Unnerving reason why 'Bubblegum B**ch' trend was linked to Mackenzie Shirilla after she killed two in car crash
Topics: Netflix, Social Media, TikTok, True crime, Mackenzie Shirilla
Emily Brown
Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Netflix, Social Media, TikTok, True crime, Mackenzie Shirilla
With Netflix's new documentary The Crash explaining how social media played such a big part in the investigation of Mackenzie Shirilla's car crash, there was one song in particular that was referenced in court following the night that left Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan dead.
Shirilla was handed two life sentences for the deaths of Dom, her boyfriend, and Davion, his friend, after the 17-year-old was found to have purposefully driven her car into a brick wall at 100mph, with no use of the brake.
The fatal crash took place on July 31, 2022 as Shirilla drove Dom and Davion back from a party, and while Shirilla has maintained her innocence, prosecutors built their case around black box evidence as well as insights from the teenager's social media accounts.
As they presented their case in court, prosecutors drew attention to one TikTok clip in which Shirilla referenced a line from the song 'Bubblegum B*tch' by Marina, previously known as Marina and the Diamonds.
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The song has been used often in social media videos as part of a trend in which people approach their other halves and kiss them, before pushing them away.
Lyrics in the song read: "Got a figure like a pin-up, got a figure like a doll / Don't care if you think I'm dumb, I don't care at all / Candy bear, sweetie pie, wanna be adored / I'm the girl you'd die for."
It was the last line prosecutors called attention to in Shirilla's own TikTok video; a simple song lyric that became all the more ominous when linked to the deaths of Shirilla's passengers.
In the wake of the trial, the song was often linked to social media coverage of Shirilla's case.
Discussing the use of social media in the case against Shirilla, The Crash director Gareth Johnson told Tudum it was a 'fascinating attempt [at trying] to build up a sense of character'.
Producer Angharad Scott added: “The use of social media is what makes this film so prescient. So much of it is told and discussed and continues to be discussed on these online platforms. We portrayed her online presence throughout the whole film because it played so much into this case.”
However, Shirilla spoke out herself in the documentary and hit back at the idea that social media reflected her real life.
“I feel like anybody’s social media isn’t really them," she said in The Crash, speaking from behind bars.
"It’s how they want the world to see them. And at the time that’s how my 17-year-old brain was wanting to be seen.”
Shirilla goes on to insist she has 'excessive amounts of remorse for Dominic, Davion, both of their families', adding: "This was not intentional and I will do everything I can to prove that to the world and the families. And that’s it.”
The Crash is available to stream on Netflix now.