Vanity Fair has dismissed journalist Brittany Romano after a video went viral showing her smiling and winking at the camera during the trial of Lindsay Clancy. The trial involves Clancy, who faces three counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of her three children: Cora (5), Dawson (3), and Callan (8 months).
On Monday, Romano's actions during a live feed attracted millions of views. In a statement to Fox News, Vanity Fair explained that Romano had been sent to cover the trial and had a personal connection to Clancy. The outlet expressed interest in a personal essay by Romano about her experiences growing up with Clancy. However, after identifying conflicts with their editorial standards, Vanity Fair informed Romano that they would not proceed with her essay and that she was no longer credentialed to cover the trial.
Romano stated that she did not have a contract with Vanity Fair and identified herself as a freelance journalist. In an Instagram post, she explained that her smile was a response to anxiety, not indifference. "A smile is not a crime. Telling a woman to slit her wrists is," she wrote.
Romano emphasized her commitment to covering the Clancy case honestly, highlighting the complexities surrounding mental health issues. She stated, "For two years I have fought to cover the Lindsay Clancy case honestly, because at its center is a mother accused of killing her three children during postpartum psychosis."
She concluded by asserting that she would not apologize for her actions and criticized the threats she received from those claiming to defend Clancy's mental health, arguing that such behavior undermines the conversation about women's mental health.