If you scroll through recent comments on photos of Instagram influencer Yovana Mendoza Ayres (a.k.a Rawvana), you’ll see a lot of fish emojis.
They’ve been put there by former fans of the Vegan vlogger, who has 1.3million Instagram followers and more than three million subscribers to her Spanish and English language Youtube channels.
They’re unhappy you see, because Ayres committed the ultimate vegan sin.
She ate meat.
Ayres was captured on a video uploaded to YouTube by another vlogger and it’s pretty clear that she’s eating a plate of fish, well – pretty clear until she tries to hide it.
Whoops.
Rumours began, but Ayres remained quiet for a while before uploading a 33-minute video to her YouTube channel titled: “THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING.”
In it, she takes viewers through her journey of veganism, the impacts this had on her health and why she recently had to abandon the diet.
“I was vegan – completely vegan for almost six years,” she said. “It’s been two months since I started incorporating eggs and fish in my diet.”
She decided to deviate from her raw vegan diet because her periods had become irregular and she was struggling with fatigue.
At first, she added back salt and cooked vegetables, but started eating eggs and fish two months ago after her doctor recommended it.
“That’s exactly why I hadn’t shared it with you,” she said in the video. “For me, it’s still an experiment.”
But most of Ayres’ followers are still pissed.
Her most recent Instagram post – a video of her making a baked potato – has received 16,000 comments in six days.
Throughout the sharp criticism and disappointment are the fish emojis.
Of course, there were some who criticised her choice to eat meat as they are morally opposed. But most comments were lamenting Ayres for presenting herself online as something she was not in real life, and profiting off it.
“Anyone who is in the spotlight has a responsibility, and you clearly only cared about money and fame. You used your channels for self-gain and potentially hurt and confused many people who were looking to better themselves and to save animals. You should donate the money that you stole since you made this choice to lie to your followers,” said one former follower.
“I’m not mad at the fact that you’re eating fish. I’m mad at the fact that you’re lying to all your followers and making money off of them claiming to be a raw vegan,” another wrote.
Ayres has been a vegan vlogger and Instagram influencer for years. In 2013 she began sharing vegan recipes and gift ideas on her English language YouTube channel and in 2014, documented her “25 day water fast” experience.