'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABjAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABxAAAQMDAwUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDEgAEBgURIQciJjKRAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEBREAAQQCAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQACAxEEMSFRsf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8Ah/UDJlixTpz1oy+i1v2hZzAi3ITktIGzih6jfiPFRlzJMfmrxDST3HkruNz8cApSgY7Q6Pm99qjI8xykANqhtoPq/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Early 2000s blogger, Heather Armstrong a.k.a. Dooce, best known for detailing the ups and downs of motherhood, died on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at the age of 47. The news was confirmed by her partner, Pete Ashdown, in an Instagram post shared on Heather's profile @dooce.
In a statement given to Associated Press, Pete explained she died by suicide after an alcohol relapse. He found the "queen of mommy blogging" in their Salt Lake City home. He stated:
"She had a relapse recently and that’s what really spiraled her down. She was sober for over 18 months, then started to sneak back into it. And then in the last month, she went full tilt."
Heather Armstrong's started blogging under the pen name Dooce, which came from her frequently misspelling the word "dude" in online chats. Early topics included her discussing leaving the Mormon Church and her work, which led to her being fired from her job as a web designer in 2002.
Fans of her blog used the word dooced to describe anyone getting fired for something they have written on their blog.
In 2004 she was expecting her first child with her ex-husband Jon Armstrong, which shifted the focus of her blog to parenting and marriage. Her witty, and earnest writing coupled with honest details about motherhood earned her instant success.
By 2017, the mommy blogger started writing about her struggles with mental health, alcoholism, and post-partum depression. She once wrote:
"Early sobriety resembles living life as a clam without its shell."
At its peak, Heather's blog reached over eight million views a month and garnered $40,000 in advertisements. Armstrong appeared as a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show and in 2009 was named one of the most influential women in media by Forbes. Additionally, she has penned three books.
"This is shattering": Internet mourns the death of Heather Armstrong
As news of Heather Armstrong's demise spread, netizens were left heartbroken. They were quick to express their condolences to her grieving family. Many called her kind, inspirational, and a gifted writer:
Heather Armstrong is survived by her children Leta (19) and Marlo (13).
