When Content Go Too Far: 21 Times Influencers’ Craziest Acts Made Headlines

Suk Min Choi, a 24-year-old YouTuber, has been charged with causing the placement of an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft for a video stunt where a helicopter fired fireworks at a Lamborghini in the California desert. Choi, known as ‘Alex Choi,’ orchestrated the production of the video, which lacked necessary permits and authorizations. The video, titled ‘Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks,’ showed two women in the helicopter targeting the luxury car. Choi faces up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted.

Petition to start calling influencers “dingoes” Two tourists were recently fined $1,500 each for taking selfies with dingoes. Australian authorities say the women were lucky not to be attacked during their photo-op.

I think I might start The FAFO Awards Alena Agafonova, a 23-year-old Russian influencer, was reportedly imprisoned and sentenced to 10 months of labor for “tickling the breast” of a famous war statue. Additionally, she has been banned from using social media for two years.

The US Olympic Committee has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Logan Paul’s Prime hydration drink brand days before the 2024 Paris Olympics. The lawsuit alleges that Prime used Olympic-related phrases without permission, potentially misleading the public and profiting from an unauthorized association with the Olympics.

I’m sure the lawyers are happy A legal dispute between two social media influencers may have significant implications for the industry, according to legal experts. A Texas-based influencer with over 500,000 followers has initiated a lawsuit against another content creator, alleging the unauthorized duplication of her TikTok, Instagram, and Amazon Storefront posts. Sydney Nicole Gifford, 24, has accused Alyssa Sheil, 21, of copying her “neutral, beige and cream aesthetics” and promoting similar Amazon products. The lawsuit, filed in Texas, claims that Sheil’s posts featured “identical styling, tone, camera angle and/or text” to Gifford’s, with at least 30 instances of alleged duplication.

Social media influencer Natalie Reynolds is accused of coaxing a non-swimmer into jumping into Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas, during a live stream, then abandoning the scene when the woman cried for help. Reynolds paid the woman $20 as part of a scavenger hunt challenge. The woman, who expressed her inability to swim, dove into the lake and struggled in the water. Reynolds panicked and fled the scene, leaving the woman to struggle. Emergency responders were dispatched to the lake, and the woman was rescued. Reynolds defended her actions in a subsequent live stream, claiming she left at the behest of her team.

At this point, you should have to fill out a permit to open a social media account “A 17-year-old YouTuber from Bennet, Nebraska has been charged with two felony counts for allegedly causing a train derailment to create content for his YouTube channel. The incident occurred on April 21, 2024, resulting in over $350,000 in damages. The teen reportedly tampered with a switch, causing a BNSF train to collide with a damaged coal car on a repair track.”

Was she watching old Seinfeld episodes?? TikTok star Katie Sigmond faces criminal charges for hitting a golf ball into the Grand Canyon. The now-viral video of the incident shows that when Sigmond swung to hit the ball, part of the club went flying. The national park addressed the video from its Facebook page saying, “Do we really need to say, ‘don’t hit golf balls into the Grand Canyon?’"

This kid [is bad] In November of 2021, YouTuber Trevor Jacob jumped out of a plane, allowing it to crash. He uploaded footage of the crash in a video titled “I Crashed My Plane.” According to the Department of Justice, Jacob recently pleaded guilty to one count of destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation, a charge that could carry a sentence of 20 years in prison.

There’s stupid. And then there’s STUPID. “A 19-year-old Georgia motorcyclist who fled police posted footage of the chase on TikTok. The content was discovered by law enforcement and a warrant was issued for his arrest.”

Hitchin Lavender, a farm in Hertfordshire, has urged visitors to stop damaging their lavender plants by sitting or lying on them for social media photos. Director Tim Hunter posted a video showing destroyed plants and pleaded for visitors to not ‘[end] our lavender’. The lavender fields have taken 10 years to cultivate, with some plants being 20 years old. While grateful for visitors, Hunter expressed concern about those who take photo opportunities ‘a bit too far’. The farm has put up signs advising proper behavior, but the increasing popularity has led to more damage for the sake of 10-second photos.

On our new board game, it’s a BIG deal if you do a good deed and don’t film it. To experience this and other influencer type moments, click the link in my bio. There’s other merch there too! Story below: TikToker Amelia Goldsmith filmed a video at the grocery store trying to buy a stranger’s groceries. When she approached shoppers at checkout, they did not understand why she was offering to pay for their food. Some appeared to be mildly offended. After no one accepted her offer, she bought items to add to a food bin at the store. At the end of the video, Goldsmith was in tears. “I’m just really overwhelmed right now, I don’t know what’s going on,” she said.

A Colombian influencer known as @mike_jambs got Messi’s name tattooed on his forehead after the World Cup. Just weeks after Argentina’s victory, he reportedly regrets getting the tattoo. “I regret having done the tattoo because instead of bringing me positive things, it’s led to lots of negative things, both personally and for my family,” he said in a video posted to Instagram.

Isn’t there a name for this? “Brazilian influencer Lara Jucá shared a photo of a contract a fan sent her, offering $800,000 a year to be his girlfriend in a long-distance relationship while still being allowed to see other people.”

Can’t handle the spice? A travel influencer has criticized a renowned restaurant in Spain’s Basque Country, calling it “the worst meal” of her life after spending nearly $1,000. Chloe Jade Meltzer shared her experience in a series of videos on TikTok, which have garnered 8 million views.

And I thought it was cool that I was getting $50 a month for letting my neighbor watch me sleep through my window 😤 “Twitch influencer Amouranth recently told The Iced Coffee Hour podcast that her most lucrative stream is her sleeping. She says that each sleep stream generates around $9,940 with additional revenue coming from conversions to her [only***s]. Her total monthly income is about $2 million, she estimates.”

Ashley Kosko, 37, started collecting and posting bedazzled Stanley tumblers on TikTok in 2022. She now sells her “Bling Stanley Tumblers” online for up to $1100 each. Kosko says prices reflect the cost of rhinestones and the time to decorate the custom cup, which can take up to 50 hours apiece. She also has a personal collection of over 80 Stanley tumblers, worth $30k.

Cute dog though. Give it a couple thousand years, it’ll be a Pomeranian. Influencer Amanda Hamilton said in a recent TikTok video that she believed she had gotten a good deal on a Pomeranian at the U.S.-Mexico border. She purchased the animal for $50 and took it home only to realize it was actually a wolf.