Reporter's press credentials revoked after she was seen smiling, winking on camera at Lindsay Clancy trial

Reporter Brittany Romano mugging for the camera at a triple-murder trial.

A reporter from Vanity Fair covering the Lindsay Clancy triple-murder trial in Massachusetts has had her press credentials pulled by the magazine after a courtroom camera showed her smiling and winking as it panned across a section where members of the media and others were watching the proceedings.

The conducted has been widely criticized as inappropriate and occurred in court on Monday after defense lawyers argued unsuccessfully for the judge to declare a mistrial. As the jury was being brought back into the courtroom, the CourtTV camera panned away and showed the rest of the packed courtroom, to protect jurors' anonymity, according to the Boston Herald. At that moment, reporter Brittany Romano was seen smiling at the camera as it panned to the right, and then winking at it as the camera panned back to the left. 

Clips of the unusual behavior went viral on social media, and Romano, when questioned about it, explained the display on the fact that she "grew up" with Clancy.

Vanity Fair took swift action on Tuesday. "We were interested in the prospect of a personal essay by Brittany Romano about her experience growing up with Lindsay Clancy,” Vanity Fair said in a statement to The New York Post. “Yesterday, after clear conflicts with our editorial standards and processes, we informed Romano that we were not moving forward with her essay and informed the court that she is no longer credentialed by Vanity Fair.” She wasn't in the courtroom for Tuesday's proceedings.

Clancy, 36, is on trial for strangling her three young children -- Cora, Dawson and Callan -- to death in 2023. Her defense is arguing for the jury to find her not guilty by reason of insanity, contending that Clancy suffered from severe postpartum psychosis at the time of the triple-murder. The trial has drawn national attention amid an outpouring of support for Clancy from women around the country, as well as many who have shown up outside the Massachusetts courthouse and held bizarre rallies for Clancy, leading to a flurry of criticism on social media. 

Romano defended her conduct in a post on Instagram Tuesday, saying, "A smile is not a crime." Below, watch the moment Romano was seen smiling and winking at the courtroom camera.