Jenna Ortega’s Mom Appears to Use Her Viral Smoking Photos As an Anti-Smoking PSA

In May, Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega went viral after paparazzi photos of her smoking a cigarette were released. Of course, the internet had it’s way with the images, swinging from general disappointment to memes about the incident. Ortega’s mom, a nurse, appears to have fallen into the former category. 

On Instagram, Natalie Ortega posted several memes and articles, all suspiciously related to smoking. One was an image of Gollum from Lord of the Rings with the caption, “Don’t believe those lies about cigarettes being bad for you. I’ve been smoking for most my 21 years and I feel great!”

In another post she shared an article highlighting the risk of lung cancer for smokers, writing “FACTS” over the photo. She also shared an article about cigarette stench and a meme that read, “ ”mother is always a mother. She never stops worrying about her children, even when they are all grown up and have children of their own.”

Of course, fans found the posts both funny and endearing. Many pointed out that Ortega is an adult, but it’s a solid mom move to use a viral moment as a PSA to young fans about the very real dangers of smoking. According to the Center for Disease Control, 480,000 deaths are caused by tobacco use every year in the United States. 

While the actress hasn’t gotten in on any smoking discourse, she has been busy with plenty of other things. It was just announced that her new film Beetlejuice 2 will release in September 2024.