Dua Lipa mourns “death” of Duolingo owl

12 February, 2025

Dua Lipa and Duolingo mascot 'Duo'

Dua Lipa has paid her respects following the “death” of the Duolingo owl.

It comes after the language learning app recently shared news of its latest marketing campaign, confirming that its mascot – a green owl named Duo – had died unexpectedly.

Taking to social media last night (February 11), the app shared an update which read: “It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Duo, formally known as The Duolingo Owl, is dead.”

“Authorities are currently investigating his cause of death and we are cooperating fully,” it added, before making a quip blaming users for not trying hard enough on the app. “Tbh, he probably died waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know.”

“We’re aware he had many enemies, but we kindly ask that you refrain from sharing why you hate him in the comments. If you feel inclined to share, please also include your credit card number so we can automatically sign you up for Duolingo Max in his memory,” it concluded, before making a reference to the pop star. “We appreciate you respecting Dua Lipa’s privacy at this time.”

The reference to the ‘Dance The Night’ hitmaker comes as the app has frequently made nods to her, particularly because of the similarity between her name and Duo’s. This has included a number of references to her on their social media posts over the years, and the singer even saying that she had a special bond with the mascot in a past interview (via TimesNow).

Now, acknowledging news of his death, Lipa has taken to X/Twitter to pay tribute to the owl. Reposting the news from the official Duolingo page, she added the caption: “Til’ death duo part”, along with a broken heart emoji.

Duolingo also went on to share a statement with E! about the new campaign strategy saying: “For years, he tirelessly reminded millions to do their language lessons—sometimes with gentle nudges, sometimes with sheer, unhinged persistence.

“But even the most relentless of birds can only take so much. Our app icon reflects this tragic loss with ‘Dead Duo.’ There is an ongoing investigation that we cannot comment on extensively at this time.”

The spokesperson also said that the story for the owl mascot isn’t over, as they will be working to “uncover the shocking (and possibly absurd) truth behind his untimely demise.”

As for other Dua Lipa news, last December the singer reflected on her headline set at Glastonbury 2024, and said that she “took as many mental pictures as [she] could” during the show.

In a four-star review of Lipa’s Glastonbury 2024 headline show, NME described the set as “a powerhouse performance to shut down the critics”.

It added: “‘I don’t want this moment to pass me by,’ she says, looking out in awe at the mass of people in front of her, ‘I’m not gonna get bored of this’. The feeling is mutual, too, as the night not only becomes a glittering celebration of pop in its highest form but also serves as a reminder that even the most outlandish aspirations can become a reality.”

The post Dua Lipa mourns “death” of Duolingo owl appeared first on NME.