Content creator Emily Hanson-Miller, known online to fans as “ThriftyFatty,” has reportedly died. She was 37.
A spokesperson for the Franklin County Coroner’s Office in Columbus, Ohio, confirmed to People that the influencer died on Thursday, November 5. Her cause of death has yet to be publicly revealed.
Hanson-Miller developed a following of more than 100,000 people via her social media accounts as she documented her life in Ohio. Her Instagram profile teased content centered around “plus-size fashion and travel” and you could likely find her in the kitchen dancing.
After news broke of her death, several friends penned heartfelt tributes to the content creator who “solemnly [swore] to always find the joy,” per her TikTok profile.
“Oh Emily. Your love and compassion were bottomless. You were sincerely, authentically, unapologetically yourself,” friend Madelyne Riley wrote via Instagram on Monday, November 9. “You inspired so many (I was at the top of that list) every day. You were love personified. This all sounds so cliché, but your laugh really was infectious and you really, REALLY lit up every room. What an honor it is to have known you. Rest in peace, sweet friend.”
Fellow creator Jordan Nicole said Hanson-Miller “left this planet way, way too soon.”
“Her and I experienced a lot of loss and grief and hurt the last 8 years, but a lot of joy, too,” Nicole wrote via Instagram on Monday. “Always cheering one another forward, sharing ‘I love you’ and ‘I’m here’ for it all.”
Nicole continued, “I don’t even remember how I met her, just that one day she was there and felt like she always had been. And always would be. I’ll miss her forever and would give anything to laugh until we lose our breath with her one more time🫶🏼.”
In her final Instagram post before her reported death, Hanson-Miller opened up about the grief she was experiencing after a number of her family members passed away, including the death of her cousin who she said always felt more like a brother.
Courtesy of Chris O’Donnell/Instagram; Courtesy of Kyle Marisa Roth/Instagram The deaths of several online stars have shaken the TikTok and influencer community — and broken the hearts of countless fans — over the years. Taylor Rousseau Grigg died in October 2024 at the age of 25 after battling undisclosed medical issues. Her husband, Cameron Grigg, […]
“Last week I think everything caught up to me. While I was ignoring it, my grief has affected every piece of my life. It grew into every corner it could find even a sliver of space and a whiff of oxygen,” she wrote via Instagram on November 2. “I paused long enough to realize I haven’t been taking care of myself at all.”
Hanson-Miller said she was sharing her emotions because she wanted other followers to feel seen and know that they are not alone.
“I don’t have a bow to wrap this up in considering I’m still focused on finishing this raft,” she continued. “But while I’m working on mine, if you’re working on yours, why don’t you tie onto mine and we can try to get back to land together.”
