It is always unfortunate when young people lose their lives. As a parent, it is the scariest phone call one can receive. Twin sisters Dara and Lara Cleaver Afonso were driving on the Armando Salles de Oliveira highway from Guaraci to Olímpia when tragedy struck.
Lara was maneuvering the vehicle when she allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel, which unfortunately caused the car to overturn. The pair and their cousin were headed to a photoshoot in São Paolo when the accident occurred.
Strange Twist Of Fate
Twins are often together, and they share an incredibly intense bond. It is rare to see one twin without the other somewhere close by. It is no surprise that Lara and Dara were together on this night. Judging from their social media accounts, it's clear that they were always together.
Identical twins are the result of one fertilized egg splitting in two, resulting in two babies who share the same DNA. This explains why twins often feel so close to one another.
Identical Twins
Most of the time, twins look so similar that it is hard, even for their parents, to tell them apart. One reason they seem so close is that they begin interacting in the womb even before they are born.
Twins usually develop at the same rate, and that means even their language skills are similar at a time when nobody else in the family can understand them. That said, the death of a co-twin is severely stressful for the surviving half.
Lara And Twin Sister Dara Had Active Social Media Accounts
Before the accident, Lara and her twin Dara would post regularly on their social media platforms. They had about 40 videos on their TikTok account where they would share posts of themselves wearing bikinis and dancing to popular internet trends.
The pair were quite popular and would gain thousands of views on the content they put out. In one of their posts, they were dancing on a boat with other people, while in another, they were in a club setting, also enjoying themselves.
Lara and Dara Aren't The Only Popular Twins on Social Media
Lara and her sister Dara aren't the only famous twins on social media. Dubbed "twinfluencers," they seem to attract a lot of attention on the internet. Undoubtedly, it is fascinating to watch two human beings that look exactly alike interact on camera. This would explain their popularity.
Twin influencers are big on the internet; brands love using them to promote their merchandise. This is because they can promote their products twice or showcase two aspects of one product, essentially using one post.
More Famous Twins On Social Media - The Dolan Twins
One example is the Dolan twins, a comedy duo that rose to fame on social media after sharing funny videos on the Vine platform. They later moved to YouTube and managed to amass a huge following on the platform and gained nine million followers on Instagram.
They went on to land several endorsement deals and bagged Comedy Web Star recognitions from 2016 to 2019 in the Teen Choice Awards. The pair became so popular that Louis Vuitton invited them to the Paris Fashion week in 2019.
Laurent and Larry Nicolas Bourgeois - The Les Twins
The Les twins are also super popular online. They are French dancers and choreographers also known for their brand "Eleven Paris." The twins were born and raised in France and became famous when they appeared on the French television show "La France a un incroyable talent."
They gained recognition in the United States after a video of their performance went viral on YouTube and eventually, they were working with Beyonce, Missy Elliot, and Meghan Trainor. The pair also share a joint Instagram account with over 1.5 million followers.
The Last Post From Lara And Dara
Lara and Dara also regularly showcased their exciting lives on their shared Instagram account. Their latest post featured the twins enjoying the sun on a boat dressed in matching bikinis. Some of their videos also featured their cousin, who would sometimes join in the twins' posts.
When the tragic accident took place, the twins, together with their cousin, were on their way to a photo shoot after spending the night at a rural property. Luckily, their cousin wasn't harmed in the accident.
Under Investigation
The accident, which occurred on October 23, 2022, left fans and families devastated. According to police investigations, Lara, who was behind the wheel, fell asleep as they were approaching a bend that led to the vehicle turning over. Lara was reportedly thrown out of the car, causing her to sustain multiple fractures.
Unfortunately, she did not survive even after being rushed to a hospital in Olimpia for treatment. Her twin sister, Dara, underwent surgery and stayed in the hospital under observation but was later released.
Lara And Dara Aren’t The Only Influencers Who Had A Grisly Car Accident
In May 2022, Jesse Koz, also a Brazillian influencer, was involved in a fatal car accident on his way to Alaska. Jesse had traveled for miles with his only companion, a Golden Retriever named Shurastey, when he had a head-on collision on the United States highway 199 in Oregon.
He collided with a Ford Escape while he was driving in his 1978 Beatle. The driver of the Ford and the child she was traveling with survived with only minor injuries. Unfortunately, Jesse and Shurastey died at the scene.
Ms. Reis Under Fire After Crushing Old Man
In October 2022, another Brazilian, known as Julia Reis, ran over Agostinho Ascencao da Silva outside his home, crushing him between her car and a wall. Julia luckily only sustained minor injuries, but the man she ran over was rushed to the hospital and died a few days after the accident.
Julia received lots of criticism on the internet after she posted videos claiming she was being ignored by the victim's family after she tried reaching out to offer help.
Jamaican Influencer Found Lifeless In Ocean
Sadly, Lara isn't the only influencer who lost her life in October 2022. On the 21st of the month, Aneka Townsend's body was found floating off the shore of Reading, St Andrew Parish in Jamaica. Beachcombers saw her in the water and alerted authorities, who came and retrieved the body.
Aneka had over 300K followers on her Instagram account, where she often posted fashion posts and other sponsored content. She left behind a son, who she often posted on her social media accounts.
