‘Gormint Aunty’ is, to date, one of Pakistan’s most popular Internet icons. For those who don’t know, her expletive-ridden rant about the government went viral a few years ago and has since been edited, remixed and used by brands for promotional purposes. The phrase “Yeh Bik Gayi Hai Gormint” has earned her countrywide reknown. Though her name and background are unknown to us, a recent Samaa TV interview with her son contains revelations about her troubling circumstances.

He spoke about the toll the video has taken on the family, affecting their social standing as they’ve been subject to frequent ridicule by members of their community and relatives. Family gatherings have become an unpleasant affair for the video’s star who has been faced with something to the effect of a social boycott.

The woman’s son also shed light on her medical situation. She suffers from high blood pressure, and has a short-temper. He explained that the day of the interview which led to her fame was particularly stressful, and brought her to such a point where she didn’t feel the need to filter her responses, leading to her tirade.

The aftermath of the video, in regards to Mrs. Qamar’s life, puts into perspective the lives of many others who have been affected by fame. As a society, we can prevent social media trends and jokes from blowing out of proportion and causing harm to those featured.