People Are Sharing What Happened To The "Popular Kid," And Some Of These Are So, So Dark

Warning: This post contains mention of abuse, ****** assault, drug use, violence, and suicide.

This is a safe space to admit that we've all done a fair share of Facebook and Instagram stalking, no matter when we graduated. So we asked the brave members of the BuzzFeed Community to share what happened to the "popular kid" from their high school — and yeah…the answers are all over the place. From people who ended up exactly how you'd expect to others who took some seriously unexpected turns, here are some of the most interesting updates:

1. "He grew up rich, popular, and constantly surrounded by friends because his dad had money and wasn't afraid to spend it. A few years after high school, it came out that his dad had been embezzling millions from friends and family. His dad went to prison, their entire lifestyle collapsed, and he ended up changing his name and becoming a completely different person."

2. "She was one of the most popular girls in school, but also one of the cruelest people I've ever met. She went out of her way to humiliate only me constantly, and it stuck with me for years. When I later saw that she had passed away, I didn't feel any kind of sadness — just a really complicated mix of emotions ."

—Anonymous, 51, California

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3. "One of them recently reached out to me, trying to sell some MLM product like we were still close…and another became a real estate agent whose only reviews are from the same two friends he's had since high school. Some things really don’t change."

— jessethecowgirl

4. "One of the 'popular kids' now runs what's basically a dropshipping pyramid scheme selling cheap polyester stuff online. They still post like they're wildly successful, but everyone who knows them can see right through it."

5. "One of the most popular guys ended up marrying the 'it girl' from our school, and from the outside, it looked like everything worked out perfectly. But over time, he struggled with alcoholism and their relationship fell apart. They eventually divorced, and it was a much messier ending than anyone expected."

—Anonymous, 50, California

6. "One of the former 'popular kids' completely changed after college. He gained weight, lost his starting spot, checked into rehab for alcoholism, and started reaching out to people he had hurt to apologize. When I ran into him years later, he was genuinely kind and self-aware. It was honestly really nice to see."

— u/JBgolf28

7. "Three popular kids went swimming in a quarry one day, and only two of them came out. The one who died was the kind of person who was nice to literally everyone, even people who weren't in his circle. It made the whole thing hit a lot harder than anyone expected."

8. "He was a star football player and definitely had that 'better than everyone else' attitude in high school. After college, he actually seemed to be doing well…until he got federally charged for a kidnapping plot and fraud. He didn't even make it to trial, and it completely flipped how people saw him."

—Anonymous, Michigan

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9. "He ended up having an affair with his best friend ’s mom after the dad had passed away, and eventually they got caught. She was arrested for statutory rape, and his friend had to move away with his younger siblings. It completely blew up multiple families at once."

— u/B1GR3D23

10. "One of the most popular guys turned out to have a really dark home life that no one knew about. At one point, his stepdad showed up to school with a weapon, and the whole place went into lockdown before he was arrested. After everything came out about the abuse, people treated him completely differently, but he also became way more withdrawn."

11. "He went out drinking one night with a friend and ended up driving home, crashing into a brick wall at full speed. His friend barely survived, but he died on impact. It was one of those things that shook the entire school because it felt so preventable."

— u/DesertStorm11

12. "He was the rich, popular kid, but also one of the nicest people you could meet. After high school, his parents divorced, and he got heavily into cocaine, eventually going to rehab and gaining a lot of weight. He's still on my Facebook now and seems to be doing okay, which honestly feels like a good outcome considering everything."

— u/hobbsarelie83

13. "He ended up becoming the head of a local water district and made a decision that completely changed everything for the town. A bunch of farmers lost their water access and went out of business…but it led to the restoration of wetlands, the return of an 'extinct' snail species, and now they literally have to manage the bird population because of it. It's honestly one of the wildest ripple effects I’ve ever heard."

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14. "My brother was one of the popular kids, and for years, his life went downhill with pills, cocaine, and heroin, along with multiple arrests and rehab stints. He spent a long time stuck, but now he's finally a year sober and starting to rebuild his life. It's been a huge turnaround."

— u/[deleted]

15. "He was your stereotypical hockey jock who loved making fun of people, especially girls, and thought he was untouchable. Years later, he got caught acting wildly inappropriately around underage girls, and one of their dads literally beat the **** out of him. He lost his job and basically disappeared after that. ... Karma is real."

—Anonymous, 31, Canada

16. "He was a popular athlete who mostly stuck to his own circle and ignored everyone else. Years later, someone sent me his mugshot along with details of his arrest for countless charges of inappropriate behavior involving minors, and it was honestly shocking to see. It completely changed the way I remembered him."

17. "One of the most well-liked guys lost his mom in a sudden accident when we were still in school. After that, he completely shut down — stopped talking to people, stopped showing up, and eventually just disappeared from everyone's lives. No one really knows what happened to him after that."

— u/ttywzl

18. "There was a guy who seemed like he had everything — good looks, friends, a hot girlfriend, and no obvious problems. Years later, it came out that he had tried to take his own life and survived, but with serious long-term damage. Seeing him now is a constant reminder that you never really know what someone is dealing with."

— u/scooter669979

19. "One of the most popular cheerleaders got into a four-wheeling accident that left her in an almost vegetative state. She's spent years slowly rebuilding her independence, but her life is completely different now. It's honestly scary how quickly something like that can change everything."

20. "One of the biggest bullies from our school somehow became a priest later in life. You'd think that kind of path would change someone, but from what I've heard…he's still just as much of a jerk."

—Anonymous, 50, California

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21. "The most popular girl at our school came from a super wealthy family and had everything going for her — huge house, cheer captain, horses, tanning beds, a ******* helicopter. During senior year, she got pregnant, her friends completely abandoned her, and she ended up dropping out. Years later, I heard she had extensive plastic surgery while struggling with depression and now rarely leaves her house. It's a completely different life than what anyone expected."

— u/TerpinOne

22. "She used to hang out with the 'rich kids,' and everyone assumed she'd end up with a stable, comfortable life just by being in that crowd. But when I caught up with her years later, she was living in a trailer and really struggling. It just goes to show that things don't always turn out the way people expect."

23. Lastly, "He was the captain of the football team, super well-liked, and the kind of person younger kids looked up to. After a surgery, he got hooked on painkillers, which eventually turned into heroin. Years of arrests and struggling followed, and he ended up dying from it. It was devastating watching someone who seemed to have everything slowly lose it all."

— u/VIntageJT

Okay...I was not expecting these to get this dark. If you've ever looked up the "popular kid" at your school and were surprised by what you found, I need to hear it — drop it in the comments or submit it below. Your story might end up in a future BuzzFeed Community post.

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-800-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services;  GoodTherapy.org  is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.

Dial 988 in the United States to reach the  National Suicide Prevention Lifeline . The 988 Lifeline is available 24/7/365. Your conversations are free and confidential. Other international suicide helplines can be found at  befrienders.org .  The Trevor Project,  which provides help and suicide-prevention resources for LGBTQ youth, is 1-866-488-7386.

If you or someone you know has experienced ****** assault, you can call the  National ****** Assault Hotline  at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest ****** assault service provider. You can also search for your local center  here .

If you are concerned that a child is experiencing or may be in danger of abuse, you can call or text the  National Child Abuse Hotline  at 1-800-422-4453(4.A.CHILD); service can be provided in over 140 languages. 

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