London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 04, 2026

From unknown to US Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says sudden fame is like 'a tattoo on your face'

From unknown to US Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says sudden fame is like 'a tattoo on your face'

New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has become one of the Democratic Party's most recognizable faces since her 2018 election.

Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez got real in an interview with the Huffington Post about the toll of sudden fame.

The 30-year-old arrived in the national spotlight in 2018 after defeating a well-known and powerful incumbent in New York's 14th congressional district while working as a waitress. At 29, she became the youngest congresswoman ever. She has 5.5 million Twitter followers, is consistently targeted by President Donald Trump, and repeatedly makes national headlines and appearances on television.

She told HuffPo, “Sometimes I just want to be a human being. And you don’t get to be a human anymore. Everything you do from wearing sweatpants to the bodega to getting a haircut - every personal decision you make for yourself is never going to be yours anymore.”

Earlier this month, AOC shot back after a story in the conservative Washington Times criticized her for a "high-dollar hairdo," after spending $300 on her haircut, lowlights, and the tip.

'The halls of Congress are no joke':AOC reflects on Congress as she endorses Sanders

The interview from AOC comes just days after American-born Duchess Meghan Markle of Sussex gave a raw interview on British television about the hardships of fame that went viral.

AOC had responded to the interview via tweet, “Sudden prominence is a very dehumanizing experience. There’s a part of your life that you lose, & it later dawns on you that you’ll never get it back.”

“The people who treat you like a human make all the difference,” she continued.

AOC told HuffPo that while she has accepted her privacy will never return to normal, she added, “You kind of grieve for that. It has its highs and it has its lows. A lot of people look at the highs, but sometimes it feels like you got a tattoo on your face that you didn’t ask for. It’s hard. It’s very hard. Sometimes you just want to get a drink or eat a hamburger.”

Despite mixed feelings about all the attention, AOC said, “I can’t afford to be hidden away. In order for me to do my job, I need to be connected to people. My job is to love people. And that’s very difficult sometimes given the amount of barriers.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Reform UK Wants the Royal Navy to Return Channel Boats to France
US and Japan Step In to Support the Yen in Rare Joint Intervention
The AI Pricing Problem: Companies Cannot Predict Their Own Bills
Europe’s Heat and Drought Are Now Disrupting Power, Shipping and Tourism
Apple’s OpenAI Lawsuit Becomes a Public Fight Over AI Hardware
UK Man Jailed After Keeping His Mother’s Body in a Freezer and Claiming £78,000
A SpaceX Rocket Is About to Crash Into the Moon — and Scientists Hope to Watch
World War II munitions discovered after wildfires in southern France
BP profits reach four-year high amid Middle East conflict
Europe’s Drying Rivers Trigger Power Cuts, Factory Shutdowns and Wildfire Emergencies
UK Driver Sentenced to Four Years for Staged Electric Vehicle Brake Failure Fraud
Conservative Party and Reform UK Face Scrutiny During Clacton By-Election Campaign
Ministry of Justice Reviews Early Release Rules After Public Anger Over Police Killer Cases
NHS Radiographers Report Rising Racist Abuse From Patients Across UK Hospitals
UK Banking Regulators Face Pressure After Customer Loses Fourteen Thousand Pounds in AI Voice Scam
Research Challenges Treasury Control Over UK Public Spending and Calls for Greater Local Decision-Making
Home Office Begins Four-Week Weapons Surrender Campaign Across Major English Cities
Southern England Records Driest July in Nearly Two Centuries as Drought Concerns Grow
Apple Challenges UK Government Request for Access to Encrypted User Data in Legal Fight
BP Reports Sharp Profit Increase as Middle East Conflict Drives Global Oil Prices Higher
Nigel Farage Expresses Openness to Potential Alliance with Restore Britain
AstraZeneca Merger Talks Reflect Intensifying Pharmaceutical Consolidation
University Merger May Set Template for Higher Education Reform
Apple's Legal Challenge Highlights Growing Tension Over Encryption and Surveillance
Prime Minister Andy Burnham's Agenda Signals Shift Toward Greater Regional Devolution
Mental Health Trust Faces Criticism Over Planned £25 Million Budget Cuts
Scientists and Cultural Leaders Call for Funding to Save Jodrell Bank Observatory
UK Manufacturing Output Reaches Highest Level in Nearly Two Years
University of Greenwich and University of Kent Complete Landmark Merger
Nigel Farage Unveils Naval Border Proposal Amid Questions Over £5 Million Donation
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Tougher Action on Small Boat Crossings
Apple Challenges UK Government Over Encrypted Data Access Demands
AstraZeneca Shares Fall After Reports of $400 Billion Bristol Myers Squibb Merger Talks
Triple Lock Lifts UK State Pension but Leaves a Wider Retirement Gap
Danube Drought Forces Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Plant Into Full Shutdown
Ceuta Death Toll Rises as Spain and Europe Clash Over Border Response
Cuba’s Grid Fails Again as Fuel Crisis Deepens
Nazca Lines Flight Crash Kills Thirteen as Peru Suspends Aerodiana
Modern Slavery Decisions Broaden the Al Fayed Inquiry’s Frame
FIFA’s Retreat Leaves a Larger Question Over Who Guards the Game
Two Firefighting Crew Members Die in Helicopter Collision West of Athens
Public Sector Automation Through Artificial Intelligence
Regional Investment Beyond London
Protection of Strategic Technology Assets
UK Competition Regulator Blocks Major Foreign Takeover of British Quantum Computing Firm
UK Government Commits Two Billion Pounds to Modernise Northern Rail Network
UK Parliament Approves Planning Reforms to Accelerate Housing Construction on Green Belt Land
Scotland Approves Major Floating Offshore Wind Expansion in the North Sea
United Kingdom and European Union Sign Defence and Critical Minerals Cooperation Agreement
NHS Invests Five Hundred Million Pounds in Artificial Intelligence Diagnostics to Reduce Waiting Lists
×