We Asked Rosie & Bubba from "The Crash" EVERYTHING The Internet Wants To Know

The Netflix documentary’s handling of Rosie and Bubba's stories has drawn criticism for significant editing and misleading presentations, which shaped the narrative in ways that did not reflect their actual experiences, intentions, or cooperation with authorities.

Interview Footage Edits Removed Crucial Context From Rosie and Bubba's Accounts

Rosie underwent an eight-hour interview, and Bubba participated in a fifteen-hour session where they answered every question posed. Despite these extensive interviews, only about fifteen minutes of footage featuring them made it to the final cut of the documentary. Both Rosie and Bubba were led to believe they were participating in a three-part documentary series, especially since the original direction was to discuss the drug investigation in extensive detail. Ultimately, the series was reduced to a single ninety-minute film, cutting out substantial material and resulting in a product that neither felt accurately represented their involvement or their feelings about losing friends at a young age. Rosie specifically mentioned that she thought the documentary would focus on the perspective of those who suffered a tragic loss, and she felt the final edit was twisted in a way she never anticipated, misrepresenting her emotions about the entire situation.

Misleading Claims About Rosie's Cooperation With Prosecutors and Law Enforcement

The Netflix documentary includes an interview with the prosecutor, who states “you have no idea how hard I try to get Rosie Gramm to talk to me, to cooperate with me.” This statement was edited alongside footage of Rosie, giving viewers the impression that Rosie never cooperated with investigators. However, Rosie clarified that she did, in fact, speak to the prosecutor on two separate calls—one lasting an hour and the other thirty minutes—and has phone records to confirm this. These calls occurred after a grand jury subpoena was issued following Mackenzie’s arrest. Rosie explained that she never spoke to detectives earlier in the process, but after the subpoena, the prosecutor called her to ask questions, telling her he would treat the call as if she were on the stand. Rosie answered all his questions and expected to be called as a witness, but never was. Although the documentary edited statements to imply reluctance or non-cooperation, available records and Rosie’s account show she did cooperate with prosecutors once legally compelled. Editing prosecutor statements and juxtaposing them with Rosie's personal reflections on initial police contact further misled viewers about her actual role and willingness to assist the investigation.

Producers Elicited Problematic Statements Used Out of Context

Throughout her lengthy interview, Rosie reports that producers repeatedly pressed her to state her belief about Dom's alleged drug dealing, asserting that the audience would already assume his involvement based on evidence like text messages. Despite her discomfort and reluctance to label Dom as a drug dealer ...

Rosie and Bubba Declined Police Interviews, Believing Authorities Were Probing Drug Trafficking, Not the Crash

Rosie and Bubba were under the impression that the police investigation was more focused on drug trafficking than on the car crash itself. This belief was fueled by several factors. During Paul’s police interview, officers questioned him extensively not only about the crash but also about the presence of guns, drug paraphernalia, and whether Dom, who had been at the gathering, owned firearms—some of which he would share with Rosie and Bubba. Police questions also probed for jealousy between Dom and Mackenzie, but the focus on guns appeared to unsettle Paul and likely contributed to Rosie and Bubba’s apprehension.

Adding to this suspicion was the presence of a DEA agent at the interviews, something Stephanie Soo found unusual unless drugs were directly involved in the case. The DEA agent gave a speech warning about the dangers of drugs, and as Mackenzie had been found with a bag of psilocybin mushrooms on her person and charged for drug possession, the involvement of the DEA further solidified the perception that the investigation had a significant drug component.

Rosie learned from Paul that detectives had printed out text messages between herself and Mackenzie, which included conversations about purchasing marijuana and mushrooms. This made Rosie nervous about her own legal exposure, heightening her reluctance to participate. Rosie recounted that after learning about the line of questioning from Paul, she felt unprepared to discuss drugs or guns with investigators.

Retired Police Chief Advised Daughter to Avoid Detective Questioning

Rosie’s uncertainty led her to consult her father, a retired police chief, about how to proceed—something she says is often unfairly interpreted as evidence of a cover-up. Her father, in turn, spoke with their attorney regarding the police questions about guns and the printed text messages. The attorney advised Rosie against participating in the interviews. As a result, Rosie’s scheduled police interview was canceled after Paul’s session, with the official reason at one point noted as mental health. This legal advice—though based on caution over drug and gun questioning—was perceived as evasive and uncooperative, especially by families and the public, fueling suspicions of a cover-up.

Bubba Felt Law Enforcement's Increased Pressure at College as Drug Trafficking Intimidation

Bubba reported that law enforcement pressure extended to his college athletic environment. Police contacted Bubba’s football coach and the college dean began receiving reports that Bubba was connected to a drug trafficking case, thereby jeopardizing h ...

Rosie and Bubba's Accounts Show No Mackenzie-Dom Conflict at Paul's

Eyewitnesses Bubba and Rosie describe a calm and normal evening at Paul’s house. Bubba says he, Davion, Dom, and Mackenzie were together watching TV on the couch, noting that Mackenzie was even falling asleep. Shortly after Mackenzie, Davion, and Dom arrived, Mackenzie and Dom left together for about 15–30 minutes to retrieve special snacks—popcorn and blueberries—because they always ate healthy. When Mackenzie and Dom returned, witnesses say they came back happy and calm, with no signs of tension or conflict.

Multiple witnesses, including Bubba, Rosie, Paul, and Nina, all confirm that there was no fight between Mackenzie and Dom that night. They express frustration at suggestions to the contrary, pointing out there is no reason for all four to coordinate a false story. Their consistent accounts directly contradict claims that a fight occurred at the gathering.

