Influencer Meredith Hayden Reveals She Was Roofied and Kidnapped at a Hollywood Party

4 February 2026

Meredith Hayden, the chef and social media personality behind the beloved Wishbone Kitchen brand, stunned her followers and the broader online community when she revealed a traumatic experience from her past in a heartfelt video on TikTok, explaining that four years ago she was allegedly drugged and kidnapped at a Hollywood premiere party, an incident she says has shaped her life ever since. In the candid video posted on February 3, Hayden, who has amassed nearly four million followers across Instagram and TikTok through her engaging food, lifestyle and travel content, shared deeply personal details about how that night left lasting emotional scars, contributing to anxiety, panic attacks and post-traumatic stress that she has been living with quietly behind the scenes.

In the video response, which was prompted by another creator’s question about why Hayden had recently expressed anxiety ahead of a trip to Japan, the 30-year-old influencer traced her nervousness and emotional struggles back to an event she had never previously discussed publicly. She said she had been excited to attend what she believed would be a safe, glamorous Hollywood premiere party in a luxurious setting, entirely unaware that something horrifying awaited her. According to Hayden’s account, she began to feel increasingly “weird” during the event and decided it was time to leave, only to be forcibly pushed into a car by individuals at the party and held for hours against her will.

Hayden pointedly explained that she initially chose not to share the incident with her audience because it happened just as her online presence was taking off, and she feared being defined solely by the trauma rather than her work or identity as a creator. She said she did not want to become “the roofie kidnap girl” in the eyes of her growing following, and she struggled privately with the memory for years before finally discussing it in a moment of vulnerability. That decision came only after an insensitive comment on social media, a remark she described as “triggering” compelled her to finally speak out, not just to explain her anxiety but to advocate for empathy toward people living with trauma.

According to Hayden, the aftermath of that night did not end when she left the party. She said that in the days and weeks that followed, she experienced panic attacks, crippling anxiety and a sense of disconnect that made ordinary activities including travel daunting. She initially sought therapy but felt that her first therapist dismissed her concerns, suggesting that she might simply have “drank too much” rather than acknowledging a deeper issue. It was only after consulting a psychiatrist that she received a diagnosis of PTSD, anxiety, depression and mild agoraphobia, a condition in which she sometimes feels unsafe or overwhelmed in crowded situations — a challenge she admits still affects her, especially in environments like Tokyo where crowds are dense and unfamiliar.

Hayden’s revelations illuminate not only the psychological aftermath of a terrifying experience but also the complex social dynamics around public disclosure and survivor narratives. She recounted difficulties with law enforcement that further discouraged her from reporting the alleged crime at the time; months before the party incident she had been robbed on the street and found the subsequent police response humiliating and unproductive, leaving her skeptical about involving authorities for the party incident, especially given that the event invitation had explicitly noted that security cameras would be turned off. That detail, she said, made it seem impossible to collect evidence or pursue a formal investigation, compounding her sense of vulnerability.

As the chef behind Wishbone Kitchen, Hayden’s rise to prominence was built on warm, personable videos that documented her life as a private chef in the Hamptons and offered insight into her culinary creativity. Her engaging personality and approachable content earned her a loyal following and even a bestselling cookbook. Yet even as fans celebrated her professional success and delightful recipes, Hayden was wrestling privately with the long-term effects of a traumatic event that had fundamentally altered her sense of security and well-being. Her choice to speak openly about that trauma marks a stark departure from the polished highlights often shared online and underscores the human toll that hidden experiences can exact on even the most successful creators.

In her video, Hayden acknowledged that she is still working through her emotions and healing process, emphasising that being in a luxurious setting or living a life that appears enviable on social media does not shield anyone from emotional pain or the aftermath of a frightening experience. She used her narrative to remind her audience that trauma can linger and that compassion and careful language matter when discussing mental health struggles, especially in public forums where casual comments can carry unintended weight for someone already wrestling with deep wounds.

Her revelation has sparked a broader conversation about the pressures faced by influencers and the challenges of reconciling a public persona with private pain. Followers flooded the comments with support, admiration and shared stories of similar struggles, while others reflected on how social media platforms can both magnify personal triumphs and inadvertently obscure the hardships that lie beneath. In opening up about her experience, Hayden not only gave context to her recent anxiety but also highlighted the importance of destigmatising discussions about trauma, mental health and healing, a powerful message from someone whose online presence reaches millions around the world.

As Meredith Hayden continues to navigate her career and personal recovery, her candid disclosure serves as a reminder that even those who seem to have it all creativity, success, admiration can carry deep wounds and that healing often requires both courage and community. Her story has resonated far beyond the food and lifestyle spaces she inhabits, sparking empathy and reflection on how trauma shapes lives long after a single frightening night has passed.