‘Avalanche of Misogyny:’ Feminist on Blue Origin’s All-Female Space Flight Complains About Harassment

Amanda Nguyen, a feminist who became the first Vietnamese woman to go to the edge of space as part of Blue Origin’s all-female space flight in April 2025, has opened up about her battle with depression following the backlash she received after participating in the much-publicized trip. According to Nguyen, she has been depressed since the flight due to an “avalanche of misogyny.”

BBC News reports that in April 2025, Blue Origin, the private space company founded by billionaire entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, launched the first all-female space flight since 1963. The crew, which included pop star Katy Perry, journalist Lauren Sánchez, and feminist activist Amanda Nguyen, embarked on an 11-minute journey that crossed the internationally recognized boundary of space. While the flight was played up in the corporate media as a significant milestone for women in space exploration, it also faced criticism for its expense and environmental impact.

Amanda Nguyen, a 34-year-old self-proclaimed “civil rights astronaut,” became the first Vietnamese woman to go to space during this mission. However, in the aftermath of the flight, Nguyen found herself grappling with depression due to the overwhelming backlash she received. In a recent Instagram post, Nguyen shared her experience, stating that the news coverage and social media reaction following the trip was an “onslaught no human brain has evolved to endure.”

Nguyen revealed that in the days following the flight, when fellow crew member Gayle King, a US news anchor, called to check in on her, she told King that her depression might last for years. The feminist claims the harassment and criticism she faced was so severe that she was unable to leave her home in Texas for a week, and a month later, when a senior staff member at Blue Origin called her, she was unable to speak through her tears.

Nguyen bizarrely claims she conducted numerous experiments during the 11-minute Blue Origin flight. However, she believes the significance of her work, along with the historic nature of her participation as the first Vietnamese woman astronaut on the 50th anniversary of the US-Vietnam war and as the child of boat refugees, was overshadowed by the “avalanche of misogyny” she faced.

Despite the challenges, Nguyen expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support she received from her followers and well-wishers, stating that they “saved her.” She also highlighted the positive outcomes of the flight, including the media attention brought to her women’s health research and the opportunities to meet world leaders in relation to her advocacy work.