Lillian Droniak is 96 years old, and she’s not gonna take any guff from the authorities. She resides in Connecticut in a nursing home and has become an Internet sensation with nearly four million followers on Instagram alone. (Incidentally, she only follows one person, and it’s her grandson, Kevin. But we’ll come back to that.) She’s listed as a “fashion model,” and her bio reads: “I’m a celebrity and a 96-year-old grandma. I can be your grandma too.”
Just recently, she posted a clip where she shares a threatening letter from her nursing home. Wearing a t-shirt with the words “eyes are up here” in hot pink lettering, she pulls out her glasses and begins to read the letter. She is not messing around.
The letter
A chyron reads, “Getting kicked out of my nursing home.” Lillian holds up a piece of paper and explains. “It says you’re getting kicked out if you don’t stop the parties.” She then proceeds to read it. “Parties are not allowed! And you cannot serve alcohol to other residents. Letter serves as a formal warning.”
She considers this for a moment and then rips up the letter. She then pulls out a hair pick and begins casually combing her bangs. “I can do whatever I want. I pay 12,000 dollars to live here and I can party if I want to. My girlfriends are coming over tonight! We’re gonna drink and gossip. It’s not a party, but we do get rowdy. I can’t help it. I love to party! You can’t stop me!”
She puts a little lipstick on and pops her lips. “They’re here!” she exclaims, letting out a delightfully mischievous cackle while she uses her wheelchair to head toward the door. She leaves the clip with a “Love ya!” as the festivities begin.
“Never stop partying MeeMaw”
Her popularity on social media continues to rise. In just over a day, her post gained over half a million likes and 20,000 comments, many of them funny and supportive. One commenter doesn’t mince words: “NEVER STOP PARTYING MEEMAW!”
A few Instagrammers mention her rental cost. “$12,000!??? Babe, you better party, and you better charge cover at the door!”
Another points out that at such a high cost, she should be able to do whatever she’d please (within legal reason), writing, “I mean, price aside—just moral question. These people are at the very end of their lives. Why would anyone prevent them from having a little fun? Seriously?”
In case anyone is wondering if she did indeed party, a follow-up Instagram post shows Lillian filming herself in the mirror of her makeup station with what looks like a half-drunk martini sitting next to her. The chyron reads, “Hungover from last night’s party. My nursing home can’t stop me from partying through the last chapter of my life. Xoxo.”
Lillian’s grandson Kevin
Lillian’s grandson Kevin chatted with Upworthy to fill us in on how it all got started. He had always known she was funny, but her fame didn’t take off until the pandemic. “I realized this at a young age because she has always been a comedian to my friends and me,” Kevin shared. “However, in 2020 during Covid, that’s when I got her onto TikTok and helped her set it up. Now it’s a fun hobby for her to connect with fans / her ‘internet grandchildren.’”
We asked what the funniest thing she’s ever said was, but it turned out her humor has a lot of raw truth to it. Kevin shares, “One time at a family member’s funeral she said, ‘Why are people crying? Don’t they know no one lives forever?’”
And it’s not just the millions of “regular people fans.” Grandma Lillian has become a favorite among some celebrities too. “Snoop Dogg has reposted a reel of hers, as well as Justin Bieber.”
