID-19 pandemic because they were not the “beauty standard.” She had always wanted to be famous in some way and made TikToks out of boredom, but she never expected she could become famous by not looking like everyone else, Thier said.

“I remember blowing up – it was a dumb lip sync video, and people were liking it because I didn’t have the right facial features for what people thought so they were like, ‘you look stupid,’ or ‘you look weird,’” Thier said. “So, they followed me.”

At first, it was difficult for Thier to handle comments about her appearance, they said. However, as time went on, she started to use the comments to her advantage to gain a larger following.

Once Thier knew they were getting jaw surgery, they started making more TikToks documenting the process which went viral. Some of her friends she’s met throughout college saw her videos online before even meeting her in person.

“When she blew up over quarantine, we were sophomores, and one time some girl just sent her TikTok like, ‘Oh, countdown to my jaw surgery,’” Font-Lorie said. “And I was like, ‘Wait, this should be funny. We should follow along.’”

While some people commented poorly about her appearance, others found her content relatable because they were also getting jaw surgery. Support from those viewers motivated Thier to keep posting.

“I started getting people who came to me for me and that felt really great,” Thier said. “But yeah, at the beginning it kind of sucked obviously (you) never want to hear as a 16-year-old girl, ‘Oh, you’re so ugly.’”

Courtesy of Bella Thier

Isabella Thier before her jaw surgery when she first had thousands of comments saying she was “ugly.” In 2020, she posted her transition they had counted down to on social media.

Thier got her jaw surgery at the end of 2020. They had made some online friends through TikTok, but right after they got the surgery, they didn’t talk to anyone for a month and a half. The recovery process was long and they mostly slept all day.

Once she felt better, Thier posted more TikToks showing her transformation. People immediately flocked to Thier’s comment section to talk about her appearance.

“When I got the surgery, people were like, ‘Oh my God, you’re so beautiful,’” Thier said. “And then people came back, and were like, ‘You were beautiful before and after.’”

Although in high school students gossiped about Thier and her account, she found making friends in college was easier because of her TikTok. Many people automatically assumed she was funny or liked that she had a ton of followers, Thier said.

Thier was accepted to SU in December 2021. With eight months left before the school year started, rising freshmen spent time in Snapchat group chats. Thier’s now friend Madyson Diaz remembers the shock of seeing she had 1 million followers on TikTok.

Thier gets recognized around campus frequently – at the Schine Student Center Dunkin’ Donuts, parties or in dining halls. One time, a student did a class project on her TikTok account.

“(My friend) walked in class and a video of me crying was on the screen,” Thier said. “And he sent it to me and was like, ‘Why was this on the screen?’”

While Thier makes relatable content on TikTok, they are also passionate about music. She released two songs in 2023: “Blisters” and “Two Months.” On campus, they are involved in the a cappella group Groovestand. They’ve been using TikTok as a platform to share their music by making videos with titles like “jaw surgery girl makes music?”

Thier said her music is relatable in a different way than her TikTok since the songs usually revolve around heartbreak. Since people mostly recognize her for her jaw surgery transformation, Thier said it feels special when people like her music.

“Someone came up to me they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love your song,’” Thier said. “And I was like, ‘This is like the first time that someone has come up to me like to talk to me about my music.’”

With TikTok and beyond, Thier hopes to use her platform for more than surgery updates. She is going to release more music but is also hoping to fulfill her dream of creating a podcast.

“I do follow (her TikTok), but just like a side thing,” Diaz said. “As a friend thing, I forget sometimes that they’re a big TikTok person.”

Published on January 15, 2024 at 10:03 pm

Contact Rosina: rlboehm@syr.edu