TW: Mentions of suicide and mental illness.
Heather Armstrong, who popularized the "mommy blog" genre with her witty and honest thoughts on motherhood and life, has died at age 47.
Armstrong, who wrote under the moniker "Dooce," died by suicide at home in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, her boyfriend Pete Ashdown told The Associated Press. He added that she had been sober for 18 months before a recent relapse. Per AP, she often wrote candidly about her battle with both depression and alcoholism.
Her death had been previously announced on Armstrong's verified Instagram page with a caption reading, "Heather Brooke Hamilton aka Heather B. Armstrong aka dooce aka love of my life. July 19, 1975 - May 9, 2023. 'It takes an ocean not to break.' Hold your loved ones close and love everyone else."
She is survived by Ashdown and her two children Marlo and Leta, whom she shared with ex-husband Jon Armstrong, per People.
Online, fans and readers mourned her passing and commemorated her pioneering website, one of the first of its kind. "In the early 2000s, Heather Armstrong, aka dooce, was one of the first-ever hugely famous bloggers. She was a pioneer in envisioning how the digital world could be a place where everyone has a voice, could be influential, etc-ie: all the things we take for granted today," wrote one in her memory.
Friends shared special memories and expressed their shock and sadness as well, with one writing, "Heather @dooce was a gifted writer who changed the face of blogging. I am glad I got to know her as a friend too. I'm sorry about the demons she battled - and most of all, I send love to her children."
Another Dooce reader added that Armstrong's vulnerability online was a resource for others, while noting that her recent online behavior may not be indicative of her overall impact: "Heather's vulnerability and openness about her postpartum depression was nothing short of lifesaving."
May she rest in peace.
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, call 1-800-662-4357 for resources.