Bama Rush star steps back from recruitment that…
University of Alabama senior and Zeta Tau Alpha member Kylan Darnell has announced she is taking a “step back” from recruitment and from posting about the sorority rush craze sweeping school campuses.
Darnell, the reigning Miss Ohio Teen USA, has spent the past three years sharing an inside look at sorority life, turning into one of the most recognizable faces in the “Bama Rush” phenomenon that has captivated school campuses and social media customers alike.
But this 12 months, she says, might be different.
“I just wanted to come on here because I am somebody that has painted my whole college life, my whole sorority life online,” Darnell said in a TikTok video. “There’s been good and bad. But today, I’m not all dressed up for recruitment. I’ve personally decided to take a mental health day for the next three days.”
Raised in Ohio, far from the deep-rooted Southern sorority traditions, Darnell admitted she arrived at the University of Alabama with little understanding of rush.
“I had no idea my life would turn into what it has,” she said. “I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to post on social media. I didn’t know it was frowned upon. I had no idea about the backlash, or the positivity, that would come with it.”
Brandis Bradley, a sorority coach, referred to the recruitment course of as “psychological warfare” in an interview with PEOPLE.
Kylan Darnell attended Miami Swim Week 2025 on May 31, 2025. GC Images
“It’s emotional boot camp,” Bradley told the outlet. “And their frontal lobes aren’t even fully developed.”
Darnell’s introduction to Greek life got here when her mom took her to Sorority Row before freshman 12 months. “I was hooked,” she recalled, despite initial hesitation from her mother and father.
With no buddies and no information of the homes, she threw herself into rush with recent eyes.
“Bama Rush” is the aggressive sorority recruitment course of at the University of Alabama. AP
On the first day of recruitment, Darnell filmed a short TikTok explaining the method to her household’s group chat.
That informal clip went viral before she’d even completed orientation, catapulting her into influencer standing. Since then, she’s garnered 1.2M trustworthy followers and 82.7 million likes, sharing all the things from philanthropy occasions to sisterhood actions.
While she described the journey as “fun” and “something I wouldn’t trade,” Darnell said it hasn’t been simple.
“It’s also been really hard to navigate college while being under a microscope,” Darnell beforehand told Fox News Digital. “People forget that we’re real people.”
Darnell, a Zeta Tau Alpha member at the University of Alabama, turned a breakout star during 2022’s viral “Bama Rush” TikTok phenomenon. Kylan_Darnell/TikTok
The scrutiny has intensified over time, she said, and this 12 months’s rush feels “a lot worse” and “more amped up.” She requested followers not to tag her in posts about other ladies, saying it only fuels pointless drama.
“I put myself in a position to be talked about online, but please… just don’t involve me in other girls’ posts,” she urged.
Darnell said her resolution to step back isn’t about discouraging others from speeding; in fact, she still helps it, but needs to shield her own well-being.
“I was somebody that my freshman through junior year, I lived for my sorority. I loved my sorority. I loved waking up and showing you guys the sides of it, what we would do, the activities, the sisterhood, the philanthropy. It was so much fun to me,” Darnell said.
“There was a point in my life that my personality was sorority, but I’ve grown, and it’s not really like that anymore.”
Darnell said her resolution to “take a couple steps back” is to shield her own peace.
Darnell was the previous Miss Ohio Teen USA. kylan_darnell/TikTok
“I personally feel that if I was to post this year and to promote it (rush), then I would be doing those girls an injustice,” Darnell explained.
“Now I’m not saying don’t rush. I loved it. But I’m just saying that I’m in a mental health spot where I’ve been struggling. I can’t go online this year and I won’t lie to you guys about it. I’ve just not been enjoying it. I’ve not been having fun.”
Support poured in from followers, with one commenter praising her “integrity at such a young age” and another writing, “Always choose you and what’s best for you. Your TikTok fam has your back!”
Darnell said while she is still an energetic member of her sorority, she’s going to take the next three days off from posting online and serving to with recruitment to help her little sister with rush and get pleasure from time with her household.
“My family’s here, my friends are here and I’m gonna help my little sister go through recruitment because I can already tell it’s gonna be really hard for her. That is why I’m not participating this morning. I just need a break because I can’t lie to myself anymore this week because I’m really struggling with it. Anyway, I love you all.”
Bid Day for hundreds of Alabama sorority hopefuls is set for August 17, but this 12 months, Darnell might be watching from the sidelines, prioritizing peace over efficiency.
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