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These days, people hungry for official updates on Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson or Shawn Mendes’ Starbucks order are skipping old sites like TMZ and People and turning to Deuxmoi.
An Instagram account boasting 1.7 million followers is run by an anonymous woman living in New York who solicits and shares unverified advice. The famous Deuxmoi has appeared in a weekly podcast dedicated to popular topics du jour, marketing, sponsorship contracts, and now, a book published this week that is being developed as an HBO Max series.
Co-written with Jessica Goodman, Anon Pls. (William Morrow), based on Deuxmoi’s own original story: Dissatisfied with his day job, he starts an account for fun and turns it into a profitable business. The title is a play on the advice readers ask to remain anonymous while sharing everything from the negative to the world.
“The story is touching,” Deuxmoi said during a video interview with his cameraman. “It happens to people who fall into something and it creates a situation.”
Deuxmoi spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, saying he would not disclose the future of the account. Answers have been abbreviated for brevity.
AP: First of all, is it stressful knowing that people are trying to find out who you are?
DEUXMOI: It was heavy in the beginning. Now not. When I was working (day) because I went to work every day as the number (pee) increased and like this, “My boss came to me and said, ‘It’s is this you ?’” I was really paranoid about that because I spent a lot of time on the counter.
So, I’ve said this a bunch, and I’m not going to hide it. I’m just trying to make a point. And the brand is not based on the person or the influencer. It depends on the content, it depends on the audience, and it depends on the community it’s created, so I don’t want it to focus on me. That’s why I have no intention of saying, “This is who I am.”
AP: You’ve built a brand. It’s up to you to shop!
DEUXMOI: When I first launched my store, I looked at the Shopify numbers and you can see an overview of who is buying on your account. I saw a lot of people on the website and – I can say it now – I started to cry. I was very disappointed in my old job. I was in the dark. When the opportunity to make money came up, I honestly gave up because I was so frustrated doing what I was doing before.
AP: Have you spent the money you’ve made?
DEUXMOI: I have definitely bought some jewelry. It’s not expensive. This could be gone tomorrow. … But I still don’t want to empty my bank account of all the money I saved from this job. I haven’t taken a break yet, and I really want to. I would love to take a big vacation somewhere and relax and not look at my phone for five days. I don’t know if it is possible.
AP: Are there any celebrities you don’t read about?
DEUXMOI: Four. I’ve had two public figures — Hailey Bieber and Kacey Musgraves — who have posted hateful comments on my account. They don’t seem to want to read about them so I don’t torture them. I still get submissions of findings but I don’t post them. Another person, I will talk about in my book but I will not name. And the fourth celebrity – I prefer to be private – came to me and said they didn’t really like reading it, they really liked it. I also try not to post about the little guy.
AP: On Sundays, you share stories from fans who have seen famous people in different places but right after the fact. Why?
DEUXMOI: Findings are not posted in real time. … I’m not trying to be a Gawker Stalker. I’m not trying to promote celebrities. I want to make this clear: My students do not copy celebrities. They just happen to be in the same place at the same time as celebrities. Also, Gawker wasn’t what inspired me. It’s definitely “Gossip Girl,” like, “Spotted: on the steps of the Met.” That’s the inspiration.
AP: Do you think you’re competitive?
DEUXMOI: No, because I don’t look at other people’s work. I am worried about myself. I am really trying to create a new post. I’m really trying to present information in a way that no one has done before. My sources are not the media. There are real people who have met famous people. They are the tyrants, the tyrants. They are the people who work in hotels. They are the stylist’s assistants.
Using those people as a source of information will give you a better idea of what’s going on. Besides, not everything has to be good. Celebrity gossip can be fun. It probably means coffee orders. Maybe for skin care. It may be possible for hoteliers.
AP: Your editor helped you with the book, but will you be away from Instagram?
DEUXMOI: I still remember. I’m still checking. I will not relax. I’m not trying to be like, “Oh, I hate myself.” It’s just the reality of the situation. Entertainment stories and stories usually don’t sleep. Something is still happening. I wasn’t shut down, I wasn’t quiet.
AP: Do you have any help?
DEUXMOI: Only I am sending and answering (direct messages). … And I started answering all my DMs again because I knew what it was like to message someone with a profile and no response. If you’re in my inbox, I’ll read your message, give you an emoji, and give you a heart to let you know I saw it.
AP: What did your parents think about all this?
DEUXMOI: I banned my mom from the account because she didn’t like it. At the beginning he called me and was like, “This isn’t very good,” you know, not that it was bad, but it was like I was talking about somebody, somebody popular. He didn’t like it. So I blocked him and my dad doesn’t have an Instagram account. I think they are proud of me. They see how hard I work because I’m always busy.
AP: Do you have a finsta (“fake Instagram,” or private account)?
DEUXMOI: Yes. I don’t put anything special on it, I just use it as a hack (laughs).
AP: Where else do you see the score going?
DEUXMOI: People want to start fundraisers, like, “Can I start Deuxmoi Brazil? Can I start Deuxmoi Broadway? Can I start Deuxmoi play ? … I don’t have the bandwidth to do that but I’d love to give accounts to people who are interested in them.
Description: William Morrow via AP
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