Sister of Bama Rush star quits high-profile sorority recruitment described by coach as ‘psychological warfare’

Izzy Darnell, the younger sister of University of Alabama senior and Zeta Tau Alpha member Kylan Darnell, shocked followers by dropping out of the school’s highly publicized sorority rush just before Bid Day.

In a playful TikTok post, Izzy revealed her exit by tearing up a mock Bid Day card while relaxing in Orange Beach, far from campus.

Later, the influencer, who has more than 1 million followers on TikTok, posted a follow-up explaining her unexpected decision.

“OK, so I’ve gotten so many questions about rush and what happened, so this is the one time I’m going to talk about it,” she said. “Don’t ask me again.”

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Why she walked away

Izzy shared that she initially intended to fully participate in recruitment, inspired by another micro-influencer who had previously tried to document her experience. According to Izzy, this influencer’s attempt had “ruined it for the rest of us that do social media.”

“I went in with the mindset that, ‘If they don’t want all of me, then they are not getting any of me,'” she said.

She also opened up to Cosmopolitan about her short-lived experience and why she ultimately chose to drop out.

“I never wanted to do it,” Izzy told the magazine. “My sister said: ‘Try it. And if you don’t like it, drop it.’ I ended up hating it and dropping it.”

Izzy added that her participation was mainly an experiment, a way to ease into campus life once her older sister graduates. Kylan, who gained fame through her sorority-related content, has become a prominent figure in Greek life at Alabama.

Living in the spotlight

Having gained a large following online, Izzy said she felt uneasy under constant scrutiny during recruitment.

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Still, she was transparent throughout the process that Greek life wasn’t a fit for her.

“Everybody kind of knew I wasn’t into it,” she said of joining a sorority. “I wasn’t lying to the girls either. I would look at the Rho Chi [recruitment counselor] and be like, ‘This is not for me, is it?’ And she’d be like, no.”

Izzy also recalled her mother offering a bit of insight before rush began. 

“My mom said it was going to be harder for me. She was like, ‘She’s walking into this with a following, you gained it from this. So just watch her,'” Izzy recalled her mother telling Kylan.

The bigger picture: RushTok and Greek Life

In a separate PEOPLE interview, sorority coach Brandis Bradley described the recruitment process as “emotional boot camp,” likening it to “psychological warfare,” especially for young women still developing emotionally.

While asserting her individuality was important, Izzy revealed in her TikTok video that it wasn’t the only reason she stepped away from recruitment.

“The main reason why I dropped was because everyone was telling me I didn’t need one,” she admitted. “And I agree with that, 100%. I’ve never really dreamed and wanted one. So I was just like, ‘Yeah, I’ll try it and if I don’t like it then I’ll drop later. Y’all are right, I don’t need it.'”

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Another major factor was the limitations sororities often place on social media use.

“Genuinely, a sorority has a lot of rules about social media and the way that you can post and talk to people,” Izzy explained.

Izzy also criticized the way #RushTok has changed sorority culture.

“It used to be wholesome, but now girls are only coming to the school to be famous,” she said. “So that’s why sororities are hating it. I understand that.” 

She wrapped up the video with a heartfelt message.

“I hope everybody understands the point of this video,” she said. “I’m not trying to be mean. I’m just trying to live my life how I want.”

Kylan’s own pause

Meanwhile, Kylan announced she was taking a “step back” from recruitment and from posting about the sorority rush craze sweeping college campuses.

“I just wanted to come on here because I am somebody that has painted my whole college life, my whole sorority life online,” Darnell said in a TikTok video earlier this month. “There’s been good and bad. But today, I’m not all dressed up for recruitment. I’ve personally decided to take a mental health day for the next three days.“

Kylan added that, while she enjoyed showing the fun side of Greek life, the scrutiny and pressure to maintain appearances became taxing.

“I had no idea my life would turn into what it has,” she said. “I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to post on social media. I didn’t know it was frowned upon. I had no idea about the backlash, or the positivity, that would come with it.”

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Izzy echoed similar challenges with navigating campus life under the spotlight.

“I grew up in a tiny farm town in Ohio, where no one really cared who I was,” she explained. “Now there are a lot of people around taking pictures on campus all the time, anywhere, and everywhere. I bought a moped, so people can’t take pictures of me while I’m riding that.”

She also expressed concern over the intentions behind these photos.

“When people are taking a picture, I don’t know if they’re being nice about it or if they’re sending it in a group chat to be mean; that’s where my worry came in,” she said. “Girls would be nice to me during rush, but they’re weird now, once they’ve already got their picture.”

Despite the attention, Izzy remains optimistic.

“I’m sure it’ll subside once kids have been around me a lot, but while I was rushing, it was scary,” she shared. 

Moving forward

As for not joining a sorority, she’s unfazed by stepping away. 

“There are actually a ton of girls who do not do Greek life,” she said of students at the University of Alabama. “It’s very uncommon, but there are a few of us. It’s the girls who really don’t need to depend on anybody to survive. The girls who can walk in front of a crowd with no one beside them. The confident ones. I don’t have to have another girl to get up and go to the bathroom with me. I can do that myself. So we’re all together.”

Izzy also noted that staying out of sororities gives her more freedom to focus on her growing online presence. She explained that her involvement would bring unwanted attention to her sorority chapter.

Looking ahead, she’s embracing a different kind of college experience.

“I’m just excited to hang out with friends, play pickleball, and do fun little things,” she said.

Izzy’s mother, Tonya, also chimed in through a TikTok video of her own, addressing ongoing speculation about her daughter’s recruitment journey.

“Bottom line, social media and sorority houses, it’s kind of like water and oil,” Tonya said.

Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report. 

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides, and migrant crime. Story tips: [email protected].