Brittany Romano, a journalist covering the Lindsay Clancy trial for Vanity Fair, has drawn significant online criticism and had her press credentials revoked after appearing to smile and wink at a courtroom camera during proceedings. The incident occurred on day 19 of the trial in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Video footage showed Romano, seated in the front row, looking towards the camera and appearing to smile and wink as it panned across the courtroom. Social media users quickly branded her conduct as unprofessional and disrespectful. Outside the courthouse, Romano addressed the backlash, stating that she was smiling at the defendant, Lindsay Clancy, whom she knew from childhood. She also claimed a celebrity stylist friend advised her to smile for the camera after her father commented on her appearance in previous court broadcasts.
Vanity Fair's parent company, Condé Nast, confirmed to the Daily Mail that Romano's press credentials were no longer valid. A spokesperson stated that the magazine had been interested in a personal essay by Romano about her experience growing up with Clancy but decided against moving forward after the incident, citing conflicts with editorial standards.
Romano, who has a history of contributing to various publications including USA Today, Insider, and Glamour, acknowledged the criticism on her social media accounts. In a post on Threads, she stated she was proud of how she handled the situation despite receiving what she described as vile messages, including death threats. She also shared screenshots of direct messages from users criticizing her, urging them to advocate for postpartum depression awareness rather than engaging in online trolling.
Lindsay Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the January 2023 deaths of her three children, Callan, Dawson, and Cora, who were aged 8 months to 5 years old. The trial has largely focused on her mental state at the time of the killings, with the defense arguing she was suffering from acute postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors contend that Clancy planned the deaths and manipulated her husband into leaving the house before killing their children. Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, jumped from a second-story window after the incident and remains paralyzed. The trial is nearing its closing arguments after testimony from numerous medical experts regarding Clancy's mental health. IMAGE5