You’d never guess that the man sharing sweet potato recipes and mango chia puddings on Instagram was also behind one of the internet’s most vicious gossip forums.
But now, the curtain has finally been pulled back—and the truth is out.
From Plant-Based Recipes to Online Hate
Sebastian Bond, a 41-year-old British vegan influencer and cookbook author who goes by the online alias Bastian Durward, has been outed as the secret founder of Tattle Life—a website notorious for hosting anonymous threads tearing apart influencers, celebrities, and everyday social media users alike.
Operating under the fake name Helen McDougal, Bond managed to stay hidden for nearly a decade, while profiting off a community that scrutinized everything from Stacey Solomon’s toenails to mumfluencer Clemmie Hooper’s parenting choices.
Courtroom Drama Exposes the Real Owner
The revelation came after a High Court ruling in Northern Ireland allowed the identity of the site’s operator to be made public.
The court sided with Irish couple Neil and Donna Sands, who sued Bond for defamation and harassment after discovering they were the subject of a 45-page thread.
The Sands were awarded £300,000 in damages—£150,000 each—and were also granted an injunction banning Tattle Life from mentioning them again.
To top it off, Bond was ordered to cover legal costs and third-party compliance expenses, totaling a staggering £1.8 million.
“Extreme Cynicism”: Judge Slams Profiteering from Misery
The judge didn’t hold back. They condemned Tattle Life’s business model as a “calculated exercise of extreme cynicism,” saying it was designed to make money off the suffering of others while shielding those involved behind anonymity.
It turns out Bond owns multiple businesses worldwide, including UK-based Yuzu Zest Limited (now in liquidation) and Hong Kong-registered Kumquat Tree Limited, both allegedly tied to media services.
Behind the Scenes: Denials and Deceit
Bond’s legal team tried to downplay the issue, claiming he was unaware of any legal proceedings. The Sands’ team disagreed.
It was clear they had reached out multiple times—first in 2021—to remove the defamatory posts.
The site’s founder had gone to great lengths to mask his identity, operating under several aliases.
Yet his online footprint as a wellness promoter on his page Nest and Glow (with 135,000 followers) stood in stark contrast to his shadowy second life.
The Sands Speak Out: “The Internet Is Not Anonymous”
In an emotional Instagram post, Neil and Donna addressed their followers:
“As a couple we never wanted or expected to undertake this work, but we were forced to take action.
We hope this serves as a reminder that the internet is not an anonymous place.”
They added that the case wasn’t just about them—it was for the countless others hurt by online hate masquerading as “free speech.”
Gossip Disguised as Critique
Tattle Life has long marketed itself as a place for “free and fair” discussion about influencers and celebrities, especially those who blur the lines between friend and brand.
The site claims it has a 24/7 moderation policy and bans hate speech.
But critics say otherwise. Commenters on the site have mocked influencers for everything from their parenting to their appearance.
One post about TV presenter Stacey Solomon called her kids “filthy,” while another made crude remarks about influencer Katie Price’s lifestyle.
The Fallout for Influencers and Mumfluencers
The site’s most intense scorn seems aimed at so-called “mumfluencers”—mothers who share their family life online.
Take Clemmie Hooper, a once-popular mummy blogger and midwife with over 700,000 followers.
In 2019, it was revealed she had posted anonymously on Tattle Life using the alias Alice in Wanderlust to troll fellow influencers.
One of her posts targeted Black parenting influencer Candice Brathwaite, accusing her of being “aggressive” and “using race as a weapon”—a statement Clemmie later admitted was “racially offensive and discriminatory.”
She was later handed a one-year caution by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Candice Brathwaite Reflects on the Harm
Candice later shared how painful the experience was.
She had once appeared on Clemmie’s podcast, only to discover she had been mocked behind her back online.
Speaking to Grazia, she said reading the threads had been deeply hurtful.
Online Anonymity No Longer a Shield
As more influencers and creators speak out, it’s becoming clear that the days of unaccountable online trolling may be numbered.
For the first time, a court has held a website owner directly responsible—not just for hosting defamatory content, but for profiting off it.
Whether this case becomes a turning point for online accountability or just a cautionary tale, one thing’s for sure: the era of hiding behind screen names is under threat.