The TikTok to Hollywood pipeline

Written by Sadiba Hasan

What happens after you go viral is almost as uncertain as the possibility of going viral in the first place. You could get dragged. You could get milkshake-ducked. You could also get a Hollywood deal.

The latter seems to be the fate of Tareasa Johnson, better known online as Reesa Teesa, who in February captivated millions of viewers on TikTok with “Who TF Did I Marry?,” a 50-part video series recounting her whirlwind relationship saga with a man she began dating in March 2020. Now, her story is being adapted for television, according to Variety.

This latest twist in Johnson’s fortunes isn’t unusual these days. Viral internet content has become fodder for television, film and podcasting, and the likelihood of social media stars making their way to traditional forms of media has increased, said Charles Lindsey, an associate professor of marketing at University at Buffalo School of Management.

“The entire media space is just so much more interconnected,” said Lindsey, who focuses on consumer behavior. “It’s more democratized. It’s flatter. The crossover potential is just so much more than it was five years ago.”

After a string of interviews and media appearances, Haliey Welch, also known as Hawk Tuah Girl, this week announced a podcast called “Talk Tuah” with Jake Paul’s media company, Betr. This summer, director Michael Bay and former Paramount Pictures President Adam Goodman said they were in talks to develop “Skibidi Toilet,” the bizarre animated series popular with Gen Alpha, for television and film. The YouTube sensation, which now has more than 43 million subscribers, began with an 11-second video created by Alexey Gerasimov, a Georgian content creator.

“The floodgates have opened in terms of consumer psychology,” Lindsey added. “There’s not that hesitancy to watch someone’s film or series just because they started out via social media.”

Many who were drawn to Johnson’s videos praised her storytelling skills. In the videos, Johnson monologues over several hours about her ex-husband, whom she met at the beginning of the pandemic and who introduced himself as a regional manager of a condiment company. Then, she says, he love-bombed her and moved into her home a few weeks after they started talking, when Georgia went into COVID lockdown. They married in January 2021.

She initiated a divorce that June after she uncovered the dozens of baffling lies he had told her about his life — including his job and how many siblings he has. Through an investigation that involved several background checks, Johnson found out his real social security number (he had used a fake one), that he had been married multiple times and that he had been to jail.

Though she used the pseudonym Legion to refer to her husband in the videos, fans later uncovered the man’s real name, Jerome McCoy. He has since publicly denied Johnson’s claims.

Johnson’s colorful saga quickly caught the attention of the Creative Artists Agency, with whom she signed about a month after posting the videos. (A representative for Johnson did not respond to a request for comment for this article.)

After the announcement this week about the television adaptation, Johnson posted on TikTok, where she now has more than 3 million followers. “Finally, the news is out,” she wrote. “I didn’t disappear, I was in negotiations! I am BEYOND excited to work with THE Natasha Rothwell. Listen, we are about to change the game. Get ready, get set, GO!!!”

Rothwell, the actress with standout roles in “Insecure” and “The White Lotus,” will play Johnson and serve as the executive producer under her production company, Big Hattie Productions. Many fans in the comments on Johnson’s TikTok said Rothwell, known for her on-screen humor, was the right choice.

But it’s not always certain how original creations on the internet will translate to the big screen.

“That’s where the writers, directors and executive producers come into play,” Lindsey said.

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