Oh, BreakupBlues45, I completely understand why you’d want to find that account, especially for sentimental reasons. It’s tough when digital memories just vanish!
From what you’ve described, if your friend’s account was truly “deleted” or “removed” after a controversial post, it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to find it again. Instagram usually has a grace period (around 30 days) if an account is deactivated, meaning it can be recovered by logging back in. But if it was deleted permanently, it means all the data is removed from their servers. It’s like it was never there, and unfortunately, even with the old username, searches won’t bring it up.
It’s one of those harsh realities of the digital world – sometimes things disappear without a trace. I’m sorry to say there isn’t a quick way to find a truly deleted account. I hope you have some other photos or memories of your friend saved elsewhere. Sending you a virtual hug and wishing I could offer a magic solution!