Jill Smokler, founder of Scary Mommy, died at 48 on Monday, June 22. The mother of three was battling brain cancer for around two years.
Jill Smokler founded Scary Mommy nearly two decades ago as a parenting and lifestyle blog. It became immensely popular as she also raised her three kids: Lily, Ben, and Evan. She had her three children with her ex-husband, Jeff, with whom she was married for 17 years. However, they got a divorce after he came out as gay in 2017.
Confirming Smokler’s death on Monday, her brother Matt Epstein released a statement to Today.com, which read:
“Jill spent her life telling the truth about motherhood — that it could be wonderful and impossible in the very same breath — and in doing so, she gave millions of women permission to stop pretending and feel a little less alone. She was funny, fearless, generous, and entirely herself. More than anything she built, Jill was proudest of her three children, Lily, Ben, and Evan. We are heartbroken to lose her, and endlessly proud of the mark she left on the world.”
The statement further mentioned Jill Smokler’s writings and books, where she discussed all aspects of motherhood. It stated:
“[Jill] wrote about the parts of motherhood that weren’t supposed to be said aloud: the mess, the boredom, the guilt, the flashes of rage, and the love so big it somehow made it all worthwhile. Scary Mommy wasn’t just a website. It was permission: to laugh, to admit it was hard, to tell the truth, and to be a great mother without pretending to enjoy every single second of it.”
Jill Smokler had stepped away from Scary Mommy in 2018. Aside from the website, she was also known for her appearances on shows such as Good Morning America and Today.
When Jill Smokler spoke about her glioblastoma diagnosis
Jill Smokler announced that she had glioblastoma in May 2024. She announced it on social media and also spoke to Today about the diagnosis and dealing with the disease. According to the Cleveland Clinic, glioblastoma is a Grade IV brain tumor and has no cure, with a general life expectancy of around 12 to 18 months.
After her diagnosis, Smokler told Today:
“I’m doing pretty much how you’d expect. I keep alternating between feeling so profoundly sad and so pissed off.”
“It’s been described to me as an octopus with tentacles. It’s not a one-time thing. It keeps coming back,” she added.
Jill Smokler also mentioned in another interview that her ex-husband, Jeff, has been a big support following her diagnosis. She said (h/t E! News):
“We talk more and Jeff is very cognizant of what I will be missing out on. He’s helping me make the most of my time with the kids.”
She even labeled the situation “ridiculously bittersweet” as it allowed her to spend much more time with her kids and her family. She added that she is “trying to focus on the sweet part.”
Edited by Aditya Singh
