TikTok divorce celebration: US woman burns wedding dress in viral clip

Mother of two Lauren Brooke drew 6 million viewers — and a lot of criticism — to her video on March 26.

“I’ve been called a narcissist and an attention seeker, and people say I’m the problem,” says Brooke. “The shoot wasn’t celebrating the divorce itself — it was celebrating the fact that I survived.”

Brooke, 31, fell in love with her husband-to-be when both attended the same Baptist church growing up, the New York Post report.

The young couple got married in October 2012.

But the marriage soured – partly because of the demands of her unnamed husband’s job in the Army National Guard.

“It’s hard being a military wife… The pressure from the job puts strain on the marriage,” she lamented.

In North Carolina, couples must legally separate for one year and one day before they can divorce. After nine years of difficult marriage, in September 2021, a fed up Brooke filed for divorce papers, but still hoped to work things out.

The year was an “emotional rollercoaster” and ended with a divorce finalized in January.

Brooke decides to turn over a new leaf – by burning the remains of her failed marriage – and even brings her new lover along for the show.

With her professional photographer mother behind the camera, Brooke burned her wedding dress.

“What else am I going to do with my wedding dress? It was non-refundable and I didn’t want to give it to my daughter – not after it was over. So why not burn it?” Brooke explained.

Dressed in high heels, she also stepped on a photo of herself and her ex in a happy moment.

“It’s good to see her laugh – it’s been a very difficult year with so many emotions trying to live a new normal life,” said her mother Felicia.

Things got heated after Brooke uploaded the photos to TikTok.

“This screams a red flag,” one person snarled.

“Someone’s being bitter,” said another.

Brooke says she gets messages from people calling her fat – “which is funny because I’m a size 2.”

“A lot of people think I want revenge, and I’m like, ‘If I want revenge, there are a million other ways I could do it.’”

Brooke and her current boyfriend, Jonathan, met when they both went straight to Tinder in February.

“She’s an amazing, amazing woman and I want to be there to support her as much as I can,” he said.

But Brooke isn’t rushing back down the aisle anytime soon.

“I honestly didn’t know that I would ever marry again,” Brooke said. “I am in a place where I am happy, I am content and I am no longer sad or heartbroken. I focus on me, my kids, and my current relationship.”

This article originally appeared on New York Post and has been reproduced here with permission