Did Jonah Hill’s ex-girlfriend destroy his career with this one text?

Ask yourself, what happens when an alleged scandal erupts in a world where everyone can be a judge, a jury, or a witness, all at the same time? Enter Sarah Brady, an enchanting surf instructor and model who used to be a girlfriend with actor Jonah Hill. Their relationship was short-lived; it went public in August 2021 and saw an end in 2022. 

But it’s what’s happening now that’s causing a stir not just on social media, but on the minds of girlfriends everywhere. Does that make Brady a bad girlfriend? Let’s see what kind of girlfriend you have to be to stand up to someone like Jonah Hill.

The screenshots

Starting July 7, Brady, at the age of twenty-six, has been spilling the beans, or rather, posting screenshots of text conversations she claims to have had with her ex-lover. The gist? She suggests that Hill, now thirty-nine, was “emotionally abusive” during their time together.

In her quest to bring awareness to toxic relationships, Brady advises young women, “Make an exit plan if your partner talks to you like this. Give me a call if you need someone to listen.” She went on to share texts where Hill allegedly asked her to take down surfing pictures that featured her in a bikini.

Hill, however, has not made a public statement addressing these allegations. Newsweek has reached out to Hill’s representative for a comment. As the drama unfolds, Brady’s popularity has seen a significant surge, proving once again, the power of social media.

As per Social Blade, Brady’s Instagram followers went from a modest seventy-two thousand six hundred seven to an astounding one hundred sixty thousand within days of her posts. The surf instructor shared that even after their break-up, she and Hill continued to communicate as friends until August 31, 2022.

The gains

After You People star Hill told her he had started a new romantic relationship, their conversations came to an end. As she continued to share posts from their past, Brady kept one thing clear, “It may seem as if I am sharing a lot, but you all have no idea how much more there is which I am choosing not to share out of consideration for him and his family.”

Through her posts, Brady insinuates that Hill’s demands were on the controlling side, such as asking her not to surf with men, not to model, and not to post pictures of herself in a bathing suit. In his defense, Hill allegedly said these actions had “hurt our trust.”

Brady, who resides in Hawaii, clarified her timing, saying she made her allegations public after Hill’s current partner, Olivia Millar, had their baby. “I waited until she had her baby, so I knew they were like physically not impacted by me sharing this, and she could be informed and make an informed decision of how she wants to care for herself and her baby.”

Despite the damning allegations, Brady clarified that being an “emotionally abusive partner doesn’t mean they’re a terrible person.” She noted that such behavior often stems from the individual’s own trauma, but quickly added, “At the same time, it doesn’t mean it’s OK.”

A brand in jeopardy?

And the saga continues. Hill’s lifestyle brand, Meaningful Existence, is taking a hit as it draws criticism over a slogan seen on one of its products. The timing couldn’t be worse. A cap inscribed with “Complete Unrelenting Control” had been shared on the brand’s Instagram right when the controversy over Hill’s alleged controlling texts was making headlines.

As the situation unfolds, the spotlight is no longer just on Brady and Hill. The internet is abuzz, painting Hill as controlling and misogynistic, even as Hill remains silent. He seems to have deactivated his public social media profiles, and at the time of writing, has not responded to the allegations against him. Newsweek has tried to reach out to him and his representatives for comment.

In a world where everyone can share their version of the truth, where does the line between privacy and public interest stand? Can social media be the jury of public opinion, and if so, is that a world we want to live in?