Joanne, aka Branden Miller came onto the scene almost a decade ago and had us all in stitches with their antics, but it’s been a few years since we’ve seen her, and we are wondering why she disappeared. We’ve talked about it before, but viral fame doesn’t last, even when we think it will. So, what happened to Joanne the Scammer???
Where did the Idea of Joanne Come From?
The character of Joanne was created from the pain Miller suffered as a child. Miller was adopted, but didn’t find out until 17 years old.
At the time, Miller was struggling with his sexuality and was scared to come out to his family. Still, when his sister discovered gay porn on his computer, he was forced to confirm his sexuality to his mother who disapproved and thought it was sinful.
Once he discovered he was adopted, he began acting out and dressing in drag every day before finally dropping out of high school just before he graduated.
At the age of 18, he started to star in adult videos on sites playing straight characters to appeal to those who were into men who were gay for pay.
Out of an act of rebellion toward a family that rejected him came his alter ego, Joanne.
Miss Prada and Joanne the Scammer
Joanne started out as the character of “Miss Prada” and was inspired by Britney Spears’ Super Fan, who was famous for her “Leave Britney Alone” video that went viral. Miss Prada started as a prostitute who had a thing for Chris Brown and came on to various men. From that came Miss Joanne, whom Miller said was an escape from his real life. The scammer part came from his belief that “every modern woman is a scammer.”
Miller started making Joanne videos in 2016, the first of which was “Caucasian Living with Joanne the Scammer.”
Joanne typically shows up with a blonde wig and a fur coat at events where she stands out and is not invited, such as when she made a cameo in Tyler Perry’s A Madea Funeral.
Before that, she made an 8-minute long “Thelma and Louise” type video starring Joanne called “Khadi & Joanne” with internet star and comedian Khadi Don.
Joanne became a hit, especially among celebrities like Selena Gomez, Katy Perry, Solange Knowles, and Ariana Grande.
The hilarity ensues when Joanne’s scams typically backfire.
Where is, and What Happed To Joanne the Scammer?
Fans haven’t seen Joanne in three years and wonder where Miller and the famous character he created is.
In 2018, he stepped away from the character and the internet because of the death of his mother.
“I wanted to let everyone know, real quick, because I’ve been so silent — and really I’m just doing it just to give people answers. I’m not doing Joanne right now,” he said in a since-deleted video on Instagram. “Not because of whatever, but because my mom is dying of cancer. I didn’t know how to tell anybody, and she was dying for a while. I can’t tell you or explain it in under a minute, so to sum it up, I’m not playing Joanne right now because I’m focusing on that, and that’s my last parent.”
Joanne recently appeared in Summer Walker’s video “Spend It,” which has everyone excited that our favorite con artist is back in action.
So maybe this is the resurgence of Joanne, at least we hope so, because we miss her videos, her attitude, and her antics. Cheers Joanne! And welcome back!
