Yousef "FouseyTube" Erakat, 32, awoke on the morning of March 25th, 2019 to find his career in shambles. The once-prolific YouTube star who had amassed over 10 million devoted subscribers since launching his comedic vlog back in 2011 had vanished from the platform amidst controversy. After a highly publicized mental health crisis played out across social media, the streaming community turned their back on someone they once held in high regard.
However, Fousey’s offline troubles had started years prior behind the scenes. As early as 2016, friends noted behavioral changes in the previously humble prankster after reaching elite YouTuber status. “He got lost in the illusion of his online fame making him some kind of God,” longtime collaborator Jason Nichols commented. Once grounded in championing underdogs, he became swept up in LA’s influencer culture surrounding wealth, ego inflation, yes-men, and virtue signaling.
The Corrupting Influence of Fame
By mid-2018, Erakat’s erratic behavior accelerated sharply as he fully embraced the clickbait potential of internet infamy. The May “Cinco De Mayo” stunt that destroyed his reputation saw this trajectory peak before temporarily disappearing from the spotlight. Promising to donate $100k to a battered women’s shelter, the event descended into chaos once attendees realized the cash was counterfeit just for show.
His subscriber count fluctuated wildly over the subsequent 6 months of extreme high highs and low lows while operating as an IRL streamer. During an October 8th, 2018 broadcast from Skid Row titled “Giving Money to the Homeless”, Fousey demonstrated his warped disconnect by hurling insults at impoverished citizens before handing them $1 bills. Viewers observed him spiraling through these cringeworthy episodes, conflicted between enabling self-destruction or turning away.
Subscriber Stats During Breakdown Phase:
Highest Subscribers: 16 million
Lowest Subscribers: 100k
Average Viewers Per Stream: 125k
Total Video Views: 2+ billion
Key Videos:
- Cinco De Mayo Aftermath - 32 million views
- Saving Human Trafficking Victim - 25 million
- Arrested By Police on Camera- 19 millionFrom Bad To Worse
Allegations of sexual misconduct marked the point of no return in salvaging the FouseyTube persona. While streaming from SXSW in March, 2019, he recounted an airport encounter with a young woman who confided she was trafficked. His decision to then isolate her in a bathroom and demand sexual favors still haunts discourse around internet ethics. Critics argue such exploitation of trauma survivors cannot be justified or compensated by later Fundraising on her behalf.
The traditional metrics of YouTube success no longer applied as consequence-free outrage generated clicks. With each new scandal, Fousey discovered past boundaries of shock value could be eclipsed through ratcheting up chaos. Other creators buzzed about collaborating with such a lucrative viral magnet, even as longtime friends avoided direct association.
For IRL streamer GreekGodx, the inflection point tangling his own brand with Fousey’s arrived unexpectedly on camera. When police approached to assess erratic threats being made by Erakat regarding chat avatar “Luca” sabotaging his career, Fousey promptly blamed GreekGodx instead due to their resemblence. This permanently damaged that relationship, signifying the first of many bridges burned.
Downward Spiral
By his own admission, the relentless attacks in character by "Luca" via donations and texts left Fousey feeling paranoid, suicidal, and reaching out for emergency psychiatric intervention. On August 19th, 2020, he detailed this campaign to systematically orchestrate his downfall through manipulation which took an immense toll on his mental health.
Text Message Threats From "Luca"
"Your career is over. I control you now."
"I own you, say it back to me."
"Keep dancing for me monkey, this is just the beginning."The late night call February 11th, 2021 (VOD now offline) marked a sobering portrait of the abyss Fousey found himself staring into. Ranting about conspiracies of mind control, satanic worship, and fears of his family being murdered, police arrived on scene to assist. Once placed in protective care, he resumed broadcasting the next day without acknowledgement.
Audiences reacted with a mix of concern and morbid curiosity to these dispatches from the edge revealed in real time. But the performative aspect around viral interest also perpetuated the cycle preventing Fousey from regaining stability.
Preventing Another Tragedy
While extreme fame warps reality for creators like Fouseytube, it does not absolve them of personal responsibility for their actions. However, rushed condemnation fails to address the underlying factors impacting such mental health crises.
Public pressure also rarely results in genuine accountability. Cancel culture places judgement over rehabilitation, disregarding root causes influenced by upbringing, access to resources, undiagnosed conditions, and substance issues.
Nor should the singular burden rest only with individuals when toxic elements have seeped into content creator culture itself. Platformed social media rewards extremes while incentivizing chasing notoriety over principles. Outrage clicks should not drive business models that discourage finding balance.
As friends bitterly admit in the aftermath, they stood by silently for too long watching red flags wave. We must learn to intervene before countless lives are disrupted by another catastrophic crash then switch channels seeking the next trainwreck. If miraculously given that second chance, their legacy can still be defined by those saved in the aftermath, not destruction left behind.