Key Takeaways
- Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd is facing backlash for allegedly telling employees to “be adults” and stop “overreacting” to widespread layoffs.
- A majority of the layoffs will take place in Bumble’s London office, and employees are frustrated by the decision to move the bulk of operations back to the U.S., according to news reports.
- Wolfe Herd’s comments have been viewed as dismissive and condescending in contrast to her earlier official statement about the layoffs.
In a companywide call last week, Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd reportedly told employees that they were “overreacting” to Bumble’s decision to reduce its workforce by 30%, sparking negative reactions inside and outside of the company.
Bumble employees allegedly responded to Wolfe Herd’s words by posting ‘angry emojis’ in a private chat, which the CEO apparently did not appreciate.
“I see a lot of freaking-out emojis, ya’ll need to calm down,” Wolfe Herd reportedly told her employees, according to a Financial Times news article.
The CEO has been judged harshly for allegedly saying employees had to “be adults in dealing with this.”
Her alleged comments have shined a light on Bumble’s downward trajectory and on Wolfe Herd herself — the person tasked with righting the ship.
In the call, Wolfe Herd explained how drastic times call for drastic measures. It’s an understandable stance for a CEO, but one that was undermined by what her employees saw as her dismissive and condescending attitude.
“London’s Not The First Choice,” CEO Says
Tensions allegedly flared on the companywide call when Wolfe Herd announced that Bumble would be moving its main operations back to the U.S.
Of the approximately 240 roles that have been slashed in the layoffs, 160 are based in Bumble’s London office. Seventy percent of Bumble’s staff is in the U.K., a vestige of Bumble’s former plans to expand into Europe. Now, the company is moving the bulk of its operations out of London and back to Austin, Texas, and, reportedly, to Silicon Valley.
“London’s not the first choice, that’s the frank reality,” Wolfe Herd allegedly said.
Wolfe Herd faced another wave of negative reactions when she announced that Bumble’s talent pool was strongest in the U.S. “This is being taken out of context. I like London and I think everyone is overreacting to this, candidly,” she was quoted as saying in the Financial Times.
“We are in a decline from a numbers standpoint,” Wolfe Herd explained during the companywide call. She added that dating apps feel “like a thing of the past.” By slashing its workforce by 30%, Bumble stands to save $40 million, money that will go toward bringing Bumble into the future.
The U.S. “talent pool” Wolfe Herd referred to includes Silicon Valley AI experts, who will help shape Bumble’s future, according to the CEO.
Wolfe Herd hopes that refocusing on what worked in the past while embracing new technology will give Bumble a much-needed surge of adrenaline.
Wolfe Herd’s Comments Contrast Her Earlier Statement
Bumble’s valuation has dropped from a staggering $13 billion in 2021 shortly after its IPO to a market cap of about $700 million in July 2025. The female-focused dating app isn’t alone; most dating apps, including Tinder and Hinge, are facing revenue losses and falling engagement, and Match Group recently announced its own round of layoffs.
With Bumble’s falling stock value and layoffs making headlines, the tension surrounding Bumble’s future is only heightened by the apparent frustration of the employees who bring the app company to life.
Wolfe Herd’s alleged tone on the company call is a stark difference from her tone in the companywide memo she sent out a few days earlier.
“I know this decision affects people — friends and colleagues — who have poured so much into Bumble, and many of you who will enter the consultation process,” the CEO wrote. She added that Bumble is “committed to treating everyone affected with respect, compassion, and gratitude during this transition.”
She directly addressed the Bumble employees who weren’t affected by the layoffs: “I know this is a heavy day. Let’s honor our teammates by carrying their spirit forward — with resilience, heart, and renewed purpose.”
But employees reportedly didn’t sense the same empathy in Wolfe Herd’s comments. Perhaps this is why Wolfe Herd suggested that employees take the rest of the week off following the controversial call.
It’s worth noting that Wolfe Herd, as a woman CEO, undoubtedly faces more public scrutiny for subjective critiques like “her tone” than would a male CEO.
