Indy Clinton, the 28-year-old social media influencer, recently addressed the backlash surrounding her appearance at the 2025 TikTok Awards, which took place on November 26 in Sydney, Australia. Critics were quick to comment on her red-carpet demeanor, with one TikTok user even saying, "You literally looked cracked out on the carpet at the TT Awards, girl!"
In response to these comments, Clinton posted a video on November 27, explaining that while she doesn't usually address such matters, she wanted to "stand up" for herself. "I hate when people spread untrue things about me," she added, before providing context for her behavior.
She revealed that she had been working non-stop for the past two weeks and was "extremely tired, overwhelmed, and burnt out." She arrived at the awards show "super late," with only a few minutes left until the red carpet was shut down. The photographers were so eager to get their shots that they were fighting with each other, causing her to feel awkward and frantic.
During one of the interviews, the interviewer asked Clinton what her "Wabi-Sabi" was. The Japanese phrase has become viral on TikTok as users post imperfect and flawed things they find beautiful and charming. However, Clinton wasn't familiar with the term and when the interviewer mentioned embracing their tooth, she pointed to her nose and said, "In my head I'm not mentioning this."
Clinton then shared how she offered up her "off-center middle part" as her "Wabi-Sabi," revealing that she was thrown off by the interviewer's response of "I thought you were gonna say your nose." She concluded by saying that she was "really" overwhelmed and didn't want to be there.
Earlier this year, Clinton underwent a nose job and faced criticism from some TikTok users who suggested her surgery was a mistake. In a July video, she revealed that she didn't get her desired results and only asked for "minor, minor tweaks." She loved her natural "Mediterranean nose," but after a surfboard hit in 2020, she sought a few subtle fixes before going under the knife.
Despite the backlash, Clinton maintained a positive outlook on the situation, saying, "Onwards and upwards, as they say. Onwards and upwards."
