Baddiewinkle Explained

Baddiewinkle
Birth Name:Helen Ruth Elam
Birth Date:18 July 1928
Birth Place:West Liberty, Kentucky, U.S.
Death Place:Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.
Other Names:Baddie
Years Active:2014–2025
Children:2

Helen Elam Van Winkle (July 18, 1928 – September 4, 2025), better known as Baddiewinkle or Baddie Winkle, was an American Internet personality. She became an Internet sensation at the age of eighty-five.[1] [2] [3] Her popular social media tag line was, "Stealing Your Man Since 1928".[4]

Winkle had millions of followers and views on social media, where she posted photos and videos of herself, often with suggestive clothing with peculiar prints, or little clothing in order to encourage body positivity and the celebration of the physiques of elderly people.[5] [6] [7] [8]

Early life

Elam was born in West Liberty, Kentucky, on July 18, 1928,[9] and grew up on a farm in Richmond.[10] [11] She spent 28 years working for Dresser Industries, ordering gauges for machines.

Career

Winkle started posting on the internet in 2014, after initially getting help from her great-granddaughter, Kennedy Dechet, to upload an image to Twitter, while wearing her great-granddaughter's clothes.[12] [13] She was subsequently followed by Rihanna, and thereafter received a worldwide following.[14] [15] [16] [17] [18] In 2015, she reached one million followers on Instagram. That year, she appeared on Today Australia.[19]

She was known for her humor and for fighting against ageism through her personal style and messaging, characterized by wearing eccentric clothes, promoting the legalization of medical marijuana, and her innuendo. Winkle was an activist and influencer whose self-expression was a statement of disapproval of the beauty industry and the false limitations it imposes on individuals, and especially on women.[20]

In 2015, Grit Creative Group used her as the face of their website launch campaign, where she dressed as Kurt Cobain, Kate Moss, and others.[21] Winkle appeared on the second-season premiere of Nicole Richie's Candidly Nicole on VH1.[22] She also appeared on the red carpet at the Netflix promotion for Orange Is the New Black.[23] She attended the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards as a guest of Miley Cyrus and MTV.[24] [25] [26] Furthermore, in 2015, she starred in LunchMoney Lewis' "Ain't Too Cool" music video.[27]

In August 2016, she was a guest on MTV's Ridiculousness.[28] Time magazine included Winkle in its "30 Most Influential People on the Internet" list in March 2016.[29] Winkle was also named "Instagrammer of the Year" at the 2016 Shorty Awards on April 11, 2016.[30] In 2016, the fashion brand Missguided announced Baddie Winkle as their Christmas campaign spokeswoman.[31] Winkle appeared in her first national commercial for Smirnoff ICE Electric Flavors as part of the company's "Keep It Moving" campaign in 2016.[32] She starred in Fergie's "Life Goes On" music video in 2016.[33] In 2017, Winkle published her first book, titled Baddiewinkle's Guide to Life.[34]

In 2019, Winkle collaborated with INC.redible Cosmetics.[35] Winkle was the face of the hair care brand Aussie's Blonde Hydration range in 2020.[36] Winkle partnered with Tillamook Ice Cream to present their campaign in 2021.[37] She featured in Sally Beauty's ad campaign which focused on self-expression and empowerment through brightly colored hair.[38]

Personal life and death

Elam was married to Earl George Van Winkle from 1947 until his death in a car accident in 1983, on their 36th wedding anniversary.[39] Her son, Kenneth David, died of bone cancer in 1999.[40] [9] She also had a daughter, Belinda Lovell.[40] [9] She also had five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.[9]

