Lucy Guo steps down as Passes CEO after 'really unhealthy' work remarks. Kelly Coffey-Behrens Thu, October 22, 2026 at 2:30 PM PDT Lucy Guo has stepped down as CEO of creator platform Passes, multiple sources have told The Blast, following backlash over her comments about working for 26 hours straight. The reported departure follows a clip circulating on X in which Guo described staying awake to work with artificial intelligence tools. Sources say Lucy Guo stepped down after viral clip drew attention. It also comes after Passes and its founder were sued over allegations that the platform distributed child sexual abuse material. The company has denied wrongdoing. "Lucy has stepped down as CEO of Passes. The transition happened after the video started circulating on X, which is why the timing is drawing attention," one source told The Blast. "There are still questions about what her role will look like going forward, but stepping away from the CEO position is a significant change for the company." The sources placed Guo's departure after the viral clip. Lucy Guo claimed AI was making people work harder. The accounts provided to The Blast describe a leadership transition, but leave several details unresolved. The sources did not identify a successor in their comments or explain whether Guo would retain responsibilities at the platform. Their accounts also stopped short of attributing the reported change to either the online backlash or the lawsuit. In the recording, Guo argued that AI was increasing the pressure to keep working. "I, I think AI is making people work harder actually because you constantly have to like, yeah, because you have to be awake for your agents to be running, and on your laptop, right?" she said. Lucy Guo's '26 hour day' comments spark 'really unhealthy' backlash. Lucy Guo on why AI isn't shrinking her workweek: "AI is making people work harder actually, because you have to be awake for your agents to be running." She pulled a 26-hour day last week because Claude was shipping code and she refused to miss the loop. pic.twitter.com/dNrHaORMkn - Big Brain AI (@realBigBrainAI) October 17, 2026 Guo then recalled a recent stretch without sleep. "I think it was last week, I worked a 26 hour day because I refused to go to sleep," she said, later adding, "I have been awake for 26 hours." She compared the experience to her hackathon days and described feeling motivated by the amount of work she could accomplish. "So I was like, oh my God, I need to like I just need to be awake." "Her comments about staying awake for 26 hours attracted a lot of attention, and shortly afterward, we learned she was stepping down," a second source told The Blast. "Those are the events as we understand them. It would be a separate question to say what drove the decision, and the timing alone doesn't give you that answer." The remarks drew criticism on X, with some users questioning why running AI agents required her to remain awake. "You uh don't need your laptop to run agents," Scott McLeod wrote. "This sounds really unhealthy," another user, Claire Kart, posted. The criticism focused on both the hours Guo described and her explanation for staying awake. Her remarks presented the ability to keep working with AI tools as a reason to delay sleep, while the responses quoted above challenged that approach and the technical reasoning behind it. Separately, creator Alice Rosenblum sued Passes, Guo and two other defendants in February 2025, alleging sexually explicit material depicting her as a minor was uploaded and sold through the platform. Passes denies wrongdoing as major lawsuit claims move forward. Rosenblum's attorneys said a California federal judge largely denied dismissal motions by Passes and Guo on February 4, 2026, allowing major claims to proceed. That procedural decision did not establish liability or prove the allegations. Passes has strongly disputed wrongdoing. In a March 2025 statement, the company denied approving or condoning explicit content involving minors and disputed claims that Rosenblum's talent representatives acted on its behalf. The company has also described safeguards intended to prevent prohibited material from appearing on its service, including identity verification and reviews of prospective creators' online backgrounds. The company's description of its screening process is part of its response to the allegations. It does not resolve the dispute over the material described in Rosenblum's lawsuit. For now, the reported executive transition and the contested claims remain separate developments, with the sources offering no confirmed connection between them. Questions remain about Passes' next CEO and Lucy Guo's future role. The information provided does not establish whether any further changes to the company's leadership will follow. "The next questions are who takes over and whether Lucy stays involved in another capacity," another source said. "Stepping down as CEO doesn't, by itself, answer either of those things. Those details matter to understanding what this transition actually means for Passes and the people who use the platform."

Passes refutes any claims that it approved or condoned the posting of underage explicit content on its platformThe safety of creators on its platform is Passes' top priority and the company actively works to ensure compliance with its policiesPasses is pursuing all legal avenues to hold those accountable including those who have perpetuated this false narrativeLOS ANGELES, March 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, creator technology platform Passes released the following statement in response to false allegations about the Company and its founder, Lucy Guo. Passes was founded in 2022 to empower creators by enabling them to tap into their audience to create meaningful sources of income. Passes prides itself on delivering a world-class product and fostering a safe, creator-first platform with the best trust and safety measures available. In line with its mission, Passes forbids the uploading of explicit content and actively works to identify and remove any violations of its guidelines