Viral clip captures woman appearing to smile and wink at camera during Lindsay Clancy trial
In an unexpected twist during Monday’s trial proceedings for Lindsay Clancy, a video surfaced featuring a courtroom spectator, Brittany Romano, displaying odd behavior. The footage, which quickly went viral, shows Romano smiling, posing, and winking at a camera. This behavior was met with a wave of criticism on social media, where users condemned her actions as highly inappropriate given the somber nature of the trial. The case centers on the murder of three children, magnifying the sensitivity of the setting. Romano later took to social media to clarify her actions, stating her expressions were intended for family members viewing the broadcast.
The fallout from the video has been significant. Romano, the woman at the heart of the controversy, has been relieved from her duties by the magazine for which she was credentialed to report on the trial. Her behavior in the courtroom has sparked widespread discussion, triggering millions of views on social media and mentions in numerous news outlets.
But why was Romano at the trial in the first place? Vanity Fair confirmed her presence was credentialed due to her personal connection with Clancy, further blurring the lines between professional distance and personal involvement.
Images from the trial captured Romano, clad in a green dress, smiling and winking during the proceedings, an act caught live on the trial’s broadcast feed. The footage, provided by Court TV through a pool camera, continues to circulate widely, drawing ongoing commentary and examination.
A woman wearing a green dress appears to smile and wink during court proceedings of the Lindsay Clancy trial on Monday. (Court TV via Pool)
In a statement sent to Fox News, Vanity Fair said, “We were interested in the prospect of a personal essay by Brittany Romano about her experience growing up with Lindsay Clancy. Yesterday, after clear conflicts with our editorial standards and processes, we informed Romano that we were not moving forward with her essay and informed the court that she is no longer credentialed by Vanity Fair.”
Brittany Romano leaves Plymouth Superior Court in Plymouth, Mass., Monday, August 24, 2026. Romano was covering the Lindsay Clancy trial for Vanity Fair. (David McGlynn for News Media)
In a lengthy statement posted to Instagram on Tuesday, Romano wrote in part:
“A smile is not a crime. Telling a woman to slit her wrists is.
“For two years I have fought to cover the Lindsay Clancy case honestly, because at its center is a mother accused of killing her three children during postpartum psychosis, and because the conversation around her has spent that whole time swinging between calling her a monster and asking what actually broke inside her. Women’s mental health was never a side note in that coverage, it was the whole point.”
Brittany Romano leaves Plymouth Superior Court alongside Lindsay Clancy’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, in Plymouth, Mass., Monday, August 24, 2026. Romano was covering the Lindsay Clancy trial for Vanity Fair. (David McGlynn for News Media)
She went on to say, “I smile through anxiety. I smile when I’m uncomfortable. That is not indifference, it is a nervous system managing strain the only way it knows how.”
At the end of the post, Romano wrote, “I have been told, repeatedly, to take accountability and apologize, when I have nothing to apologize for. What I have actually received are messages telling me to slit my wrists, threats to kill me in my sleep, and a resource of ways to kill myself, sent by people who claim they are defending Lindsay’s mental health.
“If you actually believed a woman’s mental health mattered, you would not hand another woman a method, you would not treat suicide as a punishment, and you would not claim to protect one woman’s humanity while stripping another woman of hers.”