Police Debunk Theory: Rosie Drove Past Crash Site

Bubba explains that police have video evidence showing Mackenzie’s car turning onto Progress Road around the time of the crash. No other vehicles are seen following, which rules out the theory that anyone—including Rosie—was involved or witnessed the crash in real time.

Regarding Rosie’s route home, she clarifies and police records confirm that she drove down Pearl Road, which is the main road through the area and not the location of the crash. While she passed the entrance to Progress, she never drove on it and thus never passed the crash site itself. This account is verified by her own statements and the police.

The conspiracy theory that Rosie drove past the crash site appears to stem from rumors at a vigil, where Rosie expressed emotional distress about Mackenzie’s death and mentioned driving home from Bubba’s. A friend misinterpreted her words and reported to police that Rosie claimed to have driven by the crash before authorities arrived. The rumor spread online, evolving into a more sinister allegation. Rosie confirms she never spoke to the person who reported this, believing the confusion arose from her saying she passed the entrance to Progress while driving on Pearl.

Rosie's Grief Over College Separation, Not Crash Involvement or Awareness

After the gathering, Rosie drove to Bubba’s but opted not to stay due to his mother having COVID. She chose to go home, driving along Pearl Road and passing the entrance to Progress. During the drive, she became emotional, reflecting on leaving for college and the imminent separation from her friends. The night was heavy with feelings of change, as several members of the friend group were about to leave for different colleges. Rosie describes crying in her car with the windows down, ...

Text Archive Shows Emotionally Imbalanced, Suffocating Dynamic Resembling Domestic Abuse Patterns

Stephanie Soo, after reviewing 30,000 pages of text messages between Mackenzie and Dom, describes the messages as suffocating and reminiscent of a domestic violence situation, specifically an emotionally abusive relationship. The oppressive tone and emotional intensity in Mackenzie’s communication toward Dom demonstrate controlling, demanding, and manipulative behavior. Mackenzie’s text messages to Dom—unlike her tone with friends like Rosie—consistently reflect criticism, monitoring, and emotional demands. Soo notes that Mackenzie’s pattern of behavior with Dom—being emotionally overwhelming, obsessive, and critical—is typical of dynamics found in abusive intimate partnerships, with emotional abuse surfacing only in the context of the romantic relationship, not in her friendships. These intense dynamics did not appear in Mackenzie’s interactions with Rosie or Bubba, which is common, as patterns of abuse or manipulation are often limited to private relationships and hidden from friends.

Mackenzie Showed a Different Persona To Friends Than to Dom Privately

While Mackenzie was controlling and emotionally abusive toward Dom, her friendships presented a vastly different side. Rosie and Bubba describe Mackenzie as friendly, supportive, and kind. Text messages between Mackenzie and Rosie (spanning nearly 600 pages) are filled with mutual compliments, superficial chatter, and encouragement, such as "yes, you're so hot," "I love you," and supportive messages about social media struggles. Mackenzie’s treatment toward Rosie centers around social media and uplifting comments, sometimes even expressing jealousy over Rosie’s larger follower count but always couched as flattery or manifesting success together.

In contrast, Mackenzie’s private conversations with Dom were antagonistic and emotionally demanding, showing a stark split in her behavior depending on the relationship. Stephanie Soo emphasizes that it is common in emotionally abusive situations for the abuser to act sweet and supportive to friends while exhibiting controlling or abusive behavior toward a partner. For example, even when Mackenzie would rant to Rosie about others, it was far milder, focusing on trivial annoyances rather than personal attacks. Their friendship, on the whole, is described as surface-level, with little depth or intimacy—dominated by social media talk, inside jokes, and occasional, non-serious relationship advice.

Rosie and Bubba's Failure to See Warning Signs of the Relationship's Toxicity Reflects Their Limited Exposure and Mackenzie's Selective Persona

Rosie clarifies that she only began hanging out with Mackenzie and Dom a few months prior to the crash and always viewed Mackenzie as a new, casual friend. Most of their interactions were surface-level, focused on social media, followers, and everyday frustrations—never delving into personal or deeply emotional territory. Stephanie Soo highlights that Rosie’s exposure to Mackenzie’s private relationship with Dom was minimal and lacked any obvious red flags to an outside observer.

Rosie recounts that Mackenzie vaguely complained about Dom in scattered texts, but nothing that indicated the depth of dysfunction or toxicity in their relationship. Without context or deeper knowledge, Rosie did not take these complaints seriously. Their friendship never involved discussing each other's intimate relationships in any significant way, and ...

The responsibility for Mackenzie Shirilla’s actions and circumstances extends beyond the individuals most often discussed, such as Rosie and Bubba. Greater scrutiny should be placed on her parents, Natalie and Steve Shirilla, whose roles and decisions had a more substantial and direct impact on Mackenzie’s behavior and the tragic outcome.

Natalie Shirilla's Parenting Suggests Poor Judgment and Accountability

Natalie Shirilla demonstrated poor judgment and a lack of accountability in her parenting. Despite Mackenzie’s concerning condition, Natalie provided her with a car and enabled her to obtain a driver's license. This decision exposed Mackenzie and others to significant risk. After the crash, Natalie took further problematic actions by urging Paul and others not to speak with police, which potentially limited what authorities could learn about the case. Throughout the process, Natalie appeared to prioritize her daughter’s interests over accountability, focusing on protecting Mackenzie rather than fully cooperating with the investigation. This behavior signals a reluctance to address the real issues at hand and impeded a thorough and transparent inquiry into the incident.

Focusing On Rosie and Bubba Overlooks the Impact of Parental Guidance and Family Dynamics on Mackenzie's Behavior

Centering the discussion on Rosie and Bubba misses the deeper influence exerted by Mackenzie’s home environment and her parents’ guidance. Natalie and Steve Shirilla played a far more profound role in shaping Mackenzie’s values and decisions than friends or external ...