Amanda Todd

November 27, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Amanda Todd, born on November 27, 1996, was a 15-year-old Canadian teen who died from suicide. She made a video using flashcards on YouTube before taking the next step, in which she described how she was tormented, abused, harassed, and hounded both online and offline. She lived her life like any other 12-year-old until she met someone on Facebook who persuaded her to show her breasts on a webcam. Todd’s trauma began when he blackmailed her into giving him a “performance,” then posted the topless photo on Facebook and disseminated it online. The torment, bullying, and physical abuse led to Todd passing away due to suicide. Today we remember her and her story.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Amanda Michelle Todd

Birth date:

November 27, 1996

Death date:

October 10, 2012 (age 15)

Zodiac Sign:

Sagittarius

Background

Amanda Michelle Todd, a 15-year-old Canadian schoolgirl, and victim of cyberbullying died from suicide at her home in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. Todd produced a nine-minute YouTube video titled “My Story: Struggling, Bullying, Suicide, Self-harm” on September 7, 2012, in which she used a series of flashcards to tell her story of being tormented. After her death on October 10, 2012, the video became viral, with over 1,600,000 views by October 13, 2012, with news websites from all over the world linked to it, and currently, it has over 14 million views.

Todd says in the video that while she was in seventh grade, she utilized video chat to meet new people via the Internet and received compliments on her appearance. Todd bared her breasts on a webcam feed after a stranger begged her to do so for over a year and the individual stored frames using screen capture. He later blackmailed her by threatening to reveal the topless photo unless she gave him a “show.” The police informed her over the Christmas break in 2010 that her topless photo was being shared on the internet. She attempted suicide after this incident by drinking bleach, but she was saved after being rushed to the hospital. Her misery did not end there and as she discovered hateful remarks about her attempted suicide on Facebook, Todd’s mental state gradually deteriorated. Despite receiving counseling and antidepressants, she resumed injuring herself and took an overdose of medication, resulting in her being admitted to the hospital for the second time. Todd died from suicide by hanging and her body was found at her home on October 10, 2012.

The Dutch police charged a 35-year-old man named Aydin Coban in the Netherlands with child pornography and indecent assault in April 2014. It was established during the case that the suspect tormented Todd and many other victims, both girls and boys. The trial of the suspect, who was charged by Dutch police with 72 counts of sexual assault and extortion involving 39 alleged victims in different countries began in February 2017 and ended on March 16, 2017. He was found guilty of extortion and online fraud and sentenced to 10 years and eight months in jail. He is set to face five distinct Canadian charges in connection with Todd’s case. Todd’s untimely demise drew widespread media attention and coverage around the world. On October 19, 2012, several vigils were held across Canada and beyond in honor of Todd and other bullying victims.

Career timeline

2010

Todd Receives Blackmail Threats

Amanda Todd is blackmailed by a man she meets online who took a snapshot of her topless body.

2012

She Posts a Nine-Minute Youtube Video

Todd uploads a nine-minute YouTube video which she titles "My Story: Struggling, bullying, suicide, and self-harm."

2012

Her Death

Todd dies from suicide by hanging.

2014

Her Blackmailer is Arrested

Investigations on the issue lead the Dutch police to arrest a man identified as Aydin Coban.

Why We Love Amanda Todd

She was brave
Although she was subjected to a great deal of bullying and its consequences, Amanda Todd was courageous enough to produce a video about the heinous event. She is worth remembering.
She was an inspiration
Her story inspired a lot of people around the world to stand up against bullies and to put in place rules to combat the act. We can only admire and thank her for that.
She taught us important life lessons
Todd instilled in us the value of being kind. She taught us to treat others the way we would want to be treated if we were in danger. She also taught us that our actions and words have the potential to inflict great harm on others and ourselves.

5 Surprising Facts

She has a trust
Her mother set up a trust called the Amanda Todd Trust to raise awareness about cyberbullying.
Featured in a piece in a magazine
Todd was called "The Girl Who Woke Up the World" in a feature published in "Vancouver Magazine."
One of the most Googled names
Todd was the third-most searched person in 2012.
Vigils were held in her remembrance
Vigils for her remembrance were organized in 38 countries by 2013.
She had low grades
Todd was bullied by other students at her school for her low grades which were a result of a language-based learning disability.

Amanda Todd FAQs

What did the group ‘Anonymous’ do to help Amanda Todd’s case?

Todd’s blackmailer and chief tormentor, according to the Internet hacking and activism group Anonymous, is a 32-year-old male. The organization posted the name and address of a man from the Vancouver region on the Internet, prompting internet threats of vigilante violence.