Where Did The 'Girl Who Is Going To Be Okay' Meme Come From? The TikTok Meme Explained

Sappy Hollywood movie tropes are ripe for parody, and sketch artist and actress Caitlin Reilly nailed the "Girl Who Is Going To Be Okay" trope in a single frame lifted for her viral skit in August of 2023.

The meme shows Reilly sitting on the outdoor patio of a restaurant, clutching her drink with both hands and gazing hopefully into the sky. Looking at the still image, you can already imagine the scene unfolding; Reilley takes a sip of her drink and lets out a big sigh before an emotional song begins to play.

Here's how the "girl who is going to be okay" trope unfolded in memes over the course of the past year.

Where Did The 'Girl Who Is Going To Be Okay' Meme Come From?

While TikToker @delaneysayshello has long perfected the art of parodying Hollywood rom-com clichés like the "Tomboy" and the "female lead in an indie film," it was Instagram comedian Caitlin Reilly who first made a sketch about the "girl who is going to be okay."

The sketch satirized a movie trope where women who go through traumatic events finally come to terms with their past and get ready to move on and "be okay." The video (shown below) amassed over 2.5 million views and 160,000 likes in seven months.

How Did The 'Girl Who Is Going To Be Okay' Screenshot Become A Meme?

Reilly's video and catchphrase came to be widely quoted on Twitter (now X) and TikTok in late 2023 and early 2024, with people using the image to ironically signal that they have overcome great hardship and are now ready to enjoy their lives.

By February of 2024, the meme had spread to TikTok, where more female comedians began to come up with increasingly funny scenarios about the "girl who is going to be okay," gathering millions of views in days.

For the full history of "girl who is going to be okay," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.