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She's been "stealing your man since 1928," has her own beauty collection at Sephora, 3 million followers on Instagram, and Rihanna and Miley Cyrus are her fans. Meet Helen Ruth Elam van Winkle, also known as Baddie Winkle - a 95-year-old Southerner Instagram icon who became an internet sensation back in 2014.
Before rising to fame, she led a pretty normal life in Waco, Kentucky. She had a small 6-acre farm, took care of her great-grandkids, kept her garden nice, and went to church every Sunday. Then, one day, her great-granddaughter snapped a picture of Grandma Helen in a pair of cut-off shorts and a tie-dye t-shirt. With some help from the same great-granddaughter, she set up her Instagram account on which she posted the picture. "I'm a bad b**ch; always been a rebel," Helen, who uses the username Baddie Winkle, says. "So we decided 'bad' — 'baddie.' And then my last name was van Winkle, so we put the Winkle on." Baddie Winkle's first post quickly went viral, and the number of her followers grew steadily over time.
Baddie Winkle took social media by storm with her bright, eccentric, and eclectic outfits and 'zero f**ks given' attitude. While her sense of style might not be everyone's cup of tea, we can surely all agree on one thing - the confidence of this woman is inspiring. So scroll down below to see some of the most-liked posts from Baddie Winkle, and vote for the ones that you like the most!
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Who is Baddie Winkle?
Grandma Helen is Baddie Winkle and Baddie Winkle is Grandma Helen! But you might also know her by her full name, Helen Ruth Elam Van Winkle, or her Instagram handle, Baddiewinkle.
So, who is the notorious Grandma Helen? Helen was born in Hazard, Kentucky, a tiny home rule-class city with around 5,000 inhabitants as of 2020. Although not much is known about Baddie Winkle young days’ endeavors, we learned that Grandma Baddie was once married to Earl George Van Winkle and, sadly, has been a widow since 1983. Another thing we’ve learned about her is that she might very well be a vegan since she launched a vegan-formulated cosmetics line a couple of years ago.
What is Baddie Winkle Famous for?
Baddie Winkle became known as the oldest Instagram influencer when her career unexpectedly took off in 2014. Grandma Helen, then merely an 85-year-old, helped her great-granddaughter publish her photo to X (earlier known as Twitter), wearing a youthful outfit. Helen’s outfit caught the attention of the Internet, and a star was born.
However, Baddie Winkle isn’t just about fashionable outfits and entertaining photos! Baddie’s mission is to fight ageism with her eccentric looks and fun photoshoots, to teach people to look at their lives with humor and to counter the fashion industry’s false limitations and imagery with her own unadorned images. Oh, and she’s also actively promoting the legalization of medical marijuana!
And if you were wondering about the numbers Baddie Winkle's net worth has accumulated, it’s been speculated that she’s worth around $1 to $5 million. Way to go, Baddie Grandma!
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Lua Lazarovic 5 years ago
She actually looks better in a dress than I think I do... she is my new target. I wish to enjoy myself as much as she does these photo-shoots. Go go cool lady!
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ANDREA SERRANO MORALES 5 years ago
more hush less war should be told to sum president. and i oop
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Cold Contagious 5 years ago
That looks so mod throw back fabulous. My grandma would have loved the internet, Instagram, etc. She had lots of color and style in her wardrobe and always wore great red lipstick! Damn this makes me miss her so much in the best way.
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Cold Contagious 5 years ago
Looks fantastic! The dress and sneaks look amazing. She's crushing it 🌈
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Ninja Kitty 5 years ago
(no offense i SWEAR TO ALL THE UwU's IN THE WORLD) she looks like a teenager in a 90 year old costume!!! UwU
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Final score:
11points
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Cold Contagious 5 years ago
The dress is cute and I can see why she would like it. It doesn't really flatter her tho, but looks super comfy and cool.
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Ninja Kitty 5 years ago
SANTA CLAUS!!!! HOW DARE YOU PHOTOBOMB THIS NICE LADY!?!?!?!? HOW DARE YUUUUU?????? UwU
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What do you think ?
Bobby's Girl 5 years ago
Seriously! LOOK at her! Imma take up smoking and drinking right now XD
Gail Swearngin 5 years ago
@heather johnson that was uncalled for. Salty much?
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Bobby's Girl 5 years ago
Seriously! LOOK at her! Imma take up smoking and drinking right now XD
Gail Swearngin 5 years ago
@heather johnson that was uncalled for. Salty much?
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