Safe Driving
Learning how to drive defensively and safely is an important and life-saving attitude that every driver should have. It would appear that Lara wasn’t wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. The single most important rule to safe driving is ensuring each passenger is wearing their seatbelt to ensure they are safely positioned in the car.
Another way to ensure safety while on the road is getting another designated driver if the person driving is impaired.
Other Ways To Stay Safe While On The Highway
Lara allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel, which was the suspected reason for the accident. Drowsy driving is a major concern for road safety authorities, and it is caused by reasons such as drinking alcohol, sleep disorders, or medication. It is important to pay attention to the warning signs to prevent this from happening.
Some of the signs that a driver is about to doze off are: frequently blinking, forgetting the last few miles driven, drifting from your lane, or missing exits.
Becoming Influencers
Going back, influencers, just like Lara and Dara, create a following online by sharing their day-to-day activities on social media. Once they build a solid community, they begin selling their own products on their platforms or collaborate with brands to sell their merchandise.
For outsiders, their lifestyle seems easily attainable and enviable. Almost everybody who uses social media has considered, at one point or the other, becoming influencers themselves. However, it is not as easy as it seems. It requires hard work, just like any other profession.
Is it Hard To Become An Influencer?
Becoming an influencer isn’t easy. It takes a lot more than posting a few cute pictures of somebody’s day-to-day activities. It requires consistency, hard work, creativity, dedication, and editing skills. Also, relying on influencing as a primary source of income comes with instability.
Brands may not be willing to invest in an influencer who is just starting out. What this means for a beginner is just like Lara and Dara, they have to invest their time and effort to create amazing content to retain followers.
Anybody Can Be An Influencer
Being a social media influencer is characterized by having a niche market. This means that the following created by the influencer has the same interests as them. For example, Lara's and Dara's demographic is young women who are interested in makeup, being physically fit, or holistic living.
Once followers begin relying on them to create content that resonates with them, they begin to trust them for product or service recommendations. At this point, the influencer begins to promote brand products.
Challenges That Come With Being An Influencer
Churning out regular high-quality content while being authentic can be challenging. The community that an influencer has built becomes reliant on them. They expect regular content, and the brands that sponsor the posts also expect engagement and a return on their investment. Another challenge when selling products is maintaining integrity.
As a brand promoter, maintaining trust with the following that has been painstakingly created is of utmost importance. There have been instances where an influencer has misled their followers and ended up losing them.
Cancel Culture
The internet has a very dark side. There has been a rise in a toxic trend known as "cancel culture." This is where a celebrity or public figure's popularity card gets revoked due to some remarks they have made or past transgressions that haven't been forgotten by their fans.
Fans are particularly unforgiving, especially if the sins are perceived to be heinous. Lea Michele from the show "Glee" fell victim to getting canceled when news of her allegedly mistreating her co-stars surfaced in 2022.
Influencers That Have Been Victims To Cancel Culture
One of the influencers that have suffered an epic fall from grace is YouTuber James Charles. At his peak, he had a legion of young fans and celebrity friends such as Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian. In 2019, Tati Westbrook made a video about him accusing him of being manipulative, and he lost millions of followers.
However, James somewhat recovered when he made an apology video addressing the allegations. Over the years, he has had to make these videos severally, each time somebody accuses him of something new.
Shane Dawson
Another example is Shane Dawson, who is one of the most popular Youtubers to date. In his prime, he had amassed over 30 million followers across his YouTube channels. Outside social media, he wrote two best-selling novels, directed and wrote two films, and released multiple music albums.
His fall from grace came when he was caught in controversies and drama involving other problematic YouTubers, such as Jeffree Star and James Charles. Shane had to go on hiatus until the drama died down.
Logan Paul
Another one is Logan Paul, who rose to fame on Vine and later amassed a huge following on YouTube. While on the platform, he was involved in one of the most controversial incidents ever on social media. He visited a forest in Japan known for suicides, and while filming, he came across a body.
He then proceeded to make jokes on film and posted the video on his YouTube channel. Fans and the entire internet were outraged and called for Logan to get canceled.
Wholesome Influencers - Nyma Tang
Despite all the drama that seems to dominate the world of influencers, there are some who are pretty unproblematic and wholesome. For instance, Nyma Tang is a beauty influencer with over one million subscribers. She is known for showcasing makeup on darker skin tones which seemed to be missing proper representation on YouTube and mainstream media.
Nyma has successfully defined her niche and is a successful influencer collaborating with big brands such as Fenty Beauty, Bobbi Brown, and Pat McGrath.
Cancel Culture Has Its Benefits
Celebrities and influencers are often wealthy individuals who rarely face the consequences of their actions. Cancel culture should not be seen as a negative practice; instead, it should be viewed as a way for the public to hold their idols accountable for their actions.
The practice encourages the public to voice their distaste and gives celebrities a chance to correct their mistakes. It normalizes bringing attention to bad behavior and gives the public a voice to call out these individuals.
Influencers Are Still Human
Judging from their carefully curated social media posts, influencers seem to lead perfect and luxurious lives. However, at the end of the day, influencers are still humans trying to navigate life like everybody else. Just like Lara and Dara, they are prone to tragedies and making mistakes.
Sometimes, instead of judging them harshly and putting them on a pedal stool, we should remember to extend the same kindness that we would give to everyday people to celebrities and other public figures.