Kylan Darnell pauses Bama Rush 2025 to focus on mental health
Kylan Darnell, the University of Alabama senior and Zeta Tau Alpha member who captured fans’ attention during the 2022 Bama Rush season, announced on August 11 that she is taking a break from social media and will sit out the philanthropy round of rush, which runs August 11–13. In a video posted to her platforms, she said she is taking a mental health day and is unsure whether she will continue with rush or RushTok after this pause.
Darnell has built a large following online: about 508,000 on Instagram and around 1.2 million on TikTok, with more than 82 million total likes across her posts. She explained that her rush content emerged authentically and that she had the most genuine rush experience, noting that when she started posting, she didn’t know much about the houses or the people involved. Now, in 2025, she says it has become harder to separate her personality from the sorority spotlight.
“I’ve grown, and it’s not really like that anymore,” she said of how her online presence and platform have evolved. She added that while many admire her, posting about rush this year could feel like misleading the very girls who look up to her. “If I was to post this year and promote rush, I’d be doing those girls an injustice.”
While she’s stepping back, Darnell emphasizes she doesn’t want others to imitate her actions. “I’m not saying don’t rush. That was so much fun and I loved it.” Instead, she cites mental health as the priority and explained how the current climate of social media drama surrounding rush has affected her. She asked viewers not to involve her in other girls’ posts in the comments, noting that it only adds to the drama for her.
For the next few days, Darnell plans to spend time with family in Alabama and help her sister Izzy, who is a current PNM, with recruitment. Izzy’s rush journey has drawn public attention as well, fueling speculation about Darnell’s decision to step back. Some observers have pointed to the absence of recent posts about Darnell on Bama Zeta’s official channels and chatter about Darnell’s family situation, though Darnell has denied involvement in any legal dispute her mother, Tonya, has discussed in a multi-part TikTok series.
Fans have expressed support for Darnell’s decision. Comments praising prioritizing mental health and encouraging young women to balance life online with wellbeing have appeared across platforms. One commenter wrote that it’s normal for seniors to shift their priorities, while another noted the importance of protecting mental health during college years. The broader reaction underscores a growing conversation about the pressures of sorority recruitment and the responsibilities of public figures who share their college experiences online.
What this means moving forward is that Darnell is prioritizing her mental health and family during what is typically a high-pressure period of rush. Her decision invites a broader discussion about well-being in college life and the responsibility of social media figures to model healthy boundaries. The door remains open for her to return to RushTok or rush activities later, but for now, she’s choosing to step back and focus on herself and her sister’s recruitment journey.
In the end, Darnell’s public pause highlights a hopeful trend: recognizing that personal health and family can come first, even in the midst of a highly public college experience. Her fans’ support suggests a path forward where success is measured not only by online metrics but also by well-being and resilience. As Izzy’s recruitment continues, the latest chapter in the Darnell family’s Bama Rush story will unfold with renewed attention on mental health and responsible online influence.