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ST. BERNARD PARISH, La. (KLFY) — Most people know Tessica Brown as the “Gorilla Glue Girl,” but that’s not all she is. The St. Bernard Parish, La. native is a mother, and her passion lies in her daycare center and dance team. She now also owns a successful haircare line.

If you had asked Brown a little over a year ago if she pictured her life being what it is now, she would have had absolutely no idea. Everything changed drastically after she posted a video on Tik Tok about her hair.

The video was posted in February of 2021. She explains that her hair was stuck after using Gorilla Glue in a pinch because she ran out of her hairspray. “My hair has been like this for about a month now. It’s not by choice.” The Tik Tok now has over 50 million views.

“Gorilla Glue Girl” became a viral sensation overnight. It was all unexpected for Brown.

“I didn’t think for one second it was going to go the way it did.”

But it’s not her identity. Brown said she wants people to know her for who she is. Her daycare is her “everything,” she said.

“I’m a daycare provider,” Brown said, “and I have my own dance team. I was already known here,”

Internet fame for Brown came with pros and cons. She’s been interviewed by the likes of Wendy Williams, and both Porsha Williams and The View sent her wigs. Some of those experiences were great, but, she said she’s also received a lot of hate and some threats. One person sent her a letter with a picture of a severed head.

Through all of the unexpectedness, the mishap did also bring positivity and inspired career moves for Brown. She launched a haircare line, has met several people through interviews and being recognized on the street, and she even released a song.

She said she’s thankful overall, and that even if she hadn’t gone viral from the Gorilla Glue incident, something else would have happened to put her in the spotlight to be an inspiration for others. “God does things for a reason,” said Brown.

As for any lessons learned over the last year, Brown said, “All I can say is, don’t use Gorilla Glue on your hair.”

Brown wants people to know that despite rumors that have circulated, she’s alive and well. She was also very candid about a miscarriage that she had, and that she’s been a little exhausted by the pressure of people wanting to know what happened. Brown said she is trying for another baby, though.

Overall, Brown has learned to roll with the punches life throws at her.