Winkle died on September 4, 2025, at her home in Richmond, Kentucky at the age of 97.[41] [9] She was buried at Flatwoods Cemetery, in Waco, Kentucky.[9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rubanovich. Caryn. Why Care About 85 When You Are 25?. The Common Reader. May 17, 2016 .
  2. Romano . Nick . See Miley Cyrus meet Internet sensation Baddie Winkle before the VMAs . https://web.archive.org/web/20150830215718/http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/30/miley-cyrus-baddie-winkle-photos-show-hilarious-encounter-vmas . 2015-08-30 . August 16, 2016 . Entertainment Weekly.
  3. Web site: Koman. Tess. Baddie Winkle: All the College Kids Just Want Me to Be Their Grandma. Cosmopolitan. June 8, 2015 . August 16, 2016.
  4. Web site: Rose. Rebecca. Baddie Winkle, Trill Weed Grandma, Stealing Your Man Since 1928. Jezebel. December 23, 2014 . July 26, 2016.
  5. Web site: Roy. Jessica. Your New Favorite Fashion Icon Is This Trill Grandma. NYMag. November 14, 2014 . March 6, 2015.
  6. Web site: Kobola. Frank. Twerking Twitter Grandma Is a Fabulous Genius. Cosmopolitan. April 28, 2014 . March 6, 2015.
  7. Web site: Wesely. Tommy. Baddie Winkle Is The Most Hardcore Grandma On The Internet. BuzzFeed. April 22, 2014 . March 6, 2015.
  8. Web site: Hoffman. Ashley. Baddie Winkle on Dealing With Trolls, Posing Nude, and How Being Internet-Famous Helped Her Through Grief. Styleite. March 6, 2015. November 10, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151110181759/http://www.styleite.com/qa/baddie-winkle-on-dealing-with-trolls-posing-nude-and-how-being-internet-famous-helped-her-through-grief/. dead.
  9. Web site: Helen Ruth Van Winkle Obituary. Oldham Roberts Funeral Home. September 8, 2025.
  10. Web site: Baddiewinkle, the 88 Year Old Instagram Sensation. Beauty Master. September 6, 2025.
  11. Web site: Goorwich. Siam. Baddie Winkle is the most badass grandmother in the world. Metro. November 15, 2014 . March 6, 2015.
  12. Web site: Fantozzi. Sienna. Baddie Winkle Is Instagram's Most Hardcore Grandma — Prepare To Feel Totally Lame. Bustle. November 14, 2014 . March 6, 2015.
  13. Web site: Rose. Rebecca. Celebrate Grandparents Day with Badass Twitter Granny Baddie Winkle. Jezebel. September 8, 2014 . March 6, 2015.
  14. Web site: Rosenzweig. Mathias. "THEY'RE BASICS. I PRAY FOR THEM:" A CHAT WITH INTERNET SENSATION BADDIE WINKLE. Paper Mag. March 6, 2015.
  15. Web site: Patton . Ben . Meet Baddie Winkle; Twitter's Hippest Granny Who Is Taking The Internet By Storm . PopWrapped . March 6, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150406110625/http://popwrapped.com/news/44006/meet-baddie-winkle-twitters-hippest-granny-who-is-taking-the-internet-by-storm/ . April 6, 2015 .
  16. News: O'Neil. Lauren. Twerking 86-year-old grandma 'Baddie Winkle' is an internet star. CBC. CBC. March 6, 2015.
  17. Web site: Murray. Rheana. Baddie Winkle Granny Finds Social Media Stardom. abc News. March 6, 2015.
  18. Web site: Bleier. Evan. Kentucky great-grandmother Baddie Winkle dominating on Twitter and Instagram . UPI. March 6, 2015.
  19. Web site: Oldenburg. Katie. Meet Your Latest Social Media Obsession: Granny "Badass" Baddie Winkle, "Stealing Your Man Since 1928". The Frisky. March 6, 2015. June 12, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170612003152/http://www.thefrisky.com/2014-04-26/meet-your-latest-social-media-obsession-granny-badass-baddie-winkle-stealing-your-man-since-1928/. dead.
