Nowhere does the uniquely internetty relationship between credulity and paranoia coexist more deliciously than on the Instagram gossip account @DeuxMoi. Neither deux (there’s only one account owner), nor particularly moi (the operator is anonymous), the account began as a lark during the early days of the pandemic. Unlike traditional gossip columns or tabloids, @DeuxMoi simply reposts submissions wholesale without any editorialization or fact checking, removing the middleman between source and reader, and making for such an undeniable indulgence that the account has now turned into a real business, with over a million followers, a podcast, and merch. Here, @DeuxMoi, whoever she is, gives us the inside scoop.

———

JESSICA JOFFE: Who was the first celebrity to follow you?

DEUXMOI: Whoopi Goldberg. And maybe a Real Housewife.

JOFFE: You’re scooping all the major publications. How does that feel?

DEUXMOI: At first I thought it was amusing, but now I’m irritated if they don’t credit me. Credit me!

JOFFE: You have a full time job. How many hours a day do you work on the account?

DEUXMOI: Six hours at least. And now, my readers want me to verify certain stories as they’re happening, which means I have to behave like an investigative journalist. I have to go to my sources and dig.

JOFFE: How do other gossip outlets just not cut it?

DEUXMOI: Unlike other outlets, I can present information freely and let my audience make up their own minds. And because it comes directly from them, I’m not telling them what to think or feel.

JOFFE: How do you verify sources and information?

DEUXMOI: I’ve gotten much better at verifying, because I have so many sources, but some fake news still slips through the cracks.

JOFFE: Do you make distinctions between what types of stories you post?

DEUXMOI: There are certain topics I won’t touch, including serious allegations like rape, racism, etc. If something is merely salacious I’ll make it a blind item.

JOFFE: Have you ever been threatened legally?

DEUXMOI: Nope.

JOFFE: What do you think about posting about Jonah Hill’s alleged engagement?

DEUXMOI: I don’t know why he got so upset about that!

JOFFE: I would imagine he’d say it’s an invasion of privacy.

DEUXMOI: I thought it was positive news. He’s public about the relationship, so I didn’t feel compelled to retract it.

JOFFE: What is it about celebrity gossip that’s so enticing to you?

DEUXMOI: Nothing. What’s enticing is the people I get to interact with. Celebrity is just a conduit for community. People ask me questions about where to go, what to do, what to buy. Sometimes I feel like a concierge service.

JOFFE: Do you think everyone wants to be famous?

DEUXMOI: It’s everyone’s dream to live like a celebrity.

JOFFE: And you?

DEUXMOI: I don’t, but I wouldn’t mind the lifestyle.

JOFFE: Do you think DeuxMoi has made certain people famous?

DEUXMOI: You mean like Cousin Greg? I’ve watched exactly 1.5 episodes of Succession, but my followers are obsessed with him. I’m just amplifying what the people want.

JOFFE: Whose 15 minutes are just about to start?

DEUXMOI: Maude Apatow and Melissa Benoist.

JOFFE: When are DeuxMoi’s 15 minutes up?

DEUXMOI: When I say so.

JOFFE: Has a celebrity ever written in to correct a story about themself?

DEUXMOI: I once posted something about Nicholas Braun [Cousin Greg] being great at eating pussy and following up with a bowl of cereal. The post was mysteriously taken down. I imagine he reported it, but we’ll never know.

JOFFE: Do you ever get bored of a certain topic?

DEUXMOI: All the time.

JOFFE: Cousin Greg?

DEUXMOI: I’m not bored of Cousin Greg at all, because I respect his game. I don’t think that kid has a house. He’s out all the time. Chris Evans and his love life, on the other hand, that I could do without.

JOFFE: Do you think privacy is still an option in this world?

DEUXMOI: It depends on your comfort level. If I weren’t as private as I choose to be and people gossiped about little things like who I was or wasn’t dating, I wouldn’t care. I’d be upset if someone said I was a bad tipper. But I do try to put myself into my subjects’ shoes before posting.

JOFFE: What did you watch last night?

DEUXMOI: The Disappearance of Maura Murray.

JOFFE: How do you watch?

DEUXMOI: On my computer in bed. Right up in my face, so I’m not distracted.

JOFFE: Who are you watching?

DEUXMOI: Britney Spears, Sam Asghari, Diet Prada, and Kim Kardashian.

JOFFE: Who watches you?

DEUXMOI: My followers.

JOFFE: How do you get attention?

DEUXMOI: I post.

JOFFE: What kind of porn do you watch?

DEUXMOI: I love Lana Rhoades and I’m really fucking into Keiran Lee.

JOFFE: What do you do when no one’s watching?

DEUXMOI: I’m on my phone.

JOFFE: What movie do you know by heart?

DEUXMOI: Heathers.

JOFFE: Are you a voyeur?

DEUXMOI: Clearly.

JOFFE: What do you hate-watch?

DEUXMOI: Certain people’s IG stories.

JOFFE: Do you watch what you eat?

DEUXMOI: A lot less since quarantine.

JOFFE: Have you ever made a sex tape?

DEUXMOI: I’ve recorded certain sex acts but they were deleted. Never a sex tape!

JOFFE: Who do you follow?

DEUXMOI: I do my own thing. I don’t fashion myself after anyone. I have been inspired by some people I’ve talked to recently, especially Alexis Neiers of the “Bling Ring,” who is truly insightful at this stage in her life.

JOFFE: When was the last time you lied?

DEUXMOI: I lie at work every day. I have to.

JOFFE: What’s the last thing you got in trouble for?

DEUXMOI: Please, I don’t get in trouble.