YouTuber had to beg fans to stop showing up at father’s funeral
Popular YouTuber and beauty guru Bretman Rock is asking fans for privacy after fans showed up to the funeral of his late father asking for pictures.
While internet fame might seem like sunshine and roses, many influencers have complained of over-enthusiastic fans who take their fandom too far, with some even being stalked and harassed in real life.
Boasting a fanbase of over six million subscribers on YouTube, makeup mogul Bretman Rock is no stranger to having a huge audience – but some of his fans are overstepping personal boundaries by showing up to the funeral of his late father.
YouTuber Bretman Rock is begging fans for privacy in wake of his father’s passing.Rock opened up about the less-than-savory situation in a series of Tweets on November 21, claiming that fans had discovered the location of the funeral, and were even snapping photos of his father and grieving family.
“Can people just let me be sad for once?” Rock wrote. “I’m here in the Philippines for my dad who just passed, don’t come to my house and ask me for pictures. So many people showed up to my dad’s funeral uninvited and started taking pics of my dad and my family.”
Can people just let me be sad for onces…. I’m here in the Philippines for my dad who just passed, don’t come to my house and ask me for pictures.. so many people showed up to my dads funeral uninvited and started taking pics of my dad and my family..
Like why?It’s common sense
— Bretman Rock Pascual (@bretmanrock) November 21, 2019
Rock went on to ask the overbearing fans why they thought asking for a photo during such an emotional time was acceptable in a striking Tweet that showcases the hefty price of fame in the digital age.
“I just don’t understand why people think it’s okay to ask me for pictures when my eyes are literally swollen from crying,” he continued. “How you you gonna say ‘Condolences, can we take a picture?’”
I just don’t understand why people think it’s okay to ask me for pictures when my eyes are literally swollen from crying … how you you gonna say “condolences , can we take a picture ?”
— Bretman Rock Pascual (@bretmanrock) November 21, 2019
Rock isn’t the only YouTuber to have undergone such an unfortunate breach of privacy, either: YouTube duo the Dolan Twins similarly asked fans to refrain from meeting up at their own father’s funeral in late January of 2018, after the hashtags “#seandolanfuneralparty” and “#SeanDolanMeetUpParty” surfaced across Twitter.
We want this ceremony to be an opportunity for the people who had a close connection with my Dad to say goodbye and pay their respects. We appreciate all of our fans so so much. Please respect My father Sean, Ethan, my family, and me send your love through social media only!
— Grayson Dolan (@GraysonDolan) January 22, 2019
News of Rock’s situation also follows a disturbing development for Twitch streamer “Sweet Anita,” whose stalker was released from prison without charges after moving to her city, and even sleeping behind her home.
Sadly I have had a fair amount of online stalkers. But this one was IRL, he spent hours outside my house, he even slept behind my house, and managed to assault me. I've been harassed for a month now and I'm relieved that something might be done about it.
— Sweet Anita (@sweetanita) November 7, 2019
With the rising, perceived “accessibility” of online entertainers, issues like these continue to arise – but stalking and harassing such personalities is never “okay,” no matter how much fans think they might “know” them.