Not Skinny But Not Fat

Host: Amanda Hirsch (Dear Media)

Episode: Chronically Online with Haley Kalil (aka @haleyybaileyy)

Release Date: January 6, 2026

Episode Overview

Amanda Hirsch kicks off 2026 with a lively, heartfelt, and revealing conversation with viral content creator and model Haley Kalil, also known as Haley Bailey (@haleyybaileyy on social). The pair dive deep into Haley’s rise to internet stardom, her viral apartment tour, overcoming adversity, the nature of internet fame, surviving and healing from abusive relationships, and how comedy is at the heart of her creative—and personal—survival.

Main Themes

• Evolution From Model to Viral Creator: How Haley shifted her following from mostly men as a model to an overwhelmingly female fanbase as a relatable, comedic content creator.
• Viral Breakthrough: The real story behind Haley’s viral New York apartment tour with Caleb Simpson, and the transformative impact it had on her career and life.
• Identity, Authenticity, and Surviving Abuse: Haley’s struggle to find her voice, shed her "hot girl" online persona, and how women’s support online helped her escape an abusive relationship.
• Creativity, Mental Health & The Comedy Coping Mechanism: Using humor to process trauma, critique of internet culture, and what it means to stay chronically "extremely online."
• Dating, Heartbreak, and Hopes for the Future: Haley’s approach to relationships, dating apps, lessons from her past, and goals for deeper connections with her audience in 2026.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Is Haley Bailey? The Origin Story (06:23–08:12)

• Amanda reveals how meeting Haley at an event—and hearing her life story over champagne—changed her perspective on what it means to create compelling, “real” internet content.
• Haley’s Name:
  • Her middle name is “Bea,” so “Haley Bailey” became a childhood nickname and later her social handle, after experimenting to find an available username.
  • “My nickname growing up was Haley Bailey... And so when I created an Instagram account, I... didn't think I would ever be a content creator… That's why my username is so confusing.” – Haley (06:41)

2. The Viral Apartment Tour: Platform for Authenticity (08:19–14:09)

• Haley’s apartment tour with Caleb Simpson went viral in late 2022, completely flipping her following demographic.
• Originally, her followers were “99% dudes, 1% women” due to her modeling posts. Now, it’s “completely flipped” and mostly women.
  • “I felt kind of like in a cage during that time because I… couldn't, like, show my weird personality… It so wasn’t me.” – Haley (09:37)
• The viral video led to 55 million views and a jump from 150K to over 1 million followers overnight, with the remarkable shift being women supporting her in the comments:
  • “This was women… being like, yo, I vibe with her. And that was, like, one of the first times in my life that a community of women were like, wait, she's cool. And I was like, wait, I am.” – Haley (24:59)

3. From Biomedical Engineering to Modeling: Unexpected Paths (14:34–18:30)

• Haley, raised in Minnesota in a midwestern, pragmatic family, originally pursued biomedical engineering and planned for medical school.
• She applied “on a whim” to the Sports Illustrated Swim Search via Instagram and, against all expectations, won in 2018.
  • “I just never, like, touched entertainment. No one in my family was in entertainment… It feels so unattainable… I'm just amazed I'm even doing this.” – Haley (14:45)

4. Delusional Belief Meets Analytical Strategy (23:31–24:14)

• Haley describes herself as analytical but admits to having a “delusional” faith that things might work out, always tossing her hat in the ring for opportunities.
• Amanda notes that Haley’s story is about consistently throwing herself into “anything I could do without uprooting my life.”

5. The Fork in the Road: Leaping Into Content Creation (25:47–28:19)

• Two weeks before the apartment video, Haley was about to leave New York and move back home because she couldn’t afford the rent alone.
• The video’s success meant her only shot at a new career was to re-sign the expensive lease, risking her entire savings:
  • “After the apartment tour went viral… I have enough to re-sign one lease, but that is my entire livelihood… and she [my mom] was like, listen, if you think you can do it, do it. If you don’t, then move home… and I resigned the lease.” – Haley (26:25)

6. Escaping Abuse & The Power of Female Solidarity (28:19–33:39)

• While going viral, Haley was in a physically abusive relationship. She credits the outpouring of support from women online for giving her the strength to leave:

  • “I truly credit the women in my comment section… with saving my life. Completely and totally. Because I never felt seen by women.” – Haley (29:32)

• Amanda asks how comedy helped her heal:

