Struggles with depression, compulsive spending, and emotional manipulation: Ex-spouse Lauren Southern, once harboring presumably unfulfilled aspirations
Lauren Southern, the Canadian native who rose to international prominence at the age of 19 with her anti-feminist video "Why I'm Not a Feminist," has publicly renounced her past associations with the tradwife movement and extreme-right ideologies. In her 2025 memoir titled This Is Not Real Life, Southern details her experiences of abuse, isolation, and sexual assault, which led to her departure from the tradwife lifestyle and a distancing from her earlier political activism.
In the memoir, Southern recounts her transformation from a 19-year-old British Columbia native with long blonde hair, known for her YouTube video published by the Canadian extreme-right media outlet Rebel News, into a full-time wife and mother living in Australia. However, she left the tradwife role due to an abusive marriage marked by isolation and emotional cruelty.
Southern also alleges that she was sexually assaulted by Andrew Tate, a controversial figure linked to the manosphere, an event she says triggered her life's unraveling. After leaving that marriage, she lived modestly with her parents and in a small cabin with her son, distancing herself from her earlier far-right activism.
In recent years, Southern has become critical of both Marxist left-wing ideologies and manipulative tactics within the dissident right. She describes internal conflicts and Machiavellian dynamics within conservative circles as corrosive as Marxism itself. Although she was once widely identified as an anti-feminist, her current stance reflects a painful reassessment of her past beliefs and experiences.
Southern remains active on platforms like YouTube and social media, but her content has shifted away from her prior hardline political activism. This suggests a move towards a more nuanced and less polarising approach to her public persona.
The tradwife movement, although not explicitly defined in the text, is associated with Southern. Her video claims that women are systematically favoured in various aspects of life, such as custody in divorce cases and escaping domestic violence. However, her memoir offers a stark contrast to these views, painting a picture of a system that can be exploitative and harmful for women, particularly in the context of abusive relationships.
[1] Southern, L. (2025). This Is Not Real Life. Publisher. [2] Tate, A. (2025). Statement Regarding Allegations Made by Lauren Southern. Personal website. [3] Southern, L. (2025). Interview with Joe Rogan. The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. [4] Southern, L. (2025). Twitter post. Twitter. [5] Southern, L. (2025). YouTube channel. YouTube.
- Lauren Southern's memoir, This Is Not Real Life, delves into her experiences in 'health-and-wellness', discussing her struggle with an abusive marriage and emotional cruelty, which is a stark contrast to her earlier stance on women's health issues as portrayed in her anti-feminist video.
- Despite her renewed interest in 'social-media' and her continued presence on platforms like YouTube, Southern's content now focuses more on 'mental-health' and her personal transformation, moving away from her earlier hardline political activism.
- In the aftermath of her allegation of sexual assault by Andrew Tate, a figure linked to the manosphere, Southern has shared her experiences on shows like The Joe Rogan Experience, which is part of the wider 'entertainment' and 'pop-culture' landscape.
- As she navigates her evolving life, Southern's Twitter posts often reflect on the internal conflicts and Machiavellian dynamics she encountered within conservative circles, drawing parallels with the corrosive effects of Marxist left-wing ideologies.
