Woman Who Was Bullied for Being a 'Bigger WAG' Says She’s Happier Than Ever, but Admits 'the Wounds Stay with You' (Exclusive)
Woman Who Was Bullied for Being a 'Bigger WAG' Says She’s Happier Than Ever, but Admits 'the Wounds Stay with You' (Exclusive)
Meredith WilshereSun, June 21, 2026 at 7:59 PM UTC
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Paris Tier and Conor StoneCredit: Courtesy Paris Tier -
Paris Tier opens up about overcoming cyberbullying and mental health struggles as a partner of AFL player Conor Stone
She shares how she and Stone balance their careers while supporting each other's goals and personal growth
Tier hopes to redefine the term WAG by highlighting the strength and accomplishments of women in similar roles
Paris Tier has been sharing snippets of her life online for years and started gaining more attention after she began dating Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Giants AFL player Conor Stone in 2022.
However, in 2025, the 23-year-old content creator took a break from posting after being "bullied on the internet for being a bigger WAG."
"I literally was so suicidal, like so depressed, couldn't leave bed," she shared in a viral TikTok. "I nearly got sent away to a two-week retreat with no phone, no nothing, because of how bad my mental health was."
Tier often found her comments section full of rude remarks about her weight. In the video, Tier said she would even get threatening calls from people saying they were outside her house. Someone also once called the police on her, claiming she had locked Stone, 24, in a closet, which she insists never actually happened.
At the time, she tried to handle the cyberbullying by retaliating, posting about the hate comments and situations online, which she admitted was the "worst" thing she could have done, since that's "exactly" what the bullies wanted her to do.
"The reason I let myself get into such a state of mind is because I really believed it," she said in the video. "I hated my body. I felt uncomfortable in my body."
Paris TierCredit: Courtesy Paris Tier
However, Tier — who has since "lost 25 kilos in a healthy, natural way" — said she had "never been so happy in my life" after spending a few months offline.
"I don't post about being f---ing hated on anymore, because, like, I love who I am," she shared.
Now, months after posting the video, Tier has returned to posting about her life, her health journey and her relationship with Stone.
The Australian influencer hopes to show that she supports Stone just as much as he supports her, telling PEOPLE that "support is really a core value in our relationship."
"Conor and I always show up for each other, even on the days we want to throttle one another," she shares. "That balance is what makes us so strong. We trust each other deeply, we love each other, and at the end of the day, we want the best for one another."
The couple makes an effort to eat dinner together, schedule time for date nights and have coffee together "every morning, every day."
"He leaves a cup by my bed if he's off to an early training," she shares.
Specifically, when Tier was in the thick of the cyberbullying, she notes that Stone helped her "completely shift my mindset and take ownership of my life."
"Honestly, I genuinely don't know where I'd be without Conor. The way he has shown up for me is unlike anyone I've ever met," she says. "He's never been someone who simply tells me what I want to hear. While he's always had empathy and compassion, he's also taught me how to be strong."
"Everything we do is as a team. Yes, he's my partner, but more importantly, he's someone who challenges me to be better. He doesn't just give me what I want, he shows me what I need," she continues. "Coming from a place of deep insecurity, I don't think I really understood what love was. I didn't know how to truly love another person, and I certainly didn't know how to love myself. Conor taught me both, and that didn't happen overnight. It took years of growth, hard conversations, patience and support to get to where I am today."
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Tier admits that when she "first started receiving hate online," she "was so focused on proving people wrong" and "trying to meet everyone's expectations of what a WAG should be and become the person they wanted me to be."
"The reality is, I'm actually a very simple girl. I love my friends, I love spending time with the people I care about and I love living a normal life," she emphasizes.
Paris TierCredit: Courtesy Paris Tier
Still, Tier admits that, "for a long time," she was still searching for validation. In fact, she became so consumed with who was behind the online bullying that her family hired a private investigator.
