Food influencer Amijé van der Laan sought psychological help after receiving a barrage of online hate and even death threats following her appearance on the reality show Expeditie Robinson, according to reports on Thursday, March 5, 2026.
Van der Laan, who was a finalist on the show last year, found herself the target of intense criticism for her strategic gameplay and frequent alliance-building. Viewers labeled her both tactical and untrustworthy, sparking a wave of harsh reactions online. With 166,000 followers on Instagram, she was quickly overwhelmed by the negativity.
“I removed all social media from my phone and withdrew to focus on activities that provide me energy,” Van der Laan explained. She even reached out to her fellow contestants to gauge their perceptions of her behavior during the competition, admitting, “I checked in with the other participants to see how they experienced me, because I started to doubt myself.”
The support from her family and fellow cast members helped her navigate the initial shock. Her family advised her to avoid reading the comments altogether. Production of Expeditie Robinson also offered psychological support, which Van der Laan is now utilizing to better cope with such attacks.
“Although she says that negative reactions initially affected her more than she expected, she now feels better and hopes to develop into more resilient,” reports De Telegraaf.
Van der Laan, 28, continues to work with a psychologist to process the experience, as she shared in an interview with LINDA.meiden. “I’m working with him on how to ensure it doesn’t affect me too much,” she said, according to RTL.nl.
She described her initial reaction to the online backlash as demanding to rationalize. “I knew that hate comments existed, but I always thought: oh, those people are just talking, they don’t know you,” Van der Laan explained. “When it happened to me, I found it hard to put into perspective.”
The case underscores the darker side of fame gained through reality television and social media, a phenomenon increasingly common in the entertainment industry. NU.nl reports that fellow contestants also checked in with Van der Laan after each episode to see how she was doing, noting that the hate reactions “overwhelmed” her.
Expeditie Robinson offered support both during and after the show, and Van der Laan initially declined psychological assistance, believing she didn’t need it. However, she ultimately accepted help in the wake of the intense online harassment, as Shownieuws detailed.