  • “My entire life, I've coped with comedy… Not only was I getting all these comments from men being like ‘Well, you can’t afford this place’… I was also dealing with all those feelings… So I took all of that, and I almost put it into my comedy.” – Haley (32:21)

• Prefers jokes/roasting over pity:

  • “Being able to poke fun at my struggle helped me get out of the struggle.” – Haley (33:23)

7. Death Jokes, Internet Rumors & “Chronically Online” Humor (35:09–36:52)

• Amanda teases Haley’s penchant for joking about her own (fake) death online—obituaries, being hit by cars, etc.—to the point Amanda is superstitious.
  • “You just posted today getting hit by a car. Yep. What's wrong with you?” – Amanda (35:37)
  • “I think I die on the Internet like every other week.” – Haley (36:19)
• Haley traces this to her background in medicine and confronting mortality in a joking, “internet” way:
  • “The more I joke about it, the more I understand it.” – Haley (36:28)

8. The Craft: Editing, Cross-Posting & “Brain Rot” (42:16–43:25)

• Amanda raves about Haley’s editing speed and her relentless cross-posting across all platforms.
• All creative aspects—filming, editing, captions—are handled by Haley herself.
  • “All of my videos are myself. All of the edits are me, all of the captions… Everything that’s ever posted… is me.” – Haley (43:10)

9. Competition, Virality & Dealing with the Algorithm (43:36–46:07)

• Haley admits she struggled with comparison and competition as a model; in comedy/content, she feels there’s room for everybody.
  • “There are so many jobs, so many opportunities. If I’m getting them, anyone can get them… I don’t get that anymore.” – Haley (44:54)
• Confesses that bad engagement stings but it’s less about the algorithm, more about reflecting and reconnecting with what’s funny or meaningful.

10. Dating, Heartbreak & Relationship Red Flags (47:24–49:57)

• Haley describes herself as “a bad picker”—falling for men who promise to be better, often those trying to escape their “fuckboy” past.

  • “I fall in love really fast and hard, and I could very easily be hurt in a second… I was honest… If you are not healed, no judgment. Just don’t include me in it.” – Haley (49:14)

• Willing to date people on or off social media, but values honesty about where a partner is in their life.

11. 2026 and Beyond: Goals & Self-Disclosure (52:14–53:11)

• Haley wants to show more of her real self, not just the “sketch” and comedy persona, and fosters a desire for deeper connection with her audience.
  • “I want to make sure I do right with my platform… So I’d love in 2026 for people to… get to know me without maybe me through sketch form. Just, like, actually me.” – Haley (53:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Being Undeniably Herself:

  • “Women are vibing with me, just being me. And that's, like, a really, really, really good feeling.” – Haley (24:59)

• On Internet Fame & Its Surreal Quality:

  • “I feel like I've lived, like… a bunch of lives.” – Haley (16:47)

• On Healing Through Making Jokes:

  • “Being able to poke fun at my struggle helped me get out of the struggle.” – Haley (33:39)

• On Authenticity vs. Old Persona:

  • “I just wanna be me because, oh my gosh, women. Women are vibing with me just being me.” – Haley (24:59)

• On Risking It All After Going Viral:

  • “I have enough to re-sign one lease, but that is my entire livelihood… Should I do this? And I still have, like, the notes app of my budget.” – Haley (26:25)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------|---------------| | Meet Haley, Name Story | 06:23–08:12 | | Apartment Tour Goes Viral | 08:19–14:09 | | Biomedical Beginnings & SI Swim | 14:34–18:30 | | Leap of Faith: After the Apartment Tour | 25:47–28:19 | | Abuse, Escape & Women’s Support | 28:19–33:39 | | Comedy as Survival | 33:39–36:52 | | “Chronically Online” Humor | 35:09–36:52 | | The Editorial Grind | 42:16–43:25 | | Viral Pressure & The Algorithm | 43:36–46:07 | | Heartbreak & Dating in 2026 | 47:24–49:57 | | Goals for 2026 | 52:14–53:11 |

Episode Vibe

Amanda and Haley keep the tone light, fast-paced, unfiltered, and often hilarious, blending self-deprecation with real talk on struggles and healing. Both are candid about insecurities, internet culture, and the tension between performative self and authentic self—themes that will resonate deeply with listeners navigating the digital era.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in the mechanics of going viral, the courage of female solidarity, and the radical act of using humor to heal.