"I genuinely thought they would all be strangers hiding behind fake profiles. What shocked me was who some of those people actually were," she tells PEOPLE, noting that they were not all "faceless trolls hiding in dark rooms, but in my experience, some of it came from people sitting in the same rooms as me, people who knew my story, people who had looked me in the eye."
"That was the part that broke me," she says.
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"I've healed a lot since then, and I'm genuinely happier than I've ever been, but I don't think people realize how long those wounds stay with you. You can move forward and still carry the scars," she says.
Tier shares that today she has a "really healthy relationship with my audience because I've created boundaries that work for me. My audience probably only sees about 10% of my life, and I like it that way. I've learned that you can be authentic without giving away every piece of yourself."
"I'm a people person by nature, and I will always give 110% to the people who support me, but I won't sacrifice my privacy to do it," she adds, noting that she still tries to respond and engage with people as much as possible to create a community "where people feel seen and valued."
While some people now look at her life and "think everything is amazing," she emphasizes that there "is always room for reflection."
"There was a time when I genuinely felt like I had nothing left in me. I was exhausted from trying to prove people wrong, trying to fit expectations and trying to become the version of myself that other people wanted," she tells PEOPLE.
"Looking back, I realize I was spending so much energy chasing validation that I forgot who I actually was. The greatest lesson I've learned is that happiness doesn't come from convincing strangers to like you. It comes from accepting yourself first."
She says that one of the reasons she feels like she's in a good place to share about her life is because of the "people around me."
"Conor, my friends and the people who genuinely love me taught me that self-worth isn't something you earn from other people. It's something you build within yourself," she tells PEOPLE. "Today, I share my life because I enjoy it, not because I need approval. And I think that's why my relationship with my audience is stronger than it's ever been."
Paris Tier and Conor StoneCredit: Courtesy Paris Tier
Not only is her relationship with her audience in a healthy place, but her relationship with Stone came out stronger than ever.
While Tier supports him during "footy" games, he is also her biggest cheerleader off the field, as she hosts the WAG - Women and Goals podcast.
"It's really about making sure both of our needs are met and staying connected in the little moments. Communicating is so key that we discuss everything," Tier shares.
However, they've also learned the importance of independence, as she balances podcasting while he focuses on his athletic career. It shows up unconventionally, as Tier says, "balancing our careers is really about being unapologetically selfish, in the best way."
"We used to think we had to put each other first, but we realized we're both still growing and building our own paths," she shares. "If Conor is chasing something he's passionate about, I'll always push him to go for it, and he does the same for me. I will always support his career. Before we even met, his goal was to succeed in AFL, and I'll continue to back him every step of the way."
Tier admits they found a "strong balance" where they can "both grow individually while still supporting each other."
"I think a lot of young women feel like they need to rely on men or that men have to be the providers, but I truly believe both people in a relationship matter equally. Sometimes that means being a little selfish. If I can't make it to every game because I'm investing in my own career, Conor understands that. That mutual respect is everything."
Through posting on her TikTok and Instagram accounts, Tier hopes to "change the narrative around women in this space."
"I want to empower women to see that they can be part of sport, build their own careers and not feel defined by the traditional idea of what a partner of an athlete should be," she tells PEOPLE. "And I'm so lucky to have someone like Conor, who never holds me back; he's always encouraging me to go after more."
Tier also hopes to "shift the narrative around the word WAG."
"It's often seen as something negative or dismissive, but I think it's actually something really powerful. I feel so lucky to support my partner, but I also think people forget how incredible the women behind that label are," she adds. "They're strong, driven and doing amazing things in their own lives, whether that's in medicine, science, business or using their platforms to inspire others."
She also emphasizes that she is "so lucky" to have Stone.
"I've never met someone so genuinely supportive. He is my rock, my soul. When we first started dating, he honestly shocked me. I didn't realize someone could be that kind, that genuine, because I didn't grow up seeing it," she continues. "My message to young girls is don't settle for the bare minimum. There is someone out there who will love you and cherish you the way you deserve, and I feel incredibly lucky to have found that in Conor."
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
