Jill Smokler, the founder of popular parenting forum Scary Mommy, has tragically passed away on Monday, June 22. As reported by People, she was only 48.
Her family announced her tragic passing in a statement shared on the website. She died of brain cancer after being diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2024.
They reflected on her life and the progress she made for parents who needed help. "Jill spent her life telling the truth about motherhood - that it could be wonderful and impossible in the very same breath - and in doing so, she gave millions of women permission to stop pretending and feel a little less alone."
"She was funny, fearless, generous, and entirely herself. More than anything she built, Jill was proudest of her three children, Lily, Ben, and Evan. We are heartbroken to lose her, and endlessly proud of the mark she left on the world."
The parenting website she started, Scary Mommy, is known for being a safe space for mothers. She started the site back on March 21, 2008 because she needed a safe space - her first post simply read, "Here goes, Day One." And from there, it grew to be a massive site for mothers nationwide.
She was also known for being a New York Times bestselling author. She wrote two books that got her that status - Confessions of a Scary Mommy in 2012; and Motherhood Comes Naturally (and Other Vicious Lies) in 2013.
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Tributes Have Poured in for the Parenting Forum Legend
Tributes have poured in for the parenting forum legend throughout social media.
One comment read, "This woman built an empire complaining about motherhood - motherhood is awesome, a gift and children are fun, it's not always perfect but it's life's richest experience."
Another commenter wrote, "S***, I'm sorry. I'm a fan and lost my mom to the same thing a few years ago - an awful, terrible cancer."
Another commenter reflected on the status of Scary Mommy as a refuge for mothers. "Jill created such a safe, honest space for moms through Scary Mommy when so many of us needed it most," they wrote.
