Reality TV Star Faces Setback as Online Business is Unexpectedly Deleted

Tara Josephine, known for her appearance on “Beauty and the Geek,” faced a major setback when her social media business account was abruptly deleted last week.

The 26-year-old, who has transitioned from reality TV star to a professional mermaid, shared her distressing experience on her personal Instagram profile Friday night, a week after her “Mermaid Tarielle” page vanished without a trace.

Though Tara has since managed to restore her online business presence, she expressed frustration over the lack of communication from Meta, stating there were no prior warnings, strikes, or explanations given for the account’s removal.

“Last week, I woke up at 6 a.m. to find my entire business had disappeared. It wasn’t hacked or paused—just gone,” she recounted in a series of Instagram Stories.

She continued, “There was no warning, no strikes, and no explanation—just a message stating that all three of my social accounts were removed for ‘breaching community standards.’ That was it.”

‘I’ve been building my Mermaid Tarielle account since 2016. Before TV. Before brand deals. Before Mertopia. Nearly 10 years of work.’

Beauty and the Geek star Tara Josephine, 26, was left shattered last week when her entire business account on social media was inexplicably deleted

Tara, who owns Mertopia Mermaids which offers ‘real-life’ mermaid experiences, went on to say she ‘organically’ grew the followers on her business page to 12,000. 

She said she frequently used the account to run logistics for her company, including a booking system, client communication, portfolio, media list, and an income pipeline.

‘It was the foundation of my expanding small business. And it didn’t just represent me. It represented my performers. Real people. Real creatives who rely on this work,’ she added.

‘Overnight, our digital storefront was erased. We are also days out from a FREE conservation event. Council partners. Environmental organisations. Volunteers. Media. Sponsors.

‘Instagram was our primary communication channel. Gone. I’m not sharing this to attack anyone. I’m sharing it because this could happen to ANY small business operating online.

‘Creators. Artists. Coaches. Performers. Startups. We live in a world where social media isn’t optional anymore. It’s infrastructure. When you remove someone from it, you don’t just silence a profile. You cut off livelihoods.’

Tara went on to explain she had three accounts removed, Mermaid Tarielle, Mertopia Mermaids, and her personal account, but was able to regain access to her personal account within hours.  

‘My personal account was restored hours later. Same person. Same management. Same device. The other accounts? Permanently deleted. No explanation why,’ she said.

The former reality TV star and professional mermaid revealed the news on her personal Instagram account on Friday night, a week after her Mermaid Tarielle business page was taken down

Tara finished her posts by assuring followers she would be ‘fighting’ to get her business page back, saying that ‘transparency’ and ‘procedural fairness matter’

Tara is best known for her appearance on Beauty and the Geek in 2022, where she found love with her current boyfriend Michael Gebicki

To make matters worse, when Tara attempted to contact Meta for support to restore her business page, she claimed she was asked to pay a subscription fee to continue the investigation into its deletion. 

‘Now here’s the part that honestly shook me. To keep a “support ticket” open while they review this (which can take months), I have to subscribe to premium support,’ she said.

‘$280 per month. Without that subscription, there is effectively no escalation pathway. So, to even keep the conversation alive, I have to pay. Let that sink in.

‘Your business can be deleted without any warning. You’re not told exactly why. And if you want meaningful support? You pay $280 a month just to keep your case open with no projected timeline and no guarantee of an outcome.’ 

Tara finished her posts by assuring followers she would be ‘fighting’ to get her business page back, saying that ‘transparency’ and ‘procedural fairness matter’.  

Thankfully, the following day, Tara posted a positive update to her business page, Mermaid Tarielle, after it had been restored with the help of her friend ‘Cal’, who worked with her on Beauty and the Geek in 2022. 

‘At 11pm last night, I was granted access to this account again. So grateful to be back,’ she said.

‘Grateful to be here. Grateful to have this account back. And very excited for a weekend of mermaid parties ahead.’

Daily Mail has reached out to Meta for comment. 

Tara is best known for her appearance on Beauty and the Geek in 2022, where she found love with her current boyfriend Michael Gebicki.