  20. Web site: Harvey. Matt. 8 times old lady "baddiewinkle" won Instagram. SneakHype. March 6, 2015.
  21. Web site: Farmer. Brian. Baddie Winkle Transforms Into Kate Moss, Michelle Lamy and Kurt Cobain. HighSnobiety. April 2, 2015.
  22. Web site: Black. Elizabeth. Instagram Star Baddie Winkle Turned Nicole Richie Into A Bad Bitch. https://web.archive.org/web/20220910194611/https://www.vh1.com/news/p7ox5l/instagram-star-baddie-winkle-turned-nicole-richie-into-a-bad-bitch. live. September 10, 2022. VH1.com. Viacom International Inc.. August 1, 2016.
  23. Web site: Rose. Rebecca. You Have Got to See Twerking Grandma Baddie Winkle at the OITNB Premiere Party. Cosmopolitan.com. June 12, 2015 . Hearst Communications. August 1, 2016.
  24. Web site: Romano. Nick. See Miley Cyrus meet Internet sensation Baddie Winkle before the VMAs. EW.com. Entertainment Weekly. August 3, 2016.
  25. Web site: Murphy. Shaunna. Miley Cyrus and Baddie Winkle Just Fell in Bad Girl Love at the VMAs: See the Pics. https://web.archive.org/web/20150830222553/http://www.mtv.com/news/2255282/miley-cyrus-baddie-winkle/. dead. August 30, 2015. MTV.com. Quantcast. August 3, 2016.
  26. Web site: Chen. Joyce. Miley Cyrus Wears Fruit-and-Veggie Jumpsuit, Meets Baddie Winkle Before MTV VMAs. US Magazine. August 30, 2015 . US Weekly. August 3, 2016.
  27. Web site: Lewis . Roshumba . December 16, 2015 . LunchMoney Lewis Drops New Video For "Ain't Too Cool" . December 26, 2022 . The Knockturnal . en-US.
  28. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5941126/?ref_=ttep_ep17
  29. Meet the 30 Most Influential People on the Internet . December 26, 2022 . Time . en.
  30. Web site: Mulshine . Molly . A stylish 87-year-old grandma is one of Instagram's biggest stars . December 26, 2022 . Business Insider . April 10, 2014 . en-US.
  31. Web site: November 4, 2016 . Baddie Winkle's New Fashion Campaign Is Proof "You're Never, Ever Too Old to Party" . December 26, 2022 . Cosmopolitan . en-us.
  32. Web site: April 21, 2016 . Baddie Winkle's 5 Pieces Of Advice For People Of All Ages . December 26, 2022 . HuffPost . en.
  33. Web site: Fergie Releases 'Life Goes On' Music Video Starring Baddie Winkle, Baby Ariel . December 26, 2022 . Peoplemag . en.
  34. Web site: Nechamkin . Sarah . July 4, 2017 . Life Advice From 88-Year-Old Instagram Star Baddiewinkle . December 26, 2022 . The Cut . en-us.
  35. Web site: May 26, 2019 . Baddie Winkle Just Dropped a New Beauty Collection at Sephora and We Want EVERYTHING . December 26, 2022 . Allure . en-US.
  36. Web site: 92-year-old social media sensation Baddie Winkle joins Aussie team for latest campaign . December 26, 2022 . cosmeticsbusiness.com . en.
  37. Web site: Walker . DeArbea . May 26, 2021 . Baddie Winkle Tells It Like It Is in New Tillamook Campaign . December 26, 2022 . en-US.
  38. Web site: Decker . Megan . Sally Beauty Reminds Us That "Having Colored Hair Doesn't Make You Unprofessional" . December 26, 2022 . www.refinery29.com . en.
  39. Web site: From Factory Worker to Instagram Star — at 87. Fox40. September 5, 2025.
  40. Web site: Meet Baddiewinkle, the God-fearing great-grandmother and badass punk internet sensation. New Statesman. September 5, 2025. May 7, 2015.
  41. Web site: Influencer Baddie Winkle Dies at Age 97. People.com. September 5, 2025. September 5, 2025.

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