How AT&T's Lily Adams Commercials Changed Milana Vayntrub Forever

AT&T spokeswoman Lily Adams has been charming audiences for over a decade. Her friendly demeanor and quick wit have helped cement her as the new face of AT&T all while being an overall welcome presence for TV viewers. Much of the same can be said about her actress Milana Vayntrub. The performer's talent and bubbly personality can be found in other projects such as "This Is Us," "Werewolves Within," and as the voice of Marvel's Squirrel Girl. Additionally, she carries a strong passion for social activism, using her platform to shine a light on topics such as abortion rights and immigration reform. But the same kindness that Vayntrub has shown to the world has not been returned in full. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vayntrub teamed up with AT&T yet again to bring back Lily following the end of their initial campaign in 2017. Vayntrub, who was also directing these commercials, began a new slew of Lily ads where the character was working from home. Not long after, internet trolls began spamming comment sections referring to Vayntrub's character as "Mommy Milkers" along with other similarly inappropriate comments. Things took an even more troubling turn as websites shared photos of the actress with false promises of even more obscene images to come. 

As expected, Vayntrub was not a fan of the distasteful responses. She addressed many of the hurtful reactions in an Instagram Live and following commercials would see Vayntrub hide her body to avoid further harassment. But thankfully, the actress was not alone in condemning the heinous comments. 

Milana Vayntrub's harsh online treatment following her 2020 AT&T spots proved to be a troubling experience for the actress. AT&T was quick to react to any hate comments (via The New York Times) with, "We don't condone sexual harassment of employees in the workplace or on our social channels." Similarly, prior work colleagues of Vayntrub came to her aid. Director Paul Feig, who worked with her on the web series "Other Space" and 2016's "Ghostbusters," took to Twitter, sharing, "What is happening to @MintMilana on social media is an absolute disgrace. To all harassers, trolls, immature guys who hide behind a wall of anonymity to do and say things you'd never do or say in public and anyone who thinks this s**t is 'funny,'  it is vile and harmful."

However, one surprising name that gave Vayntrub a hand was actress Stephanie Courtney. Best known for her longtime association with Progressive Insurance as the cheery saleswoman Flo, Courtney, while never experiencing the level of pestering that Vayntrub was, cared enough to reach out. The two shared a phone call where Courtney offered Vayntrub a kind, listening ear. It was the kind of support she was looking for, telling The New York Times that the call made her feel, "like there were people on my team." 

Vayntrub remains loyal to AT&T, even despite these setbacks. When asked by The New York Times if the benefits of working with the company overshadowed any of the negativity, the performer responded, "One hundred percent." With the same chipper attitude possessed by her commercial persona and some true-blue supporters on her side, Vayntrub's talents will continue to flourish. 

As of late 2023, Milana Vayntrub continues to be a dominant force in the advertising space, lending her talents to AT&T's iPhone 15 commercials. It's unclear if she'll continue to work with the company in the future, especially after the string of harassment the actress and director received. But as of early 2024, she was seen once again as Lily for a cheeky AT&T ad. For Vayntrub, the entertainment landscape is one that she's eager to dominate. In early 2024, the star appeared on the late-night game show "After Midnight," which garnered significant enthusiasm from fans. 

Besides on-screen appearances, Vayntrub continues to be a force to be reckoned with behind the camera. In an Instagram post celebrating her experiences in 2023, Vayntrub expressed gratitude for being able to debut her short film "Pickled Herring," which was screened at various film festivals. Vayntrub has a variety of other cinematic projects in the works, writing, "Getting wonderful news about a film in which I make [Method Man] crack" on her Instagram post, teasing that details on her mysterious project will be shared eventually. Vayntrub also continues to direct commercials, describing 2023 as one of her busiest years to date on the Instagram post. 

While she'll always be recognized as one of AT&T's most pronounced assets and one of the best parts of "Werewolves Within," Vayntrub has also expanded beyond the realms of film and television. In 2022, she voiced the dwarfen blacksmith Lúnda in the blockbuster PlayStation video game "God of War Ragnarök." She's next set to star in the comedy flick "Bad Shabbos," which is directed by Daniel Robbins