Kelly Johnson
Meet Kelly
Kelly Johnson is a writer and culture critic focused on popular culture, big emotions, and the complexities of womanhood without motherhood. She writes The Opt Out, a twice-weekly Substack newsletter ranked among the top 100 in the Culture category. Described by readers as “a letter from your wise but funny yet kind friend” and “the safest place on the internet,” The Opt Out became the #1 rising newsletter in its category in April 2025.
From 2018–2023, Johnson published dozens of personal essays for cupcakes and cashmere, where she also served as Director of Marketing. She is currently seeking representation for her debut novel, loosely inspired by Love Island, and is at work on a second. Johnson holds a master’s degree in marketing from USC, where she graduated as valedictorian. She now lives in a 1970s treehouse in Minneapolis–St. Paul with her husband and their dog, Pig.