Gorilla Glue Girl became February 2021’s viral disaster when Tessica Brown used Gorilla Glue spray adhesive as hair spray, couldn’t remove it for month, required surgery, spawned copycat incidents, and settled with Gorilla Glue after becoming internet’s cautionary tale.

The Incident

February 2021: Tessica Brown (Louisiana, 40) ran out of hair spray (Got2B Glued). She used Gorilla Glue spray adhesive instead, thinking it would work similarly.

It did not. Her hair became rock-solid, immovable, and wouldn’t wash out.

The TikTok

February 4, 2021: Brown posted TikTok explaining situation:

• Hair glued solid for over month
• Tried washing 15+ times
• Acetone didn’t work
• Hair wouldn’t move
• Desperate for help

The video: 30M+ views in days.

The Internet Reaction

Immediate responses:

• Shock at using Gorilla Glue on hair
• Sympathy for obvious mistake
• “Why would you do that?!” questions
• Offers of help
• Mockery (harsh but prevalent)

The discourse split between compassion and disbelief.

The Medical Intervention

February 10, 2021: Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Obeng offered free surgery to remove glue.

February 11: 4-hour surgery using medical-grade adhesive remover, acetone, olive oil. Successful removal but hair damaged.

The surgery was documented—Brown emerged with chemically damaged but freed hair.

Gorilla Glue’s Response

Gorilla Glue Company:

• Clarified product is NOT for hair
• Showed warning label
• Expressed sympathy
• Did not sue or seek damages
• Eventually settled with Brown (undisclosed amount)

Company handled PR delicately.

The Copycats

Immediately after, copycat incidents:

• Man glued cup to face (for views)
• Others claimed similar accidents
• GoFundMe copycats
• Obvious attention-seeking

The copycats lacked Brown’s genuine distress.

The GoFundMe

Brown’s GoFundMe raised $23,000+ for medical expenses before surgery donation.

Criticism: “She glued her own hair, why donate?”
Defense: Genuine mistake, medical help expensive

The fundraising sparked debate about deserving vs. undeserving victims.

The Product Warning

Gorilla Glue after incident:

• Emphasized warning labels
• Viral marketing (unintentionally)
• Sales reportedly increased
• Brand awareness massively boosted

The disaster was accidental advertising.

The Lawsuit Settlement

May 2021: Brown settled with Gorilla Glue for undisclosed amount. Terms included:

• No admission of fault by company
• Brown couldn’t discuss terms
• Mutual release

The settlement was amicable.

The Aftermath

Tessica Brown:

• Launched hair care line (capitalizing on fame)
• Became entrepreneur
• Accepted the viral fame
• Became permanent “Gorilla Glue Girl”

She turned disaster into opportunity.

The Memes

“Gorilla Glue Girl” spawned:

• “Instructions unclear” jokes
• Product warning parodies
• “When you ignore the label” memes
• Cautionary tale references

The mockery was extensive but Brown took it well.

The Lessons

Gorilla Glue Girl taught:

• Read product labels
• Viral disasters can become opportunities
• Companies benefit from not suing sympathetic victims
• Internet will mock but also help
• Fifteen minutes of fame can become career

Brown’s genuine mistake became business opportunity.

The Legacy

By 2023, Gorilla Glue Girl represented:

• Ultimate “read the instructions” PSA
• Viral disaster recovery story
• How companies handle PR crises
• Copycat phenomenon danger
• Turning embarrassment into entrepreneurship

Tessica Brown will forever be Gorilla Glue Girl—but she owned it, built from it, and thrived despite (because of?) the viral disaster.

The woman who glued her hair became hair care entrepreneur. The internet loves a comeback story.

Source: TikTok videos, surgery documentation, settlement reports, product sales data