Giovanna Plowman, better known as the ‘Tampon Girl’, sent the internet into a frenzy back in January 2013 when she went viral in a video where she sucked her own used Tampax – she’s now unrecognisable
Giovanna Plowman went viral overnight back in January 2013, but she would soon regret it(Image: Youtube)
The infamous ‘Tampon Girl’ who went viral 12 years ago after sucking on her own used Tampax is unrecognisable as she lives her life out on social media.
In January 2013, Giovanna Plowman, better known as the ‘Tampon Girl’, sent the internet into disbelief and disgust. At just 14, she posted a video of herself appearing to suck on her own used tampon for attention. The shocking clip quickly went viral, making her infamous practically overnight in what would have been one of the biggest videos at the time.
She faced brutal backlash – including from celebrities – relentless cyberbullying and became a cautionary tale for how far people would go for internet fame. It comes as the Hawk Tuah girl sparked pregnancy rumours after a beach snap of her in a bikini went viral.
Remember this? Of course you do, we all do(Image: Youtube)
Fast forward 12 years and Giovanna, now 26, has done what few people expected: turn things around. These days you wouldn’t recognise her as the teenager behind THAT controversial video. On Instagram, where she goes by @716.gio, Giovanna shares snaps of a completely different life.
She’s ditched the wild antics and now posts about her day-to-day experiences, which mostly consist of gourmet meals and jet-setting trips abroad. One post shows her enjoying a lobster roll at Eaton Street Seafood Market in Key West, Florida, while another highlights her visit to an all-you-can-eat barbecue joint in Miami.
It’s a far cry from her viral stunt days but Giovanna hasn’t shied away from addressing her past either. She’s previously spoken openly about the infamous video, admitting it was a regrettable attempt at fame and something she’s had to carry with her ever since.
Giovanna now documents her life on Instagram and TikTok(Image: 716.gio/Instagram)
In a video called ‘giovanna plowman’s confession video’ uploaded to YouTube on April 5, 2013, Giovanna speaks to the camera as she reflects on her bizarre decision. “I just wanna be broad and say I regret the video more than anything,” she revealed.
“I would take it all back if I could. Let me start off by saying most people like attention and being known but how disgusting it is that I’m known for eating a tampon.
“You guys act like I haven’t realised that by now but I have, and it’s pretty awful and disgusting. Getting mixed up with the wrong crowd was like one of the main parts about the situation, I was trying to be someone I wasn’t and it really hurt me.
Giovanna us unrecognisable from 12 years ago(Image: 716.gio/Instagram)
“The video to me just shows people how I didn’t care about my reputation and how I had low self esteem, but I do care about my reputation and it’s sad because everyone thinks I don’t. I’m not here to get ‘famous’ or gain sympathy or anything, I just wanna send out a message – if you’re thinking of doing a video or anything along those lines, don’t.
“Honestly, I lost so many people – I was kicked out of public school, I was in the hospital, I pretty much was out of it for a long period of time and best yet my family was so disgusted and disappointed with me and the whole situation. And at the time I didn’t care because I was so immature and childish, and I just needed something for me to look at to grow up I guess.
“I wish I never did the video… and to all these fake accounts pretending to be me – can you please stop… I just wanna say that I’m sorry to all the people I offended, and to all the celebrities especially Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian, Lohanthony and Miley Cyrus. I actually look up to you guys and this [Twitter] account make it seems like I don’t care about anyone.
Giovanna has always been open about her wild past(Image: 716.gio/Instagram)
“I am a completely different person from then to now and people still look at me like I’m pathetic, and there’s nothing I can really do to change their mind.
“This experience has taught me a valuable lesson, one which I wish I didn’t have to learn, but don’t do anything you’ll regret in the long run because the internet is not something to play around with. I’ve learnt this the hard way and I hope this video can help some people not make the same mistake that I have.”
On TikTok, where she uses the handle @giovannaplowman, she’s built a following of more than 23,000. Some of her content references the ‘Tampon Girl’ label, but it seems she’s learned to embrace it as part of her story.