"Drop a song to honor his name!"— Fans go gaga as Dua Lipa responds to Duolingo owl mascot Duo's death

Dua Lipa has reacted to the unexpected "death" of Duolingo's mascot, Duo the Owl after the language-learning app announced the shocking news in a marketing campaign. The brand confirmed Duo's passing on February 11, 2025, through social media, stating:

"It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Duo, formally known as The Duolingo Owl, is dead."

The post further mentioned that "authorities are currently investigating his cause of death" while humorously blaming users for ignoring their lessons.

"Tbh, he probably died waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know."

The announcement concluded with a request for users to respect Dua Lipa's privacy, a nod to the app's long-standing joke that Duo was obsessed with the pop star.

In response to the news, Dua Lipa took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a tribute to the beloved owl. Reposting Duolingo's announcement, she wrote, "Til' death duo part" along with a broken heart emoji. Her interaction quickly went viral, sparking a wave of reactions from fans who were already engaged in the humorous mystery surrounding Duo's fate.

A Duolingo representative later told Entertainment Weekly on February 12 that they were "shocked (and honored)" by her response, emphasizing that this wasn't a paid partnership but rather the natural evolution of the brand's long-running lore about Duo's love for Lipa.

The internet erupted with fan reactions following Dua Lipa's acknowledgment of Duo's "death." Many users on X found humor in the marketing stunt and Lipa's response.

"You should drop a song to honor his name!" one X user commented.

"Poor duo didnt get to see the dua notice during his lifetime," another user wrote.

"Honestly, Duolingo's marketing team deserves an award," a user remarked.

Fans urged Dua Lipa to release a tribute song, joked about Duo missing her acknowledgment, and praised Duolingo's marketing team for the creative campaign.

"I'm so sorry for your loss Dua. Sorrows, sorrows, prayers!" a user said.

"Duo didn't die, he just finally gave up on waiting for us to do our lessons," X user wrote.

"That owl may be gone, but the guilt of skipping a lesson will haunt us forever," another user remarked.

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Dua Lipa reacts as Duolingo reveals Duo the owl was "hit by a car"

On February 12, 2025, Duolingo provided an update via Instagram, revealing that Duo had been hit by a car. The post included an image of the fallen owl mascot with X's over his eyes and a caption that read,

"UPDATE: Reward for whoever can identify the driver. Please post any leads on TikTok. Thank you for your patience with us during these trying times. #RIPduo."

The revelation added a new layer to the ongoing storyline, prompting fans to engage in humorous speculation about the "mystery driver."

A spokesperson for Duolingo told E! on February 11 that the campaign aimed to highlight the persistence of their iconic owl.

"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."

The representative also confirmed that this is not the last fans will hear of Duo. "There is an ongoing investigation that we cannot comment on extensively at this time," they added, hinting at future developments in the storyline.