Claudia Conway is ending 2020 with a message of hope and gratitude.
The 16 year old is the daughter of Kellyanne Conway, a former campaign manager and senior counselor to President Donald Trump, as well as the Lincoln Project co-founder George Conway. Earlier this year, Claudia rose to fame on TikTok, gaining a following after expressing views that differed from her conservative parents. She also exposed her tumultuous relationship with her family, with Kellyanne choosing to leave her role at the White House in August in order to focus on Claudia's well-being.
In a Dec. 31 Instagram post, Claudia expressed gratitude for the followers who stuck by her during a rollercoaster year.
"I can't fully express how grateful i am to be writing this. sounds quite ironic, but i'm alive— something i didn't believe i would still be," she wrote. "this year was my downfall but coincidentally my uprising. i spent much of 2020 in the dark corners of my mind, losing myself and the essence of my soul. i let darkness conquer me. don't really know how but halfway through 2020, you all entered my life. i gained a following on an app i used for fun. for me, it isn't a superficial thing. it isn't a matter of followers or demographics or whatever, but about how many people i can touch. helping you all guided me and gave me purpose and you are the sole reason i am alive right now."
She continued, "whatever you're going through, tell it to go f--k itself. you're stronger than that. instead of becoming a local story of tragedy, i found myself. f--k the cliché shit.. but it gets better. i promise you that. i am living proof of that."
The teenager concluded her post with one final message of appreciation.
"Thank you for supporting me," she wrote. "i love you all more than you know. you are the reason i am still here and want to be here. thank you."
In November, Claudia made headlines by announcing she had auditioned for American Idol.
"I met Ryan Seacrest today and I have my audition soon, so stay tuned for that," she shared in a TikTok video at the time. "I'm very very nervous but I'm very excited."
The 19th season of the reality competition is set to debut on February 14, so fans will have to tune in to see how the social media star does then. No matter what happens though, Claudia seems to be looking towards a